Music Performance Commons^™

A Glimpse Into Chinese Piano Education And Performance Through An Influential Professor, Xin Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Although China traditionally did not have keyboard instruments of its own origin, the country has taken to the modern piano exceedingly well. In the past decades, piano performance and education have progressed at an impressive rate, its popularity reaching unprecedented heights. The virtuosity of Chinese pianists has earned them prizes at renowned international competitions. These developments have sparked the interest of scholars as well as the general public.

First introduced to China around 1840, the piano was slow to be accepted, but interest grew steadily in the twentieth century. Missionaries and foreigners were the first piano teachers, with figures like …

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 …

Beyond The Notation: Developing Tools To Guide Artistic Decisions Of Performers In The Wind Ensemble, Brent Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music is a subjective art form that is enhanced by emotional connection and understanding of the relationship of line and phrasing to both the performer and the audience. Performers and conductors are charged with making artistic decisions about the expressive qualities of a phrase within moments of seeing the notation for the first time. In the development of wind ensembles, there is often a disconnect between the technique and accuracy of a musician’s performance and the emotional connection and understanding required to perform a lyrical melody or phrase within a piece of music. As musicians progress, often the attention is …

Exploring And Reapplying Wayne Krantz’S Method Of Constructing The Album Greenwich Mean, Christian A. Meares

Theses : Honours

Praised for his non-traditional approach to improvised music, his idiosyncratic chordal voicings and strong sense of time, Wayne Krantz has become a touchstone in modern jazz and a unique voice on the guitar. In 1999, Krantz self-released Greenwich Mean, an album comprising of small vignettes spliced together from a year’s worth of recorded live improvisation from his weekly residency gig at the esteemed 55 Bar in New York’s Greenwich Village. This album marks a fundamental shift in Krantz’s approach to composition from through-composed works to smaller, novel arrangements with a strong emphasis on group improvisation.

Using a practice-led research …

Adapting Barbershop Harmony For The Saxophone Quartet, Jonathon Astbury

Theses : Honours

Barbershop harmony refers to a unique style of arrangement and performance for voice that is strictly in four parts and acapella. There is much untapped potential in this close harmonic genre that could be explored in instruments other than the human voice. This paper set out to explore and establish a method of arranging and performing music of the barbershop style for the saxophone quartet. To achieve this transference of the style from voices to saxophones, the harmonic conventions and arranging rules of barbershop from the existing literature were established, along with a review of the literature pertaining to effective …

The G7 Suite: Score And Analysis, Joseph C. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The G7 Suite is a multi-movement chamber work that combines elements of European Art Music, Indigenous Music from Latin America, and various representations of American music. The melodic material is derived from the national anthems of the Great Seven nations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each melody is re-set to new music genres and aligns itself to the rules and expectations within each idiom. This compilation is more than a series of arrangements or reharmonizations of the anthems; these are new compositions based on melodic elements from previous works.

This analysis of The …

An Analysis Of Kingdom Of The Heart's Content, Op. 11 By Joseph Baber, Sanghee Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Kingdom of the Heart’s Content, Op. 11 is a selection of twelve sketches written between 1952 and 1956. In this work, Joseph Baber draws inspiration from his childhood memories and a variety of locations in Richmond, Virginia, using his unique blend of folk idioms, traditional forms and harmonies, and capricious metric changes to bring these vignettes to life. Kingdom of the Heart’s Content is comprised of twelve movements with the programmatic titles: Introduction: Stick Horses, Walk to Monroe Park, Charlie Short, Tag, Monument Avenue, Battle Abbey, Cycling, Sleighbells, Park Avenue Triangle, Goblins, Spring, and Finale: West End Farewell. …

Michael Daugherty’S Bells For Stokowski: Historical Context & Comparative Analysis For Orchestra And Wind Band, Jeremy Harmon

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Michael Daugherty’s Bells for Stokowski (2001/2003) is an original work for orchestra and wind band. This work has continued to be performed by ensembles around the world including live performances, and studio recordings.

The purposes of this dissertation are to 1) provide historical context of the composer and inspiration for the work, through interviews with its composer, Michael Daugherty, and premiere conductor, Michael Haithcock; 2) provide relationships between the Liberty Bell (architecture), several composers Stokowski worked with and conducted (art), modern and historical compositional styles through pieces like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (pop culture), how an audience perceives the sound …

Perspectives On Cultivating A Positive Collegiate Clarinet Studio Environment: A Survey Of Students And Professors, Katherine Nichole Breeden

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Data was analyzed from a survey of collegiate clarinet students and professors concerning student and faculty preferences and perceptions concerning the cultivation of a positive collegiate clarinet studio environment. Over two hundred respondents indicated preferences for the structure of individual lessons and studio class.

The data indicated it is essential that the professor adapt their teaching to individual students during lesson instruction. Goals should be recorded, a verbal agreement alone is insufficient. Contact information for all studio colleagues should be available, and the professor should be accessible should the need arise. Large ensemble concert attendance should be encouraged, and recital …

A Musical Analysis Of William Grant Still's Songs Of Separation: The Chamber Arrangement, Michael Preacely

Theses and Dissertations--Music

William Grant Still was given the title “The Dean of African American Music” because of the many firsts he accomplished as an African American musician in the early twentieth century. He is known for fusing his African American musical tradition of Jazz and blues with the classical European musical tradition. This study explores one of Still’s most famous song cycles, “Songs of Separation,” in the arrangement for string quartet, voice, and piano. This document considers the instrumentation of the string quartet arrangement and how Still uses the instrumentation to enhance the character OF the poetry. This document also provides a …

A Study Of The Steel Pan: A Guide To Two Tenor Pan Etudes, Lilith Manes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will be a presentation of the research, processes, and results of composing two etudes for the tenor steelpan. The difficulty and applications of the accompanying etudes vary, but they are primarily intended for high school students or intermediate pannists. The purpose of this research project is twofold: to provide a brief description of the history of the steelpan and its integration into the United States education system in order to illustrate the need for original compositions and to serve as a guide to the teaching process of each composition provided. This paper will also give a detailed explanation …

Concert Recording 2021-11-16, Eric Troiano, Tyler Trickey, Bailey Ross, Quintin Roper, Crystal Espinosa, Haley Evans, Gabriel Garcia, Andrew Swerts, Markell Cox, Dylan Matheny, Sallie Hendrix, Max Morrow, Dylan Engholm, Nathan Alexander, Erin Newberry, Ryan Miller, Eric Aguilar, Catherine Ryan, Bumblebee Saxophone Quartet, Kopi Saxophone Quartet, Sunaru Saxophone Quartet, Rose Saxophone Quartet, Castalia Saxophone Quartet, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Saxophone Ensemble

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Cello Suite No. 4. Prelude / J.S. Bach -- [05:49]. Black Mary / Shelley Washington -- [14:54]. Ali / Alex Mincek -- [20:02]. Premiere Quatour. Andante / Jean Baptiste Singelee -- [26:15]. Variations Saxophoniques / Fernande Decruck -- [36:03]. Mountain Roads. Overture / David Maslanka -- [42:45]. Passaggi. Bugarka / Pepito Ros -- [47:46]. Blueprint / Caroline Shaw ; arranged by Dylan Matheny -- [55:16]. Lo Yisa Goy / Stacy Garrop -- [01:01:30]. First Suite in E-flat. Chaconne / Gustav Holst ; arranged by Christian T. Anderson.

Concert Recording 2021-11-08, Hannah Myers, Casey Hanauer, Michael Lindsey, Maryfrances Bressler, Gavin Engholm, Logan Morris, Jenna Wheeler, Lorilee Erdman, Katelyn Barry, Abigail Short, Josue Avelar, Theresa Delaplain, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Blossom Winds

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Six metamorphoses after Ovid. I. Pan ; IV. Bacchus ; V. Narcissus / Benjamin Britten -- [08:33]. Wind quintet, op. 79. I. Allegro non troppo / August Klughardt -- [17:19]. Shepherds of provence. I. Pastorale provencale ; II. Chant des berges provencaux (Call at dawn) ; III. Sous les etoiles (Beneath the stars) ; IV. Fete villageoise / Eugene Bozza -- [28:36]. Trio, op. 87. I. Allegro / Ludwig van Beethoven -- [37:59]. Brushstrokes. I. Monet / Alyssa Morris -- [41:03]. The dark-eyed sailor / Ralph Vaughan Williams ; arranged by Bussick.

Concert Recording 2021-11-14a, Lorilee Erdman, Katelyn Barry, Abigail Short, Josue Avelar, Olivia Harrison, Derrick Rassinier, Sungkun Jung

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Shepherds of Provence. I. Pastorale Provençale ; II. Chant des Bergers Provençaux ; III. Sous les étoiles ; IV. Fête villageoise / Eugene Bozza -- [11:53]. Brush strokes. I. Monet ; II. Seurat ; III. Van Gogh ; IV. Pollock / Alyssa Morris -- [25:12]. La cheminée du roi rené, Suite for woodwind quintet. I. Cortége ; II. Aubade ; III. Jongleurs ; IV. La maousinglade ; V. Joutes sur l'arc ; VI. Chasse á valabre ; VII. Madrigal-nocturne / Darius Milhaud -- [41:32]. Trio in A minor, op. 188 for oboe, horn and piano. I. Allegro moderato ; …

Concert Recording 2021-11-29, Sungkun Jung, Lorilee Erdman, Derrick Rassinier, Isaac Orvin, Sidney Hudelson, Grace Clark

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Trio for piano, oboe and horn in A minor, op. 118. I. Allegro moderato ; II. Scherzo, molto vivace ; III. Adagio ; IV. Finale, allegro ma non troppo / C. Reinecke -- [27:25]. Piano quintet in E♭ major, op. 44. I. Allegro brillante ; II. Un poco largamente ; III. Scherzo, molto vivace ; IV. Allegro ma non troppo / R. Schumann.

Concert Recording 2021-11-12, Derick Ekekwe, Tomoko Kashiwagi

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Mantis dance/Reflections / David Lomotey -- [07:47]. Fantasiestücke, op. 73. I. Zart und mit Ausdruck ; II. Lebhaft, leicht ; III. Rasch und mit Feuer / Robert Schumann -- [17:48]. O mio babbino caro / Giacomo Puccini -- [20:44]. My mountain top / Andy Scott -- [29:29]. Fantasy / Philip Sparke -- [39:08]. Concerto for euphonium, part one. I. Non troppo allegro ; II. Dance. Zeibékikos tempo di allegro barbaro / Philip Wilby -- [50:56]. Abendlied (Evening song) / Robert Schumann.

Concert Recording 2021-12-04, Logan Morris, Tyler Osterman, Masae Mizuno, Maryfrances Bressler, Hannah Myers, Gavin Engholm, Jenna Wheeler, Mark Park, Kyra Brockhausen, Ray Lenhart, Brady Callicott, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Blossom Winds, Loblolly Brass Quintet

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Scherzo concertante / Vaclav Nehlybel -- [03:23]. Sonata no. 3 for horn and piano. I. Moderately fast ; II. Slow / Alec Wilder -- [10:26]. Rondo in B♭ major / Arnold Cooke -- [13:59]. Sonata for horn and piano. I. Hymn ; II. Riding to higher clouds / Margaret Brouwer -- [29:19]. Horn concerto no. 3 in E♭ major, K. 447. I. Allegro ; II. Larghetto ; III. Allegro / W.A. Mozart -- [47:56]. Reflections on a Southern hymn. I. Intonation ; IV. Wondrous love / Stephen Gryc -- [49:50]. Umoja / Valerie Coleman -- [52:35]. Amazing grace / …

“Beychella:” Beyoncé’S Homecoming To A Futuristic Queer Utopian, Jolie V. Brownell

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance and 2019 Homecoming film set the stage for a radical Black queer reimagining. Yet, how can Beyoncé—who is straight—be located within a queer critique? In this paper, I argue that through a radical and political expansion of queer, the creative deployment of dis/identification, and the unapologetic expression of the erotic, Beyoncé performs an embodiment of queer of color critique. These creative gestures within “Beychella” invite viewers into a queer futuristic utopian and provide new creative modes to politically inhabit, resist, and reimagine interlocking systems of oppression.

Keywords: Beyoncé, queer, dis/identification, erotic, QoCC, …

Concert Recording 2021-04-14, Jude Balthazar, Hyun Kim

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Athalia. Gentle airs melodious strains / George Frederic Handel -- [03:11]. Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Gellert, Op. 48. Bitten ; Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur / Ludwig van Beethoven -- [09:46]. Seven melodies, op. 2. Sérénade Italienne ; [11:43]. Le colibri / Ernest Chausson -- [16:05]. Ayiti Peyi salè (Haiti, sunny island) / Emeline Michel -- [20:22]. Italian romanze. A vucchella ; L 'ultimo bacio / Francesco Paulo Tosti -- [25:00 ]. A view from the bridge. New York lights / William Bolcom.

The Interface And Instrumentality Of Eurorack Modular Synthesis, Eliot Bates

Publications and Research

In this essay, I will examine a couple of aspects of hardware modular synthesizers which, despite not being a “new” morphological form (most commercially sold synthesizers from the 1960s through the early 1970s were modular), experienced an extremely unlikely expansion of interest and activity in the mid-1990s. With a contemporary modular synth, users buy a powered rack that holds modules specific to one of several competing formats. For the two most widely adopted formats, Eurorack (sometimes called 3U in reference to the height of modules, or Doepfer A-100 after the first branded system to adopt this panel height) and MOTM/MU …