Music Commons^™

Integrating Classical Singing Techniques To Aid Natives In Performing Traditional Tongan Folk Songs Of The Late Queen Sālote Tupou Iii, Pauline 'Ofa Vaitāfā Tamale

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document introduces a structured, classical vocal approach to equip native singers with healthier performance techniques and enable anyone in the music world to perform the art songs derived from the poetry and compositions of Queen Sālote Tupou III. The objective of this project is to provide performers, particularly those with a native proficiency, with classical techniques to perform this music with vigor while circumventing vocal fatigue caused by the linguistic, dialectal, and cultural demands inherent in the repertoire. Queen Sālote Tupou III (1900–1965) reigned for nearly 50 years – the longest of any Tongan monarch – and left an …

Comparative Study Of Vocal Pedagogy Systems In South Korea And The United States: Developmental Strategies For Classical Voice Education In South Korea, Dongmin Byeon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation presents a comparative study of vocal pedagogy systems in South Korea and the United States, with the aim of identifying deficiencies in Korean higher education and proposing strategies for reform. While South Korean university voice programs are deeply rooted in the traditional master–apprentice model and rely heavily on anecdotal teaching methods, U.S. institutions have developed structured, evidence-based pedagogical frameworks informed by anatomy, physiology, acoustics, and voice science. This research explores the historical evolution of vocal pedagogy in both countries, highlighting how traditional practices in Korea, though culturally significant, have not sufficiently adapted to contemporary scientific standards.

Employing qualitative …

Understanding The Musical Theatre Female Mixed Belt Through The Lens Of The Operatic Tenor: A Comparative Study, Courtney Schwalbe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since its emergence in the early 20th century, the female belt voice has become central to musical theatre, yet it still receives less systematic attention than classical singing in both scholarship and collegiate pedagogy. This document frames the contemporary female belt, especially the high or mixed belt, in dialogue with the Western operatic tenor to demystify belt production for teachers trained in classical vocal pedagogy. Drawing on historical context, voice science, and applied pedagogy, the study compares defining characteristics, vocal challenges, registration, and resonance strategies across the two traditions. Both voices extend chest-dominant qualities above the primary register transition and …

Instrumental Music Educator Strategies To Reduce Or Remove Participation Barriers For Middle School Students, Rachel A. Gorden Mercer Ed.D

Doctorate in Education

Scholars have found that students who participate in instrumental music programs achieve higher academic levels, have better attendance, and build stronger community connections than students who do not participate. This dissertation examines successful strategies for increasing participation in instrumental music programs by reducing socioeconomic barriers, enhancing instrument access, creating ensemble opportunities, and fostering a positive culture within the instrumental program for students during the middle school years. Music educators have found successful strategies to recruit and retain students despite the barriers they encounter.

Researchers have investigated the benefits of participating in instrumental music and the reasons why students discontinue their …

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 …

Praise With Pipes And Strings: An Exploration Of American Protestant Hymnody Through New Arrangements For Flute And Piano, Dominic J. Baldoni

Dissertations, 2020-current

This project presents five hymn tunes from the American Protestant (A.P.) tradition arranged for flute and piano, accompanied by a scholarly analysis of the historical, liturgical, and practical aspects of A.P. hymnody and congregational song. The accompanying document explores the development of A.P. hymnody, the background of each selected tune, the role of instruments, primarily the flute, in worship, and the challenges faced by church musicians in the twenty-first century. By examining both vocal and instrumental iterations of these melodies throughout history, the analysis aims to inform performers and program planners about stylistic and contextual considerations for contemporary services and …

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 …

Corporeality In Choral Sound: Elements Of Consonant Diction Shaping Pre-Expressive Presence, Perceived Clarity, And Expression In English-Language Choral Music, Addison Walton

Dissertations, 2020-current

The genesis of this project stems from a lived experience performing with a professional choir, whose sung physical shaping of the English language—its crystalline clarity, profound expressivity, and the pre-expressive elements inherent in the delivery—was deeply and viscerally compelling. This overwhelming reaction was in response to their bodies; specifically, the sound their bodies produced that evoked a sense of corporeality, or tangible bodily presence. There was beauty to be found in the way their mouths physically formed the language, both within and removed from the semantic context.

This study sought to acknowledge those fleeting, pre-expressive moments in choral music and …

2025-2026 Senior Recital - Laura Gonzalez (Violin), Laura Gonzalez, Sheng Yuan Kuan

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

Gypsy Spirit Suite: An Original Jazz Manouche Composition For Large Ensemble, Nicholas Knirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an original jazz manouche musical composition, Gypsy Spirit Suite, arranged for a large ensemble comprising winds, horns, strings, guitar, cimbalom, vibraphone, and percussion. The composition integrates jazz manouche (gypsy jazz) elements, such as chromatic passing chords, virtuosic melodic runs, and la pompe rhythm, into a large ensemble. Modal interchange, extended harmonies, and fusion with genres like latin and funk generate interest and reflect contemporary jazz manouche evolution. The written thesis supports the composition through a detailed analysis of jazz manouche harmonic schema, instrumental techniques, idiomatic passages, and orchestration techniques that blend jazz and classical genres. By …

Isu String Project Winter Concert: December 12, 2025, Dr. Cora Swenson Lee, Dr. Katherine Lewis, Katelynn Lesinski

School of Music Programs

This is the eighty-eighth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

December 12, 2025

Friday Evening

7:00 p.m.

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” …

Performance Forum - December 12, 2025, Owen Chen, Julia Jacobsen, Sheng Yuan Kuan, Emma Joyce, Nicholas Weathers

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Junior Recital - Ingryd Herrera (Trumpet), Ingryd Herrera, Aneliya Novikova

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of The Implementation Of Non-Linear Assessment Protocols For Pre-Service Music Teachers, Jeffrey Ward, Phillip Payne, Michele Henry

School of Music Faculty Publications

Grounded in previous research regarding admission and graduation standards of music education undergraduate candidates, we created a framework to assess student readiness to enter the music education profession across multiple points of inquiry. To determine the efficacy of the protocols, we conducted a case study to pilot implementation of the protocols with two university music education programs in the United States. Two of the authors–music education faculty at these universities–served as site coordinators implementing the protocols with multiple student cohorts (comprised of first-year, midpoint, and graduates) within their institution. The authors reviewed the reports employing a three-step process. In the …

2025-2026 Senior Recital - Juan Fernandez (Oboe), Juan Jose Fernandez Villegas, Sheng Yuan Kuan

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Master Of Music Recital - Amanda Rearden (Oboe), Amanda Rearden, Sheng Yuan Kuan

Master of Music Recitals

No abstract provided.

My First Conversation With Chatgpt (February 22, 2023): Origins Of A Generative Dialogue, David Smith

Publications and Research

This working paper presents the first recorded interaction between the author and the generative AI system ChatGPT, written on February 22, 2023 during the initial weeks of a faculty sabbatical in Boston. The document preserves a complete and unedited transcript of an exploratory conversation conducted without predetermined research aims, marking the author’s first encounter with a large-language-model conversational interface. Although the exchange includes creative experimentation—including musical and poetic prompts—the discussion remains informal and wide-ranging, and no theoretical framework is articulated at this stage. Rather, this transcript is published as primary-source material documenting the moment of discovery and experimentation that precedes …

Exploring Interactive Robotic Music Therapy Systems For Rehabilitation: A Survey Paper, Hector A. Salinas Gordillo

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Interactive robotic music therapy introduces an innovative opportunity, where human guided musical interaction with robotic systems can create adaptive and engaging therapeutic experiences. This survey explores the current state of research at the intersection of robotics, music, and rehabilitation, focusing on emerging technologies such as human robot interaction methods and system designs that help enable real time, interactive music therapy.

Potential patient groups include individuals undergoing motor or cognitive rehabilitation, such as those recovering from stroke, living with Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, or other motor impairments, as well as individuals with developmental disorders or limited mobility.

Traditional rehabilitation exercises may …

2025-2026 Ppc Recital - Daniel Cruz (Oboe), Daniel Cruz, Sheng Yuan Kuan

PPC/PSDP Recitals

No abstract provided.