Digital Commons Network^™

Symphony: Tambora, Logan Purcell

Graduate Thesis Collection

Symphony: Tambora is a piece for chamber orchestra that is inspired by the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in the Lesser Sunda Islands of the Phillipines. Its three movements deal with the genesis of Mount Tambora, the magma chambers filling up and spilling over, and the series of eruptions that resulted in some of the worst climate crises in recorded history. The thesis includes a score of the work, and an accompanying analysis.

The Reconciliation Of Theology And Mythology In Philosophical Defenses Of Music In Early Modern London, Leanna York

Graduate Thesis Collection

Since Antiquity, elements of Greek mythology and Hebraic history have intersected in many forms of literary and visual art. Renaissance philosophers, moved by skepticism, struggled to reconcile the historical and theological contradictions of these ancient sources, and scholars of European history Arthur Ferguson and Jean Seznec recognize resulting trends of mythological interpretation among authors of diverse disciplines. My research investigates ways in which London university professors John Taverner, John Case and an anonymous Oxford author utilized these interpretive methods in their music treatises of the early modern period and discusses the intersection of Protestant theology and Greek mythology in these …

Art, Race, And The Carceral System: Perceptions Of Criminality In Artful Expression, Abiodun Akinseye

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Prior research suggests that rap music is viewed as more “criminal” than other musical genres. Furthermore, juries are likely to attribute criminal stereotypes to rappers, in part due to assumptions of guilt and innocence based on race (Smiley, 2017; Smiley & Fakunle, 2016). Recently courts have used rap lyrics as a form of confessionary evidence against rappers in the courtroom (e.g., McKinley Phipps v. Tim Wilkinson, 2001), but this practice does not extend to other art forms, such as stand-up comedy. This interdisciplinary paper utilizes a mixed-methods approach to research, using both content analysis and experimental methods to develop an …

"You Are Safe. You Are Calm. You Are In Control.", Carly Erst

Graduate Thesis Collection

"You are safe. You are calm. You are in control." is a piece written out of a state of emotional and physical exhaustion. The piece uses an electronic track comprised of the sounds of distressed children recorded at a daycare and a flex string quintet that plays along with the track. This paper explores the reasoning behind the music, the connections the piece has to the past, and the relevance of the piece now and in the future.

The Machine Is Angry, Seth David Allen

Graduate Thesis Collection

At its heart (or lack thereof) The Machine is Angry is a theater work. The visual components are as equally important as their acoustic counterparts. Sounds are only as valuable as the images they evoke and the intention of The Machine is to outline a picture that simultaneously conveys community and isolation; the idea that one can feel most alone when in a crowded room.

Constructivism In Choral Music Education: Supplemental Activities For The Traditional Choral Ensemble, Allison Renee Fojo

Graduate Thesis Collection

Constructivism in music education can help teachers and students alike better their educational experience by working as a collaborative team. In the choral classroom, constructivist teaching establishes the teacher as the facilitator of learning rather than the “teacher as conductor.” Teachers help foster the musical-thinking of the ensemble. Students learn and retain information when teachers can support learners’ understanding of musical ideas and work within the student’s zone of proximal development. Through the use of teacher-guided questioning, cognitive apprenticeship, informal music-making, CMP, problem-solving, and Understanding by Design, students become active participants. Included are supplemental activities for the traditional choir classroom …

Pity The Nation, Kameron Zebadiah Mechling

Graduate Thesis Collection

In light of the unprecedented events of social unrest that took place in the year of 2020, this piece takes inspiration from the timeless poem “Pity the Nation” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Just as the text and themes relate to the United States during this time, they continue to resonate beyond multiple areas and eras.

When recalling the events of 2020, some remember fear, uncertainty, pain, anger, disgust, and loss. Pity the Nation depicts these emotions. The alto and tenor voices follow each line of text in the poem, interpreting the themes musically as they are given. The fear of the …

The Influence Of Music Training And Bilingualism On Speech And Music Perception, Allison Marie Smith

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This case study investigates the role that bilingualism and/or music training plays on the pitch perception of non-native speech and musical pitch contrasts in 6- to 7-year-old children. This study aimed to investigate two research questions. First, does the infant bilingual advantage in pitch perception persist through childhood? Second, does music training lead to an advantage in pitch perception? There were 4 participants with the following criteria: a monolingual non-musician, monolingual musician, bilingual non-musician, and a bilingual musician. The participants performed a series of perception tasks, including English minimal pairs, Mandarin pitch contrasts, and violin pitch contrasts. It was found …

Applying “El Sistema”: An Analysis Of The People’S Music School In Chicago, Illinois, Elizabeth Schmidt

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

"Founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu in Venezuela, El Sistema is a music education program that gives underprivileged children the opportunity to learn to play a string instrument in a youth orchestra setting. The mission of the program is to promote long-term social change through the character development that accompanies instrumental music education. El Sistema has since grown to include over one million students in Venezuela, and its mission has inspired educators in the United States to create similar programs. These El Sistema-inspired programs serve students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, aiming to provide students with hope and teach lifelong …

Reflections Of The Don: Zerlina's Empowerment Narrative And The Inclusion Of "Per Queste Tue Manine" In Don Giovanni, Sarah Miller

Graduate Thesis Collection

After the premiere of Don Giovanni in Prague, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte brought their opera to Vienna on May 7, 1788. One point of interest in the Viennese version of the score is the added duet “Per queste tue manine.” In this duet, the enraged Zerlina overpowers the bewildered servant Leporello with a handkerchief, a razor, and passion. She constrains the floundering fool and punishes him for his misconduct. In most modern performances, companies look no further than the Prague version of the score. Additionally, singers often portray Zerlina as either a mischievous temptress or a virginal …

Spectral Radiance, Coleman Rowlett

Graduate Thesis Collection

Spectral Radiance is a concerto for alto saxophone and chamber orchestra. In this paper, the influence of Franz Schreker's Kammersymphonie on Rowlett's compositional inspiration is discussed in detail. In addition, the various compositional elements that make up the work are explained. These include elements of form, motivic development, sharing themes between movements, and harmony. Rowlett's use of these compositional elements aims to create cohesion throughout the work as a whole. The paper acts as a guide, retracing the steps taken by the composer during the composition of the concerto.

The Soul Of Black Opera: W.E.B. Du Bois’S Veil And Double Consciousness In William Grant Still’S Blue Steel, Toiya Lister

Graduate Thesis Collection

In The Souls of Black Folk (1903), W.E.B. Du Bois theorized that black peoples were viewed behind a metaphorical “veil” that consisted of three interrelated aspects: the skin as an indication of African Americans’ difference from their white counterparts, white people’s lack of capacity to see African Americans as Americans, and African Americans’ lack of capacity to see themselves outside of the labels white America has given them. This, according to Du Bois, resulted in the gift and curse of “double consciousness,” the feeling that one’s identity is divided. As African Americans fought for socio-political equality, the reconciliation of these …

On The Presence Of Christ, William A. Peacock

Graduate Thesis Collection

On the Presence of Christ is a musical work for septet (three strings, three winds, percussion) exploring Christ’s presence throughout all time as described in Scripture, wherein the individual movements are thematically grounded and arranged from ancient past to coming future. “In the Beginning” is based on Genesis 1:1-2 and John 1:1-5; “At the Throne” is based on Revelation 4:2-11; and “With His Saints Forever” is based in Revelation 21:1-5a and 22-23. I use these chosen Scriptures to guide my musical exploration, allowing my reflections and perspectives on them to give this music its substance and form My hope is …

Advertising Appeals And Willingness To Pay For A Music Streaming Service, Katharine Baird

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Even with the rise of music streaming services, illegal downloads are costing the music industry $2.7 billion per year. The purpose of this study is to determine what types of advertising appeals will be most effective at enhancing the willingness to pay for a streaming service, thereby decreasing music piracy. This study examined college students’ willingness to pay for, willingness to recommend, interest in, and affective reaction to a music service after being exposed to a digital advertisement that employed either a rational, fear, or guilt appeal for a fictitious music streaming service. It was expected that music involvement, or …

The Effect Of Music Syntax Therapy On Speech Production In People With Aphasia, Brandi Kordes

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Music is often thought to have medicinal or therapeutic properties across a wide variety of disciplines. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pairing linguistic phrases with the same structure, or syntax, of music affects the speech production of individuals with non-fluent aphasia. Prior to any intervention, four individuals with non-fluent aphasia were assessed to determine mean length of utterance and syntactic complexity in everyday (formulaic) phrases and less-frequently used (non-formulaic) phrases. They were also given a pre-test designed to measure their understanding of music syntax. They then received three one-hour sessions of linguistic syntax therapy and three …

And God Said..., Bryan Sanoshy

Graduate Thesis Collection

And God Said… is a modern interpretation of the well-known Biblical story about the creation of the world. Scriptures tell us that the entire world was formed in mere seven-day span. Each movement is very unique and specific to the corresponding day they represent.

10 Pieces For Vincent: A Suite For Mixed Chamber Ensemble, Cade Leinbach

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This suite consists of 10 different pieces of music, for a mixed chamber ensemble of flute, clarinet, tenor sax, trumpet, horn, bass trombone, violin, viola, cello and Percussion. Each movement is based on a specific painting by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). In the short time span of a decade, this incredibly misunderstood man created some of the most iconic pieces of art in our culture. As a whole, this suite is meant to depict both the art and life of Vincent, while paying homage to this man who is still relevant in modern society, despite having died …

Theseus And The Minotaur, Ben Lutterbach

Graduate Thesis Collection

Theseus and the Minotaur is a four movement, through-composed chamber work for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The work explores elements of fear, chaos, love, and aggression.

Movement And Music: Exploring The Relationship Between Movement And Dance, Savannah Dunn

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This thesis will examine the goals of dance performance, the craft behind choreographic art, and their respective relationships to music. As it would be impossible to rewrite the discourse and philosophy of dance or reach any concrete conclusions in that regard, I merely aim to present some of the primary theories surrounding this topic and discuss the roles they took on in the dance I created as part of this project, titled Ash Fighting Balance. I worked with a composer, Harriet Steinke, over the course of the 2015-2016 school year to choreograph a dance in three parts. I conscientiously pursued …

The Creation Of Fear Through Censorship: Repression Of Artistic Freedom In The Music Of The Syrian Revolution, Rebecca Aliah Ajamoughli

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

"God, Syria, freedom, and that is all." These four words embody the goals of the Syrian Revolution. Yet, there is one key element of this chant that raises questions surrounding its meaning: freedom. For decades, the people of Syria have been subjected to restricted freedom by the Assad regime-especialIy musicalIy. The regime has artfulIy used music to legitimize its claim to the country. This utilization varies from early-learned pro-Baath chants to the monitoring of all performances held in the country. As Lisa Wedeen says in her work Ambiguities of Domination, "[this control of culture] isolates Syrians from one another, and …

Scenes From Dreams, Michael Krueger

Graduate Thesis Collection

Composition for symphonic wind ensemble.

A Three-Part Study In The Connections Between Music And Mathematics, Molly Elizabeth Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The idea for this thesis originated from my fascination with the studies of both music and mathematics throughout my entire life. As a triple major in Middle/Secondary Math Education, Mathematics, and Music, I have learned more than I thought possible of music and math. In proposing this thesis, I desired to use my knowledge of arithmetic and aesthetics to research how music and mathematics are intertwined. I am confident that the following three chapters have allowed me to develop as an academic in both music and mathematics. This thesis serves as a presentation of the connections of music and math …

An Investigation Of Melodic Musical Modeling Using Homogeneous And Non-Homogeneous Markov Chains, Eric Robert Sherman Buenger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

As an actuarial science student, my observations have a different focus than the other composers. In the industry, actuaries aren't interested in a probability model for its own sake. Rather, they "want to use the model to analyze the ... impact of the events being modeled" [Da]. This analysis focuses equally on the generation of the model as well as the results of the model. While other researchers have investigated many topics in the field of musical generation through mathematical means, no one has yet explored non-homogeneous and homogeneous models simultaneously. This study compares melodic material generated from both homogeneous …

The Memory Of Persistence, Scott Pfitzinger

Graduate Thesis Collection

This composition for Wind Ensemble (like Concert Band but usually only one player on a part) was Scott Master's Thesis for completing a Master of Music degree in Composition at Butler University. Written in 2010, the piece is a combination of styles, philosophies, and techniques, all in balance with each other. Avant-garde and traditional techniques are used; tonality and atonality vie with each other, resulting in a combination of the two; specific musical directions are balanced by a degree of choice available to each participant.

“The Memory of Persistence” is about a journey. No specific personal story is presented, nor …

Analysis, Interpretation And Performance Of The Concerto For Violin And Orchestra By Samuel Barber, Elizabeth Ruth Flood

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In the twentieth century there has been much diversity and multiplicity in the musical world. Tonal and rhythmic realms have been redefined by many composers, some who were concerned with preserving beauty in their aural landscapes and some who deemed it an inessential part of the musical experience. In this compositional sphere, Samuel Barber was a composer who continued the Romantic tradition handed down to him, while adding to it aspects of contemporary musical culture. In all of his writing, Barber's highest musical aim was expression of emotion, and the variety of compositional techniques he employed were used to serve …

The Passion Of Doctor Voke, Luke W. Reese

Graduate Thesis Collection

Score of tragic opera

The Evolution Of The Cadence In The Cyclic Masses Of Dufay, Ockeghem, Josquin, And Gombert, Janet E. Giffin

Graduate Thesis Collection

Four composers have been chosen for this study. They were the leaders of four successive generations of composers influential in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Their masses were written between the years 1420 A.D. and 1560 A.D. Many significant changes took place during this period of one hundred forty years. Older compositional techniques such as the use of formes fixes and isorhythm all but disappeared. Cantus firmus technique was transformed and extended to unify the mass cycle. Aesthetic considerations became more important to the composer than liturgical canons, and composers began to regard themselves as artistic creators not mere …

Richard Strauss: The Two Concertos For Horn And Orchestra, Gary A. Greene

Graduate Thesis Collection

A study of Richard Strauss' two concertos for horn.

A Performer's Analysis Of Eight Piano Sonatas Of Nicholas Medtner, Sarah Louise Kinley

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The piano sonatas of Nicholas Medtner are only a portion of the great heritage bequeathed to the piano by one of the most unique and significant, although relatively unknown, modern Russian composers. Medtner's personality penetrates his compositions but can be truly discovered only through considerable study of and acquaintance with his music. "But to the earnest and sincere student approaching with goodwill and sympathetic spirit, this music will yield treasures of grave and sad, but great and most moving, beauty.

A Comparative Study Of Clarinet Intonation, Claude Verne Jacobs

Graduate Thesis Collection

A study of intonation problems in the clarinet.