Music Commons^™

Evaluating The Use Of Extended Reality Technology To Improve Marching Band Conducting Patterns, Nathan R. Fuhrman

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Conducting pattern consistency is an essential skill for marching band drum

majors, yet developing this consistency through individual practice remains diffi-

cult without real-time feedback. This thesis investigates if the use of extended

reality technologies can be used to enhance the conducting skills of novice drum

majors. Using the Meta Quest 3’s passthrough capability, the system overlays vi-

sual feedback elements — including a 3D pattern guide, path visualization, tempo

cues, and a real-time score — onto the user’s physical environment. A within-

subjects study with seven participants evaluated eight combinations of three binary

feedback variables: pattern guide visibility, tempo …

Proud To Be Lao: Examining Lao American Identity Through Transnational Music And Performance, Zechary Phouthavong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For some time, Lao popular music has not received the same global recognition as other genres emerging out of Asia, such as K-Pop and Bollywood. In recent years, however, Lao-pop artists like Thinlamphone and Zamio P have broken onto the global stage, with music that showcases a unique blend of traditional Lao instrumentation with hip-hop, pop, and R&B styles. This emerging trend is particularly poignant for Lao Americans, as Lao-pop allows for Lao Americans to negotiate their experiences of being both Lao and American, further signifying its importance to constructing identity. This thesis explores the unique process of Lao Americans …

Fugues, Their History, And Their Status In The Twenty-First Century, William Sulliban

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines fugues from its first inception in the Renaissance to the twentieth century in order to contextualize fugal writing seen in the twenty-first century. The evolution of fugue through the twentieth century is the primary focus for the first chapter. For this, various music scores and academic scholarship are consulted to provide a foundational understanding of fugue. The second chapter examines contemporary fugue writing and explores how composers are approaching this very old compositional technique after several hundred years. Multiple twenty-first century compositions are discussed, as well as an interview I conducted with a composer to gain firsthand …

The Effects Of Background Child-Directed And Adult-Directed Singing On Reading Comprehension Performance, Agnes Yeboah Amfo-Adu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although music features in speech, such as those found in child-directed speech and song, are known to enhance language processing, the underlying mechanism of this benefit remains unclear. Prior research has primarily compared verbal materials presented in a musical, child-directed style to those in a less musical, adult-directed style, leaving it uncertain whether the benefit stems from the music style of verbal presentation or mere exposure to musical features. This study examined whether the language benefits of child-directed input persist when it is presented as background auditory stimuli rather than the primary focus of cognitive tasks. Experiment 1 found that …

Unheard Dissonance: An Examination Of Disability Representation In Horn Repertoire, Macy N. James

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

In recent years, diversity has come to the forefront of many discussions within western art music. Several organizations have been founded to promote the inclusion and representation of musicians of various genders, races, backgrounds, and ethnic roups, but disability is often left out of these conversations. Due to the barriers continually faced by composers and musicians with disabilities, their voices are seldom heard within horn repertoire. However, several works for horn exist which represent disability programmatically, both by disabled and non-disabled composers. In this presentation, I will examine the musical representations of disability in these works as it relates to …

Looking Back While Moving Forward: Four Musical Works That Signify Complex Emotions Regarding The Passage Of Time Through Ambiguous Endings, Bailey Griggs

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

Defying expectations is a useful and overlooked tool in music composition. Despite all their differences, the final movement of Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony, Joe Hisaishi’s score to the 2001 film Spirited Away, Joni Mitchell’s popular song “Both Sides Now,” and electronic artist The Caretaker’s album set Everywhere at the End of Time all share similar programmatic content. Each presents a protagonist who is coming to terms with the passage of time and is conflicted about how they should cope with change. Upon examination of these four works, they all use unexpected and ambiguous endings to signify complex ideas about time through …

Poets, Pioneers, And In-Betweeners: Musicians Of The South Asian Diaspora, Kancana Preetika Kathiravan

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sid Sriram, Arooj Aftab, and Ganavya Doraiswamy are three Asian American musicians who have experienced a meteoric rise over the past five years. These artists are signed to major labels, receive mainstream media exposure, have multiple Grammy nominations, and tour internationally. Through different avenues, they have built up diverse audiences that include members of the South Asian diaspora who see their own stories and music represented. Rather than being a single part of a cross-cultural collaboration, these musicians belong to both worlds. With backgrounds both in South Asian and American musical styles and grammars, these musicians are like their work: …

Concert Program 2025-03-18, Kalista Brown, Sung Kun Young, Rebekah Holland

Concert Recordings & Programs

No abstract provided.

The Fig Tree, Christopher Guevara

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

THE FIG TREE is a sonic representation of Sylvia Plath’s 1963 novel The Bell Jar. Within the story, the character of Ether Greenwood describes a vision of a fig tree, a representation of all that was and can be. Within THE FIG TREE are the representations of Plath’s text. The piece is broken into three distinct parts, held together by the soloist bass clarinet line. The first section is a slow buildup, an arrival to the fig tree. The ostinato in the low brass and reeds represents a steep incline to the tree itself. The middle section is within the …

Oscillith Matara, James Reilly Dickens-Hoffman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oscillith Matara is a series of improvisational acousmatic compositions that explore themes of birth, death, trauma and transformation. Each composition is an entry from a log of my daily practice. This practice is a meditation using electronic instruments as feedback devices to explore my states of consciousness as it relates to my present situation and personal history. The sound generated through this process of reflecting and responding acts as a cathartic medium for processing depression, anxiety and chronic pain. As a thesis exhibition Oscillith Matara is presented as a group of selected works and is performed as a fixed duration …

This Is A Man’S World: The Lived Gendered Experiences Of Blues People., Anthony Christopher Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

American Blues is known for playing a role in the foundation of the country’s music. The ingredient of the musical tradition has roots going back to West Africa and was brought to the United States through the of transatlantic slave trade. During the period of slavery, it formally developed with plantation work songs which later continued after emancipation with sharecropping until the early to mid-twentieth century. During the early twentieth century, W.C. Handy in Tutwiler, Mississippi, and musicians formally popularized Blues music were being recorded. The first Blues superstars were women such as Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, and Ma Rainey …

“Let A Hundred Flowers Bloom, To Discard The Old For The New.” The Building Of The Modern Chinese Orchestra, Ema Plafcan

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

“Let a hundred flowers bloom, to discard the old for the new.” Mao Zedong first said this when outlining his expectations for artists under the regime of the Communist Party in 1954, but it is also a quote that embodies what the Modern Chinese Orchestra is and has been throughout time. This paper aims to analyze this Chinese instrumental tradition and how it represents the people of China past and present, both inside China and in its diaspora. It shows music as a powerful tool for creating a collective identity. Starting with influences from ancient China, origins in the folk …

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 …

The “Invisible” Impact In The Arts: A Multiple-Case Comparative Study Depicting The Challenge Of Impact Reporting For Arts Impact Organizations, Heidi Rolf

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

This Honors Thesis researches the complex interrogative following the arts impact industry and the impact reporting methods available to the organizations within this industry. The research is achieved through a multiple-case study on six different arts impact organizations and additional web-based analysis. The case studies provide the structure for the ultimate discussion on available impact reporting methods for arts impact organizations and the level of importance, difficulty, and constraints associated with this form of reporting. This study presents detail on the growth and position of the current arts impact industry as well as that of the creative economy as a …

An Inclusive Playground For Infant And Toddler Development, Amanda Swartz

Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this project was to help children develop more proper developmental goals and make outdoor play at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center more inclusive for all children. Children gain many developmental goals from playing outside and being exposed to other environments as compared to just being inside the classroom. Outdoor play should be as inclusive as indoor play and offer many different activities and outlets, just as the indoor classroom does. The implementation of this service-learning creative project is to add more versatility to the outdoor area at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center and …

Concert Recording 2023-03-06, Dylan Matheny, Sonya Faulknor, Mickel Gordon, Tomoko Kashiwagi

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Élégie / Jules Massenet -- [10:29]. To my little son / Florence B. Prices ; arranged by Dylan Matheny -- [12:14]. 2nd sonata for alto saxophone and piano. I. Citadel ; II. Siege / Max Morrow -- [19:54]. Soprano saxophone concerto. II. Aria: injurious graffito ; I. The old line / Carter Pann --[28:29]. Bison circles / Forest Pierce.

Concert Recording 2023-03-06b, Lorenz Gamma, Dayton Strick, Chloe Harder, Er-Gene Kahng

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Passacaglia for violin solo / Heinrich Biber -- [08:25]. "On the Other Hand" for violin solo / Chrysanthe Tan --[16:19]. Fantasia X for violin solo / Georg Philipp Teleman -- [21:28]. "La magia de tus ojos" for violin solo / Yalil Guerra -- [27:44]. Fantasia VII for violin solo / Georg Philipp Teleman -- [36:36].Quartet for four violins. I. Allegretto - Allegro giocoso ; II. Andante tranquillo ; III. Molto allegro / Grazyna Bacewicz -- [48:37]. Sonata no. 2 in A Major for two violins. I. Allegro ; II. Sarabande: Largo ; III. Allegro / Jean-Marie Leclair -- [57:22]. …

Concert Recording 2023-04-03, Dylan Wenino

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Phase dance / Pat Metheny ; Lyles Mays -- [08:33.5]. 500 miles high / Chick Corea -- [13:59]. In a sentimental mood / Duke Ellington -- [17:08]. Falling grace / Steve Swallow -- Dolphin dance / Herbie Hancock -- [22:24]. Song of storms / Koji Kondo, arranged by Dylan Wenino -- [29:13]. Affirmations / Jose Feliciano.

Concert Recording 2023-03-30, Pavel Polanco-Safadit

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. And Sammy walked in / Michel Camilo --[08:18]. Caravan / Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington, arramged by Pavel Polanco-Safadit -- Rumbon / Pavel Polanco-Safadit -- [15:35]. Aranjuez Groove / Joaquin Rodrigo, arranged by Pavel Polanco-Safadit ; -- [23:35]. Chan-Chan / Compay-Segundo, arranged by Pavel Polanco-Safadit -- [27:47]. D.C. intro / Pavel Polanco-Safadit -- [34:35]. Bromley mambo / Pavel Polanco-Safadit -- [45:07]. I will survive / Freddy Perren and Dino Fekaris, arranged by Pavel Polanco-Safadit -- Rush hour / Pavel Polanco-Safadit.

Concert Recording 2023-02-26, Wesley Becherer, Sidney Hudelson, Grace Clark, Jonathan Lea, Sierra Hoaglund, William Vandelinder, Josue Avelar, Ethan Sevigny, Amy Short, Olivia Harrison, Lauren Zygmont

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Quartet in F (1814/15), Op. 37. I. Allegro ; II. Andantino ; III Menuetto ; IV. Rondo / Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer -- [24:00]. Trio (1970). I. Allegro con brio ; II. Andante semplice ; III. Allegro giocoso / Madeleine Dring -- [39:17]. Trio de Salon, Op. 8. I. Andantino sostenuto ; II. Allegro Moderato / Clemence de Grandval ; [01:45:23]. Wind Quintet (1922), Op. 43. I. Allegro be moderato ; II. Menuet ; Praeludium: Temo con variazioni / Carl Nielsen.

Analysis Of Robert Schumann’S “Fantasy Pieces For Clarinet And Piano”, Opus 73, For A Greater Understanding Of A Standard In Western Classical Solo Repertory, Kaleigh Alwood

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

In a mere two days, Robert Schumann composed a duet that would become a lasting symbol of romanticism in chamber music. “Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet and Piano”, Op. 73 is now a standard in clarinet repertoire. As such, the piece is frequently performed and analyzed. Schumann and his “Fantasy Pieces” are well known and broadly discussed, which leads one to wonder: how does one contribute to and interpret such a standard? To answer this question, it is proposed that research is utilized to examine the history surrounding the composer and the work alongside theoretical analysis to find and interpret key …

The Great Generalization: Organizational Adaptation Strategies As Entrepreneurship In Higher Music Education, Jacob Bruce Hertzog

Music Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study sought to measure how higher music education has evolved in response to the music industry’s digital revolution. I utilized a framework of organizational adaptation theory to synthesize five distinct organizational adaptation strategies: decentralization, generalization, specialization, formalization, and inaction. Music leaders were surveyed (n = 100) to assess adaptations across ten common domains in higher education. Higher music education was found to have undergone a great generalization through the expansion of activities in nearly every domain. Consistent with elements of organizational adaptation theory, and like individual musicians, higher music education has been entrepreneurial in response to the digital revolution.

The Game: A Contemporary Opera In One Act, Kailey Erwin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My opera entitled “the game: a contemporary opera in one act” began as a project in my undergraduate composition lessons. My vision for this opera is to make it accessible and easily performed by singers with minimal “operatic training.” This is an opera for developing singers, and a great introduction to the style of opera without long, draining arias, or complicated ensembles. This opera was performed on April 2nd, 2022 in Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall as a partial fulfillment for my degree requirements. Long-term, I envision The Game performed by singers in high school, undergraduates, or even community theaters. …

Music Inspired By The Works Of Robert Frost, Ryan Martin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

AbstractMany years ago on Easter, my mother gave me a book of Robert Frost’s poems as a gift. As a child, I enjoyed his rhyming schemes and the characteristically simple, beautiful, natural imagery he portrayed in his verses, but the deeper meaning of the words was largely lost on me. As I grew, I would revisit the poems from time to time and would enjoy discovering a subtly hidden metaphor or experiencing new feelings and emotions evoked by a poem I had already read dozens of times. When looking for inspiration as a music composition student here at the University …

Plains Minimalism, Matthew Magerkurth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plains Minimalism is a set of four musical scores that seeks to reconcile classical and folk music styles in a semi-improvisatory style. In each piece, the musicians are asked to interact with each other in different ways, alternating between a specifically-notated classical score and esoteric text descriptions. Additionally, this body of work includes instruments traditionally associated with American folk music, including banjo, manolin, and acoustic guitar. Through both the textural and notational fusion, these pieces are designed to be performed by musicians with variable degrees of reading ability, thus widening access to traditional classical music spaces.

Concert Recording 2022-01-30, Theresa Delaplain, Katey J. Halbert, Miroslava Panayotova

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Ballade Normande / Yvonne Desportes -- [05:20]. umurangi-kikorangi (Red sky blue sky 2) / Jennifer Margaret -- [11:41]. Sherwood legend. I. The swashbuckling hero ; II. The pensive romantic ; The pensive romantic 2 ; III. The unabashed scoundrel / Elizabeth Raum.

Concert Recording 2022-04-10d, Catherine Ryan, Miroslava Panayotova

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Rise / Karlayn Schubring -- [05:58]. Manitou incline / Joel Love -- [20:43]. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child / Florence Price -- [25:54].Fantasiestucke, op. 73 / Robert Schumann.

Concert Recording 2022-10-25, Katey J. Halbert, Lenora Green-Turner, Miroslava Panayotova

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Hyperion in the Red Forest / Karen Walwyn -- [09:37]. Enchanted Forest for horn and piano. 1. In the woods ; 2. Whispers in the wind ; 3. Enchanted Forest / Karen Tanaka -- [23:06]. To the seasons. 2. To autumn ; 4. To spring / Gina Gillie -- [33:39]. Songs of the season. Young love in spring ; Summer storm / Margaret Bonds -- [41:06]. Frost cycle. 1. October ; 2. To the thawing wind / Lydia Busler-Blais.

Concert Recording 2022-11-08, Moon-Sook Park, Emma Scott, Lisa Auten, Garrett Cash, Ariel Simson, Debbie Oliver, Andrew Neff, Ethan Sevigny, Campbell Leiterman, Edwin Soto, Narcedalia Isabel Fuentes, Sungkun Jung, Nathan Edwards, Drew Daniel, Kevin Wills, Kalista Brown, Talina Wood, Juan Garcia, Carla Summers, Dalton Jones

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Beau soir / Claude Debussy -- The lass from the Low Countree / John Jacob Niles – [04:57]. Into the night / Clara Edwards -- [07:34]. An Silvia / Franz Schubert -- [10:45]. Se tu m’ami, se sospiri / Alessandro Parisotti -- [13:33]. Erlafsee / Franz Schubert -- [17:12]. Vittoria, mio core / Giacomo Carissimi -- [20:07]. Aufenthalt / Franz Schubert -- [23:36]. Amarilli, mia bella / Giulio Caccini -- [26:14]. Avenue Q. There’s a Fine, Fine Line / Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx -- [28:58]. Go, lovely rose / Roger Quilter -- [31:39]. Vagabond / Ralph Vaughan Williams …

Concert Recording 2022-03-07, Drew Irvin, Dayton Strick

Concert Recordings & Programs

[00:00]. Tango Etude No. 1 / Astor Piazzolla -- [02:56]. Sonata No. 3 in A Major / Joseph Bologne -- [14:37]. Louisiana Blues Strut (A Cakewalk) / Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson -- [17:38]. Incantations.