Digital Commons Network^™

A Tribute To Vladimir Morkov (The Czar’S Guitars), Ellwood Colahan

Soundboard Scholar

A review of A Tribute to Vladimir Morkov, by The Czar’s Guitars (John Schneiderman & Oleg Timofeyev) (Hänssler Classic HC20018, 2020, 2 compact discs).

Archetypes (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad, Third Coast Percussion), Nathan Cornelius

Soundboard Scholar

A review of  Archetypes, by Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad, and Third Coast Percussion (Cedille 201, 2021, 1 compact disc).

On The Need For A Scholarly Edition Of Tárrega’S Complete Works, David J. Buch

Soundboard Scholar

In this guest editorial, the author provides evidence of the unreliable nature of the majority of Tárrega’s first editions, and the substandard quality of most modern editions. The author argues that in light of the recent availability of formerly inaccessible primary sources, the time is right for a scholarly edition of Tárrega’s complete works with state-of-art editorial methods.

The Guitar In America As Mirrored In Cadenza (1894–1924), Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

A Noteworthy Early-American Guitar Treatise: James Ballard’S Elements Of 1838, Peter Danner

Soundboard Scholar

No abstract provided.

The Catalan Guitar, Part 2: Two New E-Books By Josep María Mangado, Richard M. Long

Soundboard Scholar

A review of two studies by Josep María Mangado of the history of the guitar in Catalonia:

• Josep María Mangado Artigas, La guitarra en Cataluña, 1769–1939: Con especial referencia a los guitarristas José Ferrer (1835–1916), Sor, Brocá, Viñas, Bosch, Costa, Más, y otros, version 2.0 (Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona): Self-published, Tecla, 2010), PDF
• Josep María Mangado Artigas, Los conciertos de guitarra en el Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona): Desde sus inicios en 1908 hasta el estreno en 1940 del Concierto de Aranjuez (Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona: Self-published, Tecla, 2018 [2019?]), PDF

Spanish Guitarists In Nineteenth-Century São Paulo, Flavia Prando

Soundboard Scholar

This article explores the presence and activities of guitarists in nineteenth-century São Paulo. Drawing on reviews written by the pianist Alexandre Levy in 1890, I analyze concerts by Martínez Toboso and Gil-Orozco, two Spanish guitarists whose duo seems to have been the first to perform formal concerts in São Paulo. I also investigate Gil-Orozco’s subsequent work in São Paulo, where he lived for seventeen years (1890–1907), playing an essential role in the guitar’s development in the city.

Soundboard Scholar No. 7: Cover

Soundboard Scholar

Cover image: José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior (1850–1899), O violeiro (The Guitarist). Oil on canvas, 1899. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Cover design by Colleen Gates.

The Analysis Of Gospel Drumming: Its Influence On Live Performances Of Secular Music, Brandon Prigg

Recital Papers

An analysis on the evolution of gospel drumming and its influence on the live performances of secular music.

Fred And Dinah Gretsch School Of Music Newsletter, Georgia Southern University

School of Music: News & Publications (2017-2023)

• Greetings from the Chair

Material Format Preference Of Music Faculty At Kennesaw State University, A. Carey Huddlestun

Faculty Articles

Historically, collection development has focused on what material to purchase. However, with the maturation of web-based music audio databases, web-based video databases, online music scores, electronic books and reference material, and commercial audio/visual streaming services, the format of material is also now an important collection consideration. Faced with difficult collection development decisions due to the Performing Arts Library’s (PAL) limited space being filled beyond capacity with physical material, PAL librarians at Kennesaw State University (KSU) sought to discover the material and format preference of music faculty. This was done to see if faculty would use digital material, requiring no physical …

Words, Music, Memory: An Exploration Of Four Soprano Song Cycles By Lori Laitman Based On Poetry By Victims Of The Holocaust, Sheena Ramirez

Dissertations, 2020-current

This Doctor of Musical Arts document is an exploration of the four soprano song cycles by Lori Laitman based on text settings from victims of the Holocaust, with a specific focus on the compositional and performance devices that both underpin the power of words to bear witness to lived experience and ensure the process of musical commemoration as an act of historical preservation. Lori Laitman (b. 1955) has composed ten distinct song cycles commemorating victims of the Holocaust, of which four are included in this study – I Never Saw Another Butterfly, In Sleep the World is Yours, The Ocean …

Five Songs By Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960): From Nostalgia To Christian Hope And The Assurance Of Heaven, James K. Richardson

Dissertations, 2020-current

During the first few decades of the twentieth century, prolific composer, teacher, and conductor, Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960), was well-regarded for his contribution to the landscape of English art song. However, against the backdrop of Modernism and the tumult of the Second World War, his musical style was deemed “out of touch.” In a 1943 chain of correspondence with fellow songwriter Roger Quilter, Gibbs describes feeling “exceedingly sore and discouraged at neglect at the hands of the critics.” He further explains, “Just because we both write music that is intelligible & frankly tries to aim at beauty, we are considered beneath …

Singers’ Experiences Of Community In The Shenandoah Valley Children’S Choir, Heidi B. King

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the music and education fields, researchers have explored the ways people experience community in classroom and ensemble settings; however, few studies have focused on the ways adolescents experience community in the children’s choir setting. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore singers’ perspectives of their experience of community in the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir. Fifteen singers participated in focus group interviews to generate primary data; rehearsal observations and document analysis served as secondary data sources. Analysis revealed that participants’ goals and motivations aligned with the stated goals of the organization, and that these shared goals gave …

Xero Tolerance: A Critical Look At The Complicated Legacy Of Type O Negative, Brandon Futernick

Capstones

Type O Negative have been one of my favorite bands for nearly half my life. They were the soundtrack for some pivotal moments in my adolescence, and I’ve held them near and dear to my heart into my adulthood. But after some time away, revisiting their music in 2021 revealed some ugly sides to their lyrical content that gave me pause. So I conducted an in-depth, critical review of my relationship to their discography to see if I could reconcile my lifelong appreciation for them with some of their more problematic tendencies.

Link: https://brandonfuternick.medium.com/xero-tolerance-a-critical-look-at-typ-226f16682e50

Cross-Pollinating Music: The Past, Present And Future Of Genre-Blending Experimental Musicians, Vanessa Ague

Capstones

Recently, experimental music that mixes popular genres with academic styles has skyrocketed into the mainstream. Part of that’s because of the democratizing power of the internet, part of that’s because it’s a style that’s slowly become more prevalent over many years. This essay explores the different ways experimental musicians blend popular genres into their compositions, providing a succinct timeline of the style’s history and a playlist that features musical examples. Link to full capstone project: https://medium.com/@vanessa.ague/cross-pollinating-music-the-past-present-and-future-of-genre-blending-experimental-musicians-83f0d2ba9f2d

Multicultural Music Education: Preparedness, Perceptions, And Practice Among Virginia Elementary Music Educators, Benjamin J. Luna

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Benjamin Joel Luna, M. M.

James Madison University, 2021

Supervisor: Lisa M. Maynard

The purpose of this study was to examine the Multicultural Music Education (MME) practices of established (i.e. more than three years of music teaching experience) Elementary Music Teachers in the state of Virginia by examining their responses to a series of survey questions specific to the topic. Participants (N=18) were all current Elementary Music Teachers in the state of Virginia with more than three years of experience.

Participants were asked to use Likert-scale ratings for the majority of the questions but were also given the …

The Impact Of Motown Drummers In Popular Music, Estevan A. Barrientez

Recital Papers

The Impact of Motown Drummers in Popular Music

Spirituality Countering Dehumanization: A Cypher On Asian American Hip Hop Flow, Brett J. Esaki

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Flow—an artistic connection to the beat—is essential to the experience and cultural mix of Hip Hop. “Flow” is also a term from positive psychology that describes a special out-of-body state of consciousness, first articulated by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. When Hip Hop performers get into artistic flow, they sometimes become immersed in psychological flow, and this article examines the combination for Asian American Hip Hop. Based on my national survey of Asian Americans in Hip Hop, I argue that dual flow inspires spiritual transformation and mitigates the dehumanization of social marginalization. However, the combination of terms presents problematic possibilities, given that Hip …

A Critical Interpretive Synthesis Of Research Linking Hip Hop And Wellbeing In Schools, Alexander Crooke, Cristina Almeida, Rachael Comte

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Hip Hop is recognized as an agent for youth development in both educational and well-being spaces, yet literature exploring the intersection of the two areas is comparatively underdeveloped. This article presents a critical interpretive synthesis of twenty-two articles investigating school-based well-being interventions which used Hip Hop. The critical stance taken aimed to identify or expose assumptions underpinning this area of scholarship and practice. Our analysis suggested several assumptions operate in this space, including the idea rap represents a default for Hip Hop culture, and the default beneficiaries of Hip Hop-informed interventions are students of color living in underprivileged, inner-city US …

"A New World For Instrumental Art": An Exploration Of The Nineteenth-Century Saxophone Quartet And Its Repertoire, Laney Sheehan

Honors Projects

This Honors Project examines the major characteristics of the nineteenth-century saxophone quartet and its repertoire through the lens of four musical works: Hector Berlioz’s Hymne (for six wind instruments of Adolphe Sax), Jean-Baptiste Singelée’s Premier Quatuor, Jérôme Savari’s Quatuor pour Saxophones, and Caryl Florio’s Quartette (Allegro de Concert).

Effect Of Music On Rating Of Perceived Exertion And Duration Of Physical Activity, Mia Hines

Honors Projects

This study addresses the relationship between listening to music and physical activity.

The Temple Of Immensity: For Choir And Electronics, Steven Naylor

Honors Projects

the temple of immensity is a composition for 16-part choir and fixed media electronics composed by Steven Naylor using astronomical data concerning the stars nearest to Earth and their properties. “The temple of immensity” is an archaic and rarely used term, defined as “the universe or the complete overhead expanse of the heavens, especially as conceived as an object of religious reverence.” This piece seeks to convey feelings of wonder and awe for outer space through the setting of an original self-composed poem and through the use of star data to determine musical aspects. The resulting 28-minute composition blends voices …

Early History And Performance Of The Saxophone, Margo Alibeckoff

Honors Projects

This project explores the early history of the saxophone, including its invention and integration, as well as the inventor, Adolphe Sax, and how this information can inform and enhance performances of relevant pieces from this time period.

Stress And Burnout Among Undergraduate Music Education Majors: An Examination Of Trends, Influences, And Coping Mechanisms, Emily Carroll

Honors Projects

Previous research points to an increase in undergraduate music education major stress. A stress questionnaire was sent to three Midwest collegiate institutions: one was a mid-sized liberal arts school, another was a conservatory, and the last was a large state institution. Findings confirm concerning elevated levels of stress among undergraduate music education majors. The levels of stress appear to be a universal issue in this particular degree program, implying there is a need for change to better student wellness.

Addressing Audience Engagement Through Creative Performance Techniques, Lindsay Osterholt

Honors Projects

This project explores how utilizing creative performance techniques might affect change in the sociology that occurs within a Western art music performance. Creative performance techniques can include any behaviors or elements not typical to a Western art music performance. In the context of a senior vocal recital, this project aimed to see how audience members might respond to and engage with added creative elements.

Selections From Wagner's "Wesendonck Lieder" Arranged For Alto Saxophone And Piano, Kaitlyn Grella

Honors Projects

Arrangements of Im Treibhaus and Träume from Richard Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder for alto saxophone and piano, with accompanying program notes.

Concertina For 12 Musicians, Michael Boss

Music Theses and Dissertations

There is ample repertoire that demonstrates bitonality and polytonality. Composers like Bartok used bitonality in his piano piece Mikrokosmos. Within neo-classicalism, Stravinsky used an aggressive and biting bitonality in his most famous work, The Rite of Spring.

But these techniques are not exclusive to the orchestral or chamber music idioms. Jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus was no stranger to executing these schemes within the improvisational work Zoo-Bab-Da-Oo-Ee, a simple blues tune he wrote early in the development of his musical canon. Over the course of the piece, the harmonic tissue becomes thematic. It is common practice within this …

Shaping The Mind Through Music- A Family Challenge Of The 21st Century, Elisa H. Meyer

Honors Projects

This research provides reasoning for the importance of music education in America's schools. Music education is an integral ingredient in the cognitive development of the child- benefiting long term functions such as speech and language skills, memory, creativity, critical thinking, and general intelligence. Music allows a child to develop into their whole selves, encouraging the growth of their fullest potential. Various educational philosophies, such as the Rudolf Steiner philosophy and the Suzuki method describe the significance of this and outline substancial ways in which this integration is made possible. These philosophies are defined and discussed within this paper. Finally, insight …

Chamber Studio Recital, Andrews University

Concerts and Event Programs 2021-2022

Chamber Recital presented by students from the Music Department.