Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Bel Canto: An Analysis From Birth And Background To Musical Benefaction, Kaitlin Kohler

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Since the beginning of time, singing has been celebrated. Although opera itself was not properly established until the seventeenth century, drama and music have existed since the world’s genesis. It is difficult to imagine exactly what singing would have been like in ancient times, but the Bible and other ancient documents describe singing as an important factor in community—singing is meant to be beautiful and enjoyable. As the centuries pass on, a common thread of music history is the quest for beautiful singing. Composers each try to outdo their predecessors, coming up with new ways for vocalists to shine. They …

Domenico Scarlatti: The Beginnings And Creation Of The Classical Piano Sonata, Megan R. Stuart

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The keyboard sonata is a musical work that many instrumentalists understand and have played at one point or another during their years of mastering their instruments. Many composers have tried their hand at writing a sonata and for some, their sonatas have been their crowning achievements. Some composers are more renowned for their sonatas compared to others, examples being Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Clementi, and Domenico Scarlatti. The sonata began to be developed during the Baroque era and even has its roots before this time, yet the largest development stage of the sonata is seen during the late Baroque era, especially …

The Science Of Singing: A Voice Lesson From Anatomy And Physiology, Gracie Bennett

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The voice is the oldest instrument in existence. Throughout its history, there have been many vocal performances practices. The purpose of my research is to show the correlation between modern vocal practices and the current medical technology available to help us understand the physiology of the voice. I am studying and analyzing the vocal performance and pedagogical practices from the early church to present day. I want to know why these vocal strategies have changed over time. There have been several different schools of thinking in regards to vocal practices. From the Italian style bel canto singing that was widely …

The Triple Harp: The Unsung Hero Of Harp History, Brittany L. Roberts

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Graced with thousands of years of history, the harp has evolved and adapted to many different musical eras. A prime example of this is the triple harp, a precursor of the modern pedal harp. Before the invention of the pedals, harpists found it difficult to adjust to the increasing chromaticism found in the ornamentation and chord progressions of the Baroque era. However, harp builders were not deterred by this challenge. First built by Italian luthiers in the early 1600's, the triple harp featured three layers of strings stretched parallel to one another. The two outer layers were tuned diatonically to …

Musical Life In Russia From 1917-1953, Josiah Kenniv

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This research focuses on Russian musical life in the Soviet Era, beginning in the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, to the death of the Joseph Stalin in 1953. Much of the information is taken from books written by Russian authors who attempt to take this massive cultural and political change from the perspective of both the artist and the everyday citizen in Russia. The purpose of this project is to show how governmental reforms change musical life in Russia, and how composers and performers alike adapted to that change.

Scholarly Debates: The Development Of Early Polyphony, Eleanor G. Raquet

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The records of early polyphony show development that progresses over time. How did these developments come about, and what caused polyphony to develop the way that it did? When one researches this topic, one discovers that most scholars have a different opinion on the factors that led to the development of polyphony. In this paper, I will prove that the development of early polyphony is not a simple linear process and is highly debated among scholars. Specifically, this paper examines and summarizes different scholars' opinions on the role of notation versus the oral tradition in the development of polyphony. It …

Swing It Sister: The Influence Of Female Jazz Musicians On Music And Society, Kirsten Saur

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Female jazz vocalists, both as soloists and in groups, and instrumentalists, both as solo artists and in ensembles, of the jazz era influenced music and society in their own times and in later times. They added new musical concepts, added new vocal styles, worked to change the society they lived in, and worked hard to find their place in music no matter what got in their way, making them inspirations for future generations of women striving to succeed in the world. This paper looks at how these women of jazz influenced music, society, and future generations of women through their …

“Musical Fury”: Impressing Through Expressing In Baroque Improvisation, Hannah M. Rinehart

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Baroque music experienced a dramatic change in performance practice which sprang out of certain techniques used in the Renaissance period and the emphasis placed during this time on expression and emotion in music. In the Baroque time period, much emphasis was placed on expression, emotion, and creativity in both the academic sphere and in the arts. In the arts this can be seen in elaborate and decorative architecture, emotional and expressive paintings, and creative and individualized music. Music itself developed from the simple, structured forms of the Renaissance period to the driven, complex, emotional and expressive forms of the Baroque …

The Secret Society Of Opera, Brittney S. Mitchell

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Opera, perhaps fittingly described as an eclectic compilation of philosophy and Greek theater, emerged in Florence Italy during the late Renaissance. This Paper is essentially and observation of such activities attributed to a scholarly salon known as the Florentine Camerata. The Florentine Camerata was in fact a large series of scholarly salons throughout the Florence area. Many of their activists were amongst Florence’s greatest scientists, philosophers, and artists. This paper covers the inner workings of one specific Camerata that created the very first Operas. Then, one of the key attributors; Claudio Monteverdi, continued that tradition with his own developments. Monteverdi …

Birth Of The Pipes: The Organ From Its Beginnings Through The Baroque Era, Joshua Drake

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The purpose of this presentation is to survey the development of the organ, which is one of the most magnificent and impressive musical instruments known to man. The main objective is also to explain how and why the organ developed the way that it did. Further, the presentation will attempt to answer the following questions: what deficiencies in the performance of early organs were organ builders trying to improve on, what differences in sound did they want new organs to be able to produce, and how did the needs and preferences of organists influence changes in organ design? The majority …

A Historically Informed Performance Of A Woman's Love And Life, Michaela S. Wade

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

In order to give an outstanding performance of this celebrated song cycle, the most important thing, besides learning the music, is to learn the history behind it. It greatly helps the performer to have knowledge of the music, which in turn helps with communicating the narrative to the audience. The information presented in this paper is derived from scholarly journal articles and books by professors and historians who have studied Robert Schumann in the Romantic period and the influence of his German song cycles. The purpose of this paper is to examine the origin of the text used in Schumann’s …

Coursing With Coils: The Only Orchestral Instrument Harder Than The French Horn, Sarah R. Plumley

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Playing the horn has become not only more sophisticated and accurate, but simpler and more efficient for the horn player than what it was three hundred years ago. The natural horn, used in a variety ways in early history, demanded an incredible level of skill and precision, more than our valved horn today in some ways because it required a more accurate ear, more embouchure dexterity, and the necessity of wrangling crooks for different keys. Thus, it required many practiced skills of the player that are no longer as necessary as they once were. This paper discusses each of these …

Conducting: How It Came To Be, Kim M. Tavierne

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

When one thinks of a symphony orchestra they think of strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion. However, there is a very important component to that image that is missing and that is the conductor. Conducting has evolved through the years from someone keeping a beat to an actual profession. My presentation will be diving into how conducting evolved from the very beginning. What is the history of conducting? Where did conducting come from? How did conducting evolve into a job? These are all questions that will be answered in this presentation.

I will first address the primary question of the history …

A Conductor For The Ages, Jonathan E.D. Royce

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Herbert von Karajan played a key role in transforming the performance of music in Germany. I will show this by allowing the characteristics of Karajan as a conductor to show his impact upon Germany. I will also use his interest in film as well as Karajan's personal life that helped create a persona that will have a lasting impact on history not only in Germany but also in the world of music.

“We Don’T Need No Instrumentation”: The Educational Benefits Of Pop A Cappella, Jeremy C. Witt

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

A cappella singing has been a standard in American vocal music for many decades. The first a cappella choir in America is said to be the St. Olaf Choir founded by F. Melius Christiansen. As we progressed through the nineteenth century many other a cappella ensembles formed, such as the Glee club. The start of collegiate a cappella is most often credited to the Whiffenpoofs from Yale. They began in 1909 and are still running today. Also, at this time we began to see the barbershop quartet take form and gain popularity across the country. It was best known for …

Working Memory In Musicians Versus Non-Musicians: A Differential Study Using The N-Back Task, Kara Nonnemacher

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The current study investigates whether long-term musical training and practice are associated with greater working memory abilities. Other studies have shown that musicians have cognitive advantages over non-musicians, including working memory. Forty-six college-aged participants were given an auditory-spatial n-back test. The n-back test requires participants to determine whether or not each auditory and spatial stimulus in a sequence matches the stimulus n stimuli ago. In this study, n=2. Participants were classified as either a musician or non-musician based on their years of musical training. Comparing n-back scores between musicians and non-musicians showed no significant findings. Since …