Music Commons^™

Music Creation: A Look Into The Process And Products Of Organizing And Performing A Concert Of Arrangements And Original Musical Works, Cameron Beers

Honors Projects

As a composer, arranger, audio engineer, and musician, I have created many works in my time at SPU. These works have been showcased and performed at a concert in SPU’s own Nickerson Studios, in a joint composition recital with Emily Abshere. The process of putting this concert together was long and complicated, and is detailed in this paper, along with my own artist statement and other details about the concert. Most importantly, the works I have written and arranged for this concert are also included.

Review Of Sara Levy's World: Gender, Judaism, And The Bach Tradition In Enlightenment Berlin, Edited By Rebecca Cypess And Nancy Sinkoff, Jeanne R. Swack

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

A review of Sara Levy's World: Gender, Judaism, and the Bach Tradition in Enlightenment Berlin, edited by Rebecca Cypess and Nancy Sinkoff

Teaching Finch And / In Performance: A Media Studies Approach (With Toolkit), Elizabeth Heckendorn Cook

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

Teaching the birdsong poems and compositions for musical settings of Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, through media theory allows students to connect their own social-media-based expressive arts practices with the multimedia practices of early modern women writers.

Middle School Administrator And Instrumental Music Teacher Perceptions Of The Danielson Framework For Teaching Observation Tool, Kimberly Hunt Hirschmann

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite continuous efforts to develop teacher observation and evaluation frameworks, one-size-fits-all evaluation tools may not be adequate for an instrumental music classroom. Since implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, teacher evaluation has shifted from a high-stakes accountability model to models focused on feedback and professional growth. One popular model is the Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT), which is utilized across all disciplines, including music. The current study proposes to fill a gap in the literature regarding the utility of the FFT to contribute to teachers' professional growth. This transcendental phenomenological study examines the perceptions of middle school …

An Inquiry Into The Perceived Effects Of Historical Revivalism On The Corporate Worship Behaviors Of Modern-Day Fundamental And Independent, Baptist And Bible Churches, Jeremy David Yowell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern-day, independent Bible and Baptist churches continue to structure their corporate worship services after the pattern of the American revivalists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The purpose of this qualitative study with an ethnographic design is to examine the lived experiences of pastors and church leaders from independent Bible and Baptist churches and seek to understand their perceptions of (1) the purpose of corporate worship, (2) the place of evangelism in corporate worship, and (3) the influence of revivalism upon corporate worship practices. Additionally, historical research about the revivalist movement and its influence on worship behaviors is considered. Several …

A Basis For Removal Or Retention Of Black Folk Songs In Music Education According To Black Americans In The Music Community, Ashley Yarbrough

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the contribution of a large body of musical literature by Black Americans from the late nineteenth century forward, few musical contributions of Black American slaves have been properly attributed from the centuries prior, and many were credited to White Americans. In recent years, cultural sensitivities and misinterpretations toward the early music of Black Americans have created a movement to remove many of these songs from circulation and in particular, music education repertoire. In this study, the folk music created by Black Americans from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century was explored in order to determine the motivational factors according …

Perspectives Of High School Orchestra Teachers In Urban And Suburban Settings In Using Social-Emotional Learning Techniques, Dale A. Kokot

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A need exists for more literature concerning high school orchestras in an urban setting versus a suburban neighborhood and the different styles of social-emotional learning strategies implemented in each. Universities and other professional development specialists now teach teachers social-emotional learning procedures and processes. However, these specialists often must provide orchestra directors with more specific skills. There also should be more differentiated instruction for high school orchestras in an urban setting versus what school corporations require of teachers in a suburban-specific area. Teachers must identify the demographics of where and to whom they teach and tailor lesson plans and social-emotional techniques …

Sacred Music Of African American Catholics: Understanding Usage In High Liturgy, William S. Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite steady progress toward honoring cultural identity in liturgy, the Roman Catholic Church has historically ignored the vast musical contributions of African Americans in the celebration of the Holy Mass. This study explores the historical, theological, and cultural application of music from the African and African American diaspora in urban Catholic churches that employ high liturgy as a practice in corporate worship. While many post-Vatican II documents govern culturally inclusive liturgical practices, little is known about the challenges in implementing and maintaining authentic Catholic African American corporate worship traditions in these spaces. The universality of the Roman Catholic faith is …

Change For The Better? An Examination Of How Technology-Based Instruction During Covid-19 Changed Teaching Methods In Band, An'cheyl Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite having access to such technologies, most music educators were not using online worksheets, playing exercises, or video questionnaires during daily instruction prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. For example, in the band world, the only daily use of technology may have been the metronome, as most band directors focus on playing exercises and literature during class. Band classes are “hands-on” and performance-based. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, band directors had to transition from traditional teaching to teaching band online quickly. To combat the rapid spread of the coronavirus, schools in all fifty states and all U.S. …

Women In The Leadership Of Church Worship Upholding And Manifesting Biblical Principles Of Their God-Given Design, Joyce Ann Walter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the existing literature and changes in church governments that promote women in leadership roles of church worship, there remains a gap that specifies the biblical feminine qualities of women in worship leadership. These specifics should clarify the manifested characteristics of those women in leadership who exhibit the biblical distinctness of their gender from that of the male gender. Historical study shows in past generations that many denominations have banned women from such leading roles because of the interpretation of Scripture pertaining to the man being the head over the woman. This stance has been changing in the 21st century …

Challenges To Musical And Organizational Growth In Small Rural Community High School Instrumental Music Programs In Georgia, William Kenneth Garrett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Rural school instrumental programs are commonly categorized as small and struggling. Teaching in these programs is often considered a stepping-stone for music educators. Despite common challenges such as limited or less educated staff, underdeveloped musicians, and a lack of resources, some rural programs have found inventive solutions to combat the obstacles of rural schools and grow successful band programs. There is a need to address the obstacles of being a high school band director whose program is growing or needs to improve regarding student participation and musicianship in this setting. This qualitative research study seeks to uncover similar challenges current …

Commonalities In Teaching Strategies Among Middle School Band Directors For Individuals Auditioning For The Georgia All-State Band, Michael Christopher Harper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis aims to survey, observe, and interview selected Georgia middle school band directors to determine if there are commonalities in instructional strategies for student audition preparation for acceptance into the Georgia All-State Middle School Band. The survey provided directors with ten specific questions about their daily classroom rehearsal practices and strategies that could aid the students in auditioning and successfully being selected for the Georgia All-State Middle School Band. In-class observations of the director’s rehearsal practices and techniques were taken and examined for commonalities among participating directors. By interviewing each participant, the answers provided from the surveys were discussed …

Coachella Ya Habibi, Yasmine Daas

Capstones

This piece examines Palestinian singer Elyanna’s historic Coachella performance as a cultural moment shaped by visibility, constraint, and the politics of existence. Through firsthand observation and contextual analysis, it traces how Palestinian art—particularly music, fashion, and embodied performance—functions under conditions where identity itself is politicized. Elyanna’s presence on a global festival stage is framed not as a singular breakthrough, but as part of a broader continuum of Palestinian cultural assertion before and after October 7, when artistic expression increasingly carried material risk. By situating her performance alongside shifting industry responses, audience reception, and the evolving role of Palestinian artists in …

Music Educators' Experiences Integrating Jazz Studies Into The Music Curriculum, Gail Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The inclusion of jazz studies in the secondary school curriculum varies widely across the United States. School district personnel could miss opportunities to instruct students about cultural diversity, self–expression, and collaboration. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of music educators' challenges integrating jazz studies into their curriculum. Elements from constructivism and culturally relevant pedagogy formed the conceptual framework. The research questions focused on how music educators described their challenges and what skills and strategies were needed to integrate jazz studies into the curriculum. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 12 participants across three …

Breaking The Silence: An Inside Look Of The Experiences Of Music Therapists Working With Children Who Have Selective Mutism, Elaine Chen

Theses & Dissertations

Selective Mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a consistent difficulty to speak in specific social situations, despite being able to speak in other settings. While existing literature has highlighted the efficacy of music therapy as a promising intervention for children with Selective Mutism, there remains a need to explore the experiences of music therapists working with this population. This interpretative phenomenological study aims to explore the experiences of music therapists working with children diagnosed with Selective Mutism. Two board-certified music therapists, selected for their extensive experience in treating children with Selective Mutism, were recruited through social media …

Vibrato Rate And Extent In The Baritone Voice Through The Twentieth And Early Twenty-First Century, Scott Purcell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Observations of vibrato rate and extent through the twentieth and early twenty-first century point to an overall decrease in rate and increase in extent. This descriptive analysis studied fifty-five randomly selected recordings of professional operatic baritones, five from each decade from 1910 to 2021, and analyzed their vibrato rate and extent with VoceVista Video Pro. Results showed a consistent decrease in mean vibrato rate from 1910 to 1960, with small increases and decreases from 1960-2021. Vibrato extent was less consistent, but still increased from 1910-2021. The mean vibrato rate was 5.84 Herz (Hz), with a coefficient of variation (CV) of …

An Analysis Of The Musical Gestures In Osvaldo Golijov’S The Dreams And Prayers Of Isaac The Blind And Their Relationship To The Kabbalah Sefirot, Jeremy Gdaniec

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Osvlado Golijov’s The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, scored for klezmer clarinet and string quartet, remains one of his most influential works since its premier in 1994. Inspiration for the work came from the writings of Rabbi Isaac the Blind, a prominent 13^th century figurehead in the branch of Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah. In Kabbalah, symbols known as the sefirot are emanations of creation and the key to unlocking the divine secrets of the God-head. The analysis presented in this document combines musical gesture theory with Kabbalistic concepts for new perspectives on Golijov’s …

A Narrative Inquiry Into Contingent Music Faculty Experiences, Herbert Midgley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increasing reliance on short-term or contingent faculty reflects a shift away from tenure-track positions. Tenure-track faculty reduction is significant in academic disciplines such as music. This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored the professional experiences of contingent music faculty through semi-structured interviews. Narrative inquiry allows for individual participant voice in which this study examined participant relationships with faculty colleagues, employment experiences at higher education institutions, and working conditions. Implications of this study include new ways of understanding support structures from colleagues and institutions for contingent music faculty members, deeper perspective about the current state of teaching at their universities, and …

Frozen Ii And Girls’ Spiritual Formation: How The Music Of An Animated Musical Resonates With Girls And Women, Cristen Mitchell

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Frozen II (2019) is a popular Disney animated movie for children and depicts striking spiritual elements while weaving in feminist practices such as justice and equity, and feminist theology through representations of female spirits and connection to the earth. Through this movie, its themes, and the historical exclusion of women in the church, this thesis seeks to show that representation of women in the divine is an important, and necessary part of the spiritual and psychological development of girls and women. The methods of this thesis include exploring the following synchronicities:

1. Parallels between feminist issues in the church and Walt …

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Utilizing Journaling To Develop A Personalized And Efficient Musical Practice Regimen, Erin Kilpatrick

Honors Theses

Musicians universally agree that practicing consistently is vital to improvement. However, a lot of young musicians do not understand how to practice effectively. There are many factors that influence practice time, focus, and overall learning. For the purpose of this research, I will define “efficient practicing” as any practice that increases development as a player and encourages the player to continue in pursuit of learning music. This encompasses physical aspects like ligature, reed, mouthpiece, and the horn itself, as well as more broad musicianship fundamentals such as developing a characteristic tone, building technique, and learning how to phrase appropriately, must …