Music Commons^™

Msh 114 Introduction To Music, Smee Wang

Open Educational Resources

History of Western music through the study of various complete works. Focus on the skills and perspectives needed for informed listening.

In Search Of A Granada School Of Lutherie, James Westbrook

Soundboard Scholar

A review of Alberto Cuéllar et al., La guitarra tradicional en Granada = Granada and the Traditional Guitar (Granada: Diputación Provincial de Granada, 2024).

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Composing Songs For Dead Sailors, Toby Wren

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

Toby Wren discusses his latest creative work, the Songs for Dead Sailors song cycle, a psychological exploration of love and loss in the time of tall ships. This project was conceived as creative practice scholarship. In this presentation, Toby explains the creative processes and influences behind the work.

Preserving The Groove: Identifying & Preserving Grooved Media, Michael Bean, Michael Bean

LWLC Faculty Research

Preserving the Groove” is an introductory workshop on the identification, handling, and preservation of grooved sound media. The session covers three primary formats shellac, acetate, and vinyl while also touching on lesser-known and historically significant discs such as transcription discs, Bone Records, and Vitaphone soundtracks. Attendees will learn how to distinguish between formats, understand their playback requirements, and apply best practices for cleaning, storage, and digitization. Emphasis is placed on the physical vulnerabilities of each medium and the importance of preservation in archival and personal collections alike.

Terry Woodford Interview, Shoals Music Archive

Interviews

In this oral history interview, former producer, singer, and songwriter Terry Woodford reflects on his experiences in the Shoals music scene and the broader music industry. He reviews his childhood, where his love of music started. His first singing and recording experiences began at the age of five with his grandfather. His later childhood was marked by numerous moves due to his father’s job, but he still found time to sing and record with his grandfather, even into his twenties. Due to the moves, Terry encountered many people from diverse backgrounds at a very young age. Terry also details his …

Collegiate Music Recruiting: Using Athletic Recruiting Best Practices To Transform The Industry, Larry Jay Giddens Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The recruitment of new students is vital to every music program and can have a tremendous impact on its success. As technology evolves and the needs of the world change, so do the methods of student recruitment and retention in music departments, music schools, and colleges of music. This study covers the perspectives of collegiate music unit recruiters and compares current and potential strategies. Using a mixed methods approach, this research employs surveys to identify current music unit recruiting trends and challenges. Online recruiting, scholarship availability and facilities/staff emerge as themes within the small body of existing literature and personal …

Pretty And Problematic: The Use Of Music In Guadagnino's 'Call Me By Your Name', Brandon L. Foskett

Deliberately Queer Journal

Tension in the reception of the American-Italian film Call Me by Your Name (dir. Guadagnino, 2017)—as a beautiful film that implicitly condones a problematic narrative—is shaped in part by its compilation soundtrack. Already lauded as a timeless masterpiece in cinematography, sensuality, and music, the film also receives steadfast criticism regarding its portrayal of homosexuality and alleged condoning of interage desire between Elio, a 17-year-old Italian-French boy, and Oliver, a 24-year-old American man. In this paper, I analyze five musical episodes from the film, including The Psychedelic Furs’ “Love My Way,” Ravel’s Une barque sur l’océan, and Sufjan Stevens’s “Mystery …

Student And Teacher Perspectives On Blending Popular Music Pedagogies Into Kodály-Based Elementary Music Classes, Maurine Floyd Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Kodály instructors in the United States train music educators to use American folk songs and classical Western European music as a foundation for students’ lessons; however, American music classrooms today look very different from the 1940s Hungarian classrooms when Zoltán Kodály developed his philosophy for teaching music, and there is a current need to include music that reflects the diverse student population within our schools. While Kodály “purists” may be hesitant to add music outside the realm of folk songs and art music, doing so may provide today’s learners the relevancy to stay engaged as valued members of the music …

Reimagining Musical Collaboration: Ai And Music Real-Time Communication (M-Rtc), The Future Of Musical Creativity, Dana Kemack Goot

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This project explored the intersection of Music Real-Time Communication (M-RTC), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) in online musical collaboration. Presented at the 2023 National CMS/ATMI conference, the project served as a preliminary inquiry into how online musicking technologies impact human-to-human interactions and sought out the capabilities in creativity in music technology. The live performance featured three musicians performing from different geographic locations using an AI-generated composition and an AI-powered accompaniment application. The project demonstrated the creative potential of integrating AI and ML into M-RTC, expanding the possibilities for remote collaboration, composition, and performance. The musicians navigated both the …

‘Jamming’ With The Computer: Artificial Intelligence And Jazz Music Education, Bert Johnson

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This article provides a preliminary discussion on the evolution of jazz music play-alongs in the individual practice of time feel. Within the history of jazz pedagogy, play-alongs have been a continual tool for learning repertoire and honing in on one’s ability to play with a harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary suitable to a variety of jazz genres such as swing, straight-feel and bossa nova. Due to the advancements in artificial intelligence and software development, new tools for individual music practice have emerged in the form of apps for computer and mobile devices. Apps such as iReal Pro (iRP) and Genius Jamtracks …

"Constructing Music" By Teresa Nakra. Book Review., Jorge E. Variego

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

Technology is a crucial tool for enhancing music creativity and pedagogy, enriching learning rather than posing a threat to traditional educational means. The integration of computers into music pedagogy allows educators to access numerous resources, refining teaching methodologies and inspiring students' musical pursuits. Embracing technology in music education enables dynamic exploration of composition, production, and performance, fostering an interactive and engaging learning environment. Computers and AI offer opportunities for revitalizing music instruction and deepening students' appreciation for the art form.

Teresa M. Nakra's Constructing Music presents an innovative approach to music theory instruction by substituting traditional Western notation with principles …

Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships In Music Industry Education: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Music Industry Technical Camp In Trinidad And Tobago, Farley J. Joseph

Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education

The Music Industry Technical Camp (MITC) is a public-private partnership designed by DianJen and delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts in Trinidad and Tobago. Its focus is on providing intensive practical training on the business and technical aspects of the music industry to persons 18-65 years of age and comprises 90 hours of instruction delivered over a six-week period. Between 2014 and 2018, 89 participants graduated from the MITC. Some have established new or improved their existing arts enterprises, whereas others are currently employed as full-time and part-time professionals in the local music industry. …

The Discipling Worship Leader: How Perceptions Impact The Role Of The Worship Leader, Justin Smith

Masters Theses

Although worship and discipleship are often envisioned as two distinct practices, they share fundamental aspects of spiritual formation. Worship is often restricted to music, emotional expression, and outward performance, while discipleship tends to be associated with intellectual study, biblical knowledge, and structured learning. However, both disciplines encompass holistic contributions to a believer’s spiritual growth. Discipleship extends beyond epistemology; it involves personal transformation. Worship is not merely an experience or the expression of emotions but rather transformative in nature. Both worship and discipleship, however, encompass more than the contemporary church culture often acknowledges. The two-fold research plan combined findings from a …

Exploring Orchestration's Influence On Harmonic Analysis: A Conductor's Perspective, Tyron C. Barnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite emphasizing training and conducting techniques and overall music interpretation, minimal research investigates how orchestration impacts harmonic analysis when studying music scores. Conducting textbooks often emphasize the ability to study a music score; however, they place minimal emphasis on how orchestration influences harmonic analysis. A research gap on the impact of orchestration on harmonic analysis presents potential for professional growth for aspiring and seasoned conductors. By investigating novel methodologies, conductors can enhance their comprehension of the intricate relationships between instrumental components and harmonic frameworks in wind band compositions. Examining the viewpoints of fifteen beginner and experienced band directors from public …

The Black Side Of The Jesus Movement: Contemporary Gospel Music, Edward Daryl Duff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigates the impact of James Cleveland, Andraé Crouch, Edwin Hawkins, and Walter Hawkins on contemporary gospel music following the Jesus Movement revival. Their music emerged concurrently with the birth of contemporary Christian music; however, their significant musical innovations have not been widely recognized as part of the Jesus Movement revival. Figuratively speaking, contemporary gospel music and contemporary Christian music are like “fraternal twins,” yet there has been insufficient research linking them together. The rationale for this study is to uncover the potential social and cultural barriers that contributed to their exclusion and disconnect. This research identifies these barriers …

Diamonds In The Shadow: Hidden Treasures From The 1930s-1970s-African American Female Guitarists In The Blues, Jamisha-Antarae Harris

Masters Theses

Culturally, African American females are recognized as vocalists in American music but are routinely overlooked as guitarists. Writers and scholars of the blues generally ignore African American female guitarists’ creative and innovative contributions to this genre of music. This thesis documents the exploration of African American females playing guitar to define their musical roles in American society. Racial and gender identity, as well as the limitations imposed by the larger society, will be explored through this instrument as an essential element of creative expression. Racism and sexism are two sides of the same coin, rendering their musicianship identities nearly invisible. …

Strategies For Time Management Challenges Of The First-Year Secondary School Music Educator, Jamey Bartlett Derks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the number of first-year music educators, there is a lack of research on the challenges of time management that first-year teachers face. Time management affects first-year secondary music teachers in areas that challenge their success in the classroom. This study recovered first-year music educators’ perspectives and experiences in the music classroom, specifically regarding time management challenges. Guided by Husserl’s phenomenological research model, this qualitative phenomenological research study identified perspectives that must be explored and documented concerning first-year music educators’ time management challenges. Perspectives on lesson planning, classroom management, and mentor assistance have emerged as themes through studying a small …

Multi-Label Classification Of Acoustic And Electronic Drum Sounds Using Machine Learning, Sean Perman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a system for multi-class classification of drum sounds using audio signal processing and machine learning techniques. The project utilizes a diverse dataset of both acoustic and electronic drum samples and extracts ten distinct audio features to capture the timbral and temporal characteristics of each sound. The methodology includes signal preprocessing, feature extraction, and the application of supervised classification algorithms to distinguish between multiple drum classes. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that the selected features significantly enhance classification accuracy across a varied dataset. These findings underscore the effectiveness of combining traditional audio processing with modern machine learning, offering promising applications …

Artists In The Alternative Genre: Communication Through Music, C. L. Noë

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Musicians throughout time and genre have strived to connect with their audience through music, whether they are trying to communicate a story or their own unique style. Musicians in alternative rock genres are no different, and therefore, this thesis looks at three different bands and analyzes the ways they convey meaning through their music for their audiences. Starting with Green Day, in the American Idiot album, they communicate the inner turmoil of the characters through a rhythmic motif and the different ways it presents in the music. Next, Fall Out Boy communicates authenticity to their fans through lyrics, vocal style, …