Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Pointy Face Corrido, Ashmeeta Prasad

Writing Waves

No abstract provided.

Nature And The Spirit: Tri Hita Karana, Sacred Artistic Practices, And Musical Ecology In Bali, Hao Huang, Joti Rockwell

EnviroLab Asia

Bali is notable for the degree to which music, dance, and visual art permeate everyday life--a result of historically rooted and continuously evolving religious philosophies and rituals. With this context in mind, we wondered what role the arts play, and can play, in addressing environmental concerns.

Nadia Boulanger’S Fantaisie Variée Pour Piano Et Orchestre A Study Of A Significant Unpublished Piece, Sarah Elias

Dissertations

The research consists of a brief historical and biographical overview of Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), a main focus of a thematic and motivic analysis of her work Fantaisie variée pour piano et orchestre, along with touching upon the influences of Fauré, Debussy, Widor, Reger, and Franck on its composition, and a mention of the process of obtaining the Fantaisie from the Centre international Nadia et Lili Boulanger. Boulanger produced works in a variety of genres, including: a fugue; more than thirty songs for voice and piano; two completed works for solo piano; three works for organ; several chamber works; three works …

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 …

The Language Of Expression: Solo Violin Through The Ages, Kimberly Rendahl

Recital Papers

The following paper centers around defining technical and expressive commonalities while also exploring the respective features of interpretation that distinguish the Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, Opus 30, No. 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven, Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004 by Johann Sebastian Bach, and the Moderato Nobile movement from Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 35 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. These works exhibit the full range of the violin’s expressive capabilities in music from markedly different style periods. The following chapters include an evaluation of expressive aspects found in each work, and the ways …

The Amalgamation Of Popular Music And Dance: An Exploration Of The Human Impact, Caroline Kasay

Recital Papers

The undeniable relationship between song and dance begins in the early stages of life, and it persists throughout time in bringing communities of people together. As Susan E. Pashman states in her article When the Music Moves You: Revisiting the Classics in the Company of Neuroscience, “music promotes a sense of oneness, a feeling that drives social bonding from an early age... In a dance club, then, it is both the music and the dance movements of others that draw an individual onto the dance floor.” (2014, 23). This emotional correlation, or “sense of oneness” that Pashman details repeats itself …

What You See Is What You Get: Integrating Visual Performance Methodology Into Vocal Pedagogy, Bakara Nkenge-Hinds

Student Theses

In many ways, singing is an aural event. Since much of the instrument cannot be seen in a normal setting, voice teachers and voice admirers must rely on their ears to evaluate what they hear. However, singing is also a visual event. In the context of voice studios, teachers need to train students to not only achieve a healthy singing technique but also to convey a message to the audience. Each performer must ask herself, “what do I need to do as a performer to show the music?” In the article Sight Over Sound in the Judgment of Music Performance, …

Exploring Literature Through Music: A Graduate Recital Of Nineteenth-And Twentieth- Century Vocal Literature, Emily Kivi

Recital Papers

As demonstrated in the four pieces chosen for this program, Strauss’s art songs are useful learning tools for a singer’s introduction to the technical demands required to learn and perform in his operas.

Investigating Early Bluegrass Recording Techniques, Lincoln Hensley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper is about my investigation of early bluegrass recording techniques and the processes they used. After doing some extensive research, and compiling a database of black and white photographs from the time period, I felt I had enough information to assemble a team to try and produce the sounds, tonal qualities, and energy those recordings have. So John Kornhauser, Joshua Gooding, Hunter Berry, Sarah Griffin, along with myself, went to BigTone studios and tracked for two four hour sessions. BigTone studios has all of the vintage microphones, tape recorders, echo chambers, and out board equipment I need to replicate …

Bach-To Ysaÿe: History And Performance Considerations Of Sonata No. 2, Mai Vestergaard

Honors Scholar Theses

Eugene Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonata No. 2 has been influenced by the baroque music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the musical techniques brought forth by the Franco-Belgian Violin School. Each sonata movement has musical elements incorporating virtuosic techniques such as ponticello, chromaticism, and emphasis of the tri-tone. The performer draws attention to the audience by using advanced performance practices to change the piece's color and story. Ysaÿe engages with these ideas to share a musical and personal journey through each sonata movement, dedicating it to Jacques Thibaud. This violin sonata is a pinnacle to the violin repertoire, emphasizing the importance of …

Inclusive Ensembles: Differentiating For The Singer On The Autism Spectrum, Natalie Wilkins, Natalie A. Wilkins

Honors College Theses

Exceptional children belong in music classrooms. Music ensemble directors need to overcome complex challenges to meet the goal of inclusion, because ensembles often include a mixture of ages, grades, social and intellectual development stages, musical skills, and a wide variety of diverse learning needs. This study focuses on how a choral ensemble director may create an inclusive environment for students on the Autism Spectrum.

This study reviewed the current research on inclusive rehearsal environments. Analysis revealed varied methods for differentiation that allows students with special needs to thrive in a music classroom and also revealed that music can be a …

The Third Truth, John Paul Chapman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This composition, scored for a full symphonic orchestra, is based on the theory of truth discussed by Bertrand Russell. Objective truth, he states, must satisfy three criteria. The first element of truth is to acknowledge that it has an opposite. The second element of truth is a property of belief, statement, and perception. The third requisite is to acknowledge that truth consists in coherence. The introduction to this composition invokes the confluence of the three elements by utilizing discordant harmonies. In the next two movements, a theme is developed for each element. The First Truth, representing conflict, possesses a dark …

Rope: An Original Piece For String Orchestra Played Concurrently With Alfred Hitchcock's Film, Douglas William-Solomon Espie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an original piece of music designed to be performed concurrently with Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948). The film provides a canvas upon which a musically dominant multimedia experience is built. An accompanying analysis explains the variety of compositional techniques used, explaining their significance and how each deviates from a traditional film score. The objective of this work is to challenge the existing relationship between music and film, and add to the growing body of repertoire of live works featuring synchronized video, modeling example methods of live multimedia performance. In this exploration, the goal was not to be anti-cinematic, …

Rock Band Live Mix Vs. The Studio Mix, Donald Dominguez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper will identify and analyze the key differences in mixing techniques as well as factors which affect technique differences in their respective settings. The following research explores common techniques used for the best sound in the common professional studio and live music venues for typical rock band instrumentation. Through interviews and cited articles by professional audio mixing engineers, the paper establishes practices and differentiating approaches that conform to the nature of the live and studio mixing environments.

Murder Music: Horror Film Soundtracks Throughout History, Vincent G. Aragon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Horror films often rely heavily on their music to create a tense and frightening experience for their audience, and it is the composer's job to write a score that satisfies that requirement. Throughout film history, the methods composers utilize to achieve that goal differ across time due to various factors including available technology, allotted budget, and the norms and expectations of films at the time. This capstone paper explores the different approaches composers employed in writing horror soundtracks from the early 20th century to the modern-day, noting any significant shifts and common themes found in the music of popular horror …

Balloon Pops, Convolution Reverb, And You!, Brandon Lucia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Balloon Pops and You! The Audio essence of CSUMB This project involves convolution reverb. I'm sure you’ve used reverb before when making music. Scientifically a reverb is a self-contained echo. Most reverbs are digital, either logorhymic or algorthymic. Convolution Reverb is different from regular reverb. A convolution reverb attempts to capture the essence of a physical space. The can be done with a few different methods such as sine sweep or transients. If you have ever seen the wave form of a snare drum, you will notice it will have a steep attack with a short decay, the high point …

Our Perception Of Scary Sounds: A Comparison Of Films And Popular Music, David Puhl

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My Capstone Research Paper will be an analysis on the usage of “scary” sounds performed in popular music as well as a comparison to the practice of using similar sounds in film, making a note of any similarities or differences (ex. audience perception, use of visuals). I will also touch on the integration of scary sound effects alongside music scoring for film, specifically in the Horror and Suspense genres. With popular music being my primary focus, I want to elaborate on the cognitive psychology of audiences (in film and music) and their reactions to "scary" or "horrific" sounds to better …

Memory Management For Game Audio Development, Rahmin Tehrani

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Research in managing memory for video game audio development. Interactive music and audio implementation are explored with a strong focus on how to manage data while developing game sound. Some concepts that are important include the multi-use of one sound, file conversion, and randomization in music and audio using technology. Additionally, audio middleware such as Wwise is referenced and strongly used to showcase the previously described concepts. The end of this research project explores the future in video game audio with information relative to the next generation of consoles, video game streaming, physical memory limitations and expansions, and the future …

Analog Versus Digital Guitar Pedals, Shaping Guitar Tones And Sparking Debates, Cameron Karren

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper goes into the history of guitar effects, what exactly they are, how they have evolved, and what they are like today. It also presents the results of an experiment that compares perceptions of differences between analog and digital guitar pedals.

Innovative Marching: A Look Into The Innovation Of Dci, Sarah Ann Kano

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper analyzes unique innovations from five Drum Corps International (DCI) shows: 2008’s show Spartacus performed by Phantom Regiment, 2011’s show Angels and Demons performed by the Cadets, 2013’s show E=MC2 performed by Carolina Crown, and lastly 2014’s shows Tilt performed by the Bluecoats and Fellinisque performed by the Blue Devils. In each judging caption I have explored how each show met the expectations of that caption, if it has a new approach to the caption, if that approach is truly innovative, and if it has been emulated. This analysis suggests that even if the judging captions can sometimes inhibit …

The Blue Mesa At The Painted Desert, Christopher Barnett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Blue Mesa is located at the Painted Desert in Arizona. It overlooks a beautiful vast landscape of naturally created hills of cool-toned sand art that has been shaped by the forces of nature. The multiple layers of colored sand are stunning. Some hills act as if they are melting away and still being shaped. This piece is inspired by this location and an attempt to capture the unique beauty, wonder, and danger through a snapshot of its creation by the forces of nature.

The Cello Concertos Of Karl Davydov (1838–1889): Historical Context And Pedagogical Rol, Adam Matthew Stiber

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite the large quantity of music produced by the outstanding cellists of past eras, the range of repertoire regularly used in teaching advanced cellists in the US is fairly limited. In particular, though the virtuosic compositions of Karl Davydov (1838–1889) are common fare in Russia and Eastern Europe, cellists in the US perform them only rarely. Davydov rose to the highest echelon of performers in his generation. Today, scholars widely credit him with founding the Russian school of cello playing. Members of Davydov’s pedagogical lineage achieved prominence as artists and teachers, and his compositions are proven instructional pieces. In this …

Effects Of Chair Testing In Orchestra On Student Motivation: Student Perspectives And Applications From Motivational Theories, Rosanna Christine Honeycutt

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine how string students perceive achievement on chair testing through the lens of attribution and achievement goal motivational self-theories. A teacher survey was administered to identify the goals of chair testing in two high school and seven middle school orchestra classrooms. A student survey was used to collect data in those same classrooms on (a) the reasons why students do and do not do well on chair tests, (b) the perceived goals of chair testing and (c) the ratings of motivation and self-achievement. Qualitative techniques were used to analyze attributions within both …

Follow Me: Following Jesus With Your Head, Heart, Hands, And Feet, Vincent Dodge Frampton

Masters Theses

Following Jesus requires more than merely a mind exercise. It is more than giving money to the right causes or helping to build hospitals. Following Jesus requires the head, heart, hands, and feet--the whole self. The goal of this music and worship ministry project is to help people to follow Jesus with their whole selves.

Teaching Elementary School Music: A Composition Approach, Lauren Amanda Hammer

Masters Theses

The 2014 National Music Standards emphasizes the importance of the three artistic processes of creating, performing, and responding. The Massachusetts Music Standards follow both the 2014 and the 1999 standards. The 1999 music standards are as follows: singing, reading and notation, playing instruments, improvisation and composition, critical response, purposes and meanings in the arts, roles of artists in the communities, concepts of style, stylistic influence, and stylistic change, inventions, technologies, and the arts, and interdisciplinary connections. Both standards mention either creating, improvisation, or composition, but are music educators emphasizing the importance of these standards? In Massachusetts, following both sets of …

Graduate Viola Recital, Chelsea Pfeifer

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to provide an understanding of, and present historical information regarding the selections performed on a graduate viola recital. Selections performed were written by the following composers: Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert, Max Bruch, and Alan Hovhaness. Biographical information of the composer, program notes, and performance considerations will be included.

Beginning The Baroque Bassoon: A Contemporary Approach, Elizabeth Ellen Valvano

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

“Beginning the Baroque Bassoon: A Contemporary Approach” is an introductory method for bassoonists who are interested in learning how to play the baroque bassoon or transitioning from the modern bassoon to its baroque counterpart. This method begins with a history of the development of the bassoon before delving into specific performance techniques. This approach includes bassoon history, information on reed making, instructional examples, fingering charts, solo suggestions and playing examples, and resources for further study. While emphasizing beginning the baroque bassoon, this method also includes resources for the more advanced bassoonist. The goal of this text is to widen the …

Contextualized Songwriting In The Japanese Church, Katie Ann Mcwilliams

Masters Theses

The Christian Church of Japan has very few songs written in their own language and style. Most songs are translated from English or another language. While Japan is a very westernized country, this is a problem because things can get lost in translation and these songs are not always representative of their musical style. Furthermore, they have a unique voice of worship that is currently missing from the global Church. My research project was intended to identify songwriters and encourage songwriting for the local church with the intention of expanding the Japanese voice in the global context and raising awareness …

Principles For Creating Original Content For The Worship Service, Ian Schumacher Black

Masters Theses

This paper offers observations and guidance for creating original content for the worship service. The project involved creating an Extended Play Recording for Eagle Church in Whitestown, IN. After an introduction to the project and its author, five principles for creating original content for the worship service are discussed. These include: Lyrics Before Melody and Creativity, Embrace the Context of the Local Church, Collaboration is Critical, Strive for Excellence as an Artist, and Worship in Spirit and Truth. Following a discussion of these principles, the conclusion offers reflections and future plans.

El Sistema For, Or Against, Benton Harbor, Dana Wilson

Honors Theses

Members of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra’s Administration envision the adaption of El Sistema, a famed music program from Venezuela, into the community of Benton Harbor, Michigan. My research investigates the pre-adaption of the program through a comparative analysis of both ethnic cultures, definition and description of El Sistema, examination of the program’s application to other urban centers, and assessment of interviews with individuals instrumental to the provision of a free music program in Benton Harbor. As a result, the program demonstrates compatibility, but this study also uncovers the sensitivity of providing opportunities for an underprivileged city to avoid blind-sighted …