Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Back To Black: An Exploration Of Amy Winehouse’S Music And Addiction, Courtney Ad Jamison

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Amy Winehouse tragically died on July 23, 2011 as a result of years of alcoholism and drug abuse. Her beautiful jazz infused poetic music and her struggle with addiction created a juxtaposition of extremes that led to the foundational question of this creative project: “How can Winehouse’s music serve as the catalyst for a musical theatre piece that explores the impact of addiction on the human experience?” Extensive research was conducted on the themes of drug abuse, alcoholism, attachment in adult life, and domestic violence. The project culminated with a staged reading of a jukebox musical consisting of Winehouse’s music …

Playing Together: A Chamber Music Guide, Nicholas Scott Matherne

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Chamber Music, as purported by numerous academic and non-academic music education sources, is a valuable for developing the essential skills for musical development. The guide is designed to serve as scaffolding for young musicians to play chamber music together without the structure of a formal teacher. To facilitate this process for a variety of students, the music is designed using diverse instrumentation scoring so that any group of 5 musicians can play together the music arranged for this book. By examining all of the exercises in this guide, young musicians will complete self-driven content lessons in all of the nine …

What Do I Assume? An Applied Lesson Approach Integrating Critical Thinking And Student-Directed Learning, Ayn T. Balija

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The applied music lesson remains a revered symbol of Western European tradition in American music education. Very little research exists assessing its continued viability as a method in its current form. This paper examines eight author observed assumptions about applied music lessons which flaw the learning process. Through available research, the assumptions demonstrate that the traditional applied lesson is teacher centered and difficult to assess. Exposing the resultant delusions of the eight assumptions reveals how a holistic approach in a studio can engage students in critical thinking and enhance student self-awareness. These primary goals place the educational emphasis on the …

Use Your Words: A Lyrical Guide To The Opera-Inspired Paraphrases Of Antonino Pasculli (1842-1924), Aaron S. Hill

Dissertations, 2014-2019

There are currently ten available works by Antonino Pasculli (1842-1924) for solo oboe or English horn and accompaniment inspired by themes from nineteenth-century operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer, and Verdi. These pieces are so virtuosic that Pasculli has been dubbed the “Paganini of the Oboe.” The technical demands can be so high that performers can neglect to approach artistic and scholarly interpretation of his lyrical passages. Some editions of his music list the referenced act and scene number from the original source. No existing editions include complete text from the original vocal excerpts or the context from the plots of …

Choro Of Gordon Stout: Representation In A Living Art, Elayne Harris

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This paper investigates the musical inspiration behind the collection of choros composed by American percussionist-composer, Gordon Stout. Three of Stout’s choros, Choro No. 1: Americana, Choro No. 3, and Choro No. 7: The Road Less Traveled are discussed in detail within the context of traditional Brazilian choro and the solo guitar pieces by Augusto Marcellino, which directly inspired Stout’s compositions. The research for this project included consulting musicological texts on choro, interviews with the composer and his colleague Pablo Cohen, listening to choro recordings, score study of traditional choro lead sheets, as well as the scores of Marcellino …

Debussy And Schoenberg: Two Musical Reactions To Late Romanticism, Priscila Ott Falcao Oliveira

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Debussy and Schoenberg were arguably the most important composers at the turn of the twentieth century. Their musical and theoretical innovations influenced many generations of composers, and opened doors for new possibilities in music. Debussy and Schoenberg represent two different musical directions born of two different artistic conceptions and traditions. In comparing the two composers one can see the opposition between France and Germany, between impressionism and expressionism, between tradition and revolution. They both wrote significant piano pieces that illustrate the evolution of their compositional techniques and styles. Debussy and Schoenberg left letters and essays with their opinions about music, …

The Hungarian Rhapsodies And The 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs: Historical And Ideological Parallels Between Liszt And Bartók, David B. Hill

Dissertations, 2014-2019

While Liszt has been recognized as central to Hungary’s place in Western music, Bartók has been credited with composing Hungary’s authentic nationalistic music. Liszt’s role in Hungarian nationalistic music and his influence on Bartók have only recently been given serious attention. Musicologists are beginning to concede that Liszt’s ‘nationalistic’ source—though a hybrid of styles—constituted a legitimate nationalistic style worthy of research. The author examines two transitional piano pieces composed by the respective composers: Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies and Bartók’s Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs. He draws attention to similarities in the genesis of the works, in the role each work played in …

Effective Elements Of Conducting: A Study Of High School Orchestra Directors, Matthew J. Brooks

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how effectively current high school orchestra directors demonstrate the elements of conducting. To do this, I first selected what elements of conducting would be evaluated and then defined what is effective for each. From this, I created a conductor evaluation form consisting of a 1-Not Effective to 5-Effective rating scale to score how effectively each element is demonstrated. The results would later address the primary research questions:

1. What elements of conducting do high school orchestra directors demonstrate most effectively?
2. What elements of conducting do high school orchestra directors demonstrate least effectively?

Current …

Olivier Messiaen: A Performance Guide For Selected Mélodie, Melissa M. Sumner

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The purpose of this study is to present a performance guide on eight selected songs for voice and piano or orchestra by Olivier Messiaen. The performance guide is the result of five years of research, study, and performance of the presented material. It offers a comprehensive study of information relevant for the performer and collaborator. Included is a concise biography of the composer, followed by an overview of the most important compositional style traits Messiaen used in these works. The focus of the paper turns into a detailed analysis of Trois Mélodies, Vocalise-étude, and selected mélodie from Poèmes pour Mi: …

'More Divine Than Human': Early Tudor Plainchant And Polyphony Of The Lenten Compline Office In The Use Of Salisbury, 1485-1558, Mark Wayland Ardrey-Graves

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Codified at Salisbury Cathedral in southern England during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Use of Salisbury, or Sarum Use, was an influential model of church structure and liturgy across England until the middle of the sixteenth century. Within this model, certain distinctive features are observable, including patterns of ritual observance in such liturgies as the Office of Compline, prayed at the end of the day. This study examines the structure of the Sarum Compline Office, and the phenomenon of polyphonic music created for its observance, during the forty-day penitential season of Lent. This thesis specifically explores ways in which …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Middle School Handbell Participants, Debbie Rohwer

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of the current study was to describe the process of music learning and the perceptions of members in a school-based middle school handbell setting. The participants were 39 students and one music teacher in a middle school in Texas. The design of the current study was a case study using observation and interview data. The results highlight a successful middle school handbell ensemble setting that could be used as a model for a different form of music learning environment than the traditional options generally found in the schools. The study describes the practices and perceptions of a handbell …

Rockin’ Around The Clock: An Exploratory Study Of Music Teachers' Personal Listening Choices, Virginia Wayman Davis

Research & Issues in Music Education

This study aimed to explore the personal music listening choices of music teachers. Specifically, in which formats do teachers listen to music for personal pleasure, how do they obtain the music they choose, and how frequently do they choose to listen to certain genres of music. Using an online survey, music teachers answered questions about their listening and purchasing habits. Results were then analyzed using simple statistics and Analyses of Variance (ANOVAs) to discover listening preferences for the group as a whole, as well as what differences may occur with regards to age, teaching situation or other factors. Through this …

Social Justice Issues And Music Education In The Post 9/11 United States, Cynthia L. Wagoner

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of this paper is two-fold: first, to examine the impact of historical socio-political events on music education, particularly post 9/11 with the intent of establishing a context for social justice issues; and second, how we might examine the broad implications to further music education research focusing on social justice. Issues of social justice are inextricably woven into the fabric of post-9/11 U.S. education, as evidenced through reform efforts aimed at job-related skill sets, standardized testing, national standards, and economic gridlock resulting in the diminished access or elimination of the arts in the public schools, including music. Traditionally music …

“If It Fits Into Their Culture, Then They Will Have A Connection”: Experiences Of Two Latina Students In A Select High School Choir, Joshua Palkki

Research & Issues in Music Education

In the United States, Latino/a students are underrepresented in secondary school music programs (Elpus & Abril, 2011). By understanding the needs of Latino/a students, music educators can create programs that will better serve this student population. This intrinsic case study chronicles the experiences of Cassandra and Elena, two students enrolled in a high school choir in a mid-sized Midwestern community. The main research questions were: (a) Which lived experiences of these Latino/a students play a role in school choral music, and (b) Which elements of culturally relevant pedagogy have played a role in choral music education of these two students? …