Music Commons^™

An Analysis Of State Music Education Certification Practices In The United States, Allyssa Pehrson, Brittany May

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this study was to compile relevant information for music educators about certification practices of each of the United States and the District of Columbia from resources available fall 2015, and to examine the commonalities and differences among the state policies. Specifically we identified the following for each state: (1) Content areas included under the certification in music teaching. (2) Age-level designations for certification in music teaching. (3) What tests are required for certification in music teaching? (4) Does the state have reciprocity for various certificates? (6) Is there an alternative certification program available for those without education …

The Development Of Western Classical Piano Culture In Postwar Asia, Yejin Cho

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the past, present and future of the development of Western piano culture in Northeast Asia and the musical, social, political and economic facets thereof. Western piano was first introduced to general public as part of the Westernization process during and after World War II in Asia. During the second half of the twentieth century, Asian piano culture has experienced a period of rapid development and mass popularization along with dramatic cultural, economic and technical developments. Quantifiable evidences for this are given in the number of competition winners and graduates of prestigious institutions …

Trumpet Transcription Of Frederic Chopin’S Nocturnes For Piano, Opuses 9, 15, 27, And 32, Logan Anderson, David Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The art of trumpet playing has existed for thousands of years, but today’s trumpet is a relatively new instrument. The addition of piston valves in the early 19th Century (see figure 1) allowed the trumpet to play in every key, while its predecessor (see figure 2) was limited to the harmonic series of only one key. The piston trumpet came about at the start of music’s Romantic period, but little Romantic music was written for the new instrument. As a result, there is a large gap in the trumpet repertoire. There are a number pieces for trumpet without valves from …

Studio Orchestra Club, Dallas Crane, Ron Saltmarsh

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Studio Orchestra Club was successfully initiated and its first stages of implementation were successful. We were able to accomplish the following goals:

1. Establish Studio Orchestra Club as an Academic Association under the Commercial Music program. This lends official recognition to the group, as well as funding from the Commercial Music program (ideally, see below). This also allowed Studio Orchestra Club to schedule room usage as an independent unit, instead of relying of faculty.
2. Record various projects, including two film scores, a graduate audition and a concept album. Link to the audio files: https://soundcloud.com/studio-orchestra-club.
3. Create a growing roster of BYU …

An Introduction To Baroque Interpretation For The Modern String Player, Molly Cowley, Alexander Woods

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Historically informed performance, or playing music how we think it would have sounded within the era that it was written, is becoming increasingly popular. Because recordings are not available for anything played in the 17th or 18th century, we rely on books and treatises of that era to determine style (phrasing, tempi, pitch, articulations, etc.) Although many scholars have published on the subject of Baroque Era playing, I have discovered that these, often large, books can be intimidating to the average music student. Watching students avoiding the texts and attempting to learn the style from mere imitation has motivated me …

Dr. Gordon Childs And The Viola D’Amore, Caryn Jackson, Dr. Claudine Bigelow

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The viola d’amore, a unique instrument that many are not familiar with, is more important than we give it credit for, not only musically but also for the research opportunities it presents. I was first introduced to the viola d’amore two years ago when I received my mission call to the Scotland/Ireland mission. As a music major and violist at BYU, I became deeply interested in Scottish and Irish music both before and after my mission. Around that time, I learned of Irishborn Garth Knox, a prominent violist/viola d’amore player and composer who has written many Scottish/Irish pieces for the …

Ornamentation In Bach’S 21st Century Evangelist, David Seay, Dr. Robert Brandt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Vocal performers of the past century appeared to be unaware of Bach scholars’ discoveries regarding ornamentation. Despite scholars having written more about ornamentation than any other performance-related topic, recordings from 1945-1975 indicate that vocalists performed Bach’s music with “basic principles [of ornamentation] but took little account of scholarly detail or stylistic specifications.” ¹ It was also discovered that despite Bach scholars’ efforts to reach their vocalist-audience, discussion on how to ornament the recitative – a music form most unique to vocalists – was largely overlooked.

Heard In The Storm, M. A.Y. Greenhalgh , Text, Myrna J. Layton , Music, John C. Leavitt , Arrangment

Faculty Publications

The rain was falling, the winders were calling, The clouds swept over the sky, When 'mid the alarm of darkness and storm A shower of song swept by; ...

Jesus Is Born, The Lord Is Born, Myrna J. Layton, Michael Biancardi, O. A. Miller

Faculty Publications

Set to the tune of "I Will Take Care of Thee, My Child," a hymn composed by O.A. Miller (1918).

An Historical Ethnography Of A Rural School Music Program: A Case Study, Robert C. Lacey

Theses and Dissertations

Every school music program has a history and a culture. This thesis was a study synthesizing those two elements, seeking to explore the past culture of a rural school music program primarily through interviews with former members of this culture. Throughout are examples of how music teachers, music students, administrators, and community members interacted over the course of approximately 30 years. From these interactions, the researcher drew insights about patterns of teacher behavior that could improve or hinder progress in a music program, including the quality of interpersonal relationships, the value of a teacher trying to integrate in a community …

Exploration Of Russian Harp Repertoire, Eliza Weed, Dr. David Day

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I was given an ORCA Grant to research the Russian Harp Repertoire. The grant allowed me to travel to Switzerland for a two-week intensive of workshops, lectures, performances and master classes with Russian harp masters Irina Zingg and Milda Agazarian. While I was at this intensive I not only learned an extraordinary amount about the subject of Russian Harp Repertoire, but also was able to study Russian technique and the pedagogy thereof. My time in Switzerland has already paid dividends in my prowess as a musician and I am confident and excited to share what I have learned with my …

Percussion Education In Secondary Public Schools: A Pilot Study Comparing The Concert Band Vs. The Percussion Ensemble Approach, Jedediah Alan Blodgett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the benefit of offering a percussion ensemble class in secondary public schools. I looked at two elements of music education: playing time and relevant instruction. The research questions focused on the difference in playing time and relevant instruction between percussionists in the concert band and percussionists in the percussion ensemble, as well as differences between the concert band subgroups (brass, woodwind, percussion). 6 separate instrumental groups were observed: 4 concert bands and 2 percussion ensembles (N=6). Students were randomly selected from each instrument subgroup (brass, woodwind, percussion, percussion ensemble) for observation. …

New Jazz Composition “You Make Me Feel…Incredible”, Richard Williams, Mark Ammons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It really was a pleasure working with Mark Ammons and the Jazz Ensemble to write this new piece. I have been wanting to write a score similar to the “Incredibles” soundtrack, and I was blessed enough to have this opportunity.

Networked Computer Music Installation, Matthew Webb, Steven Ricks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Under the direction of my faculty mentor Steven Ricks, I created a music installation entitled Internet Protocol. As a creative impetus, I sought to create an installation that would consider the emotional and psychological consequences of living in an increasingly digital and interconnected world. I wished to create an installation that would challenge the audience aesthetically and allow them to think about music in new ways. The installation was completed and exhibited multiple times to various audiences.

Karen Tuttle: Coordinated Violist Extraordinaire, Karen Tuttle, Dr. Claudine Bigelow

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For my project, I did extensive research on viola pedagogue, Karen Tuttle. Even after her passing, Ms. Tuttle remains an important influence in the fields of viola pedagogy and modern viola playing. She taught some of todays most influential viola professors, and through their teaching, Ms. Tuttle’s legacy continues to live on.

Peer Recordings Ii, Austin Robinson, David Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

“Peer Recordings II” is a continuation of a project designed to build an archive of educational materials for use as a pedagogical resource to teach style and musicianship. This project provides an advanced Jazz Studies trumpet student with valuable recording experience. These recordings will be a valuable resource in aiding other students unfamiliar with Jazz styles to learn and feel comfortable in the idiom.

Eugene Levinson’S School Of Agility Understanding Its Application, Joshua Lambert, Eric Hansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Throughout classical music history, most major composers of the baroque, classical and romantic eras overlooked the bass as a solo instrument leaving the instrument’s repertoire tragically underdeveloped. In recent decades, however, a significant number of virtuoso double bassists has emerged and, along with them, significant new solo works have changed the way the instrument is played and heard. These luminary bassists devoted much of their careers to developing a new pedagogy for the double bass in an effort to compensate for centuries of pedagogical deficiency. One of the leading figures in this movement to advance the double bass as a …

Tchaikovsky’S Violin Concerto: The Composer’S Original, Auer’S Edition, And The Performer’S Dilemma, Caitlin Johnson, Alexander Woods

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I began my project with two purposes: to compile a history of the evolution of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, including the compositional process, premiere history, different editions, and performance tradition; and to synthesize that research in an informed performance of the concerto. The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is a landmark in the genre’s evolution. Initially deemed too difficult to play and too transgressive of musical norms, the concerto received vitriolic reviews. Between the concerto’s genesis and its acceptance as a classic, it was altered to produce the several versions performed today. The edits made by performer and …

Vienna Recording Project, Christian Succo, Dr. Will Kimball

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As a Music Education Major at BYU and a competent trombone player, I recognize the value and importance of experiencing things first hand. In my experience theory and practice are different. The first lacks a certain depth of understanding and often carries with it false realizations and implications. Due to this, it becomes essential to discover ways of bringing real life experiences to our school and provide ways for students to engage themselves in these experiences. The Vienna Recording Project is a work in progress that will ultimately tap into the need that students have to experience things without ever …

Music Of Christmas, Vanja Y. Watkins, Marvin K. Gardner, Ronald Staheli, Myrna Layton

Books

No abstract provided.

Summary Of Creative Activities Grant Results- Abinadi, An Opera In Two Acts, Meredith Ryan Taylor, Dr. David Sargent

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Abinadi, at the time of this report, has not been completed. Originally the opera was intended to be finished with an orchestration requiring soloists, chorus and a small instrumental ensemble of not more than twenty players. Early on in the process of writing, Dr. Lawrence Vincent (head of BYU opera) expressed an interest in somehow staging the work, but was unsure that the funds would be available for an orchestra. In consideration of this and the prospect of having the work staged I decided to reduce the amount of instrumentalists to three- two pianists and a woodwind specialist (the cast …

Mercadante Etude Studies, Nicole Okeson, David Day

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I began my ORCA research studying the a book of etudes written by the composer Saverio Mercadante. We had done research and found that this particular book of etudes had not been published and felt that it would be a valuable book to publish. In studying the manuscript I became acquainted with Mercadante’s writing style and also gained insight into the workings of the Classical Flute, which is vastly different from today’s modern flute in mechanism and agility.

Successful Choral Rehearsal Strategies: A Systematic Approach, Christopher Machado, Dr. Ronald Staheli

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The collection of choral rehearsal strategies used in the choirs at BYU has been an enlightening project. I have discovered and documented many effective pedagogical tools, methods, buzzwords, imageries, and vocalises. New possibilities for the project have opened up as well, which will allow me to carry the research forward into the coming years.

Foundation: Live Electronic Music Exploring The Harmonic Series, Andrew Jensen, Dr. Steven Ricks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The harmonic series is one of the most fundamental or foundational elements of musical harmony. The relationships between elements in this series explain why certain chords appeal to the human ear while others do not. My ORCA project involved creating a software synthesizer that uses the tones in the harmonic series to create improvised electronic music on a laptop computer. I performed in concert with the instrument at the Utah CrossTalk concert at the University of Utah on December 3, 2013. I copied the source code onto the computer in BYU’s Electronic Music Studio for composition faculty and students to …

Modern Method For Guitar, Brady Bills, Dr. Larry Green

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the last semester and summer I have been developing a modern guitar method book. I have been consulting with Larry Green (my faculty mentor) as well as reading many different guitar method books. I came to find that the reason why many of the method books were failing was due to a lack of attractive content and a early focus on chords rather than single notes. I developed my method based upon single notes then progessively moving into small chords (2 or 3 notes only) and gradually move into full chords (4,5 and 6 notes).

Practice Makes Perfect: A Comparative Study Between French And American Harp Pedagogical Techniques, Angela Barlow, Dr. Steven Ricks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I will never forget hearing the first few notes of Symphonie Fantastique played by the Orchestre de Paris during my music study abroad stay in Paris. However, it isn’t just the first few notes of the Symphonie that I will always remember, it is the all-encompassing feeling of musical expression that will never leave me, and which consequently had me crying for the duration of the piece; 55 minutes long. As I listened, not once, but twice, to the Orchestre de Paris perform, it became evident that the musical expression I was hearing was what I had searched and listened …

Wind Symphony Performance For Western/Northwest Cbdna Regional Conference, Don L. Peterson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The MEG grant funding was designated as $5000 to assist with travel expenses of the Wind Symphony and soloist, Jaren Hinckley and an additional $1500 to purchase digital recorders–for a total of $6500.

Implementing A Woodwind Maintenance Program, P. J. Woolston, Dr. Christian Smith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Because of the emphasis on performance in the BYU School of Music, a student’s most important tool, the instrument itself, is often grossly neglected. Woodwind instruments are particularly susceptible to deterioration. As keys are repeatedly pressed and manipulated, instrumental noise (the clicks and squeaks of keys interacting and pads closing) worsens and detracts from a performance. Dust accumulates between the pads and the wood, compromising the seal made by closed keys. Thus the quality of music depends largely on the condition of the instrument. Generally, and especially for instruments lent out by the school, this problem is not addressed until …

The Effects Of Live Harp Music On Caloric Intake, Weight Gain, And Length Of Stay Of Infants In The Newborn Intensive Care Unit, John Wallace Gardner, Dr. Rosalie R. Pratt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Prematurely born infants begin life with underdeveloped systems and organs and lack the stability to live optimally outside the womb without significant support from technology and trained professional staff. Preterm infants may suffer from low weight, difficulties with consumption and digestion, exposure to high stress, uncontrolled motor movement, and numerous other difficulties. Most of these infants spend their first weeks and even months of life as high-risk patients in a newborn intensive care unit (NBICU or NICU).

Cultural Regulation: The Disparity Between Crtc Regulation And Public Demand In Quebec, Chantelle Komm, Dr. Harrison Powley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As proposed, I spent this summer in Quebec listening to the radio and making comparisons between the amount of French I heard on the radio, the amount of French mandated by the CRTC, and the amount of French in non-regulated spheres. The two areas I looked at for comparison were Quebec City which is the largest completely francophone area of Quebec and Hull, which situated right across the river from Ottawa, finds itself immersed in English and anglophone culture.