Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Sequential Method: An Analysis Of Robert Jesselson’S Cello Pedagogy, Kalim D. Alvarez Campos

Theses and Dissertations

Dr. Robert Jesselson has made significant professional contributions as a cello performer and music educator. His pedagogical approaches are innovative in helping students overcome technical problems, building good work habits, instilling self- discipline, addressing kinesthetic issues, and improving practice techniques. His Sequential Method involves a systematic and logical progression of technical exercises, scale systems, etudes and repertoire. It is unique in its applications for teaching and learning left and right hand techniques, building a progression of etudes which address technical and musical issues and working through the cello repertoire in an organized and meaningful manner that is appropriate to the …

Electronics And The Music Of Miles Davis, Darren E. Shekailo

Theses and Dissertations

Miles Davis produced a wealth of music relying on the use of electronic instruments and new technology. With their adoption, the famous trumpeter began his “electric” period. Examining the electric period of Davis’s career helps us trace the profound impact of electronic instruments and technological advances on his music.

Operabbit, Mariel C. Mayz

Theses and Dissertations

OPERAbbit takes place in an unknown country with unnamed characters who are struggling for basic necessities amongst a political, social, and economic crisis. Questions of loyalty, trust, and nationalism are brought to the foreground as our Protagonist receives an unconventional government hand-out: a bunny. This fictional story— written by the composer and her brother— is met with humor and the liveliness of Latin American culture. The underlying truth, however, is more tragic. Many countries in Latin America have faced deep political, economic, or societal problems throughout their histories. None, however, have faced them all simultaneously as the country of Venezuela …

A Complete History Of Rico Reeds, Neal Postma

Theses and Dissertations

Rico is a household name among saxophonists and clarinetists around the world. Since the company’s inception, they have moved from importing several hundred reeds for Frank di Michele to sell to his friends to being among the largest manufacturers in the industry. This document traces the history of the company from its inception in 1928 to the date of its purchase by J. D’Addario & Co. in 2004. Through interviews, document reviews, and data gathering, this document explores the history of the company, the owners and managers, the products, and the events that led to D’Addario’s acquisition.

Teaching Musically: Incorporating Dalcroze Pedagogy Into Flute Instruction For The Elementary-Age Student, Emily M. Stumpf

Theses and Dissertations

The current practice of flute pedagogy for the elementary-age student is often focused on skill-building: finger technique, tone development, and note-reading and rhythm skills. Often the teacher will delve into concepts of musicianship only after the student develops a high level of technical skill. I have found it is possible to include musical concepts such as expressive playing, developing an internal sense of rhythm, and improvisation at all stages of the learning process. When the flute teacher functions as the initiator of an aesthetic experience, the development of musicianship becomes just as important as skill-building.

The Dalcroze philosophy of music …

Analyzing And Comparing Selected Works For Violin And Piano By Chen Gang, Chen Guoquan And Bright Sheng, Liangjun Zou

Theses and Dissertations

Cross-cultural musical synthesis plays an important role in the creation of musical progress in the twentieth century. This dissertation is a study on the development of the use of Chinese folk elements in Western-style compositions by Chinese composers. Through analyses of different compositions by traditional Chinese composers, Chen Gang and Chen GuoQuan, as well as Chinese-born American composer Bright Sheng, the aesthetic variations produced by the synthesis of Western and Eastern music is examined.

Chapter One focuses on the development of Chinese violin music promoted by the efforts of several generations of composers. Chapter Two presents the background information of …

Solo Violin Works Influenced By Romanian Lăutari Music, Essena Liah Setaro

Theses and Dissertations

In Romania, professional Roma (Gypsy) musicians called lăutari developed a colorful and unique musical tradition. This study explores the music of the lăutari and its influence on five works for unaccompanied violin: George Enescu’s recently discovered Airs dans le genre Roumain (1926) and “Le Ménétrier” from his Impressions d’enfance (1940), Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 3 “Ballade” (1923), Helen Bowater’s Lautari (2003), and Roxanna Panufnik’s new composition Hora Bessarabia (2016).

Drawing from written sources, audio and video recordings, and transcriptions, this study first investigates the history, influences, and unique characteristics of the lăutari tradition and approach to violin playing. After discussing …

The Kingma System Flute: Redesigning The Nineteenth-Century Flute For The Twenty-First Century, Diane Elise Kessel

Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates the development and reception of the Kingma System flute, designed by Dutch flutemaker Eva Kingma. For some time now, flutists have been honing creative techniques to provide imperfect approximations of what composers have specified, but the Kingma mechanism achieves the exact effects desired with ease. Through her close work with composers and performers, Eva Kingma was able to create a mechanism that is comfortable to play, versatile in performance, and beautifully suited for contemporary repertoire. The Kingma flute is an invaluable tool for performers and an exciting new voice for composers, offering unprecedented musical possibilities and yet …

Serial Techniques In Works For Unaccompanied Trumpet, William Anonie

Theses and Dissertations

Of the many compositions for unaccompanied trumpet, some of the most interesting are those that employ twelve-tone serialism. This study provides analyses of these works, including Robert Henderson’s Variation Movements, Charles Whittenberg’s Polyphony, Hans Werner Henze’s Sonatina, and Stanley Friedman’s Solus. Performance implications related to the twelve-tone analysis are examined for each piece. Where multiple editions of a piece exist, they are compared with each other and with the analysis to guide the performer in choosing an edition.

Delphine Ugalde: Defying Gender Norms Both On And Off The Stage In 19th Century Paris, Michael T. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The social and professional networks that grew out of Paris’ vibrant theatrical and salon culture in the late 19th century supported a number of female artists in somewhat “non-traditional” roles. While the careers and influence of artists such as the sculptor Hélène Bertaux and singer-composer Pauline Viardot have been thoroughly researched in recent years, little attention has been paid to the life and work of the coloratura soprano, actor, pedagogue, and composer Delphine Ugalde. During her performing career, Ugalde was highly regarded for her ability to portray both male and female characters. After retiring from the stage, she engaged in …

Experimental Music In Higher Education: Toward A Pedagogy Of Creativity, Philip Melancthon Snyder V

Theses and Dissertations

Experimental music is rarely taught in higher education music programs but it could nevertheless be useful for providing students a methodology through which to develop creativity. This document seeks to find common ground between the seemingly disparate worlds of classical music and experimental music in pursuit of revealing the usefulness of experimental music practice for musicians trained in the classical tradition. In seeming contrast to classical music, experimental music values include process, indeterminacy, and non-subjectivity. This document shows that these aspects, despite seeming exclusive to experimental music, are in fact integral to all music. This document will also discuss writings …

A Guide For Playing The Viola Without A Shoulder Rest, Chin Wei Chang

Theses and Dissertations

Knowing how to hold the viola is always the first step for not only beginners but also for those that progress to become teachers, professional soloists, orchestral musicians, and chamber musicians. Although there are pedagogy books and articles, these resources only devote a small amount to how to hold the instrument. There are also a number of videos online in which violinists or violists share their thoughts on this topic. As a violist, holding the viola is a lifetime issue because of the weight, and the variety of shapes and sizes of the instrument. These factors can cause more difficulty …