Music Commons^™

The White Album As Neo-Victorian Fiction Of Loss, Lucas Kwong

Publications and Research

Although much has been written about the Beatles' celebration of Victorian culture on the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, little scholarship, if any, has focused on the White Album’s relationship to the late Victorian period. This paper examines the White Album through the lens of what Victorian studies scholar Stephen Arata has called “fictions of loss,” a body of late Victorian texts depicting intertwined processes of “national, biological, [and] aesthetic” decline. Through examining songs like "Helter Skelter" and "Revolution Number 9," I argue that the White Album deserves consideration alongside Dracula and She as a “fiction of loss,” …

Time’S Up: How Opera Is Facing Its Own Me Too Reckoning, Craig Price

Theses and Dissertations

Opera as an artform has a very misogynistic history. Many of the most beloved works in the standard repertory involve female characters as victims of violence, or an abuse of power by male characters. These works have recently been cast in a different light, in part due to a greater cultural awareness inspired by the “Me Too” movement. This study was executed to explore productions of standard repertory operas around the world, and how they have been handled in light of current culture. The study examines popularly performed operas Carmen, Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, and …

Cultivating Socially Just Concert Programming Perspectives Through Preservice Music Teachers' Band Experiences: A Multiple Case Study, Christian Matthew Noon

Theses and Dissertations

As the music education profession continues to adapt to the needs of an increasingly pluralistic society, scholars and practitioners have begun to concern themselves with issues of social justice (e.g., equity, diversity, inclusion, or access). For band directors, one way to address such topics is through the purposeful programming of music by underrepresented composers or music that otherwise conveys messages about societal issues. As such, undergraduate music education majors who participate in concert bands might encounter a variety of compositions. Further, given that those ensemble experiences may be a primary factor in preservice music teachers’ commitment to their degree programs—and …

Romanticism In Nineteenth-Century Russian Nationalistic Music: Case Studies Of Glinka’S Ruslan And Lyudmila And Cui’S Mystic Chorus, Jeffrey Crayton Yelverton Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is comprised of two case studies of the works Ruslan and Lyudmila and the Mystic Chorus, which were composed by two nineteenth century Russian composers Mikhail Glinka (1804–1857) and César Cui (1835–1918). The Chapter on Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila trances the influence of German romantic thought on the opera as a reinterpretation. The theories of Novalis” (1772–1801); Friedrich Schlegel (1772–1829); and E.T.A. Hoffman (1776–1822) contribute to the reinterpretation of the opera as a dream that privileges German romantic ideas over Russia nationalistic ones. The Chapter on Cui’s Mystic Chorus, on the other hand, focuses on mysticism …

Focal Dystonia Causes And Treatments: A Guide For Pianists, Juan Nicolás Morales Espitia

Theses and Dissertations

Focal dystonia is a movement disorder that precludes the execution of fine motor skills. Although research on focal dystonia has been intensified during the last few decades, particularly because it has affected eminent musicians such as pianists Leon Fleisher and Gary Graffman, violinist Peter Oundjian, and oboist Alex Klein, there are still several answered questions, as well as numerous misconceptions, commonly associated with this disorder. This document comprehensively explores dystonia’s mechanism of action, causes, potential risks, and treatments. The publicly available statements of three prominent concert pianists who successfully recovered from focal dystonia are also included in this document. Additionally, …

Binary, Jared Tubbs

Masters Theses

bInary is an interactive sound installation featuring seven stations that represent common aspects of modern life in the digital age. Most stations center around modern technology, and its central role in many aspects of society. Users engage with each station to do various tasks, including inputting personal data, manipulating touch screens, typing out social media posts, taking selfies, and recording greetings. The combined stations, done consecutively, take on a ritualistic nature, taking habitual aspects of everyday life and exposing them to stand alone. bInary takes data from interactions with the stations to create a sonic representation of those who interact …

White, Female Cellist: One (Very Average) Musician’S Exploration Of Identity Through Jazz Pedagogy, Amelia Smerz 20

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

American Influences At The National Eisteddfod, Mark Rhodes

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

No abstract provided.

The World Is About To Turn: Imagining A New Ecclesiology For Emerging Adults Through Missional Music Ministry, Kevin A. Turner

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

How can ministry leaders in the twenty-first century provide guidance for those who are the leading edge of the church's next generation? How might emerging adults become contributors to congregations where they are given space to offer and plan for themselves rather than passively acquiesce to traditional church structures where a strict, top-down leadership style dominates? In conversation with author Letty Russell, this paper will describe a more democratic vision of ecclesiology for music ministry and ministries of the larger church. The methodology employed in this thesis involves a case study examining the creation of a choral ensemble focusing on …

A Spotlight On Women In Brass Performance And Composition, Hollyn Slykhuis

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Mathematics Of Rubato: Analyzing Expressivetiming In Sergei Rachmaninoff’S Performances Of Hisown Music, Meilun An

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively investigate the nature of Rachmaninoff’s playing, with a specific focus on his own compositions. The primary source of data for this study is inter-onset intervals, which will be captured through the use of Sonic Visualiser. Inter-onset intervals are calculated by taking the difference between the onset of two adjacent notes, and can be used to calculate an instantaneous tempo. Various statistical methods will be used, including the variance, moving average, Pearson correlation coefficient, and a custom defined metric. The calculation of variance is especially useful in detecting major deviations from the average …

The Great Transformation: A Recent History Of The Carolina Band, Kylie F. Dolbier

Senior Theses

The marching band of South Carolina’s flagship university was not always the emblem of school spirit and pride that it is today. Only ten years ago, the Carolina Band was seen by some as unsuitable alongside one of the most successful football teams in Gamecock history. Between the 2010 and 2011 seasons, this band seemed to miraculously transform into a true SEC marching band, one that was steeped in school tradition and characterized by engaging and high-caliber performance standards. However, this was no miracle. With the generous financial investment of the university, the legendary leadership of then-Director of Athletic Bands …

Working With Metal: The Stylistic Characteristics Of The Swedish Band Meshuggah And An Original Composition Inspired By Their Work, Adam J. Benefield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I have long been fascinated by music that is created through the amalgamation of more than one style of music. As a composer, this has led to me exploring paths that combine elements of contemporary, classical, jazz, world, film, and video game music. In this thesis I explore elements of progressive metal band Meshuggah. More specifically I examine their use of polymeter, polyrhythm, and other rhythmic devices used in six of their songs. I then demonstrate how I applied those same components to an original composition, Armageddon, scored for flute, Bb clarinet, C trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello, …

Comparing Traditional And Modern Trends In Jazz Improvisation, Ryan M. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis compares traditional and modern jazz improvisation through analysis. These analyses discuss various musical techniques and ideas specific to each differing era. The case studies focus on three traditional jazz standards: "Autumn Leaves," "Someday My Prince Will Come," and "Cantaloupe Island." Two solo transcriptions (one traditional and one modern) represent each tune, including performances by Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Paul Desmond, Herbie Hancock, Yohan Kim, and Cory Henry. The older transcriptions showcase classic chord-scale relations, diatonic chord harmony, consistent rhythms with spacious phrasing, and recalled material. The newer transcriptions consist more of dense harmony, scales independent from the composed …

A Conductor’S Guide To The Da Vinci Requiem By Cecilia Mcdowall, Jantsen Blake Touchstone

Theses and Dissertations

The Da Vinci Requiem by Cecilia McDowall (b.1951) is a sevenmovement work scored for soprano and bass soloists, mixed chorus, and orchestra and was premiered on May 7, 2019 in Southbanke Center in London, UK by the Wimbledon Choral Society under the direction of Neil Ferris. The thirty-five-minute work is the largest of the two major choral-orchestral works in McDowall’s oeuvre which includes approximately 115 choral works. The focus of this study is to provide a guide to the performance of the work. The study provides scholarship into the life and work of Cecilia McDowall, one of the United Kingdom’s …

Natural Reed Enhancement: Establishing The First Universal Reed Break-In Process Through Hydro-Stabilization, Steven Isaac Christ

Theses and Dissertations

Reed players know the favorable sound of their cane does not last. Furthermore, students and educators who lack the reed pedagogy necessary to achieve any longevity and consistency suffer financially. In this study, a hydro-stabilization methodology is tested to analyze the systematic compression of parenchymatic cells within clarinet reeds. By compressing the parenchymatic cells of the cane, this project proposes that saliva will saturate the reed at ineffective/inefficient rates compared to fresh, non-stabilized reeds. 1,836 data points, collected from 17 reeds, comprised the overall study; 324 data points, collected from three reeds, represented the control group; and the remaining 1,512 …

An Index Of Choral Music Performed During The National Conventions Of The American Choral Directors Association (1991-2019), Jonathan Randall Hall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to index and examine the repertoire of choirs selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conventions/Conferences between the years of 1991-2019. This is a replicated study of William Jones’s dissertation, An Index of Choral Music Performed during National Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (1960-1987). The researcher accumulated and examined National Convention/Conference programs with the following objectives in mind: to investigate literature trends reflected in National Conventions/Conferences, and to provide choral conductors a guide through which they may gain an overview of literature performed on National Convention/Conference programs. The …

A Stylistic Analysis Of Reinhold Glière’S 25 Preludes For Piano, Op. 30, Sunjoo Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Reinhold Moritsevich Glière (1875-1956) had a successful career as a conductor, educator, and composer. He is regarded as one of the immediate heirs to Tchaikovsky and those known as the “Mighty Five,” Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Cui, and Rimsky- Korsakov. Glière has been neglected in the Western musical study although he has been popular and important in his native country and wrote more than five hundred works including music for orchestra, chamber music, voice, and ballets. Yet relatively few of his works are known and performed in the West.

The purpose of the study is to provide a stylistic analysis of …

An Instrumental Approach To Sight Singing: The Use Of Mock-Fingerings, Catherine E. Howland

Senior Theses

This pilot study was designed to test whether mock-fingerings could be a beneficial strategy for sight singing. The researcher hypothesized that mock-fingerings would help students to be more accurate sight singers. Participants, wind instrument players at the college level, were asked to sight read two examples, one while “fingering along” and one with their hands still. Mean scores were compared among music majors and non-majors, and it was found that the mock-fingerings did not have a significant effect on the mean scores of participants. The mean scores were often comparable between the fingering condition and the control condition, suggesting that …

The Supply Chain Of Digital Music: Empowering Independent Artists Through Availability And Accessibility, Justin Reed

Senior Theses

The process of creating and sharing digital music can be viewed from the “supply chain” perspective: identifying the resources and value-adding tools that ultimately result in a final audio product. By researching and documenting the steps involved in this process, I identify this supply chain as a series of steps, an itinerary, or process model of digital music creation. Moreover, I found that each step in the process can be assess for its accessibility and usability by independent artists. I conclude by exploring how this democratizes the music industry by affording independent artists the necessary tools and empowerment to create …