Music Commons^™

Let It Ring! And A Red, Red, Rose: Transcriptions Of Brian Nabors’ Orchestral And Chamber Works For Wind Band, Lawrence Williams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this project is to create a wind band transcription of the orchestral work “Let It Ring!” and chamber work “A Red, Red, Rose” by Brian Raphael Nabors. Nabors' music has been described as music that elicits joy and draws deeply from his roots in Birmingham, Alabama, and the rich cultural tapestry of Black musical traditions such as gospel, R&B/neo-soul, funk, and marching band culture. He describes himself as a “fuser of worlds” and “boundary destroyer,” intent on crafting a space where listeners can meet themselves, reflect on deeper questions of humanity, and feel grace.^[1] His compositional …

Expresiones Musicales Rurales, Ana Betina Morgante Combariza, Rosa Delia Acosta León, Manuel Fernando Merchán Bernal, Juan Manuel Urrego Laurin, Andrés Felipe Acuña Duarte

Ciencias Sociales, Humanidades y Ciencias Políticas

La riqueza musical de una región no solo reside en sus sonidos y melodías, sino en las historias, las tradiciones y los valores que estos transmiten de generación en generación. Este libro de partituras es el resultado de un proceso de investigación etnomusicológico que busca documentar, preservar y divulgar las expresiones musicales rurales de tradición oral en Cundinamarca. Las partituras contenidas en esta publicación no son solo transcripciones musicales, representan una ventana a la cosmovisión de las comunidades rurales cundinamarquesas, donde la música es un medio de comunicación, un canal para la memoria colectiva y una herramienta pedagógica de inestimable …

2025-2026 New Music Festival: Gala Concert With The Lynn Philharmonia, Lisa Leonard, Glen Cortese, Lynn Philharmonia, Rebeca Sierra, Nabil Hetman, Zion Pe Montebon, Ana-Maria Uzunova, Ian Lewis, Hanting Peng, Aneliya Novikova, Yu-Hsuan Feng

New Music Festival

The 20th Annual New Music Festival

• Glen Cortese, Composer-in-residence
• Lisa Leonard, director

Friday, February 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Master Class with Anthony de Mare

Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Gala Concert with the Lynn Philharmonia

Monday, March 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM

• Anthony de Mare: American Mavericks & Re-imagining Sondheim

Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Faculty Masters Concert II

Friday, April 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Emerging Composers Concert

Our Bodies Are Wild And Shimmering (Music For Exhibition), Marcus O’Donnell, Colin N. Webber Dr

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

A note on the sound design: The Tracks draws inspiration from Marcus’ beautiful images that both reveal and conceal and explore the nexus of human and divine love.

The tracks are created in collaboration with AI tools, specifically Suno, Synthesiser V, Chat GPt and Claude. The lyrics are GPT, Claude and Google Translate versions of Richard Rolle’s The Fire of Love, rendered into liturgical Latin, Russian and Spanish, along with elements of canonical Mass lyrics. I chose to use musical styles that are found in ecclesiastical settings such as the 16th Century Catholic church, Medieval monasteries,

Russian Orthodox settings …

Chaotic Complexity: Order And Chaos In Works Of Cage, Xenakis And Boulez, Levi Graham

Music Theses

My thesis explores specific applications of chaos theory in contemporary twentieth-century music and analyzes the relationship between order and chaos in their creation. I will do this by referencing the levels of chaos presented by Katherine Hayles and categorized by Judith Lochhead. These levels of chaos include “Expressive Chaos,” “Denotative Chaos,” and “Ontological Chaos,” which provide a framework for grouping expressions of chaos in music.  I will analyze works of John Cage, Iannis Xenakis and Pierre Boulez through the lens of these types of chaos, with a particular focus on “Ontological Chaos,” which describes chaos as both dependent on and …

Hear & Now: Culturally Responsive Music Education Through Digital Audio Workstations & Musique Concrète, Benjamin T. Connolly

Pitzer Senior Theses

Hear & Now: Culturally Responsive Music Education Through Digital Audio Workstations & Musique Concrète is a two-part ethnomusicological study of how the capacities and affordability of modern electronic instruments could be utilized within school curricula as an affordable alternative to traditional music classes. I explore the musique concrète movement from mid-20th century France, aiming my examination towards the movement’s emphasis on the materiality of sound production and utilization of modern technology during the composition process. From there, the paper transitions into a study on the affordances of contemporary music technologies through a series of interviews with electronic composers, tracing the …

Catalog Of The Music Of Nick Strimple (B. 1946), Ruth Ballenger

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation provides a rich primary source for future scholars interested in the music of American composer Dr. Nick Strimple. A complete catalog of Dr. Strimple’s works and more than thirty transcribed interviews with the composer offer broad insight into Dr. Strimple’s motivations, inspirations, and sources for his own compositions. Primary sources – that is, firsthand evidence created in real time by a participant or observer – offer what musicologists might colloquially describe as the “gold standard” for citation and understanding of their musical subjects. As the field of musicology evolved, primary sources have come to be highly valued as …

Raised On Ritalin - A Work For Concert Band Based On My Personal Experiences With Adhd Alongside A Graphic Novel By Tyler Page, Ethan Prado

Theses and Dissertations

During my time as an undergrad at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, I loved to read graphic novels, and their library had quite the collection. I lost track of how many times I made my way down to the third sub-level of the Undergraduate Library to go to the graphic novel section. In my last year at UIUC (2021-2), preparations were made to close the UGL in order for it to be renovated for their Special Collections. Essentially, they would be swapping the contents of the UGL and the Main Stacks. One time, while looking for graphic novels in …

Shadows And Stars: How To Bring Student Compositions To Life, Dylan K. Ahrens

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Student composer Dylan Ahrens will present a session titled 'Shadows and Stars: a Symphony for Band,' premiered by the Belmont University Wind Ensemble on April 17, 2026. The composer will provide an analysis of the piece, discuss compositional processes, and outline the experience of learning to conduct one's own work with a collegiate ensemble. This presentation will include audio and video sample of rehearsal and performance, as well as images from the score.

Opera | Saint Mary Of Egypt (Revised Version, 2026), John Craton

Craton Scores Collection

This is the revised score for Craton's Saint Mary of Egypt; the original 2021 version is also available in this collection.

Implementations Of Improvisation And Existing Materials In Electroacoustic Composition, Jeffrey Todd-Voyten

Theses and Dissertations--Music

I have developed my compositional process through the use of sound synthesis, existing materials, and improvisation. When combining these techniques and resources, human gestures can emerge from inhuman materials in a dialogue between machines and humans. This thesis is an overview of my initial inquiries into the continuum of human agency and machine intervention, considering aspects of patch-programming, formal structure, and performance practice. In addition to the aforementioned compositional methods, this thesis also considers musico-dramatic meaning and personal musical influences outside the scope of electroacoustic music.

Form As Threshold: The Ontology Of Musical Discourse In Preludio, Fugue And Saturnal, Angel Gomez Ramos

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study analyzes the formal organization and musical discourse of Preludio, Fugue and Saturnal through a relational and process-oriented framework. It defines form as an emergent condition resulting from the interaction of musical parameters rather than as a predetermined structural model. The analysis focuses on the behavior of pitch organization, rhythmic structure, harmonic stratification, and motivic processes.

The compositional system is examined as a network of differential relations in which musical elements acquire identity through contrast and contextual function. Harmonic and temporal stratification are treated as primary structural mechanisms, alongside the use of non-teleological organization. Motivic material is characterized by …

Exploring Hybrid Chinese-Western Compositional Practices Based On Chinese And Western Film Soundtracks, Jie Hong Yang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis explores the development of a hybrid Chinese-Western compositional practice for film scoring, combining a written dissertation (Volume I) with a folio of 80 minutes of original orchestral music (Volume II). Drawing on analyses of Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Cello Concerto (2000) and John Powell’s film score for How to Train Your Dragon (2010), the research investigates how Chinese (minzu yinyue) musical elements and Western scoring techniques can be integrated to create a culturally hybrid approach. The project unfolds in two phases: the first focuses on incorporating Chinese musical characteristics into Western frameworks, resulting in 40 minutes …

Emotional Coding In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’S Music: The Influence Of Text-Driven Musical Patterns, Antonio Toppi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis investigates the phenomenon of emotional coding in the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), with particular attention to the ways in which text-driven musical patterns influence both vocal and instrumental works. The study draws on 18th-century theories of key characteristics, musical-rhetorical figures, and topoi, compositional devices that carried emotional implications for contemporary listeners. These codes are first examined in two of Mozart’s operas, Le Nozze di Figaro (KV492) and Don Giovanni (KV527), where the setting of text to music provides a framework for associating compositional choices with emotion. Findings from the analyses are then applied to three contemporaneous …

Preserving A Liturgical Identity: The Liturgical And Musical Heritage Of Roman Catholic Apostolic Women Religious In The United States Of America, Andrew G. Jennings

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

This thesis examines the liturgical and musical heritage of Roman Catholic apostolic women religious in the United States and argues that their contributions represent a significant yet understudied dimension of American Catholic life. As many communities face declining numbers, the preservation of their liturgical and musical traditions becomes increasingly urgent. Using an interdisciplinary methodology that combines historical research, liturgical theology, pneumatology, phenomenology, narrative inquiry, and qualitative interviews, the study explores how women religious have shaped and preserved communal identity through liturgy, music, and apostolic ministry.

The research traces the historical development of apostolic women religious from their emergence in the …

Twelve Preludes, Sarah Miller-Ross

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This set of 12 Preludes for solo piano draws inspiration from Chopin’s set of 24 Preludes for the same instrument, along with ideas from other composers and various genres to create a varied set in which each piece is centered around a note of the 12-note chromatic scale. The movements are titled based on the material that inspired them, the effect they create, or the special technique or limitation they used. A brief overview of inspirational material will be discussed, then each movement will be described through the lens of their compositional processes.

The Black Paintings: A Work For Orchestra, Cody Anderson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Based on The Black Paintings, a series of paintings by Francisco Goya, this orchestral composition ventures into various themes and satirical elements present in select paintings. Topics such as military overreach, the church’s influence on society, and the resistance of scientific ideas are just a few of the areas explored in the finished three movements. First, the composer’s interpretations of the selected works are covered, and then how those themes were translated into the music. Goya’s painting, “Women Laughing,” has numerous names given to it, which are much darker in tone. However, given the somber nature of the subsequent movements, …

Serenade No.2, James C. Mechem

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Serenade No.2 is a seventeen minute composition for Wind Symphony, dedicated to each

of my mentors in classical composition during the past 10 years: John Carbon, Brian Norcross,

Samuel Andreyev, Jay Chadwick, Adam Silverman, Robert Maggio, Ari Sussman, and Mark

Rimple. Through this composition, my goal was to both pay homage to the individuals that

helped shape my artistic voice, and to additionally connote each movement with evocative

oceanic imagery, specifically through the title of each movement in the composition. I included

this latter detail in reference to a vacation that I went on in August of 2025 to Atlantic …

Analytical Commentary And Performer's Guide To Carlos R. Martinez's Four Pieces For Trombone, Bailey Jean Hardy-Price

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Musicians with hearing loss are documented in prominent figures, such as Ludwig van Beethoven. In the age of developing medical technology, hearing aids can turn the course for many musicians. Music can serve as an audio medium for this journey.

Carlos R. Martinez (b. 1978) is an active composer and pianist commissioned to create a piece that explores the journey of hearing loss in a musician. Martinez’s Four Pieces for Trombone and Piano illustrate a musician’s discovery of their hearing loss, its consequences, and joy in implementing the use of a hearing aid. The detailed discussion of the composer and …

A Digital Audio Workstation-Based Analytical Framework For Contemporary Acoustic Music: Modeling Selected Excerpts By Viet Cuong, Robert Daniel Traugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) has made sound recording, manipulation, MIDI sequencing, and digital live performance accessible to nearly anyone with a computer and an interest in digital music-making. A DAW’s functionality is modeled on decades of development in analog modular electronic instrument design and sound recording techniques. Theorist and composer Jonathan D. Kramer, through his work in the 1980’s, referred to the invention of sound recording as a catalyst of a temporal discontinuity experienced by Western-trained musicians. Since that time, these same sound recording techniques have become increasingly prevalent in modern society. This document proposes a DAW-based analytical framework …

More Than A Man: An Ethnomusicological Survey Of The Folklore Of John Henry And Resource Guide For “More Than A Man” By Shanyse Strickland, Clayton R. Heath

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

“John Henry” exists as an enduring folk legend in the United States of America, representing the confluence of the Reconstruction Era, the economic utility of Appalachia and the Westward expansion of industry which left it behind. Though based on historical events, Henry’s fictional representation has diverted and evolved in music and other media from its inception in the oral tradition to the modern age. Through this progression, shared symbols have circulated, gathering embedded meanings and associating the folklore with specific communities. Henry’s representational identity has been signaled with the creation and distribution of each version of his story, both complicating …

Sonic Ecosystems And Natural Cycles: An Immersive Multimedia Improvisation, Jorge E. Variego

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This proposal presents a 20-minute free improvisation based on the concept of natural cycles, performed by a student-led electroacoustic ensemble. The multimedia improvisation explores the ensemble as a creative sonic ecosystem where sounds emerge, dissipate, and reconstruct in altered forms, mimicking natural processes like growth, decay, and regeneration.

This performance proposal is deeply rooted in the collaboration between Brian Eno and John Hassel in Possible Musics, where acoustic and electronic elements interweave, creating music that is simultaneously otherworldly and rooted in global sonic traditions. As Brian Eno noted, “Music is a process, not a thing.” This performance proposal situates music …

Electro-Acoustic Dance Composition: Practicality And Pragmatism, Ian Evans Guthrie

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

“Efficiency, expediency, and experimentation in Dance Compositions.”

In this presentation, I want to describe the practical difficulties in composing for dance and using live electronics, and how I have found a happy medium. The presentation will begin with an overview of common dance approaches as I have experienced at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Kansas City Ballet, and the Florida State University School of Dance, and other institutions. Then, I will discuss the limitations for elaborate electroacoustic setups, particularly in the “black box” theatres and variety of dance studios used at these places. I will defend my thesis …

Sound Of NangqêN, Jiayue Cecilia Wu

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

Tape Piece is part of a series of single-sound-source daydream pieces, where a solitary object or family of objects is repurposed to create an otherworldly soundscape. This work uses tape--masking, scotch, aluminum, packing, and duct--sometimes recognizable, and sometimes heavily processed. The familiar is juxtaposed with the fresh, and what starts out with unrolling and tearing quickly unravels as sounds evocative of gunfire, of bombs and explosions, and of Geiger counters suggesting the downfall of civilization. New creatures emerge throughout, each trying to find their place in a world that has come unglued.

Tape Piece, Kyle Vanderburg

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

Tape Piece is part of a series of single-sound-source daydream pieces, where a solitary object or family of objects is repurposed to create an otherworldly soundscape. This work uses tape--masking, scotch, aluminum, packing, and duct--sometimes recognizable, and sometimes heavily processed. The familiar is juxtaposed with the fresh, and what starts out with unrolling and tearing quickly unravels as sounds evocative of gunfire, of bombs and explosions, and of Geiger counters suggesting the downfall of civilization. New creatures emerge throughout, each trying to find their place in a world that has come unglued.

Human Vs. Transhuman: Act One, Cecilia Suhr

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This work investigates the conflict between human and transhuman; to that end, the performance employs visual representations of human and transhuman interaction. The music and visual realms interact in real time to enhance the immersive experience of understanding the tension between machines and humans. Voice improvisation also interacts with live processing to create a unique sonic landscape. Overall, this is a multimedia, experimental contemporary performance at the intersection of technology and acoustic music.

Consort Yu, Yao Hsiao

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

In Consort Yu for voice and live electronics, the integration of hand gestures and the use of Leap Motion holds profound significance in presenting Peking Opera. Unlike modern acting conventions, Peking Opera performers rely heavily on hand gestures to convey emotion and narrative. With limited body movements, gestures such as the iconic "Lotus Finger" become essential tools for expression. These nuanced gestures convey a wide range of emotions and intentions, enriching the storytelling experience.

My creative process bridges the rich traditions of Peking Opera with the realm of contemporary electronic music. First, I imitated the timbres and rhythms characteristic of …

Dreamcatcher, Ian Evans Guthrie

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

Dreamcatcher is a composition for piano and fixed media. Dreamcatcher is the organic result of a commission from and collaboration with a contemporary choreographer. Approached at a recent summer camp about composing music for a “dreamy” choreography, it became a work that synthesizes the sounds of our environment, the subconscious of sleep, the nostalgia of a cleaner world, and the hope of a better future.

Drawing Noise, Ivan Elezovic

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

DRAWING NOISE is a collaboration between a painter, a composer, and a photographer-video artist. The main intention is to further explore the ambient music that painting and drawing produce. The approach of audio is correlated with the sounds of various hand-movements by color pens on textured drywall. The method of making and designing audio and visual documentation of the creation of the wall drawings serve as the raw material for the final video. The audio in the project originates from recorded artistic performance that portrays a series of circle-shape objects in real time. Furthermore, various layers of sounds are added …

Out Of The Ground (Into The Sky), Brad Decker

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

Out of the Ground (Into the Sky) is written for clarinetist, with computer processing in combination with fixed audio. It is a multilayered performance project, that aims to memorialize a loved one. The performance (by both clarinetist, and the computer) is nuanced and visceral. This is intended to be a memorable concert piece.