Music Theory Commons^™

A Performance Practice Guide To Raleigh Dailey's Sonata For Trumpet And Piano, Kody Jernigan

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Raleigh Dailey is recognized internationally as a jazz pianist, composer, and educator whose compositions span solo works, chamber music, and jazz ensembles. While his music is well known within the jazz community, a significant portion of his catalog remains unknown in the classical performance repertoire. Among these pieces is his Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, a composition that integrates jazz stylistic elements within a classical chamber work.

The purpose of this project is to conduct primary-source research on Dailey’s Sonata for Trumpet and Piano in order to create a comprehensive performance guide for trumpet players. This is accomplished through interviews …

From Lap To Map: How Musical Scale, Place, And Play Drive The Interconnected Mario Kart World, Cameron Cummins

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With their deserts, castles, and ghost houses, the environments of Super Mario games are colorful, whimsical, and charming, but why are they so compelling, and what happens when our analysis of these environments extends beyond individual levels to expansive game worlds? Drawing on Cresswell’s theory of place (2014) and recent work on musical place-building in Mario Kart 8 (Heazlewood-Dale, 2024), I propose a spectrum between localized and globalized scale in games. As game environments become increasingly globalized, the music may be similarly altered to account for this shift in scale. Consequently, players may then encounter a broader, less musically congruent …

Left-Hand Technique And The Limits Of The Possible, Ricardo Iznaola

Soundboard Scholar

This article conceptualizes classical guitar left-hand technique through a physiomechanical framework that places coordinated movement—particularly shifting—at the center of technical practice. Challenging traditional positional doctrines that privilege static hand forms and digital independence, the author argues that such approaches often disregard the functional anatomy of the limb, resulting in inefficiency, unnecessary tension, and potential injury.   Advancing the principle that form must follow function, the study proposes shifting as the fundamental technical category governing all left-hand procedures. A systematic typology—interpositional, intrapositional, and compound shifting—serves as the basis for analyzing arm-wrist-hand coordination across diverse technical contexts, including extensions and contractions, barrés, slurs, …

The Public Relations Of Microtonal Music Through The Eyes And Ears Of Microtonalists, Tristan B. Young

Anthós

In this article, I attempted to answer the question of how microtonal musicians and music theorists view the general public's perception of microtonal music. To do this, I had three one-on-one interviews and one focus group with microtonal musicians, which were all audio recorded with consent from the participants. Patterns that emerged from their responses included blaming corporate and academic establishments for their conservatism in music theory, mentioning the different possible definitions one may make for microtonality based on geographic culture and so on, and bringing up the idea that people think that microtonality is less diverse than it actually …

Beyond The Book: Charting New Progressions Through Improvisational Experience In Higher Education Jazz Performance Programs, Jacob L. Manny

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Jazz improvisation is a historically rich and culturally relevant art form that is also an underutilized pedagogy in higher education music performance programs (HEMPPs). Previous research has extensively unmasked the relationship of creative, social, and cognitive benefits of improvisational learning. Yet, postsecondary institutions continually rely upon Western European colonialist practices through the isolation of music history, music theory, piano, and compositioncourses. This disconnect results in curricular designs that fail to recognize the importance of experiential learning. In this qualitative inquiry semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants who perform and educate globally. Participant stories unearthed not …

Emotional Coding In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’S Music: The Influence Of Text-Driven Musical Patterns, Antonio Toppi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis investigates the phenomenon of emotional coding in the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), with particular attention to the ways in which text-driven musical patterns influence both vocal and instrumental works. The study draws on 18th-century theories of key characteristics, musical-rhetorical figures, and topoi, compositional devices that carried emotional implications for contemporary listeners. These codes are first examined in two of Mozart’s operas, Le Nozze di Figaro (KV492) and Don Giovanni (KV527), where the setting of text to music provides a framework for associating compositional choices with emotion. Findings from the analyses are then applied to three contemporaneous …

Jazz And Classical Form In Selected Movements Of Nikolai Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes Opus 40, Hsiaofen Lin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research focuses on three etudes from Kapustin’s Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40, offering analyses for “Prelude,” “Reverie,” and “Toccatina,” The analysis explores several interrelated issues: the extent to which jazz-derived formal structures may be discerned in Kapustin’s piano works beyond traditional classical models; the ways in which jazz structural frameworks interact with forms such as sonata, ternary, and through-composed designs; and the degree to which jazz formal procedures influence sectional organization, phrase structure, and large-scale form. A further concern is whether Kapustin’s use of jazz form serves merely as a stylistic reference or operates as a structurally determinative …

More Than A Man: An Ethnomusicological Survey Of The Folklore Of John Henry And Resource Guide For “More Than A Man” By Shanyse Strickland, Clayton R. Heath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

“John Henry” exists as an enduring folk legend in the United States of America, representing the confluence of the Reconstruction Era, the economic utility of Appalachia and the Westward expansion of industry which left it behind. Though based on historical events, Henry’s fictional representation has diverted and evolved in music and other media from its inception in the oral tradition to the modern age. Through this progression, shared symbols have circulated, gathering embedded meanings and associating the folklore with specific communities. Henry’s representational identity has been signaled with the creation and distribution of each version of his story, both complicating …

A New Method For Teaching Classical Improvisation In The Wind Band, Eric Anthony Brewer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT A New Method for Teaching Classical Improvisation in the Wind Band

In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the pedagogy of music improvisation taught in the eighteenth century Neapolitan Conservatories.  This project continues that interest by introducing concepts from that pedagogy to the wind band classroom at the high school and collegiate levels.  A new method for wind band that teaches basic concepts in music improvisation and trains students in elements of music composition is presented along with rehearsal techniques for implementing that method.      The method introduces students to the elements of major and minor keys …

Digital Innovations In Group Piano Instruction, Chee Hyeon Choi, Chan Kiat Lim

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This presentation will explore the transformative impact of integrating web-based digital textbooks into higher education music programs, specifically focusing on group piano curricula. By moving away from traditional paper-based textbooks, this approach leverages interactive, multimedia resources to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment. Attendees will gain insights into how digital textbooks, such as the award-winning eNovative Piano, can enhance students' understanding of musical concepts, foster technical proficiency, and promote a deeper connection between sound, theory, and technique. By attending this session, participants will understand how a multimedia approach in piano education can cultivate adaptability, responsiveness, and creativity, ultimately preparing …

Rethinking Music Theory Pedagogy, Kathryn Williamsen

Student Scholar Symposium

As music has evolved over time the education system has also been evolving. Unfortunately, this growth in music education has become stagnant in the last century and pedagogy has remained relatively steady. While there are important pedagogical techniques and approaches used in the classical history of music, there are also new approaches that should be given more heed. The music theory that is being taught in the classroom feels detached from the music students are producing and consuming.

As this problem has persisted two improvements can be made to music theory pedagogy. The first would be changing our approach to …

New Music And New Instruments: The Development Of The Electric Bass Guitar, Braxton Algood

Student Scholar Symposium

The sound of the modern electric bass has become ubiquitous in music across multiple genres. With the emergence of jazz music in the 1930s, upright bassists like Jimmy Blanton sought to create a sonic space that exploited the resonance in the low register of the traditional double bass, but was more rhythmic and percussive than the instrument’s traditional role. This desire for a percussive string instrument that had the sound of the upright bass—and might also be more portable—led to the creation of Leo Fender’s first electric bass guitar in 1951. By the end of the 1950s, the electric bass …

Post-Tonal Pedagogy In The Music Of György Ligeti, Easton Ball

Student Scholar Symposium

Post-tonal piano literature remains unpopular with many modern performers due to a perceived lack of technical approachability. As a result, a wealth of post-tonal keyboard music passes into obscurity, never reaching modern audiences. Despite the preconception that post-tonal music lacks formal and harmonic structure, one can assign order to elements within these compositions both for purposes of improving pedagogy and engendering familiarity with the literature. My research aims to demonstrate one process of elucidating the relative accessibility of post-tonal literature for keyboard by means of an analysis of a selection of György Ligeti’s Études pour piano. Because this material often …

The Influence Of Giovanni Gabrieli On The Music Of Heinrich Schütz, Caleb Taylor

Student Scholar Symposium

Teachers often have a profound influence on their students. The influence of Giovanni Gabrieli on the music of his student Heinrich Schütz is particularly evident: Gabrieli and Schütz’s pieces are so similar that a listener may observe parallels even without the use of scores. The use of specific melodic and rhythmic patterns during cadences and the use of echoing phrases by both composers strongly suggest a musical link between them. There is currently no detailed theoretical analysis comparing specific elements found in the music of both Schutz and Gabrieli. My research aims to remedy this gap in knowledge by examining …

From Cathedral To Concert Hall: The Evolution Of The Requiem Mass, Thomas Butler

Student Scholar Symposium

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine – Grant them eternal rest, Lord. These five words make up one of the most well-known texts in the classical music canon: the Requiem Mass. Built on foundations laid by church composers such as Machaut, Dufay, and Palestrina, eighteenth and nineteenth century giants like Mozart, Berlioz, Verdi, and Brahms popularized the Requiem setting as a concert work. The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have seen compositions by Benjamin Britten, Gabriela Frank, and others, which include narrative elements in conjunction with the traditional Latin texts. My research on this topic explores how and why the Requiem Mass …

Louise Talma's Second Piano Sonata: Unity Within Variety, Caroline Petrick

Dissertations, 2020-current

Though an important composer in her lifetime, Louise Talma (1906-1996) has fallen into relative obscurity today. In recent years, a small number of scholars and musicians have begun to promote her music. Many have written about the three chronological periods that Talma used to categorize her compositions, but few have recognized how Talma combines the opposing compositional tools of her three periods to create one unified style. In this study, I hope to add to the growing body of research by highlighting the complex, multifaceted nature of Talma and her music. The goal of the study is to show how …

Listen To The Birds: Sound Ecology At The Piano, Anna Showalter

Dissertations, 2020-current

This document explores the intersection between birdsong and piano music using four cases studies from the piano repertoire in the Western classical tradition. Using Jeff Titon’s framework of “sound ecology” as a lens, I ask whether the following pieces of music could in some way function as an “acoustic tissue among human and bird communities that becomes the basis for a healthy economy and a just community.” After exploring the history of birdsong in the piano literature as a microcosm of shifting attitudes toward birdsong in Western art music this study focuses on four pieces as case studies for analysis—Amy …

Schemata Of Barbershop Tags, Brian A. Cromer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the genre of barbershop tags, brief musical compositions in the barbershop style. After the introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 describes the barbershop style and outlines a modified roman numeral system that reflects barbershop norms. Chapter 3 analyzes the 125 entries of the Classic Book of Tags based on two features: the harmonic point of interest (HPI) and the penultimate chord. Patterns emerging from these two criteria include eleven primary schemata along with a few secondary schemata accounting for the harmonic design for a majority of tags. Chapter 4 analyzes two barbershop arrangements: “Come Fly With Me” …

“Chords Of Inquiry”: Alternate Guitar Tunings, Harmony, And Text-Music Relations In Joni Mitchell’S Early Songs, Peter Kaminsky, Megan Lyons

Open Access Fund Publications

In the 2003 documentary Woman of Heart and Mind, Joni Mitchell states, “Chords are depictions of emotions. These chords that I was getting by twisting the knobs on the guitar until I could get these chords that I heard inside that suited me, they feel like my feelings. You know, I called them, not knowing, chords of inquiry.” In investigating Mitchell’s music, we address the integration of guitar, harmony, and expression of feeling exemplified by “chords of inquiry.” We take as a corpus her early songs from 1968 to 1972 in which she accompanies herself on guitar. Our study …

From Inside The Recording Studio, Mckayla J. Adkison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This project documents the historical, technical, and creative significance of recording studios through both industry examples and the design and construction of a personal backyard studio. By examining iconic studios such as Abbey Road and Capitol Records, the paper highlights how technological innovation, acoustic engineering, and architectural design have shaped the evolution of recorded music. These concepts are then applied to the planning and construction of a custom-built recording studio, emphasizing room dimensions, sound isolation techniques, acoustic treatment, lighting, and sustainable design choices. In addition, the project addresses the importance of aesthetics and emotional comfort in creating a space that …