Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Orchestral Music Of Robert Nathaniel Dett: A New Critical Edition Of His Orchestration Of The Enchantment Suite, Michael Todd Stanley

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In the annals of music history, there are many composers whose works have fallen out of the repertoire over time, including some who were very famous and popular during their lifetimes. This phenomenon is compounded for composers from diverse backgrounds who often face issues of racism or other forms of discrimination when trying to make inroads into the Western classical music establishment. Such has typically been the case for Black composers in America until recent cultural events spurred an explosion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the U.S. As a result, the music of African American composers past …

The Tradition Of Microtonal Guitar On The American West Coast, Kenneth M. Cotich

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Microtonal music in the United States has a significant connection with the American West Coast. Influential microtonal musicians and theorists originated on the West Coast or passed through California, subsequently inspiring future generations of composers to work outside of twelve-tone equal temperament (12tet). This project begins by examining the early trailblazers of music education and composition in California who sought to rearticulate the fundamentals of music. Two substantial sources that influenced new musical materials were the harmonic series and non-Western music and culture. Microtonal music in California is then examined through the efforts of a series of outsider speculative music …

Sacred A Cappella Composition In France From Pius X To Vatican Ii, John Curtis Browning

CGU Theses & Dissertations

During the early to mid-twentieth century, some of France’s finest composers produced a body of choral music which, although somewhat smaller than that of other European nations, proves proportionately larger in specifically sacred and liturgical a cappella composition. (Liturgical music uses the texts of the Eucharist and Office [canonical hours] of the Roman Catholic Church; whereas “sacred” music broadly contains not only the liturgy, but paraliturgical texts from the Bible and religious poetry as well.)

Although this repertory is modest in volume—containing fewer than three dozen motets and masses—it proves comparatively high in quality and individuality within the total body …

Eurhythmic Use For Syncopation In An Instrumental Class, Kristen Flinner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Dalcroze Eurhythmic approaches affect syncopated rhythm integrity in an instrumental class. One graduate and five undergraduate music education majors enrolled in a string methods course took part in this study. A pre-assessment was completed using an etude for cello comprised of syncopated rhythms. Following a sequence of four Dalcroze Eurhythmics-inspired lessons, post-assessment results showed an improvement in the fluidity and rhythmic accuracy of the six participants on the performance of the cello etude.

An Analysis Of Traditional Pedagogical Practices With Innovative Strategies For Beginning Band Students With A Focus On Assessment, Higher-Order Thinking Skills And Differentiation, Cole Woods

Music Theses - Archive

Instrumental education is a field rich in tradition, with a strong foundation of methodology being codified in method books used by band directors around the country. Equally rich is the vibrant research community found within music education, and innovative techniques for teaching band are being presented yearly in both journals and conventions. These new strategies and additions to curriculum supported by recent research could potentially deepen the learning taking place in the instrumental music classroom. Nowhere is this more visible than in the wealth of new research, curricula, and literature that has been published regarding beginner instrumental music instruction in …

Exploring Band Students' Motivations Regarding Instrument Selection, Aaron S. Morley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

When choosing a beginning band instrument, students are faced with a choice that may be influenced by a variety of factors. These factors also interest band directors, who want students to choose an instrument that will be a good fit for their strengths while also being engaging to them. To assist directors in guiding students through instrument selection it is helpful to know what factors could influence students when they are choosing an instrument. To identify the factors that students report as impactful, beginning band students in five northwest Missouri school districts were surveyed about the influence of selected factors. …

Development And Implementation Of A Practice And Assessment Tool For Middle School Orchestra, Linda Kathy Hughes

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a practice and assessment tool, Skill Ladders, as used by my 7^th grade orchestra students. This is a tool that I created to help students focus on specific skill acquisition and musical development during their practice time. Designed for the middle section of intermediate level playing skills and aligned with curricular goals, students were to utilize this tool to set goals, practice, self-assess, and demonstrate progress. Prior to utilizing Skill Ladders, students completed a survey of baseline attitudes toward individual practice. After the trial period of the …

Tu Dublin Music Collections, Cliona Doris

Articles

An article on the TU Dublin music collections for Sound Post, the newsletter of the Musicians' Union of Ireland. The article is part of a series of articles on music collections in Ireland commissioned by John Swift.

An Analysis Of Musical Layers And Formal Organization In Takashi Yoshimatsu's Piano Concerto, Memo Flora, Jacob A. Farr

Music Theses - Archive

My thesis, An Analysis of Musical Layers and Formal Organization in Takashi Yoshimatsu’s Piano Concerto, Memo Flora, draws on a range of analytical techniques to uncover writhing the work, a deep connection to classical formal norms, that are hinted at by the composer in the program notes and interviews regarding Memo Flora. A driving force behind the analysis is my concept of musical layers, in which the music is separated, according to the perception of the listener/analyst, into various Musical Strata. These Musical Strata can then be represented in a musical analysis of the work via corresponding musical-analytical strata. …

Gender Associations Of American Band Instruments: Exploring And Comparing The Perceptions Of Three Age Groups, Kevin R. Merkel

Music Theses - Archive

This collection of three related studies explored the current gender-related perceptions of American band instruments. The first study investigated adults’ perceptions, as they were asked to rank instrument preferences for their hypothetical son and daughter. The second study examined the perceptions of seventh- and eighth-grade band students by allowing them to rate band instruments based on their gender perceptions. The third study investigated the perceptions and experiences of university band students related to gender norms and instruments utilizing a survey and interview process. The results provided evidence that instrument gender perceptions and stereotypes can change, and they suggest that intentional …

Playing Changes: Music As Mediator Between Japanese And Black Americans, E Taylor Atkins

Faculty Books & Book Chapters

Since the mid-twentieth century, music has played a central role in encounters and interactions between the people of Japan and those of African descent. It proved far more effective for pro- moting interracial dialogue and understanding than efforts in the early 1900s to foster an alliance against white supremacy and imperialism. This essay unpacks the ways that encounters with Black music transformed Japanese musicking and generated knowledge and empathy for people of African descent among Japanese. Personal interactions between Black and Japanese musicians constituted a process of “grassroots globalization” that circumvented the dominance of American mass media in representing African …

Noting Experience: Music Education In Central Spain Told Through Personal Narratives, Evan Strouse

Music Department Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Mozart’S Violin Concerto In D Major, K. 271a/271i: A “Dubious” Work That Is Nevertheless Worthy Of Study, Di Su

Publications and Research

Mozart Violin Concerto in D Major, K. 271a/271i, also known as Kolb Concerto, is a less popular, due to the unsettled authenticity matter, and yet a worth learning piece. In this concerto Mozart, if he wrote it, seemed to have not only kept his previous violin concerto writing style but also started exploring new ways of writing. Aiming at college music students, violin teachers, and professional performers, this article calls for the attention to this rarely performed violin concerto. The author synthesizes background information, such as authenticity and viewpoints of many musicologists, about this concerto from various sources and …

George Rochberg At Theodore Presser Company: How His Musical Aesthetic Shaped His Publishing Actions, Kyle Herman

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis explores the significant influence of George Rochberg's musical aesthetic on the publishing activities of Theodore Presser Company during his tenure as editor. Rochberg's role transformed Theodore Presser into a leading publisher of serious music in America. The study begins with a historical overview of Theodore Presser Company and the landscape of music publishing in the early 20th century. It then examines the historiography of Rochberg, noting that his serial era (during the 1950s) is often overlooked by scholars.

Central to the analysis are Rochberg's own writings on musical aesthetics, which illuminate his motivations and decision-making as editor. The …

Vital Status, Thomas Ginnona

West Chester University Master’s Theses

“Vital Status” is a term used to describe the state of being alive or not and is typically used in a medical and/or biological context. The project explores duality and balance in the universe and ultimately questions the nature of what it means to be a truly living creature or entity. This occurs through four distinct pieces, each focusing on a different duality or aspect of life: “A Nameless Evil” addresses internal struggle/anxiety (individual/internal strife), “Resonances of the Earth” depicts the resonance of the planet and the natural balance therein, “V404 Cygni” portrays relationships both here and in the universe, …

New Hampshire, Liam Thomas

West Chester University Master’s Theses

New Hampshire is a concept album: a recording project inspired by Robert Frost’s (1874-1963) large poetic work of the same title. After reading Frost’s lengthy first poem (also titled “New Hampshire”) I felt an immediate connection between his texts and my musical style. Frost’s “New Hampshire” features many depictions of nature and creates mystery through its colorful, sometimes vague imagery that leaves interpretive space for the imaginative reader, which, in my opinion, is the mark of a great poet. As a reflection of Frost’s text, my album contains atmospheric, ambient music drawing influence from folk, Americana, rock, jazz, with the …

Music And Healing In Aotearoa New Zealand: The Harmony Of The Land, Placehood, And Community In Māori And Pākehā Experiences Of Healing, Katherine Elise Callahan

Honors Theses

I explore the relationship between music and healing in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how healing is administered through the triadic relationship of the land, placehood, and community, using music as a vehicle for the carriage of this healing. In January of 2024, I traveled to Aotearoa New Zealand to gain a first-hand experience and account of this relationship through my own observations, and conducting interviews with Māori (the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand) individuals, and Pākehā (non-Māori) music therapists. Within this paper, I begin by providing context for this research within the fields of medical ethnomusicology, Indigenous studies, Māori …

Review: Careers In Music Libraries Iv, Edited By Misti Shaw And Susannah Cleveland, David Floyd

Library Scholarship

The Careers in Music Librarianship series has come into its own as a staple of the music library literature in the more than 30 years since its first entry, Careers in Music Librarianship: Perspectives from the Field, compiled by Carol Tatian. Its successors, Careers in Music Librarianship II: Traditions and Transitions, edited by Paula Elliot and Linda Blair and Careers in Music Librarianship III: Reality and Reinvention), edited by Susannah Cleveland and Joe C. Clark, each in their own way responded to both the critical discourse around their preceding edition and the emerging trends of the profession. …

Subito 2024, Portland State University. School Of Music & Theater

Subito: Student Voices from Portland State University School of Music & Theater

Issue 7, Spring 2024

The central theme for this year's journal is the body and wellness of the musician. The journal also includes a faculty spotlight with School of Music & Theater Director of the Coordinate Movement Program Lisa Marsh, research articles, an album review and so much more!

Guide To The Irene Britton Smith Collection, Columbia College Chicago

CBMR Collection Guides / Finding Aids

Irene Britton Smith taught in the Chicago Public Schools and during summer vacations, studied music, earning a MM from DePaul University. The collection contain her compositions for orchestra, solo violin, and piano and choral works and spiritual arrangements as well as books and works by other composers.

Guide To The Godwin Sadoh Collection, Columbia College Chicago

CBMR Collection Guides / Finding Aids

Dr. Godwin Sadoh is a Nigerian composer, educator, church musician, organist, pianist, choral conductor, and ethnomusicologist. He holds music degrees from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; the University of Pittsburgh; the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, where he became the first African to receive a doctoral degree in organ performance from any institution in the world. The collection holds scores, publications, books, and recorded music

Guide To The Micah Salkind Collection, Columbia College Chicago

CBMR Collection Guides / Finding Aids

Dr. Micah Salkind is a DJ, sound designer, curator, and author of "Do You Remember House? Chicago’s Queer of Color Undergrounds" for which these oral history interviews were collected. There are 58 interviews available online with 61 people about “house music, the rhythmically focused electronic dance sound born in the post-industrial maroon spaces of Chicago's queer, black, and Latino social dancers.” The interviews are with DJs, musicians, club owners, and publishers and were completed over the course of two years, 2013-2014.

Guide To "The Music Of Black America" Radio Script Collection, Columbia College Chicago

CBMR Collection Guides / Finding Aids

The collection contains scripts from “The Music of Black America,” a radio show written and produced in Los Angeles in 1982, hosted by J.J. Johnson (a Los Angeles radio personality) and Grammy Award winning singer Lou Rawls. The program featured a mix of contemporary and historical music, along with interviews. The donor, Albert D. Cunningham, was the show’s principal writer and producer.

Elevato-Cdr: Speech Enhancement In Large Delay And Reverberant Assisted Living Scenarios, Swarnadeep Bagchi, Ruairí De Fréin

Conference papers

Speech enhancement algorithms are needed for Assisted Living (AL) environments, which are characterized by large inter-microphone spacings, significant phase-wraparound, and high reverberation times (T60). We contribute Elevato- CDR, which addresses the task of enhancing speech given the large relative delays and high levels of reverberation, which are characteristic of AL scenarios. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate Elevato-CDR’s performance and compare it with benchmark reverberation schemes, using speech mixtures which experience reverberation and background noise. Our findings indicate that Elevato-CDR successfully outperforms classical dereverberation algorithms in terms of subjective (MARS, PESQ) and objective (SDR, SRR) performance measures in …

Ua94/6/18 Stephen Flora Student / Alumni Papers, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Stephen Flora during his years as a student at Western Kentucky University.

Music And Massacre: A Look At The Babi Yar Massacre In Dmitiri Shostakovich’S 13th Symphony, Austin Teas

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

The “Holocaust by Bullets” is often times the term used to talk about the mass killings of the Jews in Ukraine1 during World War 2. Called the “Holocaust by Bullets” by historians because of the way the Nazi’s perpetrated the killings; pulling and dragging the Jews from each village to the edge of the village, and then shooting them point blank. With this pre Aushcwitz, Triblinka, Buckenwald concentration camp way of execution, an estimated 1.5 million Jews were killed in Ukraine. Combined with this, Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich used many Jewish themes in his music, such as the 4th movement …

Carlos Chávez And The “Mexican Sound”, Eden Hodgins

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

“Tradition is a living fountain of knowledge and of character” (Chávez, “The Music of Mexico” 168). These are words from Mexican composer Carlos Chávez about the musical world of his country. Chávez lived and created in the most musically vibrant era of Mexican history, the post-revolutionary era, which drew extensively from Mexican tradition to build for the country a new image with respect to politics as well as the arts. Chávez found himself in a unique role as one of the foremost figures of this movement due to his government connections. This essay will explore how Carlos Chávez used his …

Demiana Ibrahim's Senior Recital: Music Across Continents And Centuries, Demiana Ibrahim

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis contains the recording and program notes of Demiana Ibrahim's Senior Recital in partial Completion of the Music major on the Performance track. The music performed is from a wide variety of composers, in addition to two transcribed from orchestral renditions by the performer herself. Beyond the composers expected in the Western canon, this performance includes music of North African origin, and highlights the first mainstream successful African American classical composer.

Surviving Pandemic Practicum: Early Career Music Teachers' Perceived Self-Efficacy Following The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aubree Pacifico Windish

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative study examines early career music teachers’ perceived self-efficacy following teacher practicum during a global pandemic. I conducted focus group conversations with undergraduate music education alum (N=16) from Southeastern State University (SSU) at the end of 2023. Participants described the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their music teacher practicum and overall experiential learning at SSU. The focus group questions, and subsequent deductive coding of their answers, aligned with the four roles of Bandura’s (1977) Self-Efficacy Theory. Participants reported low perceived self-efficacy in their first year of in-service teaching, with variations based on the stages of the COVID-19 pandemic …

Neighborhood Soundwalk, Sarah Politz

Open Educational Resources

This is an assignment for undergraduate students that asks them to go out into their environment and record their observations from listening in a focused way. It uses the work and writings of composer Hildegard Westerkampf as a jumping off point.