Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Honors Capstone Composition Recital, Kayla L. Bivin

Honors Capstones

The Honors Capstone Composition Recital is an exhibition of my own musical compositions from throughout my undergraduate study. The purpose of the event was to perform original music and share it with the community. The program is completely comprised of original works for a variety of instruments and ensembles and includes five world premiere performances out of the seven pieces, totaling about 45 minutes of music. The performance was held at the NIU Recital Hall (located in the Music Building at 550 Lucinda Ave.) at 7:00 pm CST on April 16, 2023. It was available for free to the public, …

Three Settings Of "Cruda Amarilli:" Examining Melismatic Cadences And Word Repetitions That Convey Meaning, Peter Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to do a comparative analysis between three settings of “Cruda Amarilli:” one by Monteverdi in 1605, and two by D’India in 1606 and 1609, and to interpret my findings. I focused on each composers use of melismatic cadences and word repetitions in each setting.

The Flex Voice In The Soundtracks For The Nintendo Game Boy, Matthew Dineiro

Theses and Dissertations

The Nintendo Game Boy had a sound chip which allowed for only three pitched voices and one unpitched percussive voice. These limitations affected the music that was written for this video game system. Of the three pitched voices, one voice typically performs the melody, and one voice typically is the bass and harmonic foundation. This thesis analyzes the third voice, typically in the middle of the musical texture, and the various functions that it can hold. As is discussed, the middle voice sometimes pairs in harmony with the melody or the bass. In other cases, however, it forms a musical …

Tap Musicians: Exploring The Use Of Tap Dance As An Instrument Through The Lens Of Notation, Kurt Horney, Kaia Goddard

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Known to very few, there is a written notation for tap dance: Kahnotation. Our research explores the integration of Kahnotation with musical notation. Tap dance is considered to be a performing art rather than a musical instrument. Our goal for this research is to develop a musical notation, derived from Kahnotation, that uses the bass clef and treble clef to incorporate tap as an instrument into a musical score. Multiple versions of tap notation exist; however, one universal form has yet to be codified within the performing arts industry. Synthesizing previous tap notations (that focus on movement patterns) and recalibrating …

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 …

Fatale, Fragile, And Furiosa: Redefining Female Tropes For A New Generation Of Feminism In Jeanne Shaffer's Three Faces Of Woman For Clarinet And Piano, Olivia Harrison

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

Among the discipline of music, the representation of women in music professions and the artform itself reveals great disparities between gender identities. In spite of this, musician and composer Jeanne Shaffer approaches the ongoing fight for women’s representation and equity in music. Shaffer’s piece “Three Faces of Woman” for clarinet and piano (1995) depicts three delineations of femininity that women are reduced to. Influenced by cultural minimalization of women, Shaffer’s piece uses different compositional genres as vehicles to illustrate these ever-present stereotypes and the unyielding need to combat them. The first movement presents the trope of the Femme Fatale; the …

Diversity Of Programming By Race And Gender In College And University Band Concerts, Liz Liss

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While there are many women (and others of non-male genders) as well as people of color who compose for concert bands, they are often not given equitable recognition or representation. Over the past several decades, pushes for diversity within the classical music realm and higher education have sparked numerous discussions surrounding current practices (Bond 2017, 154; Bowman 2020, 10; Cumberledge and Williams 2022, 4; Peters 2016, 22): who are we inviting into our programs, whose music are we playing, and who are we representing? Despite these concerns, there has been very little research to provide answers to these questions within …

New Paradigms In Band Performance: An Analysis Of Three Prototypes, Scott Walker-Parker

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This document seeks to propose new paradigms in band performance through inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinarity. Initial inspirations were drawn from performance innovations shaped by the new music theater which became popular in the 20^th century. Key concepts which were used throughout the creative, planning, logistic, rehearsal, and performance processes are analyzed in three recitals through prototypes of new paradigms in band performance. These concepts include accessibility and community, nonverbal/multimodal performance and instruction versus time, and nonverbal/multimodal communication.

The document has been organized in a manner which highlights successes and breakdowns of each process so future refinement can be made. …

Symphony: Tambora, Logan Purcell

Graduate Thesis Collection

Symphony: Tambora is a piece for chamber orchestra that is inspired by the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in the Lesser Sunda Islands of the Phillipines. Its three movements deal with the genesis of Mount Tambora, the magma chambers filling up and spilling over, and the series of eruptions that resulted in some of the worst climate crises in recorded history. The thesis includes a score of the work, and an accompanying analysis.

Chopin’S Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor Op. 58: A Structural Analysis, Maverick Harrold

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in b minor Op. 58 is an incredibly important composition to the world of music. This work will uncover many of the unique facets and features of this piece as well as discover the beautiful intricacies of each of the four movements. By learning about this sonata, the reader will gain an understanding of the importance of musical structure and musical form and will gain insight into the ways of Chopin’s compositional style and of romantic piano music as a whole.

The History And Development Of Solo Tuba Repertoire, Vasilios Tidwell

Honors Theses

The tuba's solo repertoire increased in quantity and quality as a result of developments in the instrument’s design and usage. Following the invention of the tuba in 1835, instrument makers experimented with design concepts to maximize the versatility and potential of the bass brass voice. Composers explored the various uses of the instrument, eventually making the tuba part of the standard orchestral instrumentation by the mid-nineteenth century. Following the instrument's acceptance into bands and orchestras, the first solo works for tuba emerged in the late nineteenth century.

Evolving from novelty pieces accompanied by wind or brass bands, tuba solo music …

The Death Of A Musician, Zoe Harris

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

No abstract provided.

A Phenomelogical Inquiry Of The Applicability Of Neurologic Music Therapy For A Student Music Therapist, Katie Fairbourn

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) is a standardized training offered to many different clinical disciplines including music therapy. NMT specializes in research, techniques, and principles regarding the brain’s relationship with music. Despite what the name may suggest, NMT is not affiliated with the music therapy profession, and may be often overlooked by music therapy programs across the country, as was the experience of the principal investigator (PI). There is a lot of research and studies available showing the benefits of NMT for specific clinical populations, but there is no research that examines the effect and value NMT training has when combined …

Taxonomic Analysis Of Video Game Instrument Usages, Jack Madison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper seeks to break down into categories the various ways in which video games utilize instruments and to determine the musicality of these interactions.

Irreverent Womanhood: The Healing Of Intergenerational And Cultural Trauma In The Chicanx And Latinx Sonic Poetry Of Amalia Ortiz And Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Yasmine A. Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

The connections between nontraditional forms of literature and spiritual activism lie within the resistive practices of Chicanx Feminism. This thesis argues that cultural healing and social change is dependent upon the recognition of trauma as a step towards enacting social justice. Additionally, this thesis focuses on the figure of Coyolxauhqui and indigenous motherhood to reveal procedures for change. Through the theory of trauma, this thesis examines the nontraditional Chicanx/Latinx poetry of Amalia Ortiz’s sonic rock opera, Cancíon, Cannibal, Cabaret, & Other Songs and Melissa Lozada-Oliva’s novel in verse, Dreaming of You.

My investigation into the breaking of gendered …

Cezzartt: Building Community Through The Arts, Cesar Aguiar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In this project, I propose Building Community through the Arts in San Bernardino California. In the recent decade, the city of San Bernardino has lost so much of its motivation and dedication to care for the art community. The local art community has always been present, however, overseen by the lack of resources and efforts in bringing the art community back to life through events, art shows, gatherings, or awareness within the city. The purpose of this project was to educate and bring awareness to the city and its people regarding the forgotten art community in the city of San …

Ethnomusicological Research And Local Songwriting In Local Churches In Sarawak, Malaysia, Qianxi Lim

Senior Honors Theses

Ethnomusicology is a relatively new field of study. Its value is seen as Christian worldwide employ the principles of ethnomusicology to encourage the local church to use their musical gifts and styles to worship God. Many indigenous people groups in Malaysia are being overlooked and treated unjustly. The local Christian Church in Malaysia is responsible for reaching the local population with biblical truth and hope. Although Christians in Malaysia are a minority, Christianity is a major religion in Sarawak, Malaysia. This disparity is reflected in more ethnomusicological research conducted in Sarawak than West Malaysia. Local pastors and musicians in Sarawak …

The Reconciliation Of Theology And Mythology In Philosophical Defenses Of Music In Early Modern London, Leanna York

Graduate Thesis Collection

Since Antiquity, elements of Greek mythology and Hebraic history have intersected in many forms of literary and visual art. Renaissance philosophers, moved by skepticism, struggled to reconcile the historical and theological contradictions of these ancient sources, and scholars of European history Arthur Ferguson and Jean Seznec recognize resulting trends of mythological interpretation among authors of diverse disciplines. My research investigates ways in which London university professors John Taverner, John Case and an anonymous Oxford author utilized these interpretive methods in their music treatises of the early modern period and discusses the intersection of Protestant theology and Greek mythology in these …

An Examination Of The Use Of Effects To Convey Narrative In Nikita Koshkin’S The Prince’S Toys Suite And Francis Kleynjans’ A L’Aube Du Dernier Jour, Michael Root

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Programmatic music conveys an extramusical narrative or idea. In pieces of this nature, it is common for a compositional device known as “tone-painting” to be used, in which elements of the narrative or idea the work is based on are reflected in the music. Sometimes this can be quite vivid, giving the impression of events occurring within a story. Examples of this imitative tone-painting can be referred to as “effects.”The guitar is capable of producing a great variety of sounds, and therefore many effects. After an introduction discussing the concept of effects and programmatic music, the author will give an …

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 …

The Color Of Sound: An Insight On Chromesthesia, Lupe Rodriguez

Honors Capstones

Many people can see with their eyes, but there are some people who can see through sound. Chromesthesia is when sound involuntarily evokes an experience of color through shapes and movement. The goal of this project is to show what this experience is like and give people an opportunity to experience it in a way themselves.

The Color of Sound Website Prototype

Rev. Dr. Jeremy Perigo And Dr. John Macinnis, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

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

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.

Lmu Jazz Band Spring 2023 Performance, Benjamin Bruflat, Dma

Band Programs

No abstract provided.

Lucky’S Legacy: Determining An Effective Relationship Between Music And Business Management Principles, Jacob Joseph

Honors Projects

The Recognition-Conversation-Reflection (hereafter “RCR”) framework is modeled after popular change management frameworks for accomplishing projects and goals, utilizing concepts found often in business management and strategy. While traditionally these ideas are found in the workplace, they also serve as complex practices that can be used in various contexts. The music industry is composed of a plethora of professions exploring vast genres and interpretations of melody around the world. Despite its diverse perspectives, music is rooted in performance involving ensembles of varying capacities. With the complexities of the RCR framework and the diversity of the music industry, the question I looked …

Lmu Concert Band Spring 2023 Performance, Benjamin Bruflat, Dma

Band Programs

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Musical Training On Second Language Grammar Acquisition, Deven Joseph Hunsaker

Theses and Dissertations

Music's effect on non-musical domains has been an area of intense research. Musical training has been shown to positively affect the processing of phonology, lexical tone, and syntax. While music also has positive effects in second language phonology acquisition, its effect on grammar acquisition is contested. This thesis aimed to study the under-researched topic of music and second language grammar acquisition using electroencephalography (EEG), thereby studying the electrical responses of the brain. Beginning level Spanish students were trained on a new grammatical principle prior to performing a grammaticality judgment task, and their behavioral and neural results were analyzed. Those students …

Music Educators As Worship Leaders: The Impact In Music Ministries Led By Music Educators, Patrick Robert Eckelkamp

Masters Theses

Some of the most competent musicians in local communities are the music educators in local school districts. Since the Bible commands us to play skillfully to God, local music teachers may be an excellent resource for churches. Some churches cannot hire a full-time worship pastor from a seminary or Bible college. In these scenarios, a skilled music teacher looking for additional income and sharing convictions with their church may be a great candidate to fill a vacant worship leader role. Since music teachers primarily study classical and orchestral music, there may be challenges for classically trained music educators leading a …

The Impact Of Southern Baptist Worship Ministries On Denominational Effectiveness, Laura S. Brod

Masters Theses

Worship ministries maintain prominent roles in Southern Baptist (SB) churches. Despite ample available literature for today’s church educational methods and congregational discipleship, little study has focused on ways SB music ministries can bolster the spiritual health of congregants. SBs currently experience the consequences of recent scandals alongside dwindling attendance numbers. To address this multifaceted, spiritually rooted issue, this historical qualitative study proposes to discover characteristics and methods of music and worship ministries (WM) and leadership qualities that can best promote spiritual growth within SB churches to strengthen the denomination’s health. To undertake this, the study will explore SB history and …