Composition Commons^™

Arvo Pärt: Sounding The Sacred [Toc], Peter Bouteneff, Jeffers Engelhardt, Robert Saler

Religion

Scholarly writing on the music of Arvo Pärt is situated primarily in the fields of musicology (analyzing Pärt’s signature “tintinnabuli” method), cultural and media studies (Pärt’s audience is uncannily broad within and beyond the contemporary classical world) and, more recently, in terms of theology/spirituality (Pärt is primarily a composer of sacred music). For the most part, this work is centered around the representational dimensions of Pärt’s music (including the trope of silence), writing and listening past the fact that its storied effects and affects are carried first and foremost as vibrations through air, impressing themselves on ...

Developing A Systematic Approach For Teaching Beginning Improvisation Using The Concert Percussion Ensemble, Ian Mcclaflin

Dissertations

Typically, when studying percussion at a University, a student is required to be proficient at multiple aspects of percussion (snare drum, mallet keyboards, drum set, hand drumming, etc.) and work through multiple method books and solos on the different instruments. This often leaves little to no room for the study of improvisation on their instrument.

Examined in this study are the following points pertaining to the state of teaching improvisation:

• There is an apparent lack of improvisation in the classroom
• Teachers often feel unprepared in teaching improvisation
• Improvisation is most commonly associated with jazz
• Both teachers and students tend to ...

The Modes Of Intervention In Alvin Lucier’S I Am Sitting In A Room, Daniel Fox

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Alvin Lucier’s I am sitting in a room (1969) is an icon of experimental music and sound art. The sizable literature addressing the aesthetic and philosophical implications of this piece rarely discusses the performance practice beyond what is indicated in the score itself. This is problematic for two reasons: 1) The meaning that is derived from the piece often hinges not just on what sounds are obtained, but on how they are obtained. 2) Over the past 50 years, changes in the performance practice have altered what constitutes the work: magnetic tape was used until 2000 when it was ...

Martial Caillebotte’S Mélodies And Scènes Lyriques: Analytical Essays And Performance Guide, Dominique Mccormick

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Composer, pianist and photographer, Martial Caillebotte (1853–1910) was the unknown younger brother of famous Impressionist painter, Gustave Caillebotte. Martial studied piano and harmony at the Paris Conservatory from 1870–1874. Martial created a substantial number of musical compositions including mélodies, scènes lyriques, operas, symphonic poems, as well as sacred choral and symphonic works. Born into a wealthy Parisian family, he did not need to work for a living and did not self-promote, therefore his pieces were rarely performed and after his death, most of his compositions were left in family archives. In the late 1990’s a rebirth of ...

Emmylou Harris’S Bold And Broken Pieces Of Sky, Jennifer Morrow

Backstage Pass

This article critically examines the 1975 album, "Pieces of Sky," from country artist Emmylou Harris, whose unique blend of strength and vulnerability shine through in an imperfect yet promising work of art. The piece explores how Pieces of Sky succeeded in reaching a mainstream audience through innovative musical stylings and emotionally authentic lyricism.

Passing The Baton From Detroit To Berlin: Techno’S Introduction To The Global Scene, Rebekah M. Thomas

Backstage Pass

Podcast describing the history and cultural impact of the techno music trend in the 1980s and 1990s.

“The Personal Is Political”: The Power Of Female Voices In 1970s Pop Music And Beyond, Jennifer Morrow

Backstage Pass

This essay examines how, in the male-dominated structures of the popular music industry, narratives about women have been marginalized, ignored, and undervalued. The female singer-songwriter, my research suggests, is, by definition, a contradiction and subversion of traditional gender roles, and this position has been claimed by female musicians as a form of rebellion and resistance. In the scope of my research, I focus on how female pop artists have embraced songwriting as a medium for authentic self-expression, and how these narratives have been embraced as autoethnographies that represent the collective experiences and frustrations of women in a patriarchal social landscape ...

Bendit_I/O: A System For Extending Mediated And Networked Performance Techniques To Circuit-Bent Devices, Anthony Thomas Marasco

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Circuit bending—the act of modifying a consumer device's internal circuitry in search of new, previously-unintended responses—provides artists with a chance to subvert expectations for how a certain piece of hardware should be utilized, asking them to view everyday objects as complex electronic instruments. Along with the ability to create avant-garde instruments from unique and nostalgic sound sources, the practice of circuit bending serves as a methodology for exploring the histories of discarded objects through activism, democratization, and creative resurrection. While a rich history of circuit bending continues to inspire artists today, the recent advent of smart musical ...

Lulling Waters: A Poetry Reading For Real-Time Music Generation Through Emotion Mapping, Ashley Muniz, Toshihisa Tsuruoka

Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2020

Through a poetic narrative, “Lulling Waters” tells the story of a whale overcoming the loss of his mother, who passed away from ingesting plastic, as he attempts to escape from the polluted oceanic world. The live performance of this poem utilizes a software system called Soundwriter, which was developed with the goal of enriching the oral storytelling experience through music. This video demonstrates how Soundwriter’s real-time hybrid system was able to analyze “Lulling Waters” through its lexical and auditory features. Emotionally salient words were given ratings based on arousal, valence, and dominance while the emotionally charged prosodic features of ...

Productive Misreading In Intermedia Art: Four Approaches By A Musician, Jeff Morris, Elisabeth Blair

Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2020

This discussion examines the evolution and lessons of four artistic performance works that engage with text and imagery with the mindset of a composer, rather than as an author or visual artist. The works involve computer music, improvisation, video art, generative art techniques, and challenging aesthetics. An analytical discussion reveals that different forms and mechanisms of reading are manifest in the artworks, and reflections upon these elucidate the intermedial nature of reading and the productive, expressive potential of interfering with these processes.

Regina Caeli, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Research

Regina Caeli is one choral piece of the planned 12-part "Marian Cycle" based on some twelve Latin (and other) texts about the Virgin Mary. The Stabat Mater was completed in 2013 and published at Columbia University Academic Commons. The planned works include the following, but may have others added later: 1) Stabat Mater, 2) Ave Regina Caelorum, 3) Alma Redemptoris Mater, 4) Ave Maris Stella, 5) Angelus, 6) Flos Carmeli, 7) Ave Maria, 8) Magnificat, 9) Memorare, 10) Regina Caeli/Coeli, 11) Salve Regina, 12) Sub Tuum Praesidum.

Ave, Regina Caelorum, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Research

Ave, Regina Caelorum is one choral piece of the planned 12-part "Marian Cycle" based on some twelve Latin (and other) texts about the Virgin Mary. The composer began the piece "Ave, Regina Caelorum" in 2013 but only finished it in 2020. The Stabat Mater was completed in 2013 and published at Columbia University Academic Commons. The planned works include the following, but may have others added later: 1) Stabat Mater, 2) Ave Regina Caelorum, 3) Alma Redemptoris Mater, 4) Ave Maris Stella, 5) Angelus, 6) Flos Carmeli, 7) Ave Maria, 8) Magnificat, 9) Memorare, 10) Regina Caeli/Coeli, 11) Salve ...

Nossa Senhora De Fátima, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Research

Nossa Senhora de Fátima is one choral piece of the planned 12-part "Marian Cycle" based on some twelve Latin (and other) texts about the Virgin Mary. The work is written for three voices--reflecting the children who witnessed the Fatima vision in Portugal. Likewise, the language of the text is in Portuguese, rather than Latin. The planned works include the following, but may have others added later--such as the present work: 1) Stabat Mater, 2) Ave Regina Caelorum, 3) Alma Redemptoris Mater, 4) Ave Maris Stella, 5) Angelus, 6) Flos Carmeli, 7) Ave Maria, 8) Magnificat, 9) Memorare, 10) Regina Caeli ...

The Seven Valleys For Orchestra And A Study Of Music Composition Pedagogy, Niloufar Iravani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part consists of an original orchestral work, The Seven Valleys, featuring seven movements, each of which presents various musical elements. The piece is a symphonic poem inspired by a chapter with the same name in the celebrated masterpiece of Persian literature, The Conference of the Birds, by the 12^th-century poet Farid ud-Din Attar. The second part presents a study of music composition pedagogy, investigating past and present pedagogical practices in music composition. Chapter 3 provides a conceptual and historical examination of music composition pedagogy. Chapter 4 surveys the curriculum and ...

Dreamvision Songbook: Five Songs For Mixed Ensemble, Maxwell R. Lucas Mr.

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The DREAMVISION SONGBOOK is a musical dream vision: a cycle of allegorical songs for mixed ensemble (three sopranos, guitar, violin, double bass and percussion). The text for the work consists of five original English poems written by the composer. The poems take the characteristics of the medieval rondeau, virelai and ballade as a formal departure point. The five poems depict a series of episodes that weave together a dream vision; a pilgrimage in which the dreamer encounters imagery of environmental collapse, death, decay and catastrophe, but also symbols of hope and repair.

Encounters: System For Creative Improvisation, Drake R. Andersen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Encounters is an indeterminate musical composition or, more precisely, a flexible system for creative improvisation. Performers improvise and interact with one another through four possible games whose instructions are laid out in the performance materials. This version of Encounters includes parts for flute, clarinet in B-flat, violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion and piano, reflecting the performing forces of the premiere. However, the instrumentation is open, and any of the parts can be adapted to other instruments contingent upon the range and transposition of the particular instrument. The duration is indeterminate.

Analyzing Perceptions Of Music From A Songwriting Perspective, Jackson Stephen Reynosa

Communication Studies

This study seeks to understand listeners’ perceptions of music from a generational and songwriting approach. A total of 123 participants aged 18 and older took part in an open-ended survey design that measured their subjective music preferences. Four different sections tested participants’ music taste, music tied to generations, an original song made by the researcher, and songwriting in a holistic sense. It was found that participants exercised individualism and authenticity in their responses throughout. By using the Uses and Gratifications Theory, it is explainable that people listened and sought out music for their own unique reasons. By applying Mood Management ...

The Scream Of Nature, Noah Wood

School of Arts & Sciences Theses

The Scream of Nature is a musical composition by American composer Noah Wood (b. August 28,1997) for Pierrot ensemble consisting of: Flute, Violin, Clarinet, Cello and Piano. The composition was written in the span of approximately 5 months with preliminary sketches beginning in December of 2019. It's final details were completed on May 6, 2020.

This composition seeks to dissolve metric hierarchy prescribed by time signatures to help the performers find an intuitive pulse within the musical content on a case-by-case basis. Free time (ad lib.) sections are implemented as well, fully up to the performers interpretation as ...

A Cajun Tale, Daniel D. Schultz

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Not required for Music Composition

“A Lot Of Stories In My Mind”: Perspectives Of Children And Elders Living With Dementia On Intergenerational Collaboration In A Participatory Music Project, Cameron Dusman

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Trends of music engagement include a shift towards presentational music culture, as well as inequitable access to participatory music-making for some populations. Meanwhile, trends of societal engagement include ageism and age-segregation. Especially for people living with dementia, stigma often prevents equitable access to creative participatory arts. This convergent, mixed-methods case study design explored participation in an intergenerational, participatory creative arts project. Participants included children from an elementary school and senior adults with dementia in a memory care neighborhood. The purpose was to explore the meaning of participation and interaction in the project from participants’ perspectives. Participants collaborated in eight sessions ...