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Theses/Dissertations

Belmont University

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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Cognitive Borderlands: Understanding Marginalized Identity In The Work Of Ada Limón, Ashley Hope Pérez, And Carmen Maria Machado, Monica Barbay May 2024

Cognitive Borderlands: Understanding Marginalized Identity In The Work Of Ada Limón, Ashley Hope Pérez, And Carmen Maria Machado, Monica Barbay

English Theses

Gloria Anzaldúa’s groundbreaking theoretical and creative collection of essays entitled Borderlands / La Frontera: The New Mestiza provides foundational ideas and principles to consider the physical, mental, and emotional struggles of those living along the U.S.-Mexican border. This thesis furthers this discussion by contemplating what happens psychologically to those residing in physical and cognitive borderlands, including but not limited to the U.S.-Mexican border. Specifically, I develop a framework to conceptualize borderlands of the mind, focusing on people-groups who experience multiple kinds of marginalization. I argue that these layers of marginalization negatively impact one’s sense of self, fostering a cognitive divide …


The Story Of Identity: Narrative Self-Fashioning In Kazuo Ishiguro’S A Pale View Of Hills And When We Were Orphans, Hayley Angle May 2024

The Story Of Identity: Narrative Self-Fashioning In Kazuo Ishiguro’S A Pale View Of Hills And When We Were Orphans, Hayley Angle

English Theses

The moments we remember from our lives are the foundation of the stories we tell about ourselves. I have spent many a night trying to fall asleep by running through my memories like the montage scene of a movie—clips of a funny moment with a friend, the smile of a loved one, a stupid thing I said to someone I was supposed to impress. These moments I remember portray, at the deepest level, who I want to be, who I am scared to be, and who I most understand myself to be. Intentional remembrance, as opposed to actual experience, tends …


Sacrifice And Emotional Communities In Early Modern Literature, Kathryn C. Patton May 2024

Sacrifice And Emotional Communities In Early Modern Literature, Kathryn C. Patton

English Theses

The early modern period in England was a time of intense political, religious, and cultural upheaval. Between the Protestant Reformation and urbanization, England experienced significant ideological changes as well as the growing pains of overpopulation and plague in its major cities. The literature of the time illustrates the emotional complexity that many of the authors and citizens experienced firsthand as a result of the tumult in England. This thesis focuses specifically on the period during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and James I, using the works of Sir Philip Sidney and John Donne as structural buoys for the paper, …


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, …


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 …


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, …


Honeysuckles & Irises: Effigies Of The Land, Ami` L. Hanna-Huff Dec 2023

Honeysuckles & Irises: Effigies Of The Land, Ami` L. Hanna-Huff

English Creative Writing Theses

Here is a memoir of my paternal line through the lens of my Great-Grandmother and myself. A reclamation of the land I hail from and a connection to a history previously felt distant, this examination of race and gender explicitly focused on the African American Southern female experience; I try to make sense of the juxtaposing positions in our lives. The culture built from its creation through Tennessee personified. Here, I integrate history and theory with lyrics and prose to experience the eighty-one years of progress brought between our births and the lingering anxiety of slavery. My great-grandmother, Hazel Irene …


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 …


Presenting And Curating Contemporary Installation Art; The Work Of Cornelia Parker And Céline Condorelli, Bridget Curtis May 2023

Presenting And Curating Contemporary Installation Art; The Work Of Cornelia Parker And Céline Condorelli, Bridget Curtis

Bachelor of Fine Arts Theses

The popular sentiment in curation among contemporary British art institutions has emphasized the attempt to reconcile with the divide between public art and art presented in institutions. The globalization of Britain in contemporary times has led to the wide dissemination of shows curated by British institutions. The location artwork is exhibited can change the reception and interaction with the work. Artists who use their work as a means of activism can benefit from the perception of a global audience. The question arises as to how impactful activism art can be when exhibited within the contemporary institution versus when it is …


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 …


French Nasal Vowels In The Mezzo-Soprano Voice, Jada G. Duff May 2023

French Nasal Vowels In The Mezzo-Soprano Voice, Jada G. Duff

Recital Papers

This paper focuses on the four French nasal vowels in the mezzo-soprano voice. It clearly states how to pronounce the vowel with and without nasality. The paper displays spectrogram images to compare the resonance between the non-nasal and nasal vowels in different registers. It addresses the need for modification of the vowels in different registers of the mezzo-soprano voice. The paper also describes how to apply the results of the information from the spectrogram images to French pieces. The repertoire includes works by Jules Massenet, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Isaac Albéniz, Francis Poulenc, and Erik Satie.


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 …


Analogous, Catherine G. Mcdonald Apr 2023

Analogous, Catherine G. Mcdonald

Recital Papers

The recording process and traditional fiddle could be perceived as unrelated; however, the evolution of both in many ways could also be considered analogous. Correspondingly, the culminating recording of this project arranged, recorded, and produced tunes that emulated the evolution of the traditional fiddle and its recorded medium. This process included historically accurate arrangements, instrumentation, performance technique, and locations for recording. The double-sided album compared the usage of analog and digital recording and production methods based on the appropriate era for each composition. The “A” side of this project was recorded entirely with analog recording methods. The musical works for …


Effects Of Covid-19 On Elementary And Secondary Music Education, Colette Stefaniak Apr 2023

Effects Of Covid-19 On Elementary And Secondary Music Education, Colette Stefaniak

Music Theses

This paper will highlight several key effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on elementary and secondary music education. The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic drastically changed music education for both elementary and secondary institutions. Changes made to music curriculums to adapt to an online teaching environment have had both positive and negative effects on post-pandemic music education. This paper will discuss how the 2020 pandemic has created a different learning environment for elementary music classrooms, music ensembles, and private lessons.


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.


Video Game Scores: A Choir's Role In An Orchestral World, Kaitlin Crofford Apr 2023

Video Game Scores: A Choir's Role In An Orchestral World, Kaitlin Crofford

Recital Papers

Video game music is growing in popularity – but what about the choir? Video game music has been developing and adapting with the increasing influence of video games in society. There is much recognition for orchestral aspects of video game music, but there is little research specifically on the choir’s role. This research paper sheds light on the choral aspects of video games for the purpose of bringing awareness to the incredible writing that is now available for choral programming. This research paper was written in conjunction with a conducting recital performed with the Belmont Chorale and includes analysis from …


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.


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 …


An Analysis Of Commercial Styles Through The Performances Of Guitar Masters, Stephen R. Perlowski Apr 2023

An Analysis Of Commercial Styles Through The Performances Of Guitar Masters, Stephen R. Perlowski

Recital Papers

The following are extended program notes for my graduate recital. The purpose of this recital is to showcase the many ways the guitar has been used as the focal point in music. This recital covers music made from 1941 to 2006. This recital aims to exhibit the expression, nuance, and musical charisma the guitar is capable of. To do so, I have chosen nine masters of the guitar and will be playing pieces that exemplify each of their styles and voices on the instrument. Another goal of this recital is to show the many different genres and musical contexts for …


The Conn 6m: Implications For Contemporary Saxophone Performance And Pedagogy, Jacob D. Goldwasser Mar 2023

The Conn 6m: Implications For Contemporary Saxophone Performance And Pedagogy, Jacob D. Goldwasser

Music Theses

This thesis provides an in-depth look at the CONN 6M alto saxophone, one of the staple models of vintage American saxophone designs, as well as performance suggestions for the modern saxophonist. This saxophone had over a 30-year production run, with debut performances from some of the worlds leading pedagogues. With historical source material, as well as contemporary placement, the Conn 6M can be rediscovered as a tool for modern education purposes at any academic level.


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 …


Before Daughters And Amplifying Ambiguous Loss In Poetry: How The Line Break Functions As An Effect, Madison Smith Dec 2022

Before Daughters And Amplifying Ambiguous Loss In Poetry: How The Line Break Functions As An Effect, Madison Smith

English Creative Writing Theses

The line break is almost impossible to define by itself and more tangible to define as an effect that works with all aspects of language within a poem. Through analysis of the poetic line in both the works of others and my own poetry, I show how the line break as an effect works to amplify feelings of ambiguous loss within individual poems. Looking at how the line break functions in poems having to do with ambiguous loss accomplishes two things: it educates readers on the intricacies of loss and especially non-death losses, and it brings the line break to …


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 …


An Analysis Of Allan Holdsworth’S Techniques And Their Application To Fundamental Melodic Devices, James Dasilva Dec 2022

An Analysis Of Allan Holdsworth’S Techniques And Their Application To Fundamental Melodic Devices, James Dasilva

Recital Papers

This thesis analyzes Allan Holdsworth's improvisational style for the purpose of applying his techniques, such as string skipping and omnidirectional fretboard movement, beyond the jazz-rock idiom and expanding the melodic potential of the guitar.


The Book - The Trauma, The Writing And The Healing, Hillorie S. Mclarty Aug 2022

The Book - The Trauma, The Writing And The Healing, Hillorie S. Mclarty

English Theses

This is a trauma informed memoir based on letters that my 3 best friends and I wrote from September 1965 - May 1966. It is also a study of childhood verbal and sexual abuse, the effects of trauma on the brain, and the healing through writing.