Music Commons^™

Breath, Void, Ground, Huichun Yang

Masters Theses

Before the sound, there is breath. Before the explosion, there is a threshold. Before the noise, there is silence.

Inspired by the physicality of balloons, this thesis explores breath as sonic material that carries memory, moves through bodies, and resonates across spaces. The balloon becomes a skin that holds breath: a force inhaling trauma, ritual, and intimacy. When released through mouth and latex, breath conjures alien, untranslatable voices that hiss and hum.

It begins with a balloon and expands with endless breath. The balloon becomes a site where the history, body, and voice disintegrate and reform. The pressure and tension …

How To Walk On Water: Living Through The Absurd, Esther Du

Masters Theses

Set in a speculative world submerged by water, this thesis constructs a fragmented, nonlinear narrative that reflects on survival, memory, and displacement in the aftermath of catastrophe. Through three interwoven chapters—The Outcast, The Researcher, and The World—the project explores the emotional and psychological landscapes of individuals navigating a post-apocalyptic existence where the past is irretrievable and the future uncertain. Using an interdisciplinary form of visual storytelling, writing, and sound, the work draws from personal experience and collective trauma to examine how people reconstruct identity and meaning after loss. Rather than offering a definitive answer to existential …

The Sound Of Music: Why Do Humans Find Enrichment In Music While Non-Human Primates Do Not?, Sonetta Im Ty

Honors Projects

Music has been observed as an effective enrichment for captive animals across multiple species. However, studies have shown that it is ineffective for promoting welfare in non-human primates (Suborder Haplorhini). These findings were unexpected, given the evolutionary roots shared between humans and non-human primates. This paper addresses several possibilities for this observation, including differences in ear anatomy, brain structure, and music perception between humans and non-human primates.

Kevin Bobo's Boboland: A Performer's Guide, Tyler D. Whitehead

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Kevin Bobo is an active American percussionist, educator, and performer that continues to leave a lasting influence in the percussion community. His works for chamber percussion ensemble and solo marimba continue to push the limitations for percussionists in terms of technical ability, new compositional methods and techniques for expanded timbral effects. Bobo’s compositions such as Boboland, a marimba solo with percussion quartet, present technical and musical challenges that are generally unaligned with traditional performance practices in percussion and especially the marimba. This document aims to provide detailed guidance and instruction for the performance of Boboland and will cover all aspects …

Locating Timbre In Copyright Law’S Modern Musical Work, Lauren Wilson

Journal Articles

Copyright law requires courts deciding music infringement cases to locate two copyrights within a single song: one in the “musical work” and another in the “sound recording.” But songs do not naturally divide into such pieces. Instead, judges untrained in music must parse from a unified song the musical elements belonging to each copyright and to whom those copyrights belong. They have historically approached the task as a simple matter of identifying elements notated on a score as belonging to the musical work and placing “everything else” on the sound recording, but such a formalistic approach does not suit the …

Music As Medicine: The Impact Of Music On Pain Reported After Surgery, Anastasia Pike, Gregory T. Chesnut

Journal of Global Awareness

The impact of music on subjective reporting of pain and anxiety has been increasingly described in medical literature. Multimodal methods of alleviating postoperative pain and anxiety, including the use of live or recorded music in perioperative settings, have been shown to improve patient-reported pain levels and, in some studies, to result in decreased opioid usage. The overprescription of opioids after surgery can contribute to long-term abuse or trafficking of medications, and the use of non-opioid medications, alternative methods of pain relief, and environmental/auditory stimuli offer new mechanisms to promote safe opioid prescribing while improving both pain control and patient wellbeing. …

Notes From The Editor, Jay Nathan

Journal of Global Awareness

No abstract provided.

The Shared Roots And Divergent Paths Of African American Spirituals And Afro-Caribbean Music, Jana Jones

Masters Theses

The resilient perseverance of African culture manifested itself in the music of the diasporic communities of the transatlantic slave trade. This slave trade led slaves to two main areas: North America and the Caribbean. While there were common roots and shared experience of slavery that influenced similar growing musical traditions of African American and Afro-Caribbean music such as rhythmic and melodic elements, over time, their music evolved along distinct paths due to differing social, political and religious contexts. Through a comparative study of lyrical themes, melodic patterns, rhythmic characteristics and cultural functions, this research traces the influence of the African …

The Evolution Of The Drum Set In American Musical Theater, Andrew M. Wert

Masters Theses

For several decades, American musical theater has been an essential part of the entertainment industry and has provided large-scale employment for musicians. Over the past several decades, composers have produced new works incorporating contemporary music styles and ensembles. This project will explore the changes in music styles in the music of musical theater from vaudeville to the present, analyze the effect that popular music in America has had on the techniques used by composers and orchestrators who write for drum set in musical theater, and examine changes in the function of the drum set player in pit orchestras. Ultimately, this …

Shaping Music Education: Insights From High School And Collegiate Band Directors On Russell Boone's Influence, Devanon Petallio Fitzgerald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the valuable contributions and impacts that Historically Black Colleges and Universities band directors have made toward collegiate and high school band programs, there is little research on the contributions and implications of Russell Boone, a former band director and pioneer of the marching band program at Mississippi Valley State University. While many secondary school and collegiate band directors employ his techniques, only a few have highlighted his importance. Under the leadership of Russell Boone, the MVSU marching band made history as the first band from an HBCU to participate in the Rose Bowl parade. Additionally, the band participated in …

Self-Care As An Indicator Of Success For The Undergraduate Music Education Major, Sonya Lynn Comer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite rising awareness of stress and mental health issues, many undergraduate music education majors struggle to connect self-care to resilience in personal and professional areas of their lives. Students may perceive self-care as an extra luxury, if they have time after their work is completed, but they fail to recognize self-care as a potential source of energy, creativity, and joy for their work. The missing self-care component creates an internal deficit hindering students’ ability to bring their best self to the classroom, their student teaching placements, and interpersonal relationships. Omitting self-care compounds issues caused by their multi-faceted workload leaving students …

A Comparison Of Sight-Reading Methods For Instrumental Ensembles With The Consideration Of Engagement, Nicholas A. Luchterhand

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the fact that nearly all band programs competing in festivals are evaluated on sight-reading ability, minimal research exists regarding specific pedagogical sight-reading methods and their effectiveness. Traditionally, music educators have used scales, rhythm books, method books, and technical exercises as warm-ups in order to improve overall music reading skills. Employing these methods is also known as the Music Fundamentals Approach. However, researchers have challenged this as the best method for development. To evaluate potential advantages among different approaches, a quantitative study will compare success rates of three sight-reading acquisition methods across separate high school band classes: one employing a …

Application Of Andragogic Principles To The Study Of Gregorian Chant: A Grounded Theory Study, Norman D. Wakefield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite literature on pedagogies or methodologies for Gregorian chant, there is a lack of research regarding the application of andragogic perspectives to the teaching of Gregorian chant. This grounded theory study seeks to identify the experiences of adult learners and instructors of Gregorian chant active in small to mid-size Roman Catholic parishes in the United States with modest program resources. While pedagogical and philosophical models regarding Gregorian chant have proliferated throughout the Roman Church for over a millennium, instructors and learners, do not have information regarding how to apply andragogic perspectives to the teaching of Gregorian chant to facilitate instruction …

Pedagogy In Selected Violin Works Of Frank Bridge And Amy Beach: A Narrative Study, Kristin M. Van Cleve

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Frank Bridge and Amy Beach were well-regarded composers during their lifetimes, which spanned the era of transition from Romanticism to the dawn of twentieth-century modernity. However, their violin works are primarily absent from standard repertoire lists and rarely used as teaching tools. The purpose of this study was to explore the backgrounds and influences of both composers, who share a rich and expressive melodic and harmonic language despite being active on opposite sides of the Atlantic (Bridge in England and Beach in New England), and to examine the viewpoints of educators regarding the efficacy of using the violin repertoire of …

The 'It' Factor: The Intersection Of Leadership And Personality And The Music Ensemble Director's Influence On Member Retention, Robbin L. Johnston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This predictive correlational study aims to examine the influence of the leadership style and personality traits of music ensemble directors on the retention of students in their programs. The study explores music ensemble directors' leadership qualities and personalities and their ability to maintain student enrollment in their ensembles over the last five years. Participants completed a demographic survey, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and the NEO-PI-3 Personality Assessment. A convenience sample of music educators provided the data for the study. The researcher compared these results to the participants' leadership and personality identities determined in the initial surveys to establish potential intersections …

Perceptions Of Congregational Engagement In Evangelical Church Worship Programs, Tim Allums

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite existing research on worship leader training and choosing music for congregational worship, a study on the perceptions of congregational worship engagement from the perspectives of worship leaders and congregants has yet to be examined. Congregational worship is formational and helps believers continue to grow in their faith by singing their praise to God with one voice and declaring the tenets of their shared faith. This study sought to reveal perceptions of worship engagement by surveying nineteen worship leaders and one hundred fifteen congregants from thirty-nine evangelical churches around the United States to identify the musical aspects that either enhance …

Sweet Talk "Switch On", David Turner, Soren Walker

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

“Switch On” is the debut album by Melbourne’s Sweet Talk. Founded in 2018 by D. M. Turner and Soren Walker, Sweet Talk was created as a means to explore their love of American music of the mid to late 20th century through a uniquely Australian lens. Australia and the United States have a close relationship stretching back over 100 years. This bond continues to be expressed geopolitically and is prevalent in the cross-cultural exchange found in contemporary music. Sharing a British and Irish heritage, the countries have developed several musical styles in parallel including country music and rock n roll. …

An Analysis Of The Adequacy Of Preparation For The Totality Of Worship Leadership, Michael Kenneth Geake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the gradual transition of “music minister” into “worship leader,” preparation and training for the expanded roles may be considered slow in terms of total responsibilities. While degree programs have incorporated in-depth coursework in essential ministry topics – such as theology, discipleship, and evangelism – there has been little recognition of their roles as managers and counselors. Many of these programs prepare students for jobs that no longer exist. This study focuses on the worship leader, both as a student and as one who has already started their career, with responsibilities in the church and to their family. Through qualitative …

Multicultural Worship: How A Korean-Led Multicultural Church In America Works Toward Unity Through Diverse Worship, Kylie Barbara Halter

Masters Theses

This study follows Praise International Ministry (PIM), part of Praise Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, United States, for their first year of ministry. The pastor of the ministry is a Korean immigrant, and the ministry has served people from at least ten different nations, including China, Japan, Mexico, and Egypt. The goal of the study was to find out how a congregation made up of multiple cultures could attain unity.

To answer the above question, the researcher observed the congregation by attending services, as well as serving on the worship team and attending leadership meetings. In addition, she conducted …

A Phenomenological Study On The Effects Of Graded Performance Evaluations On The Longterm Musical Engagement Of Students In Malaysia, Qianxi Lim

Masters Theses

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study aimed to research the effects of graded examinations, such as the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity, on the musical engagement of students who have taken private music lessons. Graded examinations are widely used in Malaysian private music studios, and most music teachers and students use the examinations as the primary source for music education. Participants shared their demographics, experience with graded examinations and private music lessons, and current musical engagement through an online questionnaire on Google Forms. Eight Malaysians who have taken private music lessons and graded examinations were …