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The Treatment Of Korean Traditional Musical Elements In Western Musical Composition: A Brief Analysis Of Folksong Revisited For Solo Piano By Jean Ahn, Songhwa Chae

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Jean Ahn (b. 1976) is one of the active Korean woman composers in the U.S. Ahn’s goal is to introduce her works in the U.S. by composing pieces that combine Korean musical elements with Western compositional techniques.

The purpose of this study is to provide an introduction to and analysis of Folksong Revisited for solo piano by Jean Ahn. This work demonstrates how Jean Ahn integrates Korean traditional musical elements and Western musical compositional techniques.

For better understanding of Ahn’s three Korean folksong arrangements in the Folksong Revisited, this document provides brief information about Korean traditional music and explores elements …

Frank Zappa And His Conception Of Civilization Phaze Iii, Jeffrey Daniel Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Music

When Frank Zappa died in 1993, he left Civilization Phaze III as a last testament to both his musical and thematic purpose. The work received a handful of reviews in the popular music press, and has subsequently been ignored by both the popular press and, with few exceptions, academia.

Many are the composers whose careers have been thought describe a mid-period mastery, followed by later decline. This presumption seems to have fallen upon Frank Zappa, apparently due to his retirement from the concert stage, and final years writing music on the Synclavier. This thesis seeks to demonstrate that Zappa's compositional …

A Performance Guide: An Analysis Of Richard Faith’S Settings Of Mother Goose, David B. Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study provides a performance guide to the nine song settings of Mother Goose Lyrics and Mother Goose Lyrics II by American composer Richard Faith (b. 1926). Included is a biography of the composer. The primary purpose is to provide analysis that shows that these nine songs are accessible to undergraduate singers and that these are arguably Faith’s most approachable songs for the young singer. As is pertinent to each individual song the discussion may include information on the poetry, musical form, textual support, pedagogical issues, harmonic progressions, melodic ideas, rhythmic devices, character analysis, as well as information on text …

A Study Of The Varying Interpretations Of The Opening Flute Solo In Debussy’S Prelude A L’Apres-Midi D’Un Faune Through 90 Years Of Sound Recordings; With Special Consideration For The Performances And Pedagogy Of William Kincaid, Virginia W. Tutton

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Claude Debussy's Prelude a l’apres-midi d’un faune [Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun] opens with an unaccompanied flute solo that famously tests breath control, tone production, and capacity for musical expression. All aspiring flutists must master this solo, because it is frequently requested on orchestral and collegiate auditions. To aid flutists in their preparation, many notable pedagogues and performers have provided written and verbal commentary with suggestions for crafting a successful performance; however, it is unclear whether or not actual performances reflect these teachings. In other words, do the pedagogues practice what they preach? This study uses audio analysis …

A Choral Conductor’S Approach To Christopher Theofanidis’S The Here And Now, Regan Arlene Macnay

Theses and Dissertations--Music

American composer Christopher Theofanidis’s choral-orchestral work The Here and Now (2005) is a setting of Jalal ad-Din Rumi’s thirteenth-century poetry as translated by Coleman Barks. Theofanidis employs a cappella sonic contrasts, silence, rhythmic text setting, and a libretto based on fragments of Rumi’s poems to tell a story about the search for love, longing, joy, and gratitude. While rooted in traditional Western composition methods, this twenty-first-century work uses musical elements like color chords (bichords), cluster chords, changing meters, and modality, as well as imitative polyphony and unifying motifs within a new, tonal American aesthetic espoused by the Atlanta School of …

Applied Temperament, Geoffrey D. Hershberger

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The following document was created in order to promote intonation consensus in ensembles and to better facilitate learning in educational settings. Non-keyboard instruments provide musicians an opportunity to make nearly infinitesimal adjustments to pitch while performing; this creates difficulties for students and challenges even the most seasoned professionals. Non-keyboard musicians struggle their whole lives to play in tune, and even when one knows exactly where they want to place a pitch, technical difficulties can foul any musician's performance. When performing solo, the musician must choose a tuning system that is suitable for the music being performed, and attempt to realize …

Music Therapists’ Perceptions And Practices Regarding Musical Authenticity In Music Therapy Practice, Nora Bryant Veblen

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapists are expected to provide live music for clients with diverse preferences, yet these therapists face many barriers preventing them from recreating client-preferred music in a way that adheres to the expectations of the genre, or with “musical authenticity.” The purpose of this study was to investigate music therapists’ perceptions and practices regarding musical authenticity. Survey responses (n = 904) indicated that music therapists highly value musical authenticity, but a major theme in the qualitative data revealed they often balance its importance with other factors. Descriptive survey data and qualitative themes revealed lack of training in functional musicianship …

The Language Of Music: Linguistics In Trumpet Pedagogy, Marisa B. Youngs

Theses and Dissertations--Music

For decades, many brass teachers have relied heavily upon speech as a means of conveying pedagogical concepts. Additionally, a significant number of teachers in the brass community continue to use speech sounds to teach specific kinesthetic responses (i.e. using specific vowels for tone production, particular consonants for articulation, and variations of vowels for different pitch registers). These teaching concepts have been perpetuated over time, though many intricate aspects of human anatomy were yet to be understood at the inception of these methods, including the physiological processes used during speech. As technology has evolved, researchers in the field of linguistics have …

Guitar Arrangements Of Selected Danzas Of Juan F. Acosta, With New Considerations Of His Music And Musical Life, Hermelindo Ruiz Mestre

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Juan Francisco Acosta (1890-1968) was a prolific composer, band conductor, and educator from Puerto Rico who created 1,256 original compositions. Even though his activities and influence were integral to the musical life of Puerto Rico in the twentieth century, many details of his life and works remain unknown.

This project centers on Acosta’s contribution to the Puerto Rican tradition of the danza—a dance-based genre originating in the nineteenth century—through the study and arrangement of five of Acosta's danzas. Although Acosta composed most danzas for piano, he adapted them for performances by the municipal bands that he led …

Fifths: An Approach To Violin Technique For The Left Hand As Taught By Rodney Friend, Jessica Miskelly

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This document examines Rodney Friend’s approach to violin technique for the left hand, with specific emphasis on the execution of fifths. The application of this technique plays a valuable role in establishing correct hand positioning, creating consistent intonation, improving vibrato, and adding to the palette of colors available to the violinist. Mr. Friend is an esteemed violinist, a perceptive pedagogue, and a dedicated mentor in today’s music world, and, in those roles, he exemplifies the qualities of beauty, truth, and goodness that characterize meaningful engagement in the arts. His thoughtful teaching style is the product of decades of careful observation …

Evaluating Appropriate Repertoire For Developing Singers: An African-American Art Song Anthology, Nicole Michelle Sonbert

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Finding appropriate and unique repertoire for the developing singer is a daunting task and ongoing challenge in the teaching profession. There are limited resources to help guide teachers in selecting varied, yet suitable repertoire that falls outside of the standard Western European musical canon. The early years, ages 17–21, are crucial to establishing a healthy and well-rounded vocal approach to singing, while also introducing the student to a wide variety of music. African-American art song is a great option for developing singers. Repertoire should allow a student to grow musically, vocally, and artistically according to the singer’s specific stage of …

An Analysis And Conductor’S Guide To Zdeněk Lukáš’ Requiem Per Coro Misto, Op. 252, Samuel James Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Zdeněk Lukáš (1928-2007) was one of the most prolific Czech composers of the 20th century having composed over 300 pieces. His works include a wide array of genres including symphonies, operas, chamber music, and a large amount of choral and vocal music. He was influenced by Czech folklore and music and was self-taught until he was nearly 40 years old. Lukáš began his career as a teacher but later began working for the Czechoslovak Radio Studio in Plzeň where he founded the mixed choir, Česká Píseň (Czech Song), which became quite famous and still enjoys great fame.

Requiem per coro …

The Effect Of A Single-Session Group Songwriting Intervention On Grief Processing In Hospice Clinicians, Melissa Deaton

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a single-session group music therapy songwriting session on grief processing in hospice clinicians. The study design was quasi-experimental. Participants were cluster randomized into a control group and a treatment group. The researcher led a 50-minute songwriting session focused on sharing and processing experiences of grief-related stress and burnout in hospice work. Grief processing was measured using a self-report survey for n=25. Overall differences between control and treatment groups were not found to be statistically significant. Significant differences were also not found in treatment score differences for type of …

Undergraduate Music Theory Terminology Used By Selected Spanish-Speaking Instructors In Chile: Development, Similarities, And Limitations, Enrique Sandoval-Cisternas

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Six Chilean music theory instructors participated in an anonymous survey applied over an online platform between April and October of 2017. These instructors were invited to participate in this study because of their role in teaching music theory at influential institutions, each of which is ranked among the top ten best universities in Chile. The questions included in the survey relate to the terminology used to refer to music elements upon which current American music theory textbooks consistently agree, and that are usually taught during the first two years of undergraduate studies in accredited American music schools: types of cadences, …

A Critical And Performance Edition Of Agustin Barrios’S Cueca: Comparative Analysis Of Form, Notation, And Performance Practice Of Barrios’S Work To Traditional Chilean Cuecas From The Beginning Of The Twentieth-Century, Enrique Sandoval-Cisternas

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Agustin Barrios's guitar music has become increasingly popular over the last forty years. After his death, a revival of interest in his compositions began in the 1970s, motivated by a series of publications and recordings of his music by important guitar performers at that time. The most important of these recordings came from the Australian guitar performer John Williams, who was interviewed in 1976 by ABC Television Australia for a film about the Paraguayan composer. The next year, Williams recorded a collection of fifteen works in his album John Williams-Barrios: John Williams Plays the Music of Agustín Barrios Mangoré. …

Max Neuhaus, R. Murray Schafer, And The Challenges Of Noise, Megan Elizabeth Murph

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In this dissertation, I analyzed Max Neuhaus’s (1939-2009) and R. Murray Schafer’s (b. 1932) commentary and work regarding noise, its control, and its relationship with the environment from the 1960 to the 1980s. Both Neuhaus and Schafer as well as those more directly involved with noise abatement research and policy were responding to the challenges and possibilities that noise posed in the latter twentieth century. In this project, I delved into these substantial links and argued that responding to and engaging with noise abatement policies was a key impetus to much of their work, which scholarship has yet to critically …

Tyler Kline’S Render: A Formal Analysis And Performance Guide, John Douglas Handshoe

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Since the 1950s, composers worldwide have explored the use of the trombone in new and exciting ways, from expanding the functional range of the instrument to creating unique timbres through the use of mutes and extended techniques. Since then, many standard works in the literature have been born from this pushing of the envelope from composers like John Cage, Luciano Berio, Iannis Xenakis, and Daniel Schnyder.

On the forefront of the newest crop of composers expanding the voice of the trombone is Tyler Kline (b. 1991). This project will function as a formal analysis and performer’s guide to his 2015 …

“Instants D’Un Opera De Pekin” For Solo Piano By Qigang Chen, Mengying Wan

Theses and Dissertations--Music

My monograph focuses on the Instants d’un Opera de Pekin by the contemporary Chinese composer Qigang Chen in particular how he incorporates Chinese musical elements with Western compositional techniques.

The main focus of this study is an analysis with emphasis on performance issues. A brief introduction to Chinese music elements is provided to establish a context. This document provides brief information about Chinese scale modes and instruments.

People Experiencing Homelessness Within Music Therapy Settings: A Descriptive Study, Amelia E. Ehmling

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The population of people experiencing homelessness has decreased less than 15% in the last ten years, but issues like mental illness and substance use are rising. There are many misconceptions about race, gender, location and age of people experiencing homelessness. Music therapy research about the homeless population is minimal and often focused on just one setting or treatment location. The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between music therapists and people experiencing homelessness. A survey of 365 music therapists in the United States revealed just under half of working clinicians provide services to people experiencing homelessness. …

A Performance Guide For Baritone: A Pedagogical Analysis Of Beethoven’S Sechs Lieder Nach Gedichten Von Gellert, Eric Charles Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This project provides International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions, translations and a vocal pedagogical analysis of “Six Songs of Poetry by Gellert” by Ludwig van Beethoven. There is discussion of technical concepts applicable to singing, vocal relationships between text and poetry; and background information concerning Ludwig van Beethoven, Christian Gellert, and Christian Neefe. This document addresses possible vocal challenges a baritone might encounter when studying the Gellert Lieder. This guide provides suggestions for vowel modification in the passaggio, as well as a section dedicated to appoggio, aggiustamento, and vocal registration. Finally, this research provides a concise preparation for performance manual for …

An Analysis And Performance Guide Of Steve Reich’S Mallet Quartet, Francisco S. Perez

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Steve Reich’s music has had a profound effect on the contemporary percussionist’s repertoire. More recently, his Mallet Quartet (2009) has been one of the most performed works in the rising genre of mallet-keyboard quartets, which was featured in Third Coast Percussion’s 2017 Grammy-winning album Third Coast Percussion | Steve Reich. With Mallet Quartet, Reich codified this type of ensemble into the contemporary repertoire of percussion as evidenced through current commissions in progress by groups such as Sō Percussion and Third Coast Percussion.

The purpose of this document is to delineate the trajectory (past and present) of the mallet-keyboard …

Partnerships And Creation: A Brief History Of Clarinetist-Composer Partnerships And How They Contributed To Clarinet Literature, And The Influence Of Robert Spring On Contemporary Compositional Output For The Clarinet, Adria Leigh Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Throughout the history of the clarinet, there have been performers who have inspired composers to write pieces specifically for them. These contributions to clarinet literature have been significant, frequently resulting in an overall shift in the expectations of performers’ abilities, and expanding the range of possibilities for composers. This document first describes the relationships of the following composers and clarinetists, and their resulting impact on clarinet literature: Karl Stamitz and Joseph Beer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Stadler, Louis Spohr and Simon Hermstedt, Carl Maria von Weber and Heinrich Baermann, Johannes Brahms and Richard Mühlfeld, and the numerous commissions of …

Paul Dooley’S Masks And Machines: A Formal Analysis And Instructional Guide, Kevin M. Callihan

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Paul Dooley’s composition, Masks and Machines (2015), is a significant new work for wind ensemble and was the winner of the National Band Association’s William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest award and the American Bandmasters Association’s Sousa/ABA/Ostwald Composition Contest. Masks and Machines has received positive critical acclaim and numerous performances, including a performance at the 2015 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois by the North Texas Wind Ensemble under the direction of Eugene Corporon and a performance at the 2016 American Bandmasters Association Conference in Lexington, Kentucky by the United States Marine Corps Band under the direction …

Music In The Midst Of Desolation: A Conductor’S Analysis Of Cyril Bradley Rootham’S For The Fallen, Opus 51, Cameron Lee Weatherford

Theses and Dissertations--Music

World War I (1914-1918) brought with it unimaginable disaster and destruction, reshaping the world and its culture forever. Out of the ashes of this unparalleled conflict came numerous triumphs of art, fueled by the surrounding conditions and personal expressions of their artists. English composer, Dr. Cyril Bradley Rootham (1875-1938) set a powerful and haunting poem from the poet Laurence Binyon (1869-1943) titled "For the Fallen” from a larger collection of his poetry called The Winnowing Fan. The poem was published in The Times on September 21, 1914, just seven weeks after the war began.

This monograph seeks to bring …

The Niles-Merton Songs: A Performance Guide Of Selected Songs, Brittany C. Benningfield

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Niles-Merton Songs is a two-opus collection of twenty-two songs by John Jacob Niles setting the poetry of Thomas Merton. The songs are beautiful but contrast from his more popular works in poetry and composition. This project explores reasons why these songs are rarely performed, and gives an overview and analysis of ten selected pieces. The document includes a brief introduction, biographies of Niles and Merton, information detailing Niles’s compositional process, and the technical and artistic requirements for performing the songs, including appropriate age and voice type.

The Effect Of Group Music Therapy On Patient Satisfaction In A Behavioral Health Setting, Madelyn L. Laprade

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Patient satisfaction has become increasingly important to medical facilities as a result of reimbursement rates being tied to patient satisfaction scores. Music therapy’s potential to enhance patient satisfaction scores has been explored and several studies exist examining its impact in the medical setting. No studies exist, however, examining how music therapy contributes to patient satisfaction scores in the behavioral health setting. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare overall patient satisfaction scores of inpatient psychiatric patients who received group music therapy services with those at the same facility who did not receive group music therapy services.

Participants who …

Music Therapists’ Experiences With Clients With Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Use Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Sara Elizabeth Finnie

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music therapists frequently work with clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to gather information on music therapists’ current experiences with AAC training as well as music therapists’ perceptions of their own communication abilities when communicating with clients who have ASD using their preferred AAC system. The researcher invited 7,279 board-certified music therapists to participate in this study via email, of which 366 completed the survey. Participants reported most often providing services to children and adolescents with ASD, and frequently using electronic AAC and electronic apps with their …

Music Therapists’ Use Of Visual Supports For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Taylor Ruthann Chapman

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Visual supports, which provide information presented in a visual format to enhance achievement toward specific goals, can be very helpful for individuals who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Music therapists often use visual supports in their practice; however, research exploring how they do so is limited. In the present study, the researcher used a mixed-methods research design to explore music therapists’ use of visual supports for individuals who have ASD. The researcher e-mailed a survey to board-certified music therapists who opted to receive e-mails from the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), 525 of whom completed the entire survey. Approximately …

Music Therapy And Multicultural Competence: A Survey Of Music Therapists' Training And Perceptions, Laura Kay Cahoon

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The changing demographics of the United States directly impacts the populations that music therapists serve. The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) provides a list of competencies regarding race, culture, and diversity, but how these are addressed in the classroom is not standardized. The purpose of this study was to examine music therapists’ perceptions of their training in multicultural competence. The researcher emailed 7,539 board-certified music therapists, 631 of whom completed the survey. Results indicated that 55.6% of music therapists think that multicultural competence is important, and the majority said that they felt prepared to demonstrate multicultural competence after completion of …