Music Commons^™

Idiosyncratic Approaches To Electronic Music-Making Through Mobile Technologies, Nick E. Wilson, Martin K. Koszolko

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

This paper examines the transformative impact of mobile technologies on electronic music-making, highlighting how portable apps and hardware enable idiosyncratic approaches beyond traditional live and studio setups. Drawing on the authors’ extensive experience within and beyond Clan Analogue—Australia’s longest-running electronic music collective—the research contrasts conventional configurations with innovative mobile instruments and apps. By analysing a range of tools, from budget-friendly synthesisers to advanced smartphone and tablet apps, the paper explores how mobile technologies foster new creative possibilities. Using qualitative methods, the authors integrate personal experiences and a broad examination of music equipment to investigate the setting-based mobile music creation model, …

In The Collegiate Voice Studio: A Pedagogical Analysis Of Distinctive Works By Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Lili Boulanger, And Libby Larsen, Megan A. Calgaro

Recital Papers

In the Collegiate Voice Studio: A Pedagogical Analysis of Distinctive Works by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Lili Boulanger, and Libby Larsen

Unveiling Narrative In Liszt’S Dante Sonata Through Topical Analysis, Jasmine Olivia Harry

Theses and Dissertations

Narrative theory and its application in music have increasingly captured the interest of musicologists. Despite this growing attention, the analytical model remains relatively new compared to more established methods. Continued exploration and application are necessary to demonstrate its value alongside traditional theoretical frameworks. This dissertation employs narrative theory to examine the ironic comedy archetype in Franz Liszt’s Dante sonata, utilizing a bottom-up approach to construct a detailed musical narrative across three analytical tiers. Chapter two, representing the primary level, analyzes the sonata-fantasy macro-structure, uncovering key themes and the dynamic interplay between contrasting dichotomies. Chapter three, the secondary level, investigates semiotics, …

Exploring The Minuet: A Study In Piano Instruction Including Stylistic Concerns, Technical And Musical Challenges, And Pedagogical Analyses, Zhenyu Gao

Theses and Dissertations

The minuet, originating in 17th-century France, evolved from a courtly dance emblematic of aristocratic refinement into a significant form of instrumental music. Over the centuries, it has maintained its prominence in musical pedagogy and performance. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of the minuet’s historical development, tracing its Baroque significance in dance suites and individual keyboard repertoire to its transformation into a distinct movement during the Classical era. Furthermore, it examines the reinterpretation of the minuet within the contexts of Romantic and neoclassical compositions, including its enduring legacy in pedagogical collections, individual movements, and as a stylized dance form. This …

Approaches To Teaching Music Reading To Students With Dyslexia: A Guide For Piano Teachers, Olivia Grace Bradstreet Colomaio

Theses and Dissertations

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in the United States, affecting approximately one in five individuals. According to the DSM-V-TR, the ICD-11, and the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a Specific Learning Disorder that causes issues with phonological processing, sequencing of information and information processing, word recognition, reading fluency, and other issues. Due to its prevalence, the chances of piano teachers encountering a student with dyslexia in their teaching studios is highly likely. However, there is relatively little research available for piano teachers of students with dyslexia. In the music lesson, common areas of struggle for students with dyslexia …

A Comprehensive Guide To A Trumpet Embouchure Change, Megan E. George

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to expand the literature related to the subject of trumpet embouchure change and provide a comprehensive resource that will assist both student and teacher in navigating a trumpet embouchure change. This resource will not only help them determine whether to go through with the process but will present them with multiple options regarding embouchure change starting methods. It can be used for a variety of ages but primarily intended for use with students high school age or older.

In current method books, one trumpet embouchure is usually presented and is often a “one-size-fits-all” …

Exploring Pedagogical Approaches And Discussion For Young Beginner Double Bass Players, Jiaying Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, early childhood education for the double bass has gained increasing attention and plays a crucial role in shaping the future development of the instrument. However, compared to other instruments, research on early childhood education for the double bass remains relatively underdeveloped, with a lack of written materials on the subject. This thesis introduces the formation of early childhood teaching concepts and explains why parents play an irreplaceable role in a child’s initial exposure to music learning. By collecting and analyzing traditional double bass teaching methods and integrating common principles from other string instrument teaching approaches, this study …

"Come Tempesta In Mar": Awe And Terror In Haydn’S Sacred Music, Clive Mcclelland

HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America

Haydn’s so-called Sturm und Drang symphonies are renowned for exhibiting a range of disruptive features. While some commentators have attempted to link this with a personal crisis in Haydn’s life, there is no evidence to support the idea. Furthermore, it is misleading to make an association here between stormy musical writing in general and the German literary Sturm und Drang. The principal musical topos that Haydn employs is one that I have termed tempesta, and its origins lie in the storm scenes of Baroque opera. Here there was often a supernatural association involving a deity either as instigator …

Spoken Word Percussion And Its Intersection With Communication, Gwen Leuschen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Music is a form of communication, whether expressing emotion, telling a story, or delivering information. Communication is widely used in music. This communication takes place by conveying ideas through the sound produced by performers. This form of musical communication cues the audience into the messages, information, and emotions the composers intended. However, when text or spoken word is implemented into music, how does this affect the communication, and how can this be analyzed? This paper explores the history of music and spoken word, explains applicable communication theories, and finally applies these theories to music with spoken word, emphasizing percussion.

Reassessing Haydn’S Orfeo In The Theatre, Dorian Bandy, Caryl Clark

HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America

Haydn’s last opera, L’anima del filosofo (The Soul of the Philosopher), is a highly unusual retelling of the Orpheus myth. Written for London in 1791 to a libretto by C. F. Badini, the opera was never staged during the composer’s lifetime. Shut down in rehearsal and banned from performance, the opera never reached the stage because many of its themes—including the apocalyptic storm at the end—piqued British anxieties towards events unfolding in revolutionary France. The opera finally premiered in 1951, with Maria Callas singing the role of Euridice. Universal Edition prepared the performing material from sources photographed behind …

2024-2025 Master Class - Andrew Kozar (Trumpet), Andrew Kozar, Juan Diaz Quijano, Ingryd Herrera, Daniel Meneses Leal, Matthew Montelione, Santiago Moreno

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Master Class - Tom Sherwood, Tom Sherwood, Christian Bartholomew, Jose Ignacio Diaz, Anna Dunford, Jeremiah Grace, Steven Halpner

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Master Class - Joshua Smith (Flute), Joshua Smith, Youbeen Cho, Ay Kawasaki, Yian Liu, Aj Meyer

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Master Class - Bob Koenig (Piano), Robert Koenig, Caroline Dratnal, Zion Montebon, Reagan Nguyen, Hanting Peng, Aidan Quintana, Jenna Salliman, Gabrielle Siena, Elisabeth Thomashoff, Ana-Maria Uzunova, Shuqi Yang, Yu-Hsuan Feng, Nabil Hetman, Brenda Lorenzo, Aneliya Novikova

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Master Class - Stephen Williamson (Clarinet), Stephen Williamson, Nataniel Farrar, Chase Hogan, Noah Suarez, Rishi Gurnani

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Master Class - Scott Hostetler (English Horn), Scott Hostetler, Hoon Chang, Daniel Cruz, Juan Fernandez Villegas, Olivia Oakland, Amanda Rearden

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Master Class - Cynthia Yeh (Percussion), Cynthia Yeh, Christian Bartholomew, Jose Ignacio Diaz, Anna Dunford, Jeremiah Grace, Steven Halpner

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

Notes From The Editor

Research & Issues in Music Education

No abstract provided.

Taking It To The Limit: Curricular Responses To Credit Hour Caps In Music Teacher Education Programs, Phillip D. Payne, Edward C. Hoffman Iii, Aaron T. Wacker, Ashley D. Allen

Research & Issues in Music Education

As tuition rates continue to rise, credit hours required for degree completion emerges as a primary topic of concern. Undergraduate music education programs (or degrees) typically require a high number of credit hours which may also necessitate student class overloads, summer coursework, and/or program completion that could exceed the expected term of four years. To better understand the extent of current degree requirements and offerings, we examined credit allocation practices at 100 randomly selected NASM institutions. Specifically, we focused on emerging trends, commonalities, and potential insights to better guide policymakers when addressing legislative mandates focused on credit hour caps. Findings …

East And West Meet: Developing Critical Thinking Skills In Piano Students Based On Chinese And Western Pedagogy, Xiaozhen Tong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research demonstrates the importance of critical thinking in piano education. Grounded in the philosophical framework of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, it explains how “dialogue” can be used to establish a collaborative teacher-student relationship. Through “praxis,” which is the integration of reflection and action, students and teachers can break free from “limit situations,” the structural constraints of reality, leading to evolution and creation.

By conducting interviews with piano teachers and students from diverse backgrounds, this research examines the differences between Western and Chinese piano education and some universal phenomena within piano pedagogy. Based on the interview findings, …

A Performance Pracitce Guide To Selected Cornet/Trumpet Excerpts From Wind Band Marches, Adiel P. Najera

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This dissertation seeks to illuminate a long-overlooked area in music and education. Wind band marches are part of a genre that has perhaps received less scholarly treatment when compared to the trumpet parts of orchestral, jazz, and popular music. This guide aims to fill the gap in information available for cornet/trumpet players in wind band settings.

This treatise will provide knowledge including a brief background information, marches in teaching and performing, insights from interviews with current and retired military trumpeters & current and retired music educators. Additionally, the document features excerpts with detailed performance practice and a list of renowned …

A Pedagogical Survey Of Solo Multiple Percussion Literature, Austin Shoupe

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In the study of western classical percussion, there are three or four core instruments through which the necessary skills of the discipline are taught. The three universally accepted core instruments are snare drum, keyboard percussion, and timpani. Multiple Percussion is often considered as a fourth core instrument, given its significant presence in symphonic literature, musical theatre, chamber music, and solo repertoire. However, despite its importance to percussion performance, there are very few published pedagogical materials for multiple percussion. While there are etude books available, there are no comprehensive method books aimed at multiple percussion pedagogy.

To fill this gap in …

A Comparison Of Informal Choral Singing Experiences, Christopher Powell

Theses and Dissertations--Music

A traditional choir relies on the interest and participation of the population in communal singing. However, drawing willing participants into a traditional choir program can often prove challenging to music educators, community choir directors, and leaders of religious music programs. One of the most prevalent informal singing groups in the USA is Sacred Harp. Sacred Harp “singings” have been around since the early years of The Sacred Harp itself. These singings occur regularly in multiple locations across the country and around the world. These events have an open atmosphere and, despite the mostly Christian material, have no expectation of a …

Designing An Undergraduate Opera Workshop Curriculum For Universities, Christopher L. Burchett

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The world of opera is quickly evolving to keep pace with the other arts forms of film, television and Broadway theater. For many years the genre had been reluctant to change with the times and update the skills of their performers. Those days have passed. Today’s operatic performers must be better actors, better movers and more theatrically efficient with their overall skill set in addition to having the secured singing technique that has for so long been the top priority. Universities must take ownership of this training.

Today’s university opera workshop programs must be more than they have been in …

Performance Guide To Select Twentieth-Century French Organ Works Based On Te Deum, Margaret Maria Lerose

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Gregorian chant Te Deum originated over 1500 years ago and was the basis of many vocal and instrumental compositions. Segments of the chant were also used as motives and themes for improvisation. Students at the French organ school studied both improvisation and composition. This study examined three exemplary pieces that resulted from the French organ school traditions: Improvisation sur le Te Deum (1930) by Charles Tournemire, Hymne d’Actions de Grâces, Te Deum (1934) by Jean Langlais, and Paraphrase sur le Te Deum (1946) by Marcel Dupré.

After a brief chapter on the history of the Te Deum chant, biographical …

No Sweeter Sound: Musicking, Transformative Pedagogy, And Collaborative Social Justice In Choral Settings, Natalie N. Shaffer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Choral music and its conductors occupy a tenuous space in the 21st century. In a new cultural atmosphere influenced by Gen Z’s expectation of welcomed diversity and intolerance for injustice, TikTok’s rapid global dissemination of information and entertainment, and society’s desire for authentic connection following the Covid-19 pandemic, the dichotomies present in choral music are no longer being glossed over. Difficult conversations about race, gender, ableism, social location, and other intersectional identifiers are at the forefront of academic writing and conference presentations. Evidence of transformative pedagogy and culturally responsive practices are beginning to appear in classroom syllabi and rehearsal techniques …

Mind The Gap: Supporting Freshmen Voice Students Transitioning To Higher Education Through Coaching Conversations, Erica L. Gabriel

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The experiences one may encounter while matriculating through the K-12 system of education are vastly different from the world of higher education. While one feeds directly into the other, the transition can be a difficult one for young singers also navigating the developmental leap from adolescence to adulthood. This is due to several systematic and instructional differences, compounded with unique challenges encountered by freshman voice students in the first year. Gaps in support systems compiled with new and increasing financial, social, and academic demands can lead to a decline in overall student well-being and an increase in stress.

This increase …

The Seating And Standing Arrangements Of Band, Orchestra, And Choir, Sabrina Wolf

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this literature review, I will be looking for scholarly articles that discuss the seating and standing arrangements of band orchestra and choir ensembles. The main goal of this literature review is to find what information is available and discover what positions work to find the best sound that each ensemble can have. After finding the resources, I will annotate each source and summarize the information. I will also reach out to ensemble directors at the University of Akron and interview them to discover what seating and standing arrangements they prefer and why. I will compile this information into a …

Who Is Allowed To Compose Catholic Church Music? Ferdinand Hiller's Insightful Report On The Sacred-Music Competition In Louvain (1866), Jürgen Thym, Ralph P. Locke

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

In 1866, a competition was held in Louvain (Belgium) for a new setting of the Latin Mass text; the aim was that the winning piece be accessible in style and require only choir and organ. The jury included, among others, the composers Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, and Ferdinand Hiller; the lexicographer Fétis; and Joseph d’Ortigue, music critic for the Journal des débats, editor of Le Ménestrel, and a prominent advocate for the regeneration of Catholic church music.

In 1880, Hiller—longtime director of the Cologne Conservatory—published an essay describing the competition in detail. His essay, never before translated or discussed, forms …

Interleaving Practice: A Better Approach To Band Rehearsal Structure, Matthew Reimer

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to identify the merits of a band rehearsal structure that incorporates elements of an interleaving schedule, whereby multiple items of a similar nature are rehearsed in a mixed fashion rather than in a blocked format where one task is completed before moving on to the next. The project looks at the current state of research related to interleaving in the study of the arts, potential obstacles, motivational strategies to increase student receptiveness, and specific examples of how to implement the research in an intermediate band rehearsal. Included are resources and strategies for pitch and …