Digital Commons Network^™

The Far Green Country., Lincoln A. Sandham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work was inspired by a beautiful image from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: “And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.” ~The Return of The King, Book VI chapter 9. This imagery inspired the three movements of this work. The first, The Gray Raincurtain, depicts a violent end, the world crashing down around you. The musical material of this movement gradually …

Algorithmic Music Generation For Pedagogy Of Sight Reading, Ryan Stephen Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autodeus is the name of the program that has been developed and was designed to aid guitar students in the attainment and betterment of musical notation sight reading skills. Its primary goal is to provide a very flexible tool that has the ability to generate virtually endless types of sight reading exercises at many various skill levels.

A complimentary 2 year-long comprehensive guitar sight-reading course syllabus can be implemented via Autodeus as it is capable of generating all the necessary exercises. It is able to generate these exercises quickly and efficiently through the use of a back tracking algorithm that …

Leonard Falcone: Artist, Conductor, Pedagogue, Geoffrey Durbin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This document explores Dr. Leonard Falcones impact on euphonium playing in the United States as both a teacher and an advocate of the instrument. A Sicilian-born immigrant, Falcone spent forty years as director of bands at Michigan State University and euphonium and tuba professor. As a baritonist, Falcone earned early praise for his technique and musicianship from notable figures in the wind band community such as John Philip Sousa and Edwin Franko Goldman. His commercial recordings were groundbreaking and influenced generations of performers and composers. As a studio instructor, Falcones teaching style was decades ahead of its time as his …

Down Under Punks And Dixie Rock: Reflections On Making The Documentary Film Chinese Whispers - Southern Roots In The Australian Swampy Sound, Gretchen Labudde Wood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Winds Of Courage A Mallet Concerto For Solo Mallets And Wind Ensemble., Ross Elliott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Winds of Courage is a motivically-driven composition based on a repeating chordal pattern. Although being written out, the solo mallets parts sound somewhat improvisatory, which is a key element to the part. In a way, the concerto illustrates what it is like to have a crush on someone; where the first movement is getting up the courage to talk to them; the second movement, crying from failing to say what you need to say or not getting up the courage to talk to them, or getting rejected; and the final movement, when things work out in a positive manner, or …

Deceptions., Travis Huff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acceptance: “Happiness can only happen in cceptance” –George Orwell Sanity: “Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination.” –Mark Twain Amends: “If you have behaved badly, repent, make what amends you can and address yourself to the task of behaving better next time.” – Aldous Huxley

Mystery Of The Wax Museum: An Original Film Score For Orchestra And An Analysis Outlining The Evolution Of Film Music Through American Horror Films Of The Early 1930s, Ian Deterling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis illustrates the transitional period between silent films and fully-scored sound films. Connecting the history between producers, directors, and composers reveals how and why film scoring became an accepted practice by the mid-1930s while shedding light on the commonly-overlooked composers whose innovations in these early films paved the way for future film composers. The principle objective of this project is to score selected sequences of Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) by synthesizing contemporary film scoring practices with techniques commonly used in horror films of the 1930s. An accompanying analysis of the score will explain the purpose of each …

Genesis : For Orchestra., Zachary Dwight Lowery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Genesis is a two-movement work for full orchestra that depicts the Creation and Flood story. These two stories are an inverse of each other, one of beginnings, and the other of endings. The idea of creation is portrayed musically through the stacking and building of various motives presented throughout the piece to create a musical "world". Those motives and ideas are then scattered, distorted, and further fragmented to show the utter destruction of creation. Ultimately this piece is about the power and grace of God, and His plan through it all.

"Given Time..." For Soprano And Orchestra., Alex Isackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The title of this work, Given time… is meant to be less like a traditional title and more like the beginning of a deep thought. Time is one of those things that I think humans just don’t understand and don’t give very much thought to, especially considering how much time has already passed and how much time left there is in the universe. Where does space and time end? And where do we (or I) fit in all of it? Does everything I do have any lasting impact on the eternal scheme of things? The list of questions goes …

Relevant Versus Extraneous Music In Multimedia Instruction: A Study Of The Coherence Principle, Jonathan Gunnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the inclusion of nonessential music in an instructional multimedia presentation affected learners’ ability to recall information in retention, cued-retention, and transfer cognitive measures. This study tested the coherence principle of multimedia learning which holds that the addition of nonessential content that is not relevant to the instruction is detrimental to learning. This study tested this principle by analyzing differences across three groups; a control group which included no additional music, a group including bland music selected at random, and a group including music that has been intentionally designed to align with …

Women's Hit Cheating Songs: Country Music And Feminist Change In American Society, 1962-2015, Madeline Rachel Morrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines songs about cheating performed by women in country music that appeared on year-end country songs charts in Billboard magazine from 1962 through 2015. The study of a total of fifty qualifying songs included a focus on their lyrical and musical content, the performers' personae and careers, and the way the particular outside factors of feminism and changing gender relations in American society may have influenced them. These songs do not show a purely linear progression of or emphasis on social change, in spite of country music's pride in conveying the truth about the lives of its songwriters, …

Identifying French Compositional Styles: Subtlety Through Familiarity, Brandon Kinsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine two French berceuses for violin and piano to identify common compositional traits, specifically subtlety and familiarity in rhythm and harmony. Both Fauré's Berceuse (1878-9) and Ravel's Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré (1922) are representative of small form pieces written by French composers; in addition, the relationship of the two works is particularly striking as Fauré was Ravel's teacher. The similarities of genre and instrumentation, coupled with 40 years of separation provides a unique setting to examine aspects of French compositional practices over time. The introduction of my thesis outlines aspects of diversity …

Hans Gál: An Introduction To The Composer's Compositional Style And Music For The Violoncello, Daniel Michael Strawser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the life and music of the Austrian composer Hans Gál (1890–1987). A biography is assembled from a number of sources, but primarily from the writing of his daughter, Eva Fox-Gál, and the composer’s wartime diary. A summation of Gál’s philosophy of life and music is assembled from the composer’s own writings—primarily those about past composers who had a great deal of influence on Gál. Gál’s Suite for Violoncello Solo is then extensively analyzed for form, harmony, melody, and other musical aspects to evaluate Gál as a composer for the cello, and to better understand his contribution to …

Pancho Vladigerov's Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 31 In B Flat Minor: A Representative Work Of The Golden Period In Bulgarian Art Music, Lora Geteva Gubanov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this document is to provide a better understanding of Pancho Vladigerov's influence on Bulgarian art music, as well as to contribute to the growing interest in his music and in Bulgarian art music in general. The focus of discussion is the years 1932-1939, referred to as the Golden period of Bulgarian art music. Pancho Vladigerov's Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 31 serves as a representative work of the achievements during this period. Chapter One provides a brif summary of the historic significance of the Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 31. Chapter Two focuses of the socio-cultural, economic, …

Effect Of Self-Evaluation On Jazz Improvisation Achievement, Ollie Eugene Liddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Southern Sound And Space: An Exploration Of The Sonic Manifestation Of Place, Christopher James Colbeck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationships between sound and space, sound and time, and the influence of “place,” particularly southern places, on the creative process of contemporary musicians. The work also investigates the possibility of a comsouthern sound or auditory essence which may be embedded within all of the musical genres popularly thought to owe their lineage to the American South. The project is documentary in nature with the written component explaining the scholarship and methodology guiding the accompanying film. At the heart of the work are interviews with eleven contemporary musicians and three scholars of southern culture and history. While …

The History And Current Use Of Bassoon Speaker Keys, Cody Steven Hunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the largest challenges that beginning bassonists are faced with is developing proper technique, especially with using the thumb keys. The bassoon requires the right hand thumb to operate up to five keys, while the left hand thumb may operate up to ten. There are three keys in particular that the left hand thumb must activate on a regular basis, and they are known as the speaker keys. Although it is essential, most beginning bassoonists do not learn about the speaker keys at the appropriate time. The purpose of this research project is four-fold: (1) provide the reader with …

Constellations, Erin Leigh Pounders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

AbstractConstellations consists of a collection of ten “linked” short stories. The short stories share the setting of Memphis, Tennessee and have recurring characters. Using realism, the stories attempt to examine the Modern American South, specifically Memphis. In this collection, the social milieu of the Old South, which is in its final throes, is explored, exploited, parodied, and sometimes honored. Focusing upon the characters of Garnet Pigeon and her daughter, Caroline, Constellations explores generational differences along with themes such as relationships between mothers and their children, class and social status, feminism, grief and loss, revenge, love, and the art of knowing …

Opera Education In The Upper Elementary Music Classroom, Carmen Louise Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adults are increasingly becoming uninvolved with the arts and it is therefore important to cultivate a new audience, beginning with a well-rounded musical education for elementary-age children. Opera can easily be implemented as a part of a well-rounded musical education and can be taught in conjunction with multiple subjects. Anecdotal evidence suggests that children are exposed to negative stereotypes about opera without receiving proper education on the subject and are thus more likely to not be interested in opera as they grow older. A short survey was sent to fourth and fifth grade music teachers around the state of Mississippi …

School Of Rock: The Curricular Dimensions Of An All-Ages Venue, Lesley Nora Siegel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools are only one of many sites for pedagogy and curricula. Youth encounter educative experiences at many sites and in many forms. For many youth, the all-ages music scene is their most meaningful classroom with the music and the ethos of the movement serving as their teachers and other young punks their classmates.

This study examined the learning experiences and the dimensions of received curricula at an established all-ages music venue in a large urban city. The Vera Project in Seattle, Washington was the subject of this qualitative study, which utilized the methodology of educational connoisseurship and criticism to describe …

Can One Hear...? An Exploration Into Inverse Eigenvalue Problems Related To Musical Instruments, Christine Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The central theme of this thesis deals with problems related to the question, “Can one hear the shape of a drum?” first posed formally by Mark Kac in 1966. More precisely, can one determine the shape of a membrane with fixed boundary from the spectrum of the associated differential operator? For this paper, Kac received both the Lester Ford Award and the Chauvant Prize of the Mathematical Association of America. This problem has received a great deal of attention in the past forty years and has led to similar questions in completely different contexts such as “Can one hear the …

Last Snow: An Analysis Of An Original Electronic Music Suite, Daniel Scott Landis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Last Snow is a suite of compositions in a genre that most closely approximates a contemporary jazz style with electronic elements and shifting meters. While there are clear examples of imitative synthesis within the work, many abstract examples of a more diffuse, impressionistic bent are also discernible. Much of the programming for these last mentioned tonal colors and synthesizer leads was accomplished by the composer.

The suite has as a unifying feature the tones of the natural scale beginning from various alternate root pitches. The compositions, therefore, operate for the composer as something of a study with several challenges unique …

Secondary Level Music Teacher Training Institutions In Jamaica: A Historical Study, Garnet Christopher Lloyd Mowatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Jamaica, one of the many countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean, is known for its rich musical heritage that has made its impact on the international scene. The worldwide recognition of Jamaica's music reflects the creative power of the country's artists and affects many sectors of the island's economy. This has lead to examination and documentation of the musical culture of Jamaica by a number of folklorists and other researchers. Though some research has focused on various aspects of music education in the country, very little research has focused on the secondary level music teacher education programs in Jamaica. The purpose …

Cooperating Teacher Perceptions Of Music Student Teacher Preparedness For The Elementary Music Classroom, Charlotte Varner Hester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the strengths and areas of improvement for elementary music teacher preparation from the perspective of multiple members of a single body of music teachers. Subjects for the study were elementary music teachers from an urban school district in the southern United States. All elementary music teachers in the school district have at least Level I Kodaly certification. Thus, they teach from the same perspective. An online survey instrument utilizing open-ended and free response questions was designed based on the research questions. Cooperating teachers commented regarding elementary music student teacher preparation across three broad categories: teaching skills …

Gender Based Music Instrument Stereotypes And Counter-Stereotypes Portrayed In Children's Animated Media, Qiana M. Lamb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the appearance of gender based music instrument stereotypes and counter-stereotypes portrayed in children's cartoons. The images that were presented were organized by instrument families (i.e., brass, woodwind and percussion) and quantified to determine the frequency in which young children were exposed to specific music instrument stereotypes and counter-stereotypes. The results found that children's cartoons portrayed both music instrument stereotypes and counter-stereotypes, with certain instruments being shown as more stereotypical than others. The flute was played by only female characters and the majority of all brass instruments were performed by male characters. However, percussion instruments which are typically …

Shades Of Fukushima, Richard Scott Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred in the Tuhoku region of Japan on the island of Honshu on March 11, 2011. This earthquake caused major damage to the Fukushima Daiichi (number one) Power Plant. A subsequent tsunami occurred as a result of this quake, further complicating the efforts to control the nuclear meltdown already in progress in Fukushima. This piece reflects the cataclysmic series of events that occurred on this day in Fukushima, Japan. It was my aim to create music that was both powerful and bold. In doing so, the musical language that developed made use …

The Solo Cello Music Of Kamran Ince, Ozge Ileri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Turkish-Americal composer Kamran Ince (born 1960) has written two works for solo cello, Tracing for cello and piano (1994) and the MKG Variations for cello alone (1998). This document discusses both and attempts to place them in the context of Ince's oeuvre and of the cello literature of the late twentieth century.The research is based in part on interviews with the composer and the cellists who have performed and commissioned the pieces, and in part on analysis of the scores. The analysis of the two works reveals a composer interested in Turkish and western modal structures, in pointillist vertical …

Graduate Recital, Vocal Performance, Christopher Fiano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The master of music recital, being one of my final musical endeavors before the completion of my graduate degree in vocal performance, featured a wide variety of repertoire. As a new member of the tenor fach, finding music that is challenging and appropriate for my level of development was difficult. The recital featured works by Stefano Donaudy, Hugo Wolf, Èduardo Lalo, Gabriel Faurè, Georges Bizet, and Samuel Barber. Each musical set presented its own challenges. The Italian set by Donaudy featured smooth legato vocal lines intertwined with a thick musical texture and lavish supportive harmonies. The German Wolf set featured …

Graduate Recital, Saxophone, Abby Gross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The young age of the saxophone in the existence of the music world has influenced the instrument's repertoire and programs to be versatile in genres and stylistic influences. This program features styles from several time periods and cultures including 20th and 21st century contemporary saxophone and piano duets, Brazilian choro, electronic music, and jazz. The nature of the instrument also allows pieces written for other instruments to take a different characteristic and open new meaning to a piece when played on the saxophone. For example, the element of passion in Brahms's Sonata in F minor No. 1 for clarinet takes …

Graduation Recital, Piano, Jamie Mazza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This graduate recital features significant piano works from the major periods in music history. The opening pieces - the Scarlatti sonatas - are technically challenging but allow the pianist to show a great deal of expression. Schumann's Liederkreis, Op. 39 as well as the Weisgarber Sonatine are collaborative works; the first features a soprano soloist and the second is written for flute, clarinet, and piano. Ending the first half of the program is Schumann's Concerto in A minor, op. 54, extremely challenging for both soloist and accompanist, especially during the cadenza. The second half of the recital includes another contemporary …