Composition Commons^™

The Dilemma Of Empty Halls, Joanna Lauer

Musical Offerings

Today, live classical concert attendance is low, a fact which threatens the careers of professional musicians. This paper examines recent statistics of classical concert attendance, theories as to why attendance rates are low, marketing methods for target audiences, and finally, recommendations to solve the dilemma of empty concert halls. To encourage concert attendance, classical music must be tastefully marketed to present-day audiences through the experience of technically excellent, musical, and interesting live performances. Ultimately, the relationship between art and its audience (the consumer) reveals that the key to the dilemma is the audience.

Composition Recital Spring Program, Cedarville University

Student Composition Recitals

No abstract provided.

Composition Recital Program, Cedarville University

Student Composition Recitals

No abstract provided.

Medieval Methods: Guido D’Arezzo’S Innovative Approaches To Music Education, Lydia C. Kee

Musical Offerings

Music education has been influenced by many people throughout history, but arguably none of them have done so as much as the monk, Guido D’Arezzo. His teaching methods have been embraced and developed by music educators throughout the centuries. For example, it is recorded that Guido was the first to use the five-line staff as we use it today. This was especially groundbreaking in a world of rote memorization. Today it is used globally in music education. The roots of solfege are also found in Guido’s writings; his syllables have been adapted by Zoltan Kodály. Not only that, but John …

Composition Recital Program, Cedarville University

Student Composition Recitals

No abstract provided.

Maestros Of Ministry: Their Legacy In The Department Of Music And Worship, David Matson, Sandra S. Yang, Austin M. Doub

Cedrus Press Publications

This book presents a brief history of the Cedarville University Department of Music and Worship through the lens of the lives of six current or retired faculty members from 1965 to 2019. The featured Maestros are David Matson, Lyle Anderson, Charles Pagnard, Michael DiCuirci, Sr., Charles Clevenger, and Steven Winteregg. The biographies and history focus on the Maestros’ contributions to the Department and University in their devotion to service and ministry to students. The story reveals the sovereign hand of God in bringing each faculty member to the Department at just the right time to meet particular needs for critical …

The Federal Music Project: An American Voice In Depression-Era Music, Audrey S. Rutt

Musical Offerings

After World War I, America was musically transformed from an outsider in the European classical tradition into a country of musical vibrance and maturity. These great advances, however, were deeply threatened by the Wall Street crash of 1929 and the consequent Great Depression. The nation that, for the first time, was developing an international reputation in the arts now faced a crisis of how to support them. Government sponsorship of the arts through the New Deal Federal One projects allowed struggling artists to survive economically during this era. In the realm of music, however, the Federal Music Project (FMP) had …

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 …

Promise That You Will Sing About Me: Kendrick Lamar In Posterity, Brandon Apol

Music and Worship Student Presentations

Sometimes it would seem that the quietest moments turn out to have the loudest repercussions. This would seem to be a consistent case for twenty eight-year old Kendrick Lamar, whose career has been defined by surprise and unannounced publications of music that shortly afterward are spun into respected works of art. With an album that no one anticipated going to the 2013 Grammy awards, another album that leaked a week ahead of schedule (and brought Kendrick 5 Grammys), and an album that was released with almost no warning whatsoever, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth makes headlines with his art; of this there …

Composition Majors, Cedarville University

Bach’s Lunch Programs

No abstract provided.

Calvin Hitchcock, Junior Composition Recital, Calvin D. Hitchcock

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

Sean Kisch, Junior Composition Recital, Sean A. Kisch

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

Alptraum, Daniel T. Galey

Student Composition Recitals

The title of this piece means "Nightmare" in German. It uses a lot of half steps as well as diminished and half-diminished chords in order to create an eerie mood with a hint of fear.

Phobos And Deimos, Sean Kisch

Student Composition Recitals

Phobos and Deimos are the two moons which orbit the planet Mars. In Greek, their names mean “panic” and “terror,” both of which accurately describe this piece. The irregular rhythms, angular harmonies, and frenetic counterpoint all contribute to a sense of frenzied, irrational fear. Above all is a recurring 5/8 pattern which is meant to create the uneasy feeling that some unknown nightmare is lurking just out of sight.

Driftwoodsman, Nathanael T. Spanos

Student Composition Recitals

Driftwoodsman

A robot with muscles
established his thresholds
and balanced his mesh molds.
His thoughts and his lights bulged.

He was young again,
new with friends,
learning things
beyond his ken,
a fast frontiersman,
the first to fear Them,
but last to leave Them,
those solid steersmen, piersmen.

Neuro, Andrew Mcfarlane

Student Composition Recitals

I’ve often described myself to people as an over-thinker. When analyzing this piece to find some sort of story or program, I saw myself. It seemed to me that the music described one who is cursed and blessed with thoughtfulness- perceiving the world, analyzing everything the senses take in and rehearsing them in the mind. I named the piece Neuro- referring to the nervous system. The first movement, “Conscious,” describes this intake of information in 4 sections: a blurry morning, the bustle of the day, a short respite from the intake, and another bustle. The second movement, “Mull,” describes a …

Interlude For Violin, Daniel T. Galey

Student Composition Recitals

This piece was written to have perpetual motion, which means that there are only sixteenth notes throughout this piece. Since the rhythm of this piece is constant and therefore not as interesting, I had to make the harmonies and melodies interesting. I employ a theme in the beginning that is repeated throughout, but in varying keys. In the middle section, I write a compound melody among the continuous sixteenth notes. There is a feeling of uncertainty in this piece, which can be heard in the theme as well as the use of modulations. It's as though one is out on …

Learning To Speak, Sean Kisch

Student Composition Recitals

Next to the human voice, the saxophone and cello are arguably the most flexible instruments we have today. The range of techniques and noises available makes them ideal for imitating the human voice and creating expression. “Learning to Speak” follows the progression of finding order in speech, and the three movements imitate this idea in the harmony—moving from atonal to tonal. The last movement’s lyrics are drawn from the poem “Taming the Tongue” by Nate Spanos, which is a prayer that God would teach us how to speak in a way that honors him.

Incidental Music From Doubt, Calvin D. Hitchcock

Student Composition Recitals

Living in the midst of uncertainty is something quite familiar to all of us, yet also so foreign. When I sat down to write this score, my main question was how do I capture this universal feeling with my music? How can I draw my audience in while simultaneously taking them on an unpredictable and slightly uncomfortable journey? My goal was to have listeners be present, not relying on the past or living in the anticipation of something to come, but caught up in the moment. My musings resulted in a recurring two bar theme strategically placed throughout a relatively …

Salem, 1692, Calvin D. Hitchcock

Student Composition Recitals

This piece follows the progression of the Salem Witch Trials, which took place in colonial Massachusetts in 1692. Over the course of a little more than a year, the Puritan community executed nineteen suspected witches. I aimed to capture the hysteria and religious hypocrisy responsible for driving a community to such an atrocity. With text largely based on quotes recorded during the actual witch trials, Salem, 1692 is comprised of six movements. Movements one through three document the initial Old Testament mandate, the twisted superstitions that developed from said mandate, and the panicked responses of the accused. Recreating the ominous …

Locrian Rain Dance, Michael Carbaugh

Student Composition Recitals

I wrote this piece based on the first movement of a Ravel sonata. It is written primarily in the mode Locrian, which resembles a natural minor scale with a lowered second and a lowered fifth. It is commonly referred to as the darkest mode, which you may notice by the dissonance in this piece. Some staples of this piece are syncopation, rhythmic motifs, repeated melodic shapes, and, of course, dissonance. I called it Locrian Rain Dance, because the duet between the violin and cello remind me of fleet-footed routines. As you listen to the piece, try to feel the sense …

Songs, Joshua Drake

Student Composition Recitals

These three art songs are settings of excerpts from William Wordsworth's famous poem, "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey." I hope you enjoy this new music!

A Few Miles Above

This song opens with large polychords (two separate diatonic chords stacked on top of each other) and sweeping runs. I wrote these to create a grand, expansive sound, symbolizing the breathtaking view of a vast landscape from high on a mountaintop. Throughout the rest of the song I tried to tone paint frequently. For instance, I used some unusual chords, including a minor dominant, to illustrate the "five …

First Flight, Alisha Symington

Student Composition Recitals

In early September I had the opportunity to travel to Florida by airplane for a friend's wedding. Flying is a form of transportation I have always been most drawn towards: the excitement of finding the right gate in the airport, the rattling take off, and the breathtaking clouds. Fortunately, I have had many opportunities in my lifetime to fulfill my enjoyment of this thrill. As I sat on the plane, I attempted without success to remember the first time I flew in an airplane. I started to think what it would feel like to experience this for the first time. …

Emergence, Michael Carbaugh

Student Composition Recitals

Emergence was one of the first pieces I wrote when I came to Cedarville. It was a significant step in my learning experience as I employed different writing styles and scales. The name Emergence came about as I was listening to the finished piece. At first, the piece seems triumphant and glad, but then it retreats into a piercing dark for a time. However, the triumphant tune returns in the end, brighter than before. The piece reminded me of a walk a dark place. The dark portion reminded me of cautious steps through mysterious, eerie circumstances, but the ending signifies …

Whole-Tone Sax, Joshua Drake

Student Composition Recitals

Whole-tone Sax is my very first composition for alto saxophone. I came up with the opening theme while experimenting with the whole-tone scale, hence the title. Although the piece begins with a lively excursion into the whole-tone landscape, I quickly depart from it and began transposing my theme into more familiar diatonic (major and minor) scales. This was very necessary as the whole-tone scale can quickly become monotonous if you're not careful and exceptionally creative. The second movement is much calmer and peaceful in contrast to the first. Again, I chose to stay away from the confines of the whole-tone …

Suite From Know Me, Sean Kisch

Student Composition Recitals

This piece acts as a preview for the show Know Me, a dance-theatre show I created with my older sister Haley, who is currently studying dance at Anderson University in Indiana. The show is loosely based on the parable of the Good Samaritan, and it combines many styles of dance, including ballet, modern, jazz, swing, and tango. The show will be performed at Cedarville on January 18, 2015, and in Anderson on January 24, 2015. In this suite, you will hear many of the main themes, each of which represents a specific character or place. Even though you will …

What If..., Calvin D. Hitchcock

Student Composition Recitals

My enigmatic title presages the sinuous gestures found in the music. I invite you to consider the various forms of ambiguity implicit in the score as you experience this work with little foreknowledge of its terrain.

Chrysalis, Sean Kisch

Student Composition Recitals

I owe a great deal of thanks to both the clarinetists and Dr. Curlette for putting a great deal of time into this piece. Chrysalis is quite challenging, both technically (because of the complex rhythms and counter-rhythms) and musically (because of the unique harmonic language). The idea behind Chrysalis is that the tiny phrases, syncopations, and runs would create the picture of a thousand tiny little pieces being changed and rearranged, much like how God transforms a caterpillar into a butterfly. Also like a caterpillar, near the end of the piece, the quartet goes through a transformation as well, as …

Heavy Droplets In The Light Rain, Michael Carbaugh

Student Composition Recitals

Heavy Droplets in Light Rain is a Bach-inspired, fast-paced violin solo. It’s a piece filled with minimalistic changes. Listen for the heavy droplets, the changing notes, among the light rain (the repeated patterns).

Born To Conquer: The Fortepiano’S Revolution Of Keyboard Technique And Style, Rachel A. Lowrance

Musical Offerings

The fortepiano had a rough beginning. In 1709 it entered a world that was not quite ready for it; a world that was very comfortable with the earlier keyboard instruments, especially the harpsichord. Pianists and composers were used to the harpsichord technique and style, which is drastically different from the piano. This is because the harpsichord was actually a very different instrument than the piano, as is explained in this paper. This paper traces the history of the piano's rise to dominance over the harpsichord, and how its unique hammer action began creating an idiomatic piano style. The piano also …