Digital Commons Network^™

Unveiling Iolanta: Blindness In Nineteenth-Century Opera, Nafset Chenib

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores the main tropes of representing and narrating blindness in nineteenth-century opera and fictional literature with a particular emphasis on Tchaikovsky’s 1892 one-act opera Iolanta, with its blind protagonist. Examination of the production history of Iolanta reveals that misrepresentations and misconceptions ingrained within Tchaikovsky's libretto and music have governed directorial choices, consequently giving rise to a homogeneous, predominantly unfavorable portrayal of blindness on the stage. I suggest an approach to the opera that is more consonant with the lived experience of blindness.

Nation’S Girl Group Bini Justdropped Album Of The Year?!:Isang Matapat Na Rebyu Ngtalaarawan (2024), Jose Alfonso Ignacio K. Mirabueno

Katipunan

No abstract provided.

The Village On The Stage: Dramaturgies Of Modernity In African Concert Dance, Margit N. Edwards

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

My dissertation, The Village on the Stage: Dramaturgies of Modernity in African Concert Dance, analyzes the underlying theatrical logic in African concert dance through a dramaturgical model I call the village on the stage. The village on the stage dramaturgy has had multiple iterations over the 20^th and 21^st centuries both across the African continent and the African diaspora. Commonly presented within the world-dance market as neo-traditional African dance, the village on the stage refers to a set of practices of staging traditional dance and music of Africa and the African diaspora and serves as a …

A Música Na Tradição Indígena Wai Wai, Roque Yaxikma Wai Wai, Ruben Caixeta De Queiroz

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Este trabalho trata da história da música na tradição do povo indígena wai wai, um grupo de língua caribe da região guianense. A pesquisa se passa entre os Wai Wai do rio Mapuera (norte do Pará), tendo como foco os conhecimentos de anciãos e as músicas antigas que eles conhecem. Aqui tratamos da definição do que é música e instrumento musical para os Wai Wai, quem pode e quem não pode tocar e/ou ouvir música. Descrevemos as histórias dos lugares antigos de habitação dos Wai Wai, onde moravam outrora, no rio Baracuxi (Kikwo), os nomes das aldeias e os nomes …

The Influence Of Western Music And The Wind Band In The Republic Of Korea, Mark Reimer

Journal of Global Awareness

Beginning with the arrival of American missionaries in 1885, the music of South Korea continues to reflect Western tonality, aesthetics, education, and popular taste. Through this musical and historical evolution, however, the country has not forsaken its traditions, musical imprint, and cultural identity, as will be discussed in the examination of select composers and music compositions.

Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire: Food As Community Archives In Ireland, Ella Padden

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

Food permeates every aspect of life; there is no class or culture that does not eat, no society that has not developed its own cuisine. Since 2010, twenty-nine entries related to food have been added to the UNESCO Representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, designating food as a complex marker of cultural heritage. This paper argues that as archives seek to preserve and steward culture, they must consider how that includes food records. Food records in Ireland are decentralized, and few in number, leaving a gap in cultural repositories. Through semi-structured interviews, this thesis analyses the interactions between archivists and …

Preserving The Historic And Cultural Music Of Louisiana Through School Music: An Ethnographic Case Study, Christopher S. Song

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to examine the lives of teachers, students, community members, and culture bearers within a musical community located in South Central Louisiana. The geographic area of focus in this research was Vermilion Parish and its surrounding area, known as Acadiana, the heart of Creole and Cajun culture where Traditional Louisiana Music finds its origins. Participants’ intrinsic cultural understandings of Louisiana’s music and impact on school music programs was examined through ethnographic interview and observation. A resource pedagogy known as funds of knowledge was used as a theoretical framework meant to maintain participants’ intrinsic …

That They Do Always Remember Him: The Impact Of Music And Covenant On The Modern Rite Of The Last Supper, Rebecca A. Ard

Masters Theses

This paper examines the function of music in the rite of the Lord’s Supper as well as similarities and differences in execution, doctrine and function within three major branches of Christianity. As Christianity has evolved the practice of Communion has been adapted to fit the beliefs and practices of various Christian traditions. The Catholic Church, Protestantism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints represent three different applications of the rite. The use of active covenant making in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a unique characteristic of their Sacrament ordinance. Examining data gathered through surveys, …

What’S This Feeling? Understanding Elementary Music Performance Anxiety, Nathaniel Scott Estes

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was a qualitative analysis of how elementary general music teachers adapt their instruction to meet the needs of elementary students with anxiety disorder in Virginia public schools. The phenomenological research design described the meaning of the shared experiences by students with performance anxiety. The participants for this research consist of elementary music teachers in central Virginia. Through a survey, phenomenological information was collected about how elementary music teachers teach students with anxiety disorder. Data was collected through a survey of elementary school music teachers in central Virginia. This qualitative study employed thematic coding to look …

Ownership Behaviors In Children's Music Culture, Sarah Dworjan

Masters Theses

Adults may demonstrate cultural ownership of music in various ways, but children are limited in their artistic expression by the restrictions of youth, parental authority, and financial subordination. This project evaluates the ownership behaviors demonstrated by 60 third and fourth grade female students in Albany, NY. Considering self-reported behaviors and the completion of creative activities in the general music classroom, the study also examines a secondary question: is there a difference in the way children interact with music of their own choosing as compared to the music of a teacher’s choosing? Results from this project indicate that students naturally respond …

Pedagogical Influences Of Ethnic Percussion Among Virginia Middle And High School Band Directors, Chad W. Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Traditional wind band and Western art classics are standard repertoire in the instrumental curriculum, as ethnic percussion is rarely incorporated. The inclusion of ethnic percussion can emerge as an alternative to concert programming, rehearsal techniques, and applications, enhancing the learning and aesthetic experience. This mixed-method study examined the inclusion of ethnic percussion pedagogy in the instrumental music curriculum. The research findings did indicate that the use of ethnic percussion is present within instrumental music programs in Virginia. A large percentage of directors were unsure of the aesthetic influences such as cultural awareness and peer interaction. This study also discussed methodologies, …

Christ’S Hallel And The Christian’S Hallelujah: A Comparative Analysis Of Jesus’ Last Supper Hymn With Contemporary Worship Songs, Maria Rica Silbol

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his disciples is one of the most iconic events in Christendom. One of the fewer talked-about scenarios in this historical event is Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26, when Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn before his crucifixion. This study examines the Hallel or Psalms 113–118, which Bible scholars believe was the hymn that Jesus sang with his disciples. The primary themes and emphases of these psalms are identified and coded. The goal of this research is to provide a metric for how the teachings from the Hallel may serve as a reference …

Rap In The United States And Cuba: A Genre Uniquely Emblematic Of The Paradox Of (De)Colonization, Maya Rose Bliffeld

Senior Theses

Music, as a profound and resonant cultural expression, captures the nuance of societal dynamics, political climates, and the collective emotions of communities throughout time. Colonialism, more specifically the Atlantic slave trade and the experience of suffering, has been reflected in the music as much as it has pioneered styles of new global music in the present. Music, specifically rap, contextualized in the hip-hop movements of the United States and Cuba, reveals primary sources of the effects of systemic racism and the marks of slavery in the contemporary context. The United States and Cuba each have a close relation to the …

“We Party As A Form Of Survival”: Clubbing During Economic Crisis In Beirut, Lebanon, Saumya Grover

Senior Theses

2020s Lebanon is wrought by a banking crisis, a refugee crisis, infrastructural issues, border conflict, and an unstable government—yet its nightlife scene is thriving. This has been the case since the onset of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) when discotheques and nightclubs emerged in the region despite the decimated infrastructure and beleaguered nation. Although that war period has drawn considerable scholarly attention, there is limited scholarship on the persistence of the clubbing scene during the nation’s troubles of the 2020s. This project studies the vibrant Lebanese nightlife scene in contrast with the various crises the country is experiencing. Rendering my …

Let All The People Worship: Applying Inculturation In A Multicultural Community, Darrell St. Romain

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

The United States of America is growing more diverse, and its houses of worship are embracing this diversity to engage congregants and build membership. There is a tool to help worshiping communities to espouse diversity of cultures, namely Liturgical Inculturation. Liturgical inculturation, as defined by Anscar Chupungco, is the process whereby the texts and rites used in worship by the local church are so inserted in the framework of culture, that they absorb its thought, language, and ritual patterns. Incorporating the goals and functions of liturgical inculturation, worshiping communities can begin to re-evangelize themselves and celebrate unity through diversity.

This …

Plenty Good Room: Using Negro Spirituals To Bridge The Racial Divide, Darnell Allen St. Romain

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

In 2020, the United States experienced a global pandemic and the murder of Mr. George Floyd. With the murder of Floyd, many churches were confronted with the racial divide in the United States. This thesis is a response of one community, the Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano, Texas. Using the folk song of Black Americans, namely the Negro Spirituals, as the foundation of an ethical-theological framework, this thesis poses one way for addressing the anti-Black structure prevalent in the Catholic Church in the United States of America. This work progresses from despair to hope, addressing the link between …

Arranging, Teaching And Performing The Cypriot Folk Song, Αχερόμπασμαν (Aherombasman), Georgia Orfanides

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This paper documents my process of arranging, teaching, and conducting the Cypriot folk song, Αχερόμπασμαν (Aherombasman) to JMU’s Treble Chamber Choir. I am Cypriot-American and I wanted to create an accessible arrangement of a Cypriot folk tune in order to introduce the musical culture and language of Cyprus to a Western audience. The first section of this paper provides a brief history of the cultural and political influences on Cyprus, and an introduction to common practices in the Cypriot folk tradition. The second section details the process of transcribing the original tune from Alkinoos Ioannides’ arrangement, creating the final arrangement …

Ejagham Mysticism In The Funeral Practices Of The Mgbe (Ekpe) And Moninkim Institutions: Insights For Research Methodology And Theological Epistemology., Besem Etchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The knowledge of the divine broadens and deepens as each location contributes the history, elements, and practices related to its divine revelation. This dissertation contributes from the Ejagham locations of Cameroon and Nigeria. The Ejagham precolonial institutions of Moninkim and Mgbe (Ekpe) were tuition-paid training schools for personal development and prophetic leadership. Their structured curriculum to train one’s personal and social ejong (personality), towards the Ejagham organizing principles of beauty and excellence, is replete with Ejagham mysticism and indigenous epistemology. Unfortunately, Moninkim has been misrepresented in years of scholarly research as a girl’s seclusion and coming-of-age-for-marriage rite and Mgbe (Ekpe) …

Impressionism In The Hands Of Griffes, Bauer, And Howe, And The Musical Climate In Early 20th-Century America, Elaine Sara Lim

Dissertations, 2020-current

American composers Charles Griffes (1884-1920), Marion Bauer (1882-1955), and Mary Howe (1882-1964) are considered “Impressionist” composers by some scholars. This document will explore selected piano works of each composer to determine the extent to which impressionistic traits are present. Topics such as tonality, harmony, texture, and individual style will be examined, as well as the significant relationship between music and poetry. American Impressionism was short-lived but served as a link to Modernism, as all three composers eventually experimented with other styles. Early 20th-century American audiences, accustomed to the influx of European artists and music, were slow to embrace the new …

Canciones De Cuna En La Frontera: Las Canciones De Cuna En El Valle De Juárez / Lullabies In The Border: Lullaby Singing In El Valle Of Juarez, Emma Alvarez De La Rosa

The Agora

Resumen en español:

Las canciones de cuna desempeñan un papel importante en el desarrollo de los niños, el bienestar de la madre y las relaciones sanas entre padres e hijos. Estas canciones también representan acervos musicales de valores y tradiciones culturales. Este trabajo resume la investigación y los resultados obtenidos para mi proyecto final Honors Capstone para la New Mexico State University, que examina la preservación de las canciones de cuna en la región del Valle de Juárez y Ciudad Juárez. Basadas en análisis etnográficos y etnomusicológicos para entender su importancia en la historia y cultura de la región fronteriza, …

Toward An Autism-Affirmative Art Therapy Practice: A Literature Review, Mariah Geiger

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Recent research across disciplines has begun to explore the strengths associated with Autism, and the internal experiences of Autistic people. Advocates of the neurodiversity movement promote a nuanced view of Autism which celebrates unique strengths while supporting unique needs and understanding that these strengths and needs are often interconnected. The inclusion of Autistic perspectives in research has shown that compassionate adaptations to the social and sensory environment can often reduce difficulty with emotional regulation. This research has implications for the use of art therapy with Autistic populations. Art therapy has commonly been implemented from a deficit perspective with Autistic clients, …

Jtc 24: A Degree A Decade In The Making, Andrea Drummond

University of Mississippi News

This story is part of the 2024 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

Rebetiko In Nyc: New Ideas Of Greek Diaspora, Mihalis Alisandratos

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores ideas of Greekness within the modern rebetiko space of New York City through the use of both ethnographic and reflexive techniques. Combining thick description, interview analysis, and extensive self reflection, this thesis endeavors to better understand how Greek American rebetiko musicians in NY today conceive of their experience in diaspora.

“Here’S My Brown Soul!”: Identity And Transformation In Tejano Music, Joseph Guzman

Theses and Dissertations

The music genre of música tejana, known later as Tejano music, is the musical celebration of Texas-Mexican, or tejano, identity and transformation. This paper explores and reflects on the topics of transformation, identity, and current state of Tejano music, including first-hand experiences and recent conversations with Tejano musicians.

Bringing Recess Music Indoors: How Attention To Musical Play In The Classroom Impacts A School Community, Angelina B. Scolari

Theses and Dissertations

Why should elementary music teachers learn about the games their students play at recess? This paper discusses the process of recovering children’s folklore at a Bronx elementary school, what findings can teach us about the children in our lives, and how music teachers can use “kid culture” in the classroom.

Exploring Cultural Enrichment And Musical Development: The Role Of The Brazilian Ensemble In The Jazz Program At The University Of Louisville., Diego Jose Da Silva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis undertakes the multi-dimensional study of the Brazilian ensemble as a powerful source of cultural enrichment and musical development under the jazz pedagogy framework at the University of Louisville. This paper attempts to establish the role of the ensemble in nurturing students' musical skills, promoting cultural understanding, awareness, and a sense of collaboration among the students through observation, interviews, and analysis.

Independent Visions Of Marginal America: Reimagining A Nation Through Outsiders, Searching, And Non-Arrival, Z Evan Long

Film and Media Studies (MA) Theses

This thesis explores critical responses to American-ness, American identity, and most significantly American myth, in independent films about America in cultural terms, and their attempts to deconstruct the myths of nation and culture. The independent films about America analyzed in this thesis range from the 1960s to the 1990s, made by filmmakers across movements and cultures, but they all contain in some measure three key concepts: the “outsider,” the “search,” and a narrative “non-arrival.” Easy Rider (1969) will be explored as the prototype for this paradigm, contrasted with films that reinterpret the road-movie structure away from existential angst and toward …

Flamenco, Gender Roles, And Female Empowerment In Granada, Spain, Dana F. Giordano

Senior Honors Projects

During the 2023-2024 academic year, my academic pursuits led me to Granada, Spain. This city is nestled within the culturally rich region of Andalucia, renowned as the birthplace of flamenco. Immersed in the study of Spanish language and culture, but also cognizant of prevalent issues of sexism deeply rooted within its societal fabric, I decided to explore gender expression and dynamics in flamenco. For this project, I researched Laura Mulvey's notion of the “male gaze,” a feminist theory that argues that the depiction of women in art and media supports a patriarchal society. Women are often portrayed as objects for …

The Kansas Band’S Musical Depictions Of Spiritual Quests, Elizabeth Romero

Master's Theses

The progressive rock genre has been an intriguing subject of study for the scholarly community, especially within the last 30 years. An understudied part of the progressive rock scene, however, is its manifestation in the United States through the band Kansas. The band from 1970’s Topeka is acknowledged by Mitchell Morris as troublesome for critics due to the hybrid use of European art music and blues influences. It is no wonder a large study of Kansas music has not taken place due to the maligning of the band by its critics as well as the controversial views regarding pretentiousness of …

A Compendium Of Three Musical Works Inspired By The African American Experience: Recordings, Commentary, And Pedagogical Observations, Edward W. Hardy

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on three of my musical compositions inspired by Wade in the Water, Billie Holiday, and Margaret Walker respectively: Evolution (for solo violin, 2016), Strange Fruit (arranged for string quartet, 2020), and Born Free (for voice, violin, and piano, 2022). From the perspective of a classical composer-violinist, I created musical portraits that reflect America's pre-civil rights oppression, the celebration of the Harlem Renaissance, and the landscape of political, social, and economic experiences. This dissertation can also serve as a tool for various individuals: fellow violinists seeking modern techniques that bridge classical music to popular music, composers in search …