Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Variety Show: Why Classical String Musicians Are Exploring A Multistyle Approach To Teaching, Kelly C. Wiedemann

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The Variety Show: Why Classical String Musicians are

Exploring a Multistyle Approach to Music

Kelly C. Wiedemann

This case study examines the experiences of five classically trained string teachers who now include alternative styles in their teaching. The research questions are: (1) What factors inspire a classically trained string educator to begin teaching alternative styles to their students? (2) Why is it important to keep classical music in string pedagogy? (3) How have these teachers, their peers, students, and community reacted to multistylism? The interviews revealed four major points of motivation: Opportunities for developing creativity and finding a personal voice …

Transformational Leadership And Resilience, African-American Women Nonprofit Leaders: A Mixed-Methods Study, Donovan Branche

Dissertations, 2014-2019

African-American women represent an untapped resource and bring with them transformational characteristics and resilience that are vital to the increasingly complex world of nonprofit leadership. The black feminist standpoint argues that black women have experienced years of oppression via sexism, racism, and classism. Despite this, many have endured and exceled. The nonprofit sector operates for the public good and accounts for about 5.5% of the United State’s gross domestic product. This important sector will lose about 75% of its leaders in the next few years due to the retirement of baby boomers. It is crucial that nonprofits consider the next …

Early Music Influences In Paul Hindemith's Compositions For The Viola, Domenico L. Trombetta

Dissertations, 2014-2019

It is widely recognized that several of Paul Hindemith’s compositions display a significant use of early music forms and techniques. Yet, the scholarly literature in English focusing specifically on the influence of early music on Hindemith’s works for the viola is limited. Thus, through a discussion of selected works for solo viola and viola and orchestra, with a concentration on the two finales of the solo viola sonatas op. 11, no. 5, and op. 31, no. 4, the viola concerto Der Schwanendreher, and the Trauermusik for viola and strings, this document investigates the impact of early music on Hindemith’s …

Basra's High Hope: An American Missionary School In Iraq During The World War Era, Israa Alhassani

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Basra, on the eve of WWI, was an Ottoman wilaya with a diverse society. During this period, Basra became a platform for two major British military campaigns. In 1914, Britain occupied the city as a precautionary measure to protect British interests in the region after the declaration of war against the Ottoman Empire. After eleven years of a British mandate, Basra became part of an independent country in 1932. In 1941, upon the success of a German-supported coup in Baghdad against the British-aided monarchy, Britain moved its forces to occupy Basra for a second time. During this period of imperial …

Elementary Music Teachers In Urban, High-Poverty Schools Who Remain In Their Position: A Descriptive Study, Heather Marie Eberly

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

School districts across the United States face increasing numbers of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Urban school systems, in which these students often reside, experience the highest levels of teacher attrition. The majority of literature in the area of teacher retention and attrition in urban, high-poverty schools has focused on general education while fewer studies specific to music education in urban, high-poverty schools exist. Little research has examined the experiences of elementary music teachers teaching in urban, high-poverty settings. Therefore, the investigator perceived a need to investigate elementary music teachers’ reasons for continuing in their positions in urban, high-poverty schools. The purpose …

Tried It With Glasses Off Too; Sometimes., Nolan John Fedorow

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

I use a small wedge of wood as a tool to pick out food scraps that find themselves lodged between my teeth. I also use a small wedge of wood as a tool to keep a straight door from swinging freely on a crooked house. The small wedge of wood I stuff in between the floor and door as a tool is a controlling apparatus, much like landowners who use fencing to keep people from walking repeatedly through their land and inadvertently creating a path where they shouldn’t. A wooden door stopper will come to adorn a perpendicular-patterned patina across …

Utopia For The Mind: American Treatment Of Insanity In The Nineteenth Century, Lauren Fleming

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In nineteenth-century America a new approach to treating insanity was adopted. This approach was called moral therapy. Physicians who practiced moral therapy tried to create an ideal, curative environment for the disordered mind through landscape and architecture but fell short because reality demanded they use restraints and medicine to limit the behavior of their patients. This paper and accompanying online exhibit explores the conflict between moral therapy's utopian setting and its dystopian reality from the 1830s through the 1870s. By 1880 most American asylums had become centers for custodial rather than curative care but an enduring legacy of moral therapy …

Congressional Sovereignty: Imperialism In A Republican Union, Casey Jack Musselman

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This thesis analyzes the creation of congressional sovereignty in the 1770s and 1780s. Congressional leaders expanded the authority of the Continental Congress through a series of resolutions and ordinances in order to incorporate the Northwestern Territories in to the union. My sources included primary documents issued by Parliament and Congress. I also researched the writings of various American and British theorists during the debate over parliamentary rule and the rights of colonists to self-government. Also, by studying the ordinances of the 1780s, I documented the expanding confidence and authority of Congress as leaders gained control of the Northwest Territories. I …

Student’S Achievement And Artistic Growth Through The Implementation And Enrichment Of The Visual Journal, Emily Nannette Quesenberry

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract This study investigates the incorporation of the visual journal as a learning tool within the art curriculum to understand how it contributes to students’ perception of themselves as artists, students’ understanding of art content, and how it can be used as a source of formative and summative assessment of student growth over time. This study was conducted with a control and a test group. Each group participated in the creation of visual journal pages throughout the course of one semester. However, the test group received additional information on visual journal artists and techniques as well as daily time to …

Demon Rum In The City Of Churches: A Spirited Fight For Alcohol Reform In Danville, Virginia, 1883-1933, Evelyn Dawn Riley

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Utilizing previous research of American alcohol reform movements, and specifically studies of alcohol in Virginia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this thesis explores the multi-faceted story of Danville, Virginia and its alcohol reform from 1883-1933. Contained within these dates are critical events and stories chronicling the complex history of conflict, and occasional cooperation, regarding alcohol in a southern town. The goal of the thesis, comprised of two parts--a context paper and an accompanying digital exhibit--was to explore how Danville’s community structure and public discourse affected the way alcohol reform was experienced and discussed in the city. Findings indicated that …

The Status Of Middle And High School String Orchestra Programs In Virginia Public Schools Located In Midsized Urban Settings, Keara Lea Smith

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract The majority of literature about teaching in urban settings has focused on the experiences of educators and students in large urban settings (Costa-Giomi, 2008; Fitzpatrick, 2008, 2011), and has been general classroom focused (Elpus & Abril, 2011; Glenn, 2005; McEachin & Brewer, 2012; Young, 2007). A smaller body of literature about teaching music classes in urban settings exists (Kinney, 2010; Bernard, 2010), while less still exists about the status of orchestra programs in urban settings (Fitzpatrick, 2011, Hamann & Gillespie, 1998; Smith, 1997). Little research examines midsize urban educational settings by state, and less still has examined the status …

The Effects Of Constructive Language Instruction And Cooperative Learning On The Quality Of Artwork At The Middle Level, Laura Allison Thompson

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study investigates the effects of explicit instruction in constructive language and cooperative learning activities on the quality of art work produced by seventh grade art students. Data collection included pre- and post-intervention cooperative learning surveys, student and teacher rubric evaluations, artist statements, teacher observations of student interactions, and photographs of artwork. Rubrics included five criteria: 1) idea formation and development, 2) problem-solving, 3) openness to suggestions, 4) depth of theme, and 5) perseverance. Students completed a self-portrait project individually to provide base line data and samples with which to compare collaborative works after two interventions. During the interventions, students …

Envisioning The Apocalypse: (Dis)Order, Progress, And Brazil’S Canudos War, 1896-1897, Gray Fielding Kidd

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This thesis uses the Canudos War (1896-7) as an analytical lens for unpacking issues of class, race, and gender in late nineteenth century Brazil. Brazil’s perhaps bloodiest civil war between millenarian backlanders and the state and federal military sheds light on elite urban social preoccupations during a critical formative period of republican rule. I analyze travelogues, newspaper reports, political cartoons, and other period documents. I do so in order to engage with elite urban Brazilians’ readings of, and prescriptions for, Order and Progress as articulated through questions of gender, class, and race. Throughout this project, I argue that urban sympathetic …

Using Pedagogical And Rhetorical Strategies To Examine The Medical Ethics Of Human Egg Donation, Emiline Grace Buhler

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Oocyte retrieval, more commonly referred to as human egg donation, is an outpatient surgical procedure commonly used to obtain reproductive cells for fertility treatments. Before retrieval, donors have to complete physical and mental health screenings, and are responsible for self-injecting a three-week series of intramuscular hormones. The known side effects of human egg donation include: ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS), acute ovarian trauma, infection, and, in extreme cases, infertility. There are currently no empirically-validated studies regarding presence or prevalence of long-term side effects. Further, because of its unique bio-commerce framework, there are currently no federal regulations for this procedure. Increasingly, ethicists, …

Perceived Difficulty Differences In Print And Online Patient Education Materials, Michael Arlington Farnsworth

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The empirical study that is the subject of this essay extends work on readability with an explicit focus on whether readers report difficulty understanding health information in print versus on screen. The central concern of this essay, then, is not a matter of reading levels or penetrability of the text, but of how the delivery mechanism interferes with or enhances a person's reading experience through their perception of its difficulty. Though the study relies on convenience sampling with a limited number of participants, findings suggests that some first-year college students perceive online PEMs to be more difficult to read than …

Creativity In The Elementary Art Classroom: Incorporating Strategies For Encouraging Creativity, Hannah Kim Sions

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Virginia art educators base their lesson plans on the Visual Arts Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools. Although creativity is implied in these standards, they are not directly mentioned; it is possible that lessons are not encouraging student creativity. Through a review of literature, this study explored the role of creativity in the elementary classroom, the role of creativity in the art education classroom, and strategies to encourage creativity in students. Findings suggest that creativity can be incorporated into lessons through a variety of strategies. Creativity is a lifelong process, and strategies that are incorporated into lesson plans, will …

"Young Bloods Of The South:" The Confederate Use And Efficacy Of Irregular Warfare In The American Civil War, Lucas Allamon

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

During the American Civil War, a number of southern irregulars operated behind Union lines. Though often neglected by historians, many of these irregulars proved effective. This study evaluates the different types of irregular combatant found in the South, including guerrillas, partisan rangers, and cavalry raiders, who varied in their identity, legality, and operations. The effectiveness of these fighters is analyzed in terms of their propaganda value, their ability to divert enemy troops, and the defeat of offensives by attacking supply lines. Though the Union attempted to counter these irregular forces, the greatest impediment towards the Confederate irregular war effort was …

Violin Pedagogy Through Time: The Treatises Of Leopold Mozart, Carl Flesch, And Ivan Galamian, Steffany Ann Shock

Dissertations, 2014-2019

There is a strong oral tradition present in the field of violin pedagogy, in which the influence of a single teacher can be felt for many generations. Current violin teachers have a large responsibility to pass on to their students a strong foundation of technique and musicianship so that one day the students will be able to adequately teach both themselves and their own future students. Because of this responsibility, it is important for the violin teacher to be able to adequately pass on information in variety of ways in order to suit each individual student, thus enabling every student …

Elias Boudinot And The Missionaries To The Cherokee, Gregory Mcdonald Siron

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This thesis is concerned with the relationship between Elias Boudinot, a mixed-blooded Cherokee, and the missionaries to the Cherokee Nation. Elias was born into a culture undergoing significant changes as the Cherokee struggled to modify their cultural practices to resemble those of the United States in a bid to maintain their territorial sovereignty, changes collectively known as the acculturation movement. This thesis begins its study by looking at the developments in the Cherokee Nation that led to the rise of the mixed-blooded Cherokee whose lineage descended from European and Cherokee stock. The mixed-blooded Cherokee led the tribe through the significant …

Before, Upon, And Beyond The Podium: Reflections By Retired Orchestra Directors, Joseph Daniel Austin

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The purpose of this study was to examine the background, educational, musical and professional factors that may contribute to the career longevity of string orchestra directors. Nine retired orchestra directors from the state of Virginia served as participants for this study. The names and contact information of the participants were acquired by various means including a mass email announcement inviting retired orchestra directors to participate in a survey that was received by all of the members of the Virginia Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, and by word of mouth within the educational community. Participants (N = 9) completed …

Interactive Instructional Technology To Bring Art Students Meaningful Museum Experiences, Sarah Elizabeth Brown

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The purposes of this study are to: (1) investigate how pre-service art teachers are prepared to implement instructional technological tools for virtual museum experiences and art lesson plans; (2) determine the impact of preparing pre-service art teachers to use instructional technological deliverables to create a virtual art museum experience for the classroom; and (3) investigate the impact of using instructional technology in art teacher lesson plans and instructional delivery. I believe pre-service teachers need specific training on how they can use technology in their art classrooms. Technology is a necessary tool for teaching creatively and can enhance an art curriculum …

The Science Of Charity: The Social Network That Restructured Law And Order In Baltimore, 1881-1901, Hope Elizabeth Byers

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Social networks undeniably build more cohesive ideologies between its members. Historians can better understand the path that urban reform took at the end of the nineteenth by focusing on the social networks that participated in many different reform efforts. In Baltimore, a group of elite businessmen began a variety of association and societies to aid the poor in their midst. The Charity Organization Society best combined this group of men. The Charity Organization Society of Baltimore sought to uplift the poor through advice rather than monetary aid. The group’s campaign to remove alms distribution from the police department in the …

Haunted By Hitler: German Film Of The 2000s And The Discourse Of Germans As Victims, Christopher John Carlberg

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In the culture of official commemoration honoring the many victims of Nazi persecution there arose an older way of thinking about the National Socialist past following Germany’s reunification, one that identified Germans themselves not only as perpetrators and collaborators but also victims. Popular film constituted an important medium contributing to this way of thinking during the first decade of the twenty-first century. Looking at six German films made between 2001 and 2008, this project focuses on several questions: How did these German films reflect and shape public discourse about the National Socialist past, both inside and outside of Germany? To …

Peer Critique In The Secondary Art Classroom: Strategies For Best Practices, Krista Nicole Castrodale

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The Virginia Standards of Learning and National Visual Arts standards require that art criticism and student peer critique are present in the secondary art curriculum. The standards set minimum requirements and serve as a starting point for comprehensive art education. Additional guidance for art teachers is necessary to ensure that peer critiques become a crucial component of their secondary art curriculum. Art teachers rely on their own experiences with critique for instruction. However, traditional models of art criticism do not seem to utilize the varied strengths of students. Contemporary student peer critique strategies are needed for teachers in secondary art …

Meditation On The Middle Ground, Jennifer Chandler Creef

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The installation of Meditations on the Middle Ground, is a space filled with photomontages, video and sounds that were captured during my expeditions out on the water, through the woods and by the shore. My work is a meditation on my relationship with the natural environment and how to form new realities out of these interactions.

From Swamps To Swamping: The Usage And Perceptions Of Swamps By African-Americans In Antebellum And Postbellum Arkansas And Louisiana, Tessa Annette Neblett Evans

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This project is a landscape study that examines how different members of the antebellum and postbellum community in Arkansas and Louisiana perceived and used the swamplands, and how this changed over time. This project suggests that the swamps played an absolutely crucial role for individual slaves and free blacks both before and after the Civil War. Unlike Europeans and the white community who viewed the swamps as static, physical spaces on the plantation without value, African-Americans viewed them as fluid places filled with value. Religious practices were often performed near swamps, and even so-called aberrant religions practices, like voodoo, happened …

Learning To See, Jade Webber

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Learning to See is a written document accompanying the culmination of my three years painting at a graduate level. Through an exploration of line, color, shape, light and bears I traverse the wandering heart of painting. This document is an exploration of the place in which people become bears and bears become mountains.