Dr. Jessica Getman, Assistant Professor, Music Department

Folks from the Inland Empire mostly associate Barstow as a stop on the way to Las Vegas. But for Professor Getman, this is her hometown where she began her musical journey. During her time at Barstow High School Jessica became a musician on what instrument - guitar, piano? Listen and find out! It's an extraordinary thing to play.

As a professor, Dr. Getman is a film musicologist, with emphasis in television studies and science fiction media. Her PhD dissertation at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was on music and social discourse in the original series of Star Trek, and she has recently published a co-edited collection of essays on music in that franchise for the publisher Routledge. She is excited to share her interests in screen media, popular music, amateur music, critical editing, historically-informed performance practice, and twentieth-century American music with her CSUSB students and community. 

During this interview you'll learn about an upcoming program being established by the Department of Music at CSUSB. It is the Music Therapy Program. Jessica is at the helm of this project which debuts in Fall 2025.

In closing, if you or someone you know is a Trekkie, you'll love her information about the musical scores wrapped around this popular television show.