Other Music Commons^™

Generating Audio Using Recurrent Neural Networks, Andrew Pfalz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Long Short Term Memory cells are a type of recurrent neural network that perform well when predicting sequence data. This works presents four approaches to modeling audio data. The models are trained to predict either raw audio samples or magnitude spectrum windows based on prior input audio. In a process called sampling, the models can then be employed to generate new audio using what they learned about the data they were trained on.

Four methods for sampling are presented. The first has the model predict a vector for each vector in the input. The second has the model predict one ...

Newfoundland And Irish Music: Synonymous Or Similar?, Kathryn E. Krajewski

Celebration of Learning

This paper explores how Newfoundland music was influenced by not only Irish music, but English music as well. Some background on the connections and relationship Newfoundland had with England and Ireland is provided before delving into the influence these countries had on Newfoundland music. Musical examples are included to illustrate how the songs of Newfoundland have both similarities and differences to the music of Ireland and England.

The Composer, The Musicologist, His Wife, And Her Lover: On Lacan’S Relevance To Music, Thomas Reiner

Directions of New Music

This paper asks what it is to write about music. When we ask students or colleagues to write about music are we asking them to describe music structurally, or to cope with music’s ever-shifting signifieds? The paper attempts to answer this question by clarifying the relationship between composition, musicology, and music “itself” by way of a Lacanian reading of Peter Greenaway's film The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. Lacan’s existential concepts of the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real are first introduced in relation to music with reference to music by Hans Werner Henze ...

The Effect Of Visual Performance On Music Performance Evaluation In High School Marching Band, Kathryn D. Brimhall

Senior Theses

At marching band contests, bands are usually judged on both their music performance (ensemble, individual, and general effect) and visual performance (ensemble, individual, and general effect). Phenomena such as the McGurk effect (McGurk & MacDonald, 1976) indicate that people often prioritize visual information over aural information; however, until now there have not been empirical investigations of how this phenomenon might affect high school marching band evaluation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of visual performance on the music performance evaluation of high school marching bands. To study this effect, I recruited college students who were randomly assigned to two groups to evaluate a recorded marching band show. One group ...

Dancing, Mindfulness, And Our Emotions: Embracing The Mind, Body, And Sole, Alisha M. Collins

All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines dance, as an intervention and mindfulness practice that assists with managing our emotions. There is a need for dance therapy in social institutions such as, healthcare facilities, schools, and community centers. Dance therapy has the potential to reduce negative emotions, create mindfulness, improve self-expression, and promote a healthy well-being. I am proposing that dance therapy is applied as a regular practice in social institutions to develop mindfulness and promote emotional stability.

In this study, I argue that dance therapy can contribute to our well-being long term. In addition to this written thesis, a visual component of ...

Cowboy Art Song: A Contextual And Musical Analysis Of Libby Larsen's "Cowboy Songs", Ann Gabrielle Richardson

Dissertations

This dissertation sprang from a combination of two personal interests: cowboy culture and classical art song. The union of my cowgirl heritage with my career as a classical vocalist has long fueled an interest in a particular niche of repertoire: soprano art song with thematic connections to the North American cowboy. A conducted state of research reveals no scholarly literature exploring this specific topic. Libby Larsen’s collection, Cowboy Songs, fulfills the aforementioned niche, successfully capturing the spirit, musical idioms, and cultural themes of the North American cowboy.

Chapter I lays a contextual foundation for cowboy song, providing a catalogue ...

Leonard Bernstein's Piano Music: A Comparative Study Of Selected Works, Leann Osterkamp

All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Much of Leonard Bernstein’s piano music is incorporated in his orchestral and theatrical works. The comparison and understanding of how the piano works relate to the orchestral manifestations validates the independence of the piano works, provides new insights into Bernstein’s compositional process, and presents several significant issues of notation and interpretation that can influence the performance practice of both musical versions.

The chronological and historical significance of his piano music has been sometimes inaccurately recorded and/or generalized. In understanding the factual chronological, social, and political relationships behind the piano works and their orchestral manifestations, I argue that ...

Muzic Appreciation: Bridging The Gap Between Generation Z & Classical Music, Timothy Green

Masters Theses

Today’s music educators stand in a strategic position in the history of classical music in America. At a time when symphony orchestras are struggling to survive due to an aging and declining customer base, a generation of musical omnivores are ripe for a connection to the world of classical music. Generation Z has a vast, eclectic musical appetite, choosing to listen to a variety of genres and styles of music instead of adopting a generational style. However, they have limited interaction with classical music due to certain non-musical attitudes and values. It is possible the disconnect between Generation Z ...

Storytelling Through Hip Hop, Brandon Donohoe

Senior Honors Projects

90’s but has changed drastically over the years. Styles have evolved and new sub-genres have emerged but the opportunity for compelling storytelling has remained. Over the course of this past semester with the guidance of my sponsor, I explored this rich tradition. I listened to several albums with release dates that spanned from the 90s to 2000s to get a feel for what techniques some of the most well-known storytellers in hip-hop have used. The albums that I found to be particularly useful were ‘Ready to Die’ by Notorious B.I.G., Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Good Kid, m.A ...

Ministry Through Musical Performance: Establishing Biblical, Historical, And Pedagogical (Educational) Precedent For The Christian Performing Artist, Lindsey Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As a performing artist, the author suggests in an “American Idol” culture, Christian artists have largely lost their identity as worshipers with a ministry of the Gospel through music. The Christian performing artist has the responsibility to commit to spiritual maturity and personal growth. This thesis project proposes the artist is a communicator of the Gospel through music and seeks to substantiate the Christian performing artist through biblical, historical, and educational rationale and precedent. Biblical rationale of the Christian performing artist is considered in Old Testament and New Testament principle and precedent. Historical rationale and precedent is established through the ...

Playing Baseball At The Library Of Congress: Strategies And Challenges For Curating Primary Source Collections, Katherine Walden

School of Library and Information Science Graduate Student Posters

Based on a Junior Fellowship at the Library of Congress, this project highlights the challenges embedded in the process of curating a thematic collection of primary sources. The Fellowship project involved working in the Library’s Music Division to identify baseball-related print music titles, with the Fellowship’s final project being the creation of a bibliography of baseball-related titles that exist in the Library’s collection.

Through unpacking the process of searching for (and finding, or not finding) thematic primary sources, this project addresses the significance of catalog migrations and catalog forms in determining collection findability and availability. Additionally, the ...

Implications Of Theory Of Mind, Feelings Of Connectedness, Flow State Of Mind Through Active And Passive Music Improvisation Experiences, Rebecca Lint

Honors Theses

This study is an introduction examining the relationship between a performer and the audience in a musical improvisation context. Current research exploring performer-audience interaction in improvisation experiences is scant and typically framed in a purely narrative context. This study seeks to evaluate four different components of the performer and audience relationship; amount, or level, of experience with improvisation and comfort levels, flow, theory of mind, and emotional connection. A survey was generated and given to students in an improvisation class to collect results based on these four components. This study found that improvisation experience levels were low but comfort with ...

Teaching Body Mapping In The Orchestra Classroom, Gretchen Clemans

Honors Theses

For young string musicians, it is easy to fall into the habit of playing with improper body alignment and unhealthy technique. In response, this study investigates the ways in which the teaching of healthy body techniques can be taught in the orchestra classroom, in order to prevent students from experiencing pain, tension, and muscle strain while studying their instrument. Overall, the results from the research group of students showed that over half of the students have experienced pain while playing their instrument. Furthermore, the results indicated that students responded positively to the content presented. After being introduced to the material ...

The Litmus Initiative - Enabling Teachers To Recognize Domestic Human Trafficking, Bethany Hansen

Honors Theses

Every day, an estimated 100,000 residents of the United States are sold for sex. At least half of these victims are under the age of 18. Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) has tragically plagued the U.S. for decades and even centuries, but it has only come into the public spotlight within the last fifteen years. As a result, there are few widespread sources of information about DMST, and even fewer resources for victims and survivors. DMST is a branch of human trafficking, which the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defines as “(A) Sex trafficking in which a ...

Studiohub: Streamlining Communication In Private Music Studios, Joseph Klinck

Honors Theses, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

At the start of the project, I asked the question “what technology is available to horn players today?” Through an independent study in Spring 2017, I surveyed websites, blogs, YouTube channels, computer software, and mobile apps, reviewing and rating each one, and discussing their strengths and weaknesses.

From this project, I determined that one key piece of technology missing in the music world was some way to unify and streamline the activities of private music teachers and their students. Through my own experiences, and through talking with other music students, I determined three objectives for this streamlining technology: assign and ...

From Rain’S A-Gonna Fall To Bricks In The Wall: A Comparative Analysis Of Humanity’S Core Themes In The Music Of Bob Dylan And Pink Floyd, Alec Williams

Honors Theses, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The 1960s were turbulent times of musical creation and revolution. From Motown to Dinkytown, the world suddenly became filled with blooms of creativity that stemmed from the freshly planted roots rock ‘n’ roll. Artists that garnered infamy in this flourishing era, including household names like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Janis Joplin, would become immortalized in music and pop culture. However, few stand out as pinnacle lyrical and musical influences, devout to the art of perpetual creation and development of the global music scene. Of those artists, Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd have contributed immensely to the synthesis of genres ...

2nd Place Contest Entry: Piracy, Policy, And Pandora: Outdated Copyright In A Digital World, Stephanie Caress

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Stephanie Caress' submission for the 2018 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won second place. She wrote about current copyright laws and digital distribution practices and how they can be improved for creators and consumers of music.

Stephanie is a senior at Chapman University, majoring in Music and Strategic & Corporate Communication. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Jessica Sternfeld.

Music And The Brain: How Music Affects The Work Of The Brain, Chloé Anne Elois Lance

The Research and Scholarship Symposium

Music is a part of everyday life for many individuals. Whether they are listening to it on their phone or the radio, or they are rehearsing a piece with an ensemble. If individuals are constantly around music and absorbing it, does it have any effect on their body? Yes, and more specifically, music has the greatest effect on an individual's brain. This paper will explore each part of the brain and how it reacts to music, the role that music plays with the intelligent individual's brain (ex. IQ levels), and how music interacts with the brain throughout everyday ...

Film Music And The Cinematic Experience, Brian Campbell

The Research and Scholarship Symposium

Ever since the invention of cinema, film producers have always played music with movies. The addition of quality music to a well-crafted film can change the feel of the entire film. Over its one hundred and thirty years of existence, cinema has evolved into an extremely diverse art form that addresses a wide array of subjects. Given all these factors, this paper explores how film music is extremely diverse and can be used in a wide variety of ways to enhance, affect, and contribute to the way we experience a film. It explores storytelling methods as a narrative device, mood ...

Sondheim: His Influence On Musical Theatre, Jordan Fredericks

The Research and Scholarship Symposium

Since its beginning with The Black Crook in 1866, American musical theatre has undergone huge directional shifts. Conceptually, the music and story of Oklahoma! from the 1940s is almost entirely different from the music of [title of show] and Ordinary Days from the mid-2000s. When investigating this dramatic transformation of the genre, the root of the change appears strongest at the 1950s. These years were the beginning years of Stephen Sondheim’s entrance into the realm of musical theatre. Comparatively, Sondheim brought in a new approach to the genre and published shows that revolutionized musicals that had not been seen ...