Music Practice Commons^™

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 …

Effective Arranging Practices For Solo Classical Guitar, James Reyelt

Doctoral Projects

Many great composers did not write a single note for the guitar, but guitarists have been able to perform their music through arrangements. I will identify effective and ineffective arrangement techniques in six piano works arranged for solo guitar. Solo piano works were chosen for this paper to allow for a more practical, thorough, and focused discussion of arranging techniques.

In addition to the analyses, I have also interviewed professional classical guitarists and arrangers Andrew Zohn, William Kanengiser, and Frank Koonce. Their numerous arrangements have enriched the guitar repertoire, and their insight provides a complementary perspective to my analyses. The …

Project Llama: Making A Cappella Arranging Easier, Jason Lu

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

This project was intended to improve the current state of a cappella arranging. It explains the problems with current tools and explores other options.