Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Experimenting With Colors In Music: Making And Breaking Rules In The Butterfly Effect, Chloe King

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a culmination of four years of academic and musical development as a percussionist at the University of Mississippi. It offers a discussion and analysis of my original composition, The Butterfly Effect (2021-2023), exploring the compositional process from preliminary sketches to the finalized score. It also discusses the inspiration for composing an original work, the use of different music theory techniques relevant to an analysis of the work, and comparisons to relevant compositions throughout the history of Western music. The Butterfly Effect experiments with compositional techniques that often depart from established rules of harmony and counterpoint, a …

The History And Development Of Solo Tuba Repertoire, Vasilios Tidwell

Honors Theses

The tuba's solo repertoire increased in quantity and quality as a result of developments in the instrument’s design and usage. Following the invention of the tuba in 1835, instrument makers experimented with design concepts to maximize the versatility and potential of the bass brass voice. Composers explored the various uses of the instrument, eventually making the tuba part of the standard orchestral instrumentation by the mid-nineteenth century. Following the instrument's acceptance into bands and orchestras, the first solo works for tuba emerged in the late nineteenth century.

Evolving from novelty pieces accompanied by wind or brass bands, tuba solo music …

Finding My Place In The Piazza: An Exploration Of Learning And Performing A Lead Role During A Pandemic, Emma Johnson

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a reflection of one student’s process as she learns a lead role in a musical amidst a global pandemic. The author begins with why she chose to be a performer and what has led her to this moment. She examines how significantly the pandemic has affected the performing arts job sector. The author explores her first exposure to the musical “The Light in the Piazza” and the role of Clara in a scenes program at the university which took place in the spring semester of 2021. The thesis then follows her journey through the abnormal virtual …

Protest Music And Survival In The Basque Country During The Franco Regime, Michael J. Dodick Jr

Honors Theses

This thesis is an examination of the origins of the Basque Nationalist movement that originated in the late nineteenth century, the Spanish Civil War that followed, and how a dictatorial regime damaged a minority autonomous region, the Basque Country. Within this scope, a singular, unique musical and artistic collective contributed efforts in preserving and growing Basque culture, a culture that had been refined to place focus on nationalistic ideals, unifying traditions, Euskera, and the nation of Euskadi. Ez Dok Amairu, the focus of this thesis, was a short-lived artistic group that concentrated on producing art, literature, and music (among other …

Understanding German-Turkish Identity In The Context Of Deutschrap, Alena Tien Vu

Honors Theses

Since its emergence in the 1980s, Deutschrap has been used by German-Turkish rap artists as a medium to reflect their views and identity. What is understood as the German-Turkish identity has been put up for debate as to whether it can be labeled as assimilated, integrated or something else entirely. By doing a close reading and analysis of three songs each from German-Turkish rap artists Alpa Gun, Eko Fresh and Mert, it is found that these three artists can be categorized as Ayhan Kaya’s hybrid-, boundaries-, and flows- transmigrant identity, respectively. This also shows that the German-Turkish identity is not …

On The Nature Of Collaboration, John Walker

Honors Theses

The senior recital is in and of itself a Capstone project in the Department of Music—a culmination of one’s undergraduate years. Preparation of such a program, especially a collaborative recital with a peer, demands much of a voice student’s attention. However, the nature of this preparation is a relative unknown among the non-musical spaces of academia. Presented with an opportunity to develop my senior recital with Brittany Parry, a student of the new Master of Music in Collaborative Piano, I chose to reflect upon our novelty recital experience in this Capstone paper. The energy we devoted to our rehearsals and …

Producing Thacker Jr. A Guidebook To Production & Reflections Of A Student Director, Ava Street

Honors Theses

This narrative documents a student’s preparation and execution of the children’s music and literature program entitled, Thacker Jr. Radio Hour. The author documents and analyzes experiences over the course of two academic years preparing and producing the program. The author describes the process of production including content creation, marketing, budgeting, fundraising, and casting. The author recounts and reflects upon her experience in the role of Thacker Jr. Executive Director and her desire to create student-centric arts programming. Finally, the author evaluates the immediate impact of the program on the LOU community and predicts how her experience will shape her …

Preparing And Performing A Trumpet Recital, Jesse Gibens

Honors Theses

The pieces are examined based on historical context and explained based on the practice notes that I journaled and reflected upon by comparing and contrasting standard recordings of each work. This thesis is divided into nine sections that explore the pieces that are performed, as well as the instruments used to perform them. The thesis also explores my repertoire choices based on instrumentation, style, composer, and genre, as well as how to deal with the challenges of approaching a diverse program. Historical information has been taken from articles, books, and other scholarly writings produced by experts within their fields of …

The Making Of When We Say Goodnight, Andrew Newman

Honors Theses

The following thesis documents the writing and recording of When We Say Goodnight, an album by Lo Noom. The author discusses the various influences that led to the development of the album’s concept. The album is meant to explore the feelings the author associates with summer nights in Mississippi. He attempts to create a world in which the songs and feelings live. He discusses the album’s song development and various recording processes. As he brings the album to completion, a struggle emerges between the author’s desire to please his audience and his desire to create for his own personal enjoyment. …

Journey To L'Amour! An Exploration Of Love And Loss, Ashley Ashmore

Honors Theses

This narrative documents a student's preparation and execution of her voice recital entitled, L'amour! An Exploration of Love and Loss. The author documents experiences, at the University of Mississippi and beyond which influenced the direction of this body of work. The author describes the purpose of her voice recital, and describes the process programming and preparing repertoire for the December recital. The author recounts and reflects upon her performance of L'amour: An Exploration of Love and Loss. The author includes a full copy of the program and notes provided to attendees on the day of the recital. The author includes …

Preparing A Trumpet Recital, William Matthew Pate

Honors Theses

The following thesis presents a discussion of the elements that went into preparing a senior solo trumpet recital. This discussion is divided into eleven sections, of which the first five contain general performance challenges and information about the types of pieces performed on the recital and the instruments used to perform those pieces. The remaining six sections discuss why the performer chose to showcase each composer and their compositions, the specific performance challenges he encountered with each piece, and the techniques he used to overcome these challenges. The historical information used to produce this thesis comes from articles written by …

Elements Of Late Style In Johannes Brahms's Sonata In F Minor For Clarinet And Piano, Op. 120, No. 1, Kimberly Cassisa

Honors Theses

This paper presents various historical, analytical, and performance perspectives of Johannes Brahms's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F Minor, Op. 120 No., categorizing it as a late style work. It provides a background of Brahms's life and works and places his Op. 120 in an historical context. The first part of this research focuses on late style theory and disability theory as it relates to Brahms and his significant predecessors and contemporaries. The second part of this investigation presents an overview of the sonata's structure as well as analytical perspectives of the F Minor Sonata including musical examples supporting …

A Beginning Percussion Curriculum Based On The National Core Music Standards, Joseph Quinnelly

Honors Theses

The following thesis presents a curriculum for beginning percussion as a part of a beginning band program that incorporates the guidelines and recommendations found in the National Core Music Standards. The presentation of this curriculum is divided into three chapters, each of which of contains practical information for music educators charged with the instruction of beginning percussionists. The first of these chapters describes how the standards for music education were developed and outlines the information contained within the National Core Music Standards as well as the additional standards that accompany this information. In the second chapter, the information from Chapter …

A Survey Of The History And Legality Of Sacred Music In American Public Schools, Anna Greenlee

Honors Theses

Sacred music has long been a staple of American public school music repertoire, even since the beginnings of school music in the nation. This text provides information for music educators to use as a defense of their use of sacred music for educational purposes. Also, this text gives examples of legal conflicts brought about by improper use of religious material within the public school arena. Additionally, this text provides detailed procedure and data analysis of a survey designed to evaluate the atmosphere surrounding sacred music repertoire choices in the American music classrooms of 2017.

Singen Mit Schubert (Singing With Schubert): A Comparative Study Of Two Children's Choirs, Katherine C. Mclaughlin

Honors Theses

The purpose of this comparative study is to examine the effects of selected works of Franz Schubert on the singing technique, attention span and overall reaction of two children's choirs: the Oxford Children's Chorus and the St. Peter's Children's Choir. In the fall semester of 2015 each choir was given a separate work by Schubert, one in German and one in English, to study throughout the semester and sing one final performance. By video recording each rehearsal and using Scribe 4 Software analysis, I was able to record the children's singing technique and attention span. Each choir was given a …

Reflections On My Journey Using Visual Media In A Voice Recital, Claudia Salcedo

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a reflection of one student's process and execution of her vocal recital in which she incorporated visual media (digital paintings, light graphics, and videos). The author documented the technical and collaborative steps she took to prepare and perform her recital on December 5th, 2015. Preceding the chapters, the author includes a compilation of graphics or stills from the videos used in her recital. First, the author discusses why she felt it was important to present a recital in this manner. Next, the author elaborates on how her undergraduate studies and personal experience lead her to the …

The Performer's Journey As A Student Of Music, Rachel Saliba

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a study of one student's journey as a student of singing at the University of Mississippi. The author documented her progression through four years of vocal study, culminating in a recital performance that occurred on December 7, 2013. First, the author presents the development of a lifestyle that was reflective of her career as a musician. Next, the author provides a description of rehearsal procedures that enabled technical improvement. Then, the author includes a copy of the program notes that were given to the audience of the December recital. Finally, the author presents an analysis of …

Directing The Oxford Children's Chorus: Observations And Advice For Directing An Extracurricular Children's Choir, Kathryn E. Shuford

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the observations and experiences of a first year choir director in an extracurricular choral program. Observations were taken from the weekly rehearsals of the Oxford Children's Chorus, a community children's chorus for 4-6th grade students in Oxford, Mississippi, during the fall 2013 semester. The thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter provides background information about the Oxford Children's Chorus and the subsequent chapters each deal with a different aspect of directing a community choral ensemble: planning for a rehearsal, running a rehearsal, and growing the organization. Topics discussed include: choosing repertoire, rehearsal pacing, rehearsal order, …