Arts and Humanities Commons^™

An Analysis And Conductor's Guide To Allen Webber'sThree American Poets, John Wayne Weatherspoon

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Allen Webber’s Three American Poets is a three-movement choral work based on texts by several American poets. This monograph shines light on the compositional style of Webber by means of an in-depth score analysis of this work. Webber’s experience as a written theory and aural skills professor informs his writing style. Frequent correspondence and interviews with the composer informed the study through qualitative data. Though the piece is accessible to advanced high school choruses and beyond, it will at times challenge those choirs with unexpected chromatic movements. This study provides conductors with a guide to develop a creative and scholarly …

The Forgotten Trio: Tenor, Bass, And Basso Continuo An Exploration Of Music For The Tenor/Bass Ensemble From The 17th And 18th Centuries, Joshua Golden

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music written for and performed by tenors and basses has permeated vocal expressions since medieval chant. The history of male choral singing is as lengthy and storied as the history of all choral singing. However, the current canon of programming for this type of ensemble reveals a significant gap in historical tradition and presentation.

This research delves into the historical, cultural, and artistic milieu that influenced the development of tenor/bass choral music throughout this time period. Utilizing primary sources, as well as a rich body of secondary literature, the study employs a comparative analytical approach to dissect the musical styles, …

Jakub Polaczyk And His Kentucky Bluegrasp, Hyangwoo Lih

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation examines the contemporary composer, Jakub Polaczyk and his recent work, Kentucky Bluegrasp for Solo Viola. The dissertation is divided into seven chapters. Chapter I serves as an introduction. Chapter II presents interviews with Polaczyk conducted via Zoom and email. Chapter III explores two parts: Jakub Polaczyk’s early years of life, and education and career. Chapter IV, “Influences,” is further divided into three parts: Slavic music, Polish, heritages, and Diverse inspirations. Chapter V, “Unique Artistic Language,” delves into five parts: Exploration of Timbre, Unique Instrumentation, Extended Techniques, Cross-Cultural Influences, and Other Versatile Sources of Inspiration. Chapter VI, focuses on …

A Conductor's Analysis Of Selected Latin-Texted Compositions Of Joan Szymko, Hyunjin Kwak

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Joan Szymko (born in 1957) stands out as a notable female composer in the history of American Choral Music. Her extensive contributions to the choral music genre have left a profound impact. Szymko distinctively showcases her individual style in compositions, and for this study, five unaccompanied settings with Latin text have been chosen. These compositions include Ave Maria (1999), Ubi Caritas (1999), Hodie (2000), O Lux Beatissima (2011), and Et in Terra Pax(2002). The analysis of these selected pieces will focus on two main subjects. Firstly, it aims to identify consistent aspects of Szymko’s compositional style, exploring five key …

Mapping The Double-Tongue: Incorporating Body Mapping Into The Double-Tonguing Learning Process, Camilla Yoder

Theses and Dissertations--Music

As the articulation technique of double-tonguing is becoming more necessary and desirable for oboists to learn, this document explores the benefits of incorporating Body Mapping methods and kinesthetic awareness exercises into the double-tonguing learning process. These methods of body exploration are applied only to the areas of the body deemed highly relevant to accomplishing double-tonguing: the atlanto-occipital joint, the temporo-mandibular joint, the throat, the tongue, and the roof of the mouth. To explore the effectiveness of this approach, an Institutional Review Board approved research study was conducted, in which eight oboists learned double-tonguing with a preliminary iteration of this method. …

How Spirituals Influenced Both Resistance To Nazis And Civil Rights Protests, Chandi Plummer

Theses and Dissertations--Music

How have American Negro Spirituals inspired later generations of oppressed and marginalized people? Which songs of suffering and hope were particularly poignant in providing courage and inspiration? Questions such as these sparked my research journey, reaching a crescendo during a lecture recital on November 10, 2023, and now culminating in a dissertation.

Spirituals inspired Albert Franklin Fisher and Dietrich Bonhoeffer in New York City in 1930 during the Harlem Renaissance and traveled (via phonograph and music books) with Bonhoeffer to Nazi Germany during World War II. In America, spirituals influenced Myles and Zilphia Horton, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, …

From A Humble Cry To A Holy Chaconne: The Background, Analysis, And Performance Guide To Chaconne For Tokkae, Op. 96 By M. W. Johann Kim, Jurang Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The cries of animals have been used as motivic material in classical music literature throughout history. This project considers the Cambodian tocay gecko’s cry as the motif which embodies the harmonic structure in Chaconne for Tokkae for Violin and Piano, Op. 96 by Dr. Myung Whan Johann Kim. It reveals how Dr. Kim adapts unique compositional style and technique such as the bell harmony of Dr. Kurt Anton Hueber, to develop the theme into 39 colorful variations. The essential elements of the chaconne and the composer’s intentions are examined through personal interviews and correspondence with the composer. These elements are …

Exploring Cary Boyce's 'Kosmos', Kristina Ploeger-Hekmatpanah

Theses and Dissertations--Music

A text with many layers of depth married to music with a variety of methods of interpretation allows for an academically satisfying learning, rehearsal, and performance process. Choral directors, and the choristers they serve, enjoy scrutinizing all the ways they feel connected to or disconnected from the text and music in any piece that proves worth their efforts. American composer Dr. Cary Boyce’s (b. 1955) Kosmos (2007), a setting of a poem from Walt Whitman (1819-1892) of the same name, indeed provides the substance an academic group desires. At choral festivals in the Pacific Northwest during the 2021-2022 academic year, …

Gesture And The Auditory Impact On The Perception Of Sound: A Performance Guide For Understanding Gestural Function On Percussion Pedagogy And Performance, Emily Lane Durocher

Theses and Dissertations--Music

I will address the concept of physical gestures and discuss how they are applicable to the way percussionists visually and audibly perceive music. Through my research, I will focus on performance and pedagogy, seeking new possibilities for introducing percussionists at all ability levels to different articulations. Percussionists have traditionally been led to believe that they do not have the versatility over the initial musical attack and sustain that wind and string players do. This document has been developed to provide a more in-depth approach to how physical and musical gestures can function to create a more versatile and musical percussionist. …

Relojerías Sensibles By Juan Trigos – A Performance Guide, Geraldo Leite Da Costa Neto

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation provides insights into the compositional style of the Mexican composer Juan Trigos (b. 1965) and his brand-new work for solo guitar: Relojerías Sensibles (2022). Included in this document is a brief biography of the composer, commentaries about other of his works, as well as a description of his musical concept: Abstract Folklore. The main purpose of this research is to introduce the reader to Trigos’ artistic universe as well as provide a performance guide that may facilitate the understanding and learning process of his new solo piece. In addition, the first two appendices are dedicated to a catalog …

Secondary Traumatic Stress And Women Music Educators: A Phenomenological Study, Abigail Van Klompenberg

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is a phenomenon that affects individuals in helping professions, including educators. STS is a trauma disorder and results from one’s exposure to others experiencing trauma or who have experienced trauma. STS can affect physical health, well-being, and professional performance. Due to the profound effects of STS, there is a need for continued research to clarify this phenomenon in educators, specifically music educators. Furthermore, there is a need for research on STS in women due to women’s unique interactions with trauma and the potential for them to develop trauma disorders. At the time of this study, there …

A Defense Of Psalm Singing: Solutions To Contemporary Practice, Philip W. Webb

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The history of singing the Biblical Psalms from the Old Testament goes back thousands of years. Early Jewish worship by the nation of Israel was centered upon singing the Psalms, and this formed the early musical worship of the first-century Christian church as well. Yet today this practice is only observed by a few denominations and has fallen out of style among mainline evangelical churches. There are Psalters being printed, but for the most part they still contain many of the traditional musical and lyrical structures that go back several hundred years. For many, these sacred texts have too much …

“Songs Of The Underground” – Crafting A Unique Gaming Experience Through Music, Megan Franklin

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The academic study of video game music, known as Ludomusicology, is a younger research area in the world of musicology, with the earliest works having been published in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Despite its young age, Ludomusicology is becoming a staple in the academic world, with scholars such as Melanie Fritsch, Andra Ivănescu, Michiel Kamp, Tim Summers, and Mark Sweeney dedicating their time to the subject. This thesis uses musical analysis as the basis of exploring the relationship between music and aspects of video game creation and player interaction. The case study for this project is the 2015 …

A History Of Educational Concerts Of The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Sean Radermacher

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This project illuminates the history of educational concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and reveals a legacy of performances for young audiences, today’s educational innovations, and the orchestra’s evolving mission to serve young people. Concerts for young people are an important facet of the history of American orchestras. Today, these concerts and other educational programs are essential to increase the accessibility of orchestral music.

The PSO’s history highlights the close relationship of American orchestras with an educational mission from their early years to the present. After an overview of the origins of permanent orchestras and the national context of …

A Pianist Looks At Gerald Finzi's A Young Man's Exhortation, Op. 14, Mary Ann Wilder

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Gerald Finzi is a twentieth-century British composer. Though he also composed for orchestra and chamber ensembles, he is primarily known as a composer of vocal works, both solo and choral. In this solo vocal works, he favored the poetry of Thomas Hardy; six of his nine song cycles set Hardy’s poetry. One of these, A Young Man’s Exhortation, was Finzi’s second song cycle for voice and piano, but the first to earn notable success. Finzi writes for the piano lyrically and independently, as though the piano were a duetting voice—or in many cases, voices. This paper focuses on a …

The Yi Cycle: Finding The ‘Existing’ And ‘Potential’ In Tan Dun’S Intercourse Of Fire And Water For Cello Solo, Kevin He

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Chinese American composer Tan Dun was born in 1957 in the Hunan province of China. His early life reflected the difficulties of being a student during the Cultural Revolution. Tan Dun’s Intercourse of Fire and Water for Cello Solo reflects the composer’s journey from China to the USA in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution. The piece is the first solo concerto originating from Dun’s Yi0: Concerto for Orchestra, which was written in 2002 and is based on the ancient Chinese book I Ching (Book of Changes). The Yi Cycle includes four works: Yi0: Concerto for …

A Contextual History And Modern Edition Of J. Hyde’S 1799 English Trumpet Treatise: A New And Compleat Preceptor For The Trumpet & Bugle Horn: With The Whole Of Cavalry Duty As Approved Of And Ordered By His Royal Highness The Duke Of York … To Which Is Added A Selection Of Airs, Marches & Quick Steps For Three Trumpets, A Scale Of The Chromatic Trumpet With Airs Adapted For It, And A Collection Of Bugle Horn Duets, Clinton Gregory Linkmeyer

Theses and Dissertations--Music

For much of the trumpet’s long and varied history, it was considered a practical tool used for signaling more so than a music-making instrument. In 1614, Cesare Bendinelli wrote his Tutta L’arte Della Trombetta, which is often recognized as the first musical treatise written for trumpet. Scholars also recognize two other texts as being significant treatises: Girolamo Fantini’s Modo per imparare a sonare di tromba (1638), and Johann Ernst Altenburg’s Trumpeters’ and Kettledrummers’ Art (1795). The compilation and composition of A New and Complete Preceptor for the Trumpet and Bugle Horn by John Hyde in 1799 places it not only …

Polyrhythmic Pathways: Using Bimanual Coordination Research To Develop A New Framework For Practice, Performance, And Pedagogy, Christian Swafford

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study reviews and compares percussion literature pertaining to polyrhythms and scientific literature pertaining to bimanual coordination. There exists a gap in the pedagogical approach to polyrhythms, and there is much disagreement between common instructional methods, especially when considered against the findings of several bimanual coordination studies. The purpose of this study is to reveal insight to the percussion community that the learning of polyrhythms is facilitated by the brain in novel ways, and the uniqueness of this learning process requires a rethinking of the current pedagogical approach. Percussion articles, method books, popular literature, and music scores are surveyed alongside …

Musical Portraiture In Acht Korte Karakterschetsen Voor Piano Vierhandig By Hans Osieck, Yuri Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Hans Osieck (1910-2000) was a Dutch composer, pianist, and teacher. His musical portraits, Acht Korte Karakterschetsen voor piano vierhandig (Eight Short Character Sketches for Four Hands), are a valuable addition to the piano duo repertoires for intermediate and advanced students. In Eight Sketches, Osieck musically portrays eight of his students using simple compositional techniques, much like the brushstrokes and color palette of an artistic portrait. As a result of their programmatic nature and relatable subjects, Osieck’s Eight Sketches can be particularly useful for students developing their imaginations and learning to perform expressively. As a piano duo, Eight Sketches also serves …

Opportunities For Cantabile Performance In Seung Ki Hong’S Arirang Variations, Hye Jin Yeom

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this project is introducing South Korean composer Seung Ki Hong’s Arirang Variations (2015). Hong’s post-2013 work has focused on incorporating traditional Korean melodies into Western instrumental music; Arirang Variations exemplifies this process. The theme is “Arirang,” a folksong that Koreans have sung to express their joys and sorrows for centuries. Hong transforms this iconic melody through a series of variations in various dance styles such as a tango and a Viennese waltz.

This paper includes two main sections. The first provides background information that, although important for understanding Arirang Variations, is inaccessible to many performers. This section …

The Exploration Of Clinical Wisdom Of Music Therapists Working With Adults With Severe And Profound Intellectual Disability: A Multiple Case Study, Courtney Catron

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Research on the severe and profound intellectually disabled adult population is sparse due to several factors including difficulty in acquiring consent for research, lack of funding, and difficulty in interpreting behavioral responses. Music therapists providing services to this population are faced with sparse resources to guide evidence-based practice with severe and profound intellectually disabled (ID) adults. It is vital to document how seasoned professionals work with this population effectively to improve the evidence base for music therapists. This project used a multiple case study approach. Four music therapists provided an in-depth exploration of their clinical wisdom from years of working …

Discussions And Creations: Experiences Of Black Music Therapy Graduate Students Building Community And Belonging, Rebekah Irene Spann

Theses and Dissertations--Music

There is currently a lack of racial diversity within the music therapy field and a lack of research on the experiences of Black music therapy graduate students wanting to build community and belonging. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of three Black graduate music therapy students at the University of Kentucky seeking to build community and belonging with their Black peers. To further understand the experiences of these Black graduate music therapy students, this study followed participatory action research (PAR) methodology. Throughout the research process, I worked with participants to shape the project in a way …