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An Analytical Study Of The Sound Design And Production Techniques Of Idm Artists, Robert C. Stevens May 2024

An Analytical Study Of The Sound Design And Production Techniques Of Idm Artists, Robert C. Stevens

Composition/Recording Projects

This paper analyzes the sound design and production techniques of IDM artists, and how these techniques can be incorporated into the process of writing commercial music.


Telling Stories Through Music—Music Without Words, Isabella Thomas Apr 2024

Telling Stories Through Music—Music Without Words, Isabella Thomas

Composition/Recording Projects

This paper explores the study of listening modes associated with music with lyrics and instrumental music without words. Studies are explained in depth with explanations to current culture and society. The history of Neoclassical and Minimalist music in discussed in relevance to American culture. This background information leads into the creation of my own original compositions and how i have been inspired by life and culture around me.


Modern String Writing In Various Styles, Se Young Ko Apr 2024

Modern String Writing In Various Styles, Se Young Ko

Composition/Recording Projects

The purpose of this project was to demonstrate the use of modern string writing in various styles. The project includes over 25 minutes of recorded original compositions, four pieces written for a string quintet (with bass) and one piece written for a piano quintet. The paper is organized in two parts. The first part discusses the composers and works that influenced this album. The second part is a compositional analysis of the album and how the influences for the music were appropriately used while the artist maintained his unique musical language. A production note is provided to explain the recording/mixing …


Compositional Practices In The Accompaniment Of Celtic Trad Music, Mason Taylor Apr 2024

Compositional Practices In The Accompaniment Of Celtic Trad Music, Mason Taylor

Composition/Recording Projects

n this research paper, I look at how traditional Irish folk musicians—“Trad” as it is commonly referred to by musicians in the style––approach, think of, and perform accompaniment, specifically the contrapuntal style that is common amongst mandolin and bouzouki players. Trad has evolved greatly over the years. Originally, Trad was performed without any form of accompaniment—no guitar, no piano, no cello. Many solo instruments, such as the flute and the fiddle, would play the same melody with the only harmony occurring at moments where performers would momentarily diverge from the melody with an improvised ornament. Somewhere along its varied history, …


Indistinct Personalities: The Threads Between Modern Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz, And Gospel Guitar And Production, Tahina A. Fiaferana Apr 2024

Indistinct Personalities: The Threads Between Modern Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz, And Gospel Guitar And Production, Tahina A. Fiaferana

Composition/Recording Projects

As a guitarist in the world of commercial music, part of the job is to be able to play and cover as many styles and genres as possible. In a world in which the lines between genres are continually being blurred, this skill becomes even more valuable. Modern hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and gospel music are perfect examples of this. While these genres are constantly bringing new innovations to the music scene, they are also very clearly influencing and collaborating with each other. When looking at modern artists such as Robert Glasper, Tye Tribbett, H.E.R, Victoria Monet, Butcher Brown, Flying Lotus, …


Aardvark: A Solo Guitar Album, Jeffrey W. Buchanan Apr 2024

Aardvark: A Solo Guitar Album, Jeffrey W. Buchanan

Composition/Recording Projects

In this production paper, I discuss the entire process of creating my debut solo guitar album, Aardvark. There are ten songs on the albums, eight of which are originals and two of which are arrangements of existing music for solo guitar. Each chapter focuses on a specific song and dissects all elements that went into its creation, including the composition process, the type of guitar used, theoretical analyses, and any technical roadblocks I had to overcome. Several of my influences for the music on this album include Ted Greene, Bill Evans, Francisco Tárrega, Dream Theater, and music from the video …


Effect Of Selective Memory And Use Of Triangulation To Critique Songwriting, Maxwell A. Ramsey Dec 2023

Effect Of Selective Memory And Use Of Triangulation To Critique Songwriting, Maxwell A. Ramsey

Recital Papers

The cowriting of three successful popular songs is reconstructed through blind interviews with each of the contributors. In addition to insights into the actual compositional aspects, the interview questions were designed to reveal what role music industry executives may have played in arranging, inspiring, or promoting the songs throughout their journey to find success. The process of triangulation was applied to the interview answers in accordance with previous successful qualitative research methods to uncover the decisions and techniques that proved pivotal in best serving the respective song idea. The ultimate success of the songs is examined through chart and sales …


Creativity And Organic Songwriting: A Deconstruction Of Original Songs, Pramuk Mohanlal-Vargas May 2023

Creativity And Organic Songwriting: A Deconstruction Of Original Songs, Pramuk Mohanlal-Vargas

Composition/Recording Projects

Creativity and organic songwriting define uniqueness and are the building blocks of artistic self-expression. This paper consists of a deconstruction of eight original song recordings including the organic songwriting methods and creative ideas which led to the end result. The formulation of each recording is discussed in chronological order and in detail as well as influential ideas and songwriting styles of well-known contemporary artists such as Damien Rice, Passenger and Bon Iver. Along with individual and psychological approaches to songwriting, production elements are mentioned which indicate how the digital world influenced the final version of each song. This area relied …


The Influence Of Strings In Gospel And Contemporary Christian Music: The Role Of The Instrument And The Producer, Kelsei Peppars May 2023

The Influence Of Strings In Gospel And Contemporary Christian Music: The Role Of The Instrument And The Producer, Kelsei Peppars

Composition/Recording Projects

This paper will examine the use of strings (with an emphasis on the violin) in early Gospel music, contemporary Gospel music, and Contemporary Christian Music. The purpose of this research is to analyze the role of the violin and strings in these genres of music, while also analyzing the technical and melodic aspects of the instrument and music that are present within these specific genres, both historically and presently. Furthermore, the technical aspects and processes of production (writing and arranging, booking, creating, contracting, producing, and performing) will be explored and discussed. This project will Display and describe the use of …


Creating A Seven-Track Project In Diverse Commercial Styles, Steven Schumann Apr 2023

Creating A Seven-Track Project In Diverse Commercial Styles, Steven Schumann

Composition/Recording Projects

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the production process for a commercial instrumental album featuring the cello as the prominent instrument. The project includes over 25 minutes of recorded material, with approximately half recorded in a home studio setting and the other half recorded in a professional studio environment. The paper covers various aspects of music production and audio technology, geared towards musicians who have received formal performance training but may lack similar education in music production.


A History Of Bass Guitar Effects Pedals: Liner Notes, David Lloyd Apr 2023

A History Of Bass Guitar Effects Pedals: Liner Notes, David Lloyd

Composition/Recording Projects

This project examines bass effect-pedal technology and the lineage of recordings that have made use of such equipment. The timeline of bass pedal recordings and artists that used them range from modern day session players to The Beatles. A well rounded list of effects most frequently used on bass guitar include octave, fuzz/distortion, chorus, phaser, and envelope filter based processors, and this paper examines multiple songs from commercial music history that utilize one or more of these effects on bass guitar. These songs include ‘Think For Yourself’ by The Beatles, ‘For the Love of Money’ by The O’Jays, ‘Something About …


Windows Into Jazz, Nicholas T. Bilski Apr 2023

Windows Into Jazz, Nicholas T. Bilski

Composition/Recording Projects

This project is a culmination of multiple different genres of jazz music in multiple different stylistic arrangements. Each chapter tells the story of its respective piece and how that piece came into existence.


Cello In Film And Television Music, Annastasia M. Yoshida Dec 2022

Cello In Film And Television Music, Annastasia M. Yoshida

Composition/Recording Projects

Throughout the ages, the cello has had a specific role in symphonies, operas, musicals, and pop concerts. In the last century, one of the fastest-growing music practices has been soundtracks to film and television shows. String instruments and specifically the cello hold an integral role within this type of music. In this project I present a study on the use of the cello in film and television show music, using eight representative soundtrack cues. In this project, I seek to do an extensive study of the use of cello within film and TV show music. I have chosen a selection …


An Analysis Of Common Music Production Elements From The 1980s: Highlighting The Musical Influences Of Michael Jackson, Prince, And Madonna, Marcus Perry Dec 2022

An Analysis Of Common Music Production Elements From The 1980s: Highlighting The Musical Influences Of Michael Jackson, Prince, And Madonna, Marcus Perry

Composition/Recording Projects

This production paper analyzes the impact the music technology used in the music productions of Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna has had on today's music. The history and application of music technologies such as the Yamaha DX7 and LinnDrum are discussed at length. The music of the 1980s era played a significant role in inspiring how music sounds in the 2020s decade, and the music production elements used by Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna can still be heard today


Same As It Ever Was: An Exploration And Demonstration Of Techniques For Repurposing And Modernizing Advanced Musical Vocabulary In Mainstream Commercial Music, Aidan Scrivens Dec 2022

Same As It Ever Was: An Exploration And Demonstration Of Techniques For Repurposing And Modernizing Advanced Musical Vocabulary In Mainstream Commercial Music, Aidan Scrivens

Composition/Recording Projects

In the market for tertiary level commercial music education, educators find themselves pulled between students' commercial stylistic interests and the seemingly incommensurable genres better suited to exploring advanced theoretical concepts and vocabulary. This divide can lead to a motivational deficiency in a student that, in turn, can hinder their development and render their collegiate experience less worth the expense. In the interest of combating this potential motivational deficiency, this recording project and accompanying paper explores and demonstrates the process of modernizing and recontextualizing material found in these less commercially mainstream genres. By adapting vocabulary and approaches learned from the transcription …


Co-Writing Nashville Style: A Recital Of Selected Country Songwriters, Joseph H. Wandass Iv Dec 2022

Co-Writing Nashville Style: A Recital Of Selected Country Songwriters, Joseph H. Wandass Iv

Recital Papers

Country music and songwriting have been hallmark features of the Nashville music scene for well over a century. Due to the development of the concept of "the Nashville Dream," the idea that one can "make it" in music by moving to Nashville and writing songs, migratory patterns to Nashville from across the United States have changed the ways in which Nashville-based music is created and disseminated. In the thesis and accompanying recital, these trends are analyzed through the lens of ten selected active Nashville songwriters who have seen these trends. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree …


Production As Analysis In Commercial Music Recordings, Simeon P. Church May 2022

Production As Analysis In Commercial Music Recordings, Simeon P. Church

Composition/Recording Projects

Since the 1960s, scholarship of popular music in the fields of musicology and music theory has blossomed (Kajanová 2013). The inclusion of the social sciences and humanities in music analysis has allowed for new methodologies in commercial music analysis. Although new methodologies have been developed around popular song analysis, they are notably absent in the field of music production (Blake 2012, 1). In this thesis, I will assert that music production is an under-explored facet of commercial music that offers abundant opportunities for analysis.


Reborn: The Documentation And Processes Of A Fusion Project, Natalie Merrill May 2022

Reborn: The Documentation And Processes Of A Fusion Project, Natalie Merrill

Composition/Recording Projects

Many musicians aim to create something new, fresh, unprecedented, unpredictable. They seek uniqueness, attempting to create a sound that will be traced back to their work as music history progresses. As they work to find their distinct voices, musicians spend years trying to find their right sound, hoping it will leave a legacy of music tied to their original creativity. Composition, when based on various musical influences, is an incredible tool for the musician because it can bring together styles – and more importantly, people and cultures – from all over the world. The chapters of this paper tell the …


Exploring The Chromatic Harmony And Tonal Organization Of Casey Crescenzo, Nicholas Veine May 2022

Exploring The Chromatic Harmony And Tonal Organization Of Casey Crescenzo, Nicholas Veine

Student Theses

Much of western music harmony study considers repertoire only from the classical canon and so-called "jazz standards." While this pursuit is noble, much more can be gleaned from musical theoretical study expanding the repertoire into progressive rock. "Prog" has pioneered the modern usage of chromatic harmony, especially 4ths-based movement, and subdominant harmony, as well as the natural expansion of the ideas of chromatic mediants and transformational theory. This paper specifically highlights the usages of these extended harmonic techniques in the music of Casey Crescenzo, primary writer/composer for the rock band: The Dear Hunter.


Grrrls, Grrrls, Grrrls: Incorporating Feminist Theory Into Punk Rock Composition, Bryan M. Waring Apr 2022

Grrrls, Grrrls, Grrrls: Incorporating Feminist Theory Into Punk Rock Composition, Bryan M. Waring

Composition/Recording Projects

This project argues that one can make rock music with anti-sexist values by incorporating feminist criticism and gendered performance into the composition of punk rock music. To test this thesis, the history of feminism and its implementation within musical discourse were examined. Using feminist music theory as a lens for observation, several songs from female artists and mix-gender bands within the punk genre were analyzed. This was done in order to find similarities in compositional practices and to explore punk rock’s symbolic representations of gender. Areas covered were the expression of jouissance by the proto-punks, the use of détournement by …


Teaching Songwriting And Incorporating Popular Music In Beginning Group Piano, Sarah Andrews Aug 2021

Teaching Songwriting And Incorporating Popular Music In Beginning Group Piano, Sarah Andrews

Student Theses

This thesis examines how incorporating popular songwriting is an effective way to teach keyboard skills to music majors in a traditional undergraduate music school. Basic keyboard skills taught in group piano are similar to the skills used in writing and performing a popular song. Connecting students to popular music inspires students and keeps them motivated to practice keyboard skills that are more tedious but considered necessary for learning the instrument. This thesis is divided into two parts. Part I offers the history of pedagogical trends in group piano from the eighteenth century until present day, focusing specifically on practicality, improvisation, …


Pioneers Of The Extended-Range Electric Bass, Owen Ananich Aug 2021

Pioneers Of The Extended-Range Electric Bass, Owen Ananich

Composition/Recording Projects

This body of work reviews the history of the electric bass, the variations of early extended-range electric bass guitars and their variations during the 1970s, and analyzes the works of three bass players which helped bring the instrument to prominence. Recordings of these pieces also accompanies the work.


Melodies Of Love: An Exploration Of Popular Love Songs And Love Styles According To The Ancient Greeks, Kevin Blackmon Apr 2021

Melodies Of Love: An Exploration Of Popular Love Songs And Love Styles According To The Ancient Greeks, Kevin Blackmon

Recital Papers

I conducted an investigation and application of how different types of affection, as expressed in Classical Greek philosophy, are conveyed in commercial music with love songs. I also analyzed how various love songs demonstrate these different meanings of affection. Through my discoveries, I applied the standards of these ideas to my music. I focused on the common characteristics that each love song shares. I divided each analysis of musical ideas and concepts that contain similarities into the six subsections of Jan LaRue’s SHRMGT framework: SHRMG(T) stands for sound, harmony, melody, rhythm, growth, and text. The focus for each song will …


The Art Of Incorporating Afro-Latin Rhythms In Modern Jazz: In The Style Of Maria Schneider, Kristen Janelle Apr 2021

The Art Of Incorporating Afro-Latin Rhythms In Modern Jazz: In The Style Of Maria Schneider, Kristen Janelle

Composition/Recording Projects

This thesis explores how Afro-Latin rhythms came into use in modern jazz, specifically in the work of Maria Schneider and the author. Several Afro-Latin genres are explained theoretically and historically.


Exploring The Gospel Fusion Arrangements Of The Recording Collective, Tyler Williams Nov 2020

Exploring The Gospel Fusion Arrangements Of The Recording Collective, Tyler Williams

Composition/Recording Projects

Exploring the Gospel Fusion Arrangements of The Recording Collective


A Violist In Nashville: The Viola’S Role In The Nashville Recording Industry, Patrick Monnius May 2020

A Violist In Nashville: The Viola’S Role In The Nashville Recording Industry, Patrick Monnius

Composition/Recording Projects

The viola, the violins larger and often overlooked sibling, is not the instrument people would typically think of when they think of Nashville. That honor would most likely go to either the fiddle or acoustic guitar. But present day Nashville is home to much more than the Country music that originally gave the city its' famous moniker Music City. The recording scene now encompasses almost every genre of popular music imaginable as well as a large amount of video game, television, and movie recording. Through this project, I attempted to explore the multitude of ways in which viola can be …


Negative Harmony: The Shadow Of Harmonic Polarity On Contemporary Composition Techniques, Debora Haller May 2020

Negative Harmony: The Shadow Of Harmonic Polarity On Contemporary Composition Techniques, Debora Haller

Composition/Recording Projects

If we are to blame any composer for the puzzling question ‘What is Negative Harmony?’ that caused a worldwide itch on the creative minds of many young composers in this century, it would be Jacob Collier, who introduced the world with prodigious, colorful harmonies upon releasing his first album “In My Room” in 2016. Provided with brief answers during interviews with June Lee that explained the concept of tones and chords being mirrored on an axis center in the opposite direction, the surface of Negative Harmony was exposed but led to even more confusion. Prompted by even more questions, the …