Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Performing Original Arrangements Of Jazz Repertoire, Spencer M. Mackey

Honors Capstones

My goal with this Capstone project was to encapsulate my four years of music and jazz education at Northern Illinois University into a senior recital. I picked repertoire that spanned my whole college career and decided to arrange for jazz combo settings which is something I enjoy doing a lot. Arranging is an important concept in jazz music. My research for this project took a relatively simple approach; I listened to jazz music. Specifically, I listened to multiple versions of the tunes on my recital, compositions by the composers I was featuring on my recital, and other various recordings that …

Exploring The Bass Trombone, Liam Kantzler

Honors Capstones

The purpose of the capstone is to provide a performance on the bass trombone that explores many different styles of music. I will use different techniques to evoke many different styles, as well as performing pieces outside of the standard repertoire, and some that aren't written for the instrument. The process for this capstone began long before the project began, although the preparation for the performance included daily practice and study of each of the pieces. Many rehearsals were put together, including music for chamber music portions and a few to put solo parts with piano accompaniment. The performance itself …

Kazimierz Serocki’S Trombone Concerto: Prominent Work In Post-War Poland, Dawid Mzyk

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The political factors of communism induced a deep delay in the progress of post-war Polish music, effectively inhibiting all trends geared toward its modernization. My research investigates the influence of the communist period on shaping the piece by giving insight into the socialist realism in post-war Poland. It also contributes to the understanding of performance techniques, the genesis of a prominent work, and the aesthetic impact political unrest had on the color and characteristics of Serocki’s Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra. Even though this piece has been performed by world renowned trombonists such as Christian Lindberg, Joseph Alessi (New York …

Female Trombonists' Experiences Of Gender Bias, Em Poff

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Female trombonists are underrepresented throughout the United States especially in collegiate teaching positions. Is the underrepresentation of female trombonists as professional musicians and teachers causing less females to pursue playing the trombone? After discussing the expected roles of females and acceptable instruments for women to play during the 1800’s, this document mentions many women who were able to surpass the norms of female musicians and make their own musical choices. The purpose of this study is to discover if there is any relevance of gender bias towards female trombonists in society today and potentially determine how these biases affect their …

The Purpose And Process Of Commissioning New Music For Low Brass Instruments: A Guide, Michael Kennard Waddell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The euphonium, trombone, and tuba do not have the breath of solo and chamber music repertoire that other instruments such as the piano or violin do. The majority of works being written for these instruments today is being written via direct commissions and commission consortiums. This research analyzes the importance of expanding the repertoire of these instruments, along with detailed guidance on starting a consortium project and seeing it through to completion. The author, and interviewees Frank Gulino, Adam Frey, and George Alberti, detail their experiences working on consortium projects, and their views on the ethical importance of advancing the …

An Introduction To Jazz Performance Skills And Techniques For Trombone: The Bordogni Jazz Project, William Ford

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Bordogni Jazz Project are arrangements of eight Bordogni Vocalises using harmonic and rhythmic elements from the jazz style, and new, original etudes that were composed based on the reharmonizations of the original Bordogni etude melodies. The material is intended to provide a comprehensive, but attainable resource for trombonists and educators which is inclusive of the stylistic nuances, performance practices, and cultural backgrounds associated with the jazz idiom. These are to be used as a resource to introduce classically trained trombonists to jazz playing and performance practices. Through study of this material, trombonists will ultimately be able to take advantage …

The Underrepresented French Trombone: A Recording And Written Document Of Rarely Performed 20th Century Trombone Literature Of The Paris Conservatory, Kyle A. Remnant

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this project was to highlight some of the lesser-known trombone solos within the oeuvre of the Paris Conservatory Solo de Concours (Solo Contest). While the output of solo works through the Paris Conservatory has been well documented for over a century-and-a-half, there are numerous compositions that have not reached the canonical status of the works of Tomasi, Guilmant, Castérède, and others. Several Prix de Rome winners composed for the trombone as a solo instrument; among them are Alfred Bachelet, Henri Büsser, Jules Mazellier, Raymond Loucheur, Yvonne Desportes and Claude Pascal. Regrettably, no reference recordings exist for many …

Orchestral Excerpts For Trombone From Villa-Lobos’S “Chôros”– Performance Considerations And Collected Edition, Hugo Eustáquio De Faria Pinheiro Sr.

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The daily routine of playing in a professional orchestra can be very challenging. An important and useful tool for students, professors and professional players in the preparation process of playing is the focused study of orchestral excerpts, where one can consciously practice ahead of time the most technically demanding passages, in order to be ready for rehearsals and performances.

The orchestral output of the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos is vast, with many technical and musical challenges for low brass musicians. This research will cover Villa-Lobos’s Chôros series, with a special focus on the works that present at least one trombone …

A Performer’S Guide To Norman Bolter’S Morning Walk For Trombone And Piano, Justin Croushore

Theses and Dissertations--Music

For the past 45 years, Norman Bolter has been one of the most prolific and important composers, performers, and educators for the trombone. Born in Minnesota in 1955, Bolter held the position of Second Trombone of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Principal Trombone of the Boston Pops from 1975 until 2009. He has taught at leading conservatories, universities, and festivals around the world and continues to teach as trombone faculty at the New England Conservatory and the Boston Conservatory today. His compositional output is large and wide-ranged, including works for solo trombone, trombone and piano, trombone ensemble, chamber ensemble, band, …

Solo Trombone With Electronic Accompaniment: An Analysis And Performance Guide For Three Recent Compositions, Joshua Mize

Dissertations

This dissertation examines three solo trombone works, each with a different electronic accompaniment–fixed media, live electronics with a computer, and live electronics with a loop station. A historical and cultural background establishes a context for each accompaniment type, followed by a brief introduction of the selected composition and its composer. Then, an analysis of the piece explores how the electronic accompaniment functions within the context of the solo. Finally, a performance guide addresses rehearsal techniques and important aspects of performing with the different electronic accompaniments. The final product is a pedagogical resource representing current literature for the trombone and electronics …

The Hard Bop Trombone: An Exploration Of The Improvisational Styles Of The Four Trombonist Who Defined The Genre (1955-1964), Emmett Curtis Goods

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation examines the improvisational stylings of Curtis Fuller, Locksley “Slide” Hampton, Julian Priester and Grachan Moncur III from 1955 through 1964. In part one of this study, each musician is presented through their improvisational connections to J.J. Johnson, the leading trombonist of the Bebop era. His improvisational signatures are then traced through to the musical innovations of the Hard-Bop Trombone Era. Source material for this part of the study includes published books, dissertations, articles, online sources, discographies and personal interviews. Part two of this paper analyzes selected solos from each of the four subjects to identify the defining characteristics …

Towards Interaction: Combining Jazz Techniques And Idiomatic Writing For Varied Ensembles. A Collection Of Musical Works -And- An Exegesis, Glyn Alan Macdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This practice-led research project has produced musical works that bring together ensembles from the Western Classical tradition that only read notation, and, jazz soloists who improvise. Three works ‘Standing Ground’, ‘The Journey’ and ‘Matt versus the Zombies’ were composed for three ensembles each with an improvising soloist. These ensembles included a British style Brass Band, Brass Quintet and a double Saxophone quartet.

The project built on the work of Andy Scott and Eddie Sauter, both of whom wrote for non-jazz ensembles and an improvising artist without including a jazz rhythm section. The accompanying non-jazz ensemble was written in such a …

Tyler Kline’S Render: A Formal Analysis And Performance Guide, John Douglas Handshoe

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Since the 1950s, composers worldwide have explored the use of the trombone in new and exciting ways, from expanding the functional range of the instrument to creating unique timbres through the use of mutes and extended techniques. Since then, many standard works in the literature have been born from this pushing of the envelope from composers like John Cage, Luciano Berio, Iannis Xenakis, and Daniel Schnyder.

On the forefront of the newest crop of composers expanding the voice of the trombone is Tyler Kline (b. 1991). This project will function as a formal analysis and performer’s guide to his 2015 …

Barfield, Kazik, Nazaykinskaya, And Beyond: A Discussion Of The Commission Process Regarding Trombone Literature, S. Kyle Moore

Honors Theses

There has historically been limited repertoire for trombonists to perform outside of orchestral writing—so limited that the first trombone solo recital was performed by Davis Shuman in 1947. The trombone has been present in the musical community since the mid-fifteenth century, yet it has only recently emerged as a unique, virtuosic instrument. Due to its delayed emergence and limited repertoire, the need to advance the instrument and its musical literature has led to the commission process between artists and composers: Interested parties approach composers with the prospect of writing music for compensation. In this manner, the composer is compensated for …

Challenges In Beginning Trombone Pedagogy, Robert Sobnosky

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The development of strong fundamental skills is essential for success on any instrument. Beginning wind players must be carefully monitored so they can develop the good playing habits and basic skills that form the foundations of strong musicianship. Each instrument presents its own unique challenges. The trombone could be considered the most unique of the beginning band instruments due to size, slide, and technique. These challenges can lead to a number of problems that music educators must be able to recognize and correct. For this project, six music educators with experience teaching beginning trombone students were interviewed about common problems …

The Honogenization Of Trombone Sound Preferences: The Effects Of A More Global Society On National Styles, Alyssa B. Madeira

Honors Theses

The trombone and music in general have been greatly influenced by globalization. Over the past few decades the ideal playing style of trombone has become increasingly similar throughout the word. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the integration of Eastern Europe into the rest of the Western world marked a turning point in the way that music was perceived and shared. More and more musicians began to blend their playing styles as they traveled across borders and oceans. Sharp contrasts by region in interpretation of literature and the ideal sound were common in the early 1990's, but …

Applicability Of Periodization To Orchestral Audition Preparation On Trombone: A Case Study, Christopher Evan Green

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The process of auditioning can seem daunting because of the high standards of performance required to win. Brass players have a finite amount of time they can practice each day because of the small muscles of the embouchure. Despite the vast amount of information available on preparing for a brass orchestral audition, little has been written on how to organize a practice schedule leading up to the audition. An analysis of literature in the major brass journals confirm which strategies have been considered to be most important when preparing for an audition, but an important component from the world for …

An Analysis Of The Career And Solo Style Of Jazz Trombonist Carl Fontana, John Wesley Parker

Dissertations

Carl Fontana’s ability and creativity as a jazz trombonist is held in high regard by his contemporaries, as well as by those who followed him. The significant aspects of his career were highlighted in a brief biography with historical and anecdotal information provided by jazz trombonists who new him and were influenced by him. Fontana’s solo style was analyzed and compared through transcriptions of three improvisations performed during contrasting points in his career: “Intermission Riff” from 1956, “Just Friends” from 1978, and “It Might As Well Be Spring” from 1985. His influence on the jazz trombone community was discussed through …

A Comparison Of Two Distinctive Jazz Trombone Artists, David Steinmeyer And Curtis Fuller, Eddie Lee Elsey Jr.

Dissertations

This dissertation discusses two jazz trombonists, David Steinmeyer and Curtis Fuller. Six solos performed by these two artists are analyzed for the purpose of studying and comparing their individual styles of playing. Each solo is analyzed melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically with musical excerpts from each solo included to provide emphasis on a particular area.

This dissertation also includes comparisons of overall styles, full transcriptions of each solo, discographies for both artists, and brief biographical sketches of each artist. Although the artists play in different styles, they still share similar philosophies in approaching the performance of playing jazz trombone.

The Use Of The Trombone In The Orchestra, Joe Kirby

Honors Theses

The trombone, perhaps the earliest of the instruments i contemporary orchestral use to develop and retain a fundamental regularity of form, is based in principle upon the utilization of a telescopic slide in the production of chromatic tones.

The characteristics of the construction of a trombone are basically, and broadly, the same as for the modern trumpet: A mainly cylindrical body-tube, narrow in relations to its length; a bell section expanding in a gentle curve to a wide terminal flare; and a deep mouthpiece with a well-developed throat. The essential difference between the two instruments lies in a different arrangement …