Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Guide To The Richard 'Dick' Wang Collection, Columbia College Chicago

CBMR Collection Guides / Finding Aids

Richard Wang was a musician, historian, and educator specializing in jazz. The collection consists of a series of arrangements by Mary Lou Williams, a jazz pianist, arranger, and composer, and an interview he conducted with Charles Suber, a jazz critic, educator, journalist, and Down Beat columnist.

Literary Needle Drops: The Use Of Music As A Postmodern Tool In Contemporary Fiction, Adan S. Alvarado

English Theses

An examination of musical references (“literary needle drops”) in contemporary literature: Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad, Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, and Haruki Murakami’s Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. The novels are viewed through the various conceptual lens, literary and otherwise, such as Marcel Danesi’s Modal Flow Principle or “perceptual stimulations” as defined by Guillemette Bolens.

Egan’s novel utilizes punk bands and tracks to construct her characters’ identities, and send them on a journey through lost time to reflect on who they once were, who they have become, and whether they have been able to …

Demons Of Analogy: The Encounter Between Music And Language After Mallarme, Joshua Tasman Girardeau Reinier

Honors Papers

Why do we make analogies? The standard definition suggests “[a] comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification” (Oxford Languages); an analogy is when something borrows another vocabulary, another set of terms, or another paradigm, to facilitate a deeper understanding. But here, I argue that analogy is more than a didactic tool for making explanations more convenient: rather, analogy is the essential way that we understand ourselves in relation to others—for my purposes, how artists understand their own medium in relation to other mediums. Specifically, I use the concept of analogy to explore the encounter between …

Is Music The Barometer Of Society? Exploring How Music Mirrored Society From The Ancient World, China To Central Europe In The 21st Century, Bibi Pelić

Comparative Civilizations Review

“If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer.” ― Confucius

“What music do you listen to?” Would this be a valid question to ask a presidential candidate or person looking for a high political office today? If mankind had followed the advice of Confucius, many disastrous episodes in history might have been prevented.

Music is one of the most wonderful achievements of mankind. As far back in history as we know, music has been part of man’s life. Whether it …

Karol Lipiński As A Musical Interpreter In The Pre-Joachim Era, Andrzej Kunecki

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The work concerns a study of Karol Lipiński – the early nineteenth century Polish violinist – focusing on his activity as a musical interpreter. The work is supported by a comparison with another violinist acknowledged in this field – Joseph Joachim. The work is divided between four chapters: The first chapter begins with a discussion on the development of the concept of musical interpretation in the context of the broader social and aesthetical changes of the early nineteenth century, and ends with a summary of Joachim’s interpretative activity in the latter half of the same. The second chapter includes Lipiński’s …

The African Christian History Of American Songs Of Slavery, Elizabeth Adekale

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Christianity is an African traditional religion that played a vital role in the formation of American songs of slavery, also known as spirituals. These songs were created by the enslaved Africans in America to express their longing for freedom and preserve African Christian tradition. Within the lyrics of spirituals are coded messages that provided secret information to the enslaved African population. The text of many spirituals came directly from the Bible and speaks of the Spirit working in and through God’s people to set things right. Saint Augustine (354-430 AD) was an African Christian theologian and philosopher whose spiritual authority …

Tradition, Pedagogy, And Internet Open-Access Music Libraries, Erin Tallman

Pomona Senior Theses

In this paper I take up the topic of open-access digital music libraries, specifically the ways performance and pedagogical traditions interact with and are impacted by open-access or public domain sheet music libraries on the internet. I first consider how traditions of performance and pedagogy have become misaligned in the case of viola repertoire and its historical context. I then turn to questions of copyright on the internet and copyleft practices as they relate to internet open-access libraries such as IMSLP, finding that they often are simply a new medium through which to uphold existing patterns, despite their apparent potential …

The Muted Woman: A Lovey-Dovey Themed Recital, From A Man's Point Of View, Raven Williams

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This senior thesis consists of a vocal recital, accompanying program notes, and research regarding the struggles of women composers as music evolved through its Ancient, Baroque, Classic, Romantic and Contemporary periods. The recital includes a compilation of love songs by French, Italian, English, and German composers, in particular Gabriel Fauré, the often-forgotten Stefano Donaudy, Samuel Barber, Roger Quilter, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Joseph Haydn. This paper incorporates biographical information, analysis, performance history and cultural insights into the overshadowed women composers that prospered around the same time period as the men of the former. Specifically, Nadia Boulanger, Nannerl Mozart, Alice Mary …

More Than De Colores: Expanding Students' Scope Of Spanish Language Songs For Learning And Use Within Music Therapy, Amanda Norman

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Culture is a critical component of a music therapist’s knowledge and mindset. However, undergraduate music therapy students are lacking adequate materials to learn music from a variety of cultural backgrounds. This project seeks to inform current and future music therapists of the variety of music that can be found within a single culture, focusing on music of Latin American, Hispanic, and Latino heritage. This project consists of a songbook of Spanish language songs that will be offered as a resource to current and future music therapy students at Eastern Michigan University.

Evaluating Ideasthesia As A Creative Tool In Compositional Practice: A Personal Reflection On Coloured Hearing Synesthesia, Suzanne Kosowitz

Theses : Honours

This research presents an evaluation of my compositional process with regard to synesthesia as a creative tool. Traditionally, the phenomenon of synesthesia has been discussed in perceptual terms, such as something that is seen visually elicits an additional experience in another sensory domain, such as sound. However, recent research has identified that there is an additional process involved in creating the secondary sensory experience, which is a semantic representation of concepts (ideasthesia). Specifically, my research considers ideasthesia in combination with a personal reflection on coloured hearing to provide a retrospective analysis of one of my compositions, Dance in Defiance (2012) …

Youth Musicians’ Executive Functioning And Its Impact On Emotional And Behavioral Health, Michael A. Tate

Dissertations and Theses

A growing body of neuroscience literature shows that music promotes brain development, as learning a music instrument involves multiple brain regions and neurocognitive systems. In partnership with a non-profit organization with a mission to strengthen New York City communities through music education programs, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of music training on children’s executive functioning (EF), as well as emotional and behavioral outcomes. We hypothesized that (i) children’s EF would develop more rapidly with exposure to the program; (ii) the intensity of practice would be associated with rate of growth of children’s EF, emotion regulation and behavior; (iii) …

The Decline Of Contemporary Protest Music: A Textual Analysis Of Political Protest Music During The Bush, Obama, And Trump Presidencies, Anthony Madubuonwu

CMC Senior Theses

Throughout the late 20th century, protest music was a pivotal tool for musicians in the United States to galvanize public support for different socio-political causes. Protest music has existed for years: when people are dissatisfied with the status quo, they compose songs about it. These songs are generally written to be part of a social or ideological change movement, and to rile up that movement by bringing people together, empowering them to act or reflect. This thesis argues that we have seen a decline in contemporary protest music that is political in nature. When reviewing the last three presidencies of …

Music Interventions In The Treatment Of Adolescent Trauma: A Systematic Review, Diana C. Hereld

Theses and Dissertations

As multidisciplinary research continues to uncover the promise of non-invasive interventions such as music in mental health treatment, clinicians, researchers, and music scholars alike have increasingly come together through the field of music psychology. As such, it is unsurprising that some of the most significant findings have come from cross-disciplinary studies in music and medicine. The juxtaposition of music and mental health creates a unique and substantial need for integration of literature across multiple disparate settings, including clinical psychology, education, neuroscience, music therapy, behavioral medicine, and psychiatry. Through methodological application of a textual narrative evidence synthesis, this review examines multiple …

Administrative Support For Music Education As Predictor Of Music Teacher Motivation, Tamara Myles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public school policies that prioritize the growth and success of core academic subject areas can lead to the neglect or devaluation of other subjects, including music education. Because school administrators act as enforcers of such policies, music teachers may perceive administrators as unsupportive, which may influence these teachers’ motivation. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which music teachers’ perception of principal support for music education predicted their self-reported motivation for teaching music. Maehr’s personal investment theory, which states that individuals exert greater effort on tasks that exhibit a higher likelihood of equal return, was the …

Playing-Related Medical Injuries And Health Conditions In Collegiate Saxophonists: A Survey Of Saxophonists In North American Universities, Michael Anne Tolan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

When compared to other areas of musical performance, medical research on the performing arts is limited when it comes to studies on woodwind players, particularly saxophonists. The gap in research may be attributed to the circumstances surrounding selection processes and identifying subjects for study. For example, saxophonists are not salaried professionals in orchestras, which are commonly pooled for medical research. Establishing contact with saxophonists to conduct studies can prove difficult due to the wide range of genres that utilize the saxophone. Some issues may also be attributed to research methodology. To find the onset of injuries, researchers in previous studies …

Senior Independent Study In Music Composition By Molly Leach, Molly E. Leach

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

Cross-Pollinating Music: The Past, Present And Future Of Genre-Blending Experimental Musicians, Vanessa Ague

Capstones

Recently, experimental music that mixes popular genres with academic styles has skyrocketed into the mainstream. Part of that’s because of the democratizing power of the internet, part of that’s because it’s a style that’s slowly become more prevalent over many years. This essay explores the different ways experimental musicians blend popular genres into their compositions, providing a succinct timeline of the style’s history and a playlist that features musical examples. Link to full capstone project: https://medium.com/@vanessa.ague/cross-pollinating-music-the-past-present-and-future-of-genre-blending-experimental-musicians-83f0d2ba9f2d

The Impact Of Motown Drummers In Popular Music, Estevan A. Barrientez

Recital Papers

The Impact of Motown Drummers in Popular Music

"A New World For Instrumental Art": An Exploration Of The Nineteenth-Century Saxophone Quartet And Its Repertoire, Laney Sheehan

Honors Projects

This Honors Project examines the major characteristics of the nineteenth-century saxophone quartet and its repertoire through the lens of four musical works: Hector Berlioz’s Hymne (for six wind instruments of Adolphe Sax), Jean-Baptiste Singelée’s Premier Quatuor, Jérôme Savari’s Quatuor pour Saxophones, and Caryl Florio’s Quartette (Allegro de Concert).

The Temple Of Immensity: For Choir And Electronics, Steven Naylor

Honors Projects

the temple of immensity is a composition for 16-part choir and fixed media electronics composed by Steven Naylor using astronomical data concerning the stars nearest to Earth and their properties. “The temple of immensity” is an archaic and rarely used term, defined as “the universe or the complete overhead expanse of the heavens, especially as conceived as an object of religious reverence.” This piece seeks to convey feelings of wonder and awe for outer space through the setting of an original self-composed poem and through the use of star data to determine musical aspects. The resulting 28-minute composition blends voices …

Concertina For 12 Musicians, Michael Boss

Music Theses and Dissertations

There is ample repertoire that demonstrates bitonality and polytonality. Composers like Bartok used bitonality in his piano piece Mikrokosmos. Within neo-classicalism, Stravinsky used an aggressive and biting bitonality in his most famous work, The Rite of Spring.

But these techniques are not exclusive to the orchestral or chamber music idioms. Jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus was no stranger to executing these schemes within the improvisational work Zoo-Bab-Da-Oo-Ee, a simple blues tune he wrote early in the development of his musical canon. Over the course of the piece, the harmonic tissue becomes thematic. It is common practice within this …

Shaping The Mind Through Music- A Family Challenge Of The 21st Century, Elisa H. Meyer

Honors Projects

This research provides reasoning for the importance of music education in America's schools. Music education is an integral ingredient in the cognitive development of the child- benefiting long term functions such as speech and language skills, memory, creativity, critical thinking, and general intelligence. Music allows a child to develop into their whole selves, encouraging the growth of their fullest potential. Various educational philosophies, such as the Rudolf Steiner philosophy and the Suzuki method describe the significance of this and outline substancial ways in which this integration is made possible. These philosophies are defined and discussed within this paper. Finally, insight …

Life And Health Concerns Of A European Monastic Scribe During The 14th Century, Jared Reiling, Christopher O'Neill, Nick Curatolo

2021 Festschrift: The Interpolated Roman de Fauvel in Context

Writing in a quiet, candle-lit room may sound hygge to some, but monks during the 14th century would describe their work on the scriptorium as cold, depressing, tedious, mundane, and exhausting. The copying of all texts, including biblical and musical, was done by hand with monks working around the clock copying, illuminating manuscripts, and binding books. With the regimented schedule of monastic life, the Church worked scribes till exhaustion which created health problems and aggravated underlying conditions. Though cataracts were a common problem, commoners performed surgery on each other to restore sight, but it only made the situation worse.

Allegory, Symbolism, And Metaphor In Le Roman De Fauvel, Maria Coulter, Jake Loitz, Cait Duffy

2021 Festschrift: The Interpolated Roman de Fauvel in Context

Roman de Fauvel is a 14th century work composed of poetry, story, an overarching narrative, and music to accompany the literature. In this study, our research is dedicated towards finding and analyzing the many instances of allegory and symbolism in the highly philosophical, satirical, and critical work. Using French 13th and 14th century historical context, we determine the origins of the subject matter of these allegories. Through this historical lens, we can observe what du Bus wants to convey through allegory as a response to his historical climate, and we can take that response and assign meaning to it in …

Khruangbin On Tour, Meghan Eileen Connolly

Graphic Communication

My senior project, Khruangbin On Tour, creates the opportunity to ideate and promote Khruangbin’s, a three-person band, tour through branding and merchandise. The goal is to create visuals, such as a poster or t-shirt design, to complement their songs and the band as a whole through the use of color palettes, typography, objects and illustrations. The music’s feeling and aesthetic should be reflected in the visual aspects as it represents the artist overall and speaks to the audience.

Engaging With The Score: Wadada Leo Smith, Graphic Notation, And The Performer’S Perspective, Kennedy Taylor Dixon

Masters Theses

As a Composer/Performer, my work exists in both realms. This thesis reflects the principle that my experience as a violist influences my compositional process and vice versa. Since identifying under both artistic skill sets, it has become evident that the two areas that exist as a creative and presentational output, thrive off one another’s success.

In June 2019, I had the chance to play Wadada Leo Smith’s String Quartet No. 3: Black Church, The First World Gathering of the Spirit (1995) at the Nief-Norf Summer Festival. This encounter was the first time I interacted with graphically notated scores as a …

The Machine Is Angry, Seth David Allen

Graduate Thesis Collection

At its heart (or lack thereof) The Machine is Angry is a theater work. The visual components are as equally important as their acoustic counterparts. Sounds are only as valuable as the images they evoke and the intention of The Machine is to outline a picture that simultaneously conveys community and isolation; the idea that one can feel most alone when in a crowded room.

Home Quartet, Oliver Bonie

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Constructivism In Choral Music Education: Supplemental Activities For The Traditional Choral Ensemble, Allison Renee Fojo

Graduate Thesis Collection

Constructivism in music education can help teachers and students alike better their educational experience by working as a collaborative team. In the choral classroom, constructivist teaching establishes the teacher as the facilitator of learning rather than the “teacher as conductor.” Teachers help foster the musical-thinking of the ensemble. Students learn and retain information when teachers can support learners’ understanding of musical ideas and work within the student’s zone of proximal development. Through the use of teacher-guided questioning, cognitive apprenticeship, informal music-making, CMP, problem-solving, and Understanding by Design, students become active participants. Included are supplemental activities for the traditional choir classroom …

The Pedagogical Value Of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music In A New Jersey Elementary Music Setting, Eric James Mclaughlin

Masters Theses

Elementary music educators’ analyze and select song repertoire based upon a variety of factors and influences. These can include an educator’s level of training, the preexisting standard song literature collection, resources obtained in undergraduate study, the context of the song material, and a song’s pedagogical application. Educators must be selective when choosing literature for pedagogical purposes, such as teaching specific melodic and rhythmic elements. The vast body of musical literature by renowned theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is not often used for that purpose in the elementary general music classroom. In addition, a recent national effort calling for the reexamination …