Music Practice Commons^™

Hidden Meanings In Elementary Instrumental Music Method Books: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, Mara Hope Thompson

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Textbooks serve as the primary resource utilized to deliver curriculum in a variety of subject areas and educational contexts. However, much previous research has found that texts often convey concealed meanings in the form of hidden and null curricula. This Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) explored the musical discourses and cultural contexts of musical examples in two elementary instrumental music textbook series to investigate whose values, cultures, perspectives, and knowledge are conveyed by the texts and whose are excluded or misrepresented. Framed by the social theory of Postcolonialism, the research revealed binary ideologies of exoticism embedded in many aspects of …

Ecuadorian Vocal Anthology In Four Rhythms, Wagner Mauricio Pástor Pazmiño Dr.

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Ecuador is a pluricultural and multilingual territory with four natural regions, several musical genres, and interpretations. Amazon, Galápagos, Mountain Range, and Coastal region. In the following dissertation, the author develops concepts of four traditional rhythms, their composers, and harmonic and phonetic characteristics from the mountain range region of his homeland, Ecuador.

The present document is a descriptive study of vocal Andean music and the application of the operatic style in classical vocal technique for performance practice.

The dissertation will support a lecture recital to fulfill the doctoral program's requirement in voice performance from the University of Kentucky.

Sculpting Time: A Performance Guide To Four Fragments Of Time By Marcus Siqueira, Luis Felipe Vargas Magdaleno De Moraes

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation investigates the musical and phenomenological aspects of Four Fragments of Time by Marcus Siqueira (b. 1974) and provides a performance guide for this work. Furthermore, this dissertation analyzes previous guitar works by the composer, seeking to understand Siqueira’s compositional idiosyncrasies and to provide context for the interpretation of Four Fragments of Time. This dissertation includes a biography of the composer, an analysis of the compositional process of Four Fragments of Time, an analysis of the recurrent idiomatic procedures in Siqueira’s guitar works, and an overview of the collaborative process between the composer and the author. Additionally, an analysis …

An Examination Of Maria Schneider’S Big Band Artistry Through The Lens Of Wind Band Arranging, Amy Birdsong

Dissertations, 2020-current

Within the world of instrumental music there tends to be strict adherence to styles and genres that have historically been connected to a standard collection of instruments. Wind ensembles are expected to perform contemporary art music, orchestral transcriptions, or military marches, with little expectation of individual creative interpretation. Jazz ensembles, or “big bands,” are expected to perform styles of music such as “swing,” which cannot be properly notated using western notation, while also being rigidly glued to reduced instrument choices, repetitive chord cycles and standard song forms. While wind ensemble performers are confined to read and perform all aspects of …

A Survey Of The Comparative Performance Demands Of Performing Mozart’S Fourth Horn Concerto On The Natural Horn And Modern Horn, Brandon Garrison

Doctoral Projects

The four horn concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are fundamental standards of horn repertoire. Since the production of Dennis Brain’s early recordings in 1953, many virtuoso horn players have recorded these concerti on the modern horn. However, there are few professional recordings made on the natural horn. Though Mozart’s four horn concertos are prominent in horn study across the world, they are rarely executed with correct performance practice techniques. In my presentation, I will demonstrate passages from Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4 to survey the challenges when performed on natural horn versus the modern horn. It is important to understand …

Villa-Lobos Choros No. 1: A Study Of The Recordings, Andrei Jan Hoffmann Uller

Dissertations

This dissertation explores changing perspectives on performance practice for the well-known solo guitar work Choros No.1 composed in 1920 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), by documenting different interpretations heard on selected recordings from across the 20th century and into the 21st century. The methodology considers the recordings as the main object of study. Choros No. 1 features a hybrid style that makes it especially interesting for a research method that captures performance details such as articulations, dynamic and agogic accents, timbre, and tempo flexibility. This dissertation will consider performance decisions that are not often discussed in the research. For example, the …

Sonorous Movement: Cellistic Corporealities In Works By Helmut Lachenmann, Simon Steen-Andersen, And Johan Svensson, John Popham

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In Sonorous Movement: Cellistic Corporealities in Works by Lachenmann, Steen-Andersen, and Svensson, I analyze three compositions that foreground the cellist-body, its physical gestures, and instrumental interactions: Helmut Lachemann’s Pression für einen Cellisten (1969/2010), Simon Steen-Andersen’s Study for String Instrument #3 (2011), and Johan Svensson’s marionette for string instrument, electro-mechanical devices and lights (2018). These works center sound production and the performing body as sites of ontological and creative exploration. Their physical gestures serve multiple sensorial functions, heightening the visual and kinesthetic dimensions of a traditionally aurally oriented practice. For each work, I develop a corresponding analytical method based on …

Concert Programming Simplified For The Overwhelmed School Conductor, Adam L. Compton

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This document is a basic guide for preparing and programming a concert. It contains five chapters, each of which covers one aspect to consider while going through the process of concert preparation. Some key points are an analysis of the Audience, an analysis of the Ensemble and the selection process of music. It also contains steps of putting together a viable order to a concert. The last two chapters give insight on different approaches to concert programming and some of the aspects of concert programming that does not deal primarily with the music and therefore is often found lacking in …

A Performer's Guide To Two Song Collections: “Mementos Of Innocence” And “Three Yeats Songs” By Malaysian Composer Chee Yean Wong, Wu Ji Khoo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the flourishing existence of Asian Art Music for over half a century, relatively little has been done to advance its recognition and prominence. Through this project, the author hopes to shed light on the beauty and richness of Asian Art Music and encourage its inclusion in the repertoire of American classical music. The purpose of this document is to supply a comprehensive performer’s guide to Malaysian composer, Chee Yean Wong’s song collections: “Mementos of Innocence” and “Three Yeats Songs.” The collections feature settings of English poems by Jean Blewett, Christina Rossetti, Edwin C. Ranck, Rabindranath Tagore, and William Butler …

Why Not Be Free: The Black Worldmaking Praxis, Research Method, & Manifesto For Developing Music Interventions Against Stress In Black Youth, Armond Epps Dorsey

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Why Not Be Free? is an interdisciplinary exploration of music intervention development demonstrating the application of my integrated research and artistic practices through an outlined antiracist method for designing music to reduce stress in Black college youth and a manifesto detailing the compositional process. I draw from Black feminist and womanist thought, music cognition, and public health literature to outline a framework for designing music interventions to reduce stress among Black populations: the Music Medicine Critical Race Praxis. I situate my work among Black speculative artists reimagining experiences in everyday Black life as well as music intervention researchers integrating …

Play Makes Perfect: An Exploration Of Game And Play Elements In Composition And Performance, Gabrielle Chou

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation aims to explore the intersection of play and games in Western classical music and define a new category of pieces, “ludic pieces,” which contain play structures and game mechanics within their composition. Starting with surveying perspectives in ludology and ludomusicology, including those by Roger Caillois, Johan Huizinga, Jesper Juul, Katie Salen, and Eric Zimmerman, I will examine various definitions of a “game” and what its qualifying aspects are. I will then turn to music and consider pieces that interact with play and games without containing game structures, including examples of musical humor and pieces which evoke the imagery …

Reevaluating Student Engagement: Exploring And Applying Alternative Assignments In Higher Education Undergraduate Applied Saxophone, Anthony S. Cincotta Ii

Dissertations, 2020-current

Undergraduate applied saxophone study revolves around the conservatory model. This inflexible model, often referred to as a master-apprentice relationship, can create an instructor-centric power dynamic which does not address the needs of the modern student. A classroom where the power lies so heavily with the instructor can stifle student engagement and can create a sense of disenfranchisement. In this setting, students have limited input on their assignment selections. While curricula have evolved with regards to being more culturally diverse, relevant, and inclusive, the approach that educators use to deliver the material has remained largely unchanged. There is limited research on …

Effectively Using The Hoffmeister Concerto To Give Violists Comprehensive Training In Classical Viola Technique, Kaichao Zhao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation presents a three-stage learning process and curriculum for Franz Anton Hoffmeister's 1793 composition, the Hoffmeister Viola Concerto. The curriculum is meant to help students build a solid foundation and understanding of how to learn, practice, and master the viola. The three stages of the curriculum are (1) "RIB," which emphasizes the rhythmic components of the work; (2) "Musical," which highlights the emotional elements of performance; and (3) "Teaching," which teaches students how to teach themselves. The ultimate goal is for students to learn a comprehensive approach to help pupils quickly establish a learning and practice system. The …

Give The Drummer Some: A Dive Into Drum Breaks And Drum Break Production, Kyle Kaldhusdal

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper traces the history of hip-hop culture through the evolution of the drum break, the original context of drum breaks in funk and soul music, their influence on DJ culture, and the subsequent impact of drum breaks on music and music production. It follows the development of breakbeat compilations in the 1970s and 1980s, parallel to the development of turntablism and sampling techniques. It also examines in detail how copyright litigation in the 1990s shaped the development of sample-based music genres and created a niche market for originally-recorded drum breaks over the subsequent decades.

The History And Development Of Solo Tuba Repertoire, Vasilios Tidwell

Honors Theses

The tuba's solo repertoire increased in quantity and quality as a result of developments in the instrument’s design and usage. Following the invention of the tuba in 1835, instrument makers experimented with design concepts to maximize the versatility and potential of the bass brass voice. Composers explored the various uses of the instrument, eventually making the tuba part of the standard orchestral instrumentation by the mid-nineteenth century. Following the instrument's acceptance into bands and orchestras, the first solo works for tuba emerged in the late nineteenth century.

Evolving from novelty pieces accompanied by wind or brass bands, tuba solo music …

Chinese Folk Song Meets Western Compositional Technique—A Case Study Of Zhou Long’S The Partita For The Violin And The Piano, Bo Wu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the field of contemporary Chinese music, a large number of outstanding composers and works have emerged in China. As one of the most prominent Chinese American composers, Zhou Long has created many excellent pieces that combine Chinese national elements with world-class composition techniques. These contributions have helped promote Chinese music on the global stage. Zhou Long possesses profound creative skills, with a deep understanding of both Chinese national modes and Western composition techniques. By applying these skills and techniques to his works, he has developed a unique style that integrates Chinese national features with modern music concepts and techniques, …

An Examination Of Relationships Between Ear-Playing Skills And Intonation Skills Of High School And College-Aged Wind Instrumentalists, Ben Michael Herrick

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Playing by ear and the ability to play in tune are components of musicianship that rely heavily on the ability to successfully discriminate musical pitches. Connections between ear-playing and intonation performance have rarely been addressed. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between intonation performance and ear-playing skills of high school and college-aged wind instrumentalists. Research questions were: (1) What is the relationship between the ability to play by ear and intonation performance? (2) How does intonation ability differ when the participants sightread notation compared to performing music that was learned by ear? (3) Do differences appear in …

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 …

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 …

The Three E’S Of Horn Repertoire: From Excerpts To Etudes To Employment, Briana Pepilascov-Childers

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This project explores effective solutions for practicing orchestral excerpts, a challenge often faced by young musicians preparing for auditions. It introduces a method of adapting practice ideas and composition to facilitate a more profound understanding of fifteen orchestral excerpts. While primarily directed at horn players, the concepts and techniques explored in this study are applicable to musicians of all instruments, offering specific ideas, practice tips, and original etudes tailored to each excerpt. These etudes serve a dual purpose by addressing technical aspects of both the horn and the excerpt itself while familiarizing the musician with the standard orchestral repertoire commonly …

A Conductor’S Analysis Of Selected A Cappella Works By Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, William Bernard Chandler Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Despite experiencing a great deal of recognition in his lifetime, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s music is seldom performed today. His more famous pieces were his choral cantatas, but they require resources that most choirs cannot access. To encourage performance of his music, this monograph focuses on four of his part songs, which are much more accessible.

While many choirs will have the voicings to perform these pieces, they are very chromatic. Coleridge-Taylor is a product of late Romanticism and he employs many chromatic techniques to embellish his music. Inexperienced choirs will struggle to maintain a sense of tonal center if they are …

The Percussionist's Guide To Music Theory Fundamentals, Mckenna M. Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The research priorities that I have established as a theorist, percussionist, and an instructor of both, have led me to a master's thesis project combining music theory practices within the study and performance of percussion repertoire. As the graduate assistant of the percussion department at West Virginia University, I have been teaching applied orchestral percussion lessons and leading percussion ensembles. In my experience, a number of first-year percussionists in the studio at WVU have had a limited background with reading definite pitches on the staff, and struggle with sight-reading and pitch identification, therefore making their Written I and Aural I …

Cello In Film And Television Music, Annastasia M. Yoshida

Composition/Recording Projects

Throughout the ages, the cello has had a specific role in symphonies, operas, musicals, and pop concerts. In the last century, one of the fastest-growing music practices has been soundtracks to film and television shows. String instruments and specifically the cello hold an integral role within this type of music. In this project I present a study on the use of the cello in film and television show music, using eight representative soundtrack cues. In this project, I seek to do an extensive study of the use of cello within film and TV show music. I have chosen a selection …

An Analysis Of Allan Holdsworth’S Techniques And Their Application To Fundamental Melodic Devices, James Dasilva

Recital Papers

This thesis analyzes Allan Holdsworth's improvisational style for the purpose of applying his techniques, such as string skipping and omnidirectional fretboard movement, beyond the jazz-rock idiom and expanding the melodic potential of the guitar.

A Theoretical And Performer’S Analysis Of Todd Goodman’S Tuba Concerto And Extended Program Notes Of Recital Pieces, Johnathan De Soto Jr.

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This document analyzes American composer Todd Goodman's 2012 work for solo tuba titled Tuba Concerto. It contains 10 chapters, including one for each of the three movements of the work: an introduction providing biographical information on the composer and context for the work within the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century; a performer’s analysis on the solo tuba part; and the biographical and performance information of composers also performed on the accompanying recital. Each of the four chapters includes theoretical analyses regarding each of Goodman's movements and practical considerations for performers of the work to observe. The thesis also …

How Sample Clearance Has Affected Hip-Hop Music-Making, Bryan J. Brewster

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper will explain how sample clearance has impacted hip-hop music-making. It will explain what a sample is and show the historical significance of sampling in hip-hop. I will briefly discuss the basics of copyright and the process of clearing a sample. This paper will also look into legal cases of copyright infringement to show the impact of specific cases and analyze data to determine if the amount of sample clearance has changed because of the decisions of the courts. The main goal of this paper is to highlight the significance of sampling in hip-hop, the inherent challenges of legally …

Analysis Of Robert Schumann’S “Fantasy Pieces For Clarinet And Piano”, Opus 73, For A Greater Understanding Of A Standard In Western Classical Solo Repertory, Kaleigh Alwood

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

In a mere two days, Robert Schumann composed a duet that would become a lasting symbol of romanticism in chamber music. “Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet and Piano”, Op. 73 is now a standard in clarinet repertoire. As such, the piece is frequently performed and analyzed. Schumann and his “Fantasy Pieces” are well known and broadly discussed, which leads one to wonder: how does one contribute to and interpret such a standard? To answer this question, it is proposed that research is utilized to examine the history surrounding the composer and the work alongside theoretical analysis to find and interpret key …

We Will Hold Onto You: The Liberating Power Of Music And Liturgy To Break Open The Stories Of Mental Illness In Communities Of Faith, Hillary Doerries

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

One in five people lives with a diagnosable mental health problem in any given year. Thus, the presence of mental illness already permeates faith communities. The church’s history with mental illness remains complicated, especially as some communities of faith continue to espouse negative lay theologies that are harmful and dismissive to people living with mental health problems. Guided by the tenants of liberation theology, this thesis argues that mental health justice is a part of God’s overarching justice intended for all creation. When we, as God’s people, encounter or observe injustice, it is our theological task to gather the weary, …

Interpreting Jean Coulthard's Concerto For Piano And Orchestra (1963): A Pianist's Perspective, Jocelyn Lai

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Jean Coulthard (1908-2000) is recognized as one of Canada’s most prolific and important female classical composers in the twentieth century. She remained creatively active from her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, for eight decades, resulting in a catalog of over 350 works representing most classical music genres. Her music continues to be performed and recorded by renowned ensembles and soloists such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Purcell String Quartet, pianists John Ogdon and Jane Coop, and contralto Maureen Forrester. Coulthard is known for her distinctive coloristic sonorities reminiscent of those in works by European composers …

Relocating Community To The Virtual: Sound Knowledge, Affective Listening, And The (Dis)Embodying Of Sound And Space, Zachery D. Coffey

Masters Theses

Music within Protestant church communities frequently reduces the distinction between performers and audience, emphasizing the collective, participatory role of all congregation members, in manners of music making similar to those discussed by Thomas Turino. This dynamic helps establish individual and communal identities. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, church communities saw changes in their services, music, and ways of life. Meeting in a physical building proved impossible due to the dangers of COVID-19 and many churches mitigated these dangers by streaming, recording, and posting services online. Between 2020 and 2022, I observed and participated in changes to technological production …