Music Commons^™

Little Eichmanns: A Composition For Chamber Octet, Benjamin D. Norton

Theses and Dissertations--Music

An original composition in one movement for a chamber octet comprised of a string quartet and a jazz piano quartet with tenor saxophone. The work develops an idée fixe, introduced in the opening bars, through a wide variety of transformations, textures, and styles. The two quartets begin in antiphonal alteration, united in thematic material, yet separated by style. A modern art music style contrasts with an improvisational jazz style. Gradually, the two quartets, and their concomitant musics, bleed into one another, breaking down stylistic boundaries. In the conclusion of the work, the idée fixe, the supplementary themes, and …

Patterns In The Sacred Music Culture Of The American South And West (1700-1820), Nikos A. Pappas

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This narrative chronicles the dissemination of sacred music from the eastern seaboard to the West and South spanning a time frame from the colonial era to the latter part of the Early Nationalist Period (1700-1820). Musical culture in its migration away from the eastern seaboard also parallels the greater western and southern expansion of the United States from its initial configuration of localized regional subgroups to the beginnings of a larger national identity. From this conceptual base, sacred music becomes a vehicle for understanding not only religious and musical changes over time, but also the broader maturity of a nation. …

Reconsidering Brazilian Representations In Choros No. 5 And Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 For Piano By Heitor Villa-Lobos, Paula Maria Lima Galama

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study offers a reconsideration of the music of Villa-Lobos and its relationship to diverse musical expressions and musical syntheses in Brazil. Its primary purpose is to present a line of interpretative thought for Heitor Villa-Lobos’s piano compositions, emphasizing significant elements reflective of the folk and popular culture of Brazil that the composer integrates with stylistic features influenced by European art music traditions. It highlights Villa-Lobos’s adaptation of characteristic Brazilian dances, dance rhythms, melodies, direct quotations, and fragments of folk and popular tunes in Choros no. 5 (Alma Brasileira) and Bachianas Brasileiras no. 4 (Brazilian Bachianas no. 4). In the …

Unlocking The Paradox Of Christian Metal Music, Eric S. Strother

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In 1984, Stryper released its first album The Yellow and Black Attack and introduced audiences to a different kind of heavy metal. Instead of lyrics about sex, alcohol, and Satan, Stryper sang about Jesus, salvation, and God. While there were a number of fans ready for this change more were not. Members of the Church as well as members of the metal subculture were in agreement that Christianity and heavy metal were incompatible. Despite these objections, however, more bands emerged, and Christian metal became a significant genre within the Christian music industry. These bands presented Christian-oriented lyrics within the full …

The Silence: Overture And Two Scenes From An Opera In Two Acts, Eric Jurgens

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Silence is the story of William Rose, a man who, while searching the world for his missing wife and daughter, is kidnapped and held in a secret Iranian prison. After many years of torture, abuse and a slow descent into insanity, secrets about his family manifest as mysterious and magical occurrences, creating a dangerous tension between the prisoners and guards. Questions begin to arise: Who is actually in charge of this prison? Why haven’t the guards ever met the warden? Why is the prison haunted by mysterious voices? And what exactly would it take to crumble the walls of …

China’S Musical Revolution: From Beijing Opera To Yangbanxi, Yawen Ludden

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study seeks to investigate the modern derivative of Beijing opera, known as yangbanxi, through macro and micro approaches. The first part of the thesis surveys the development of Beijing opera under the historical context and in its social, political, and cultural perspectives. The second part, taking a microscopic perspective, undertakes an in-depth analysis of the compositions that were solely created by composer Yu Huiyong. First, it assays the application of Yu’s theory to his compositions of various Beijing opera arias. Second, it analyzes Yu’s instrumental music in compositional dimensions such as material, structure, and techniques, considering the larger implications …

The 10,000-Hour Threshold: Interviews With Successful Percussionists, Colin J. Hill

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Musicians are universally reliant on practice to improve and perfect their craft and there is substantial evidence that suggests mastery can only be achieved after 10,000 hours of practice early in life. This dissertation explores the validity of this theory as it pertains to master percussionists and examines their discoveries and recommendations as to how those 10,000 hours should best be spent. Research sources include selected published literature and personal interviews with thirty-six percussionists, conducted between 2010- 2013. The research is summarized in the following six sections: the 10,000-hour threshold; planning a practice session; warming up; learning new music; problem …

A Conductor’S Guide To David Del Tredici’S In Wartime, Joe David Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici (b. 1937) has gained recognition as a composer for both instrumental and vocal settings. Although his instrumental contributions include solo, chamber, and orchestral works, to date he has only written one composition for wind band. A conductor must devote himself / herself to score study and analysis in order to form an accurate interpretation and to conduct effective rehearsals. A vital part of score study and analysis is familiarity with the composer’s technique and style of writing.

A brief biographical sketch presents Del Tredici’s background, education, honors and awards, academic career, and influences, as …

A Progressive Guide To Commercial Trumpet Playing, Eric R. Murine

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The commercial genre of trumpet playing has been overlooked by educators for years. The goal of this project is to author a book, A Progressive Guide to Commercial Trumpet Playing, to address this issue. Commercial music can be defined as music for the mass consumer audience with the intent to produce monetary profits.

This approach will take a student stylistically from blues through the popular music of the 21st century. The ultimate goal of this book is to fill the pedagogical void in trumpet performance study material, providing a more complete foundation for the trumpet performer. Each chapter will …

What Keeps Us Well? Professional Quality Of Life And Career Sustaining Behaviors Of Music Therapy Professionals, Shane C. Swezey

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Self-care can be seen as not only critical for individual professionals, but also for the growth of the helping professions and the quality of care which clients receive. The purpose of this study was to investigate use of career-sustaining behaviors and the levels of professional quality of life in music therapy professionals. This study investigated research questions regarding use of career sustaining behaviors and levels of professional quality of life, the relationship between these variables, the differences in the use of career sustaining behavior by demographics, and the use of music as a self-care strategy.

An online survey was sent …

Performing Community: The Place Of Music, Race And Gender In Producing Appalachian Space, Deborah J. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Traditional, participatory music is a powerful medium through which people express and shape their ideas about identity, mobility, social relations, and belonging, and through which people are in turn shaped. The everyday cultural practices of playing, sharing, and dancing to traditional music, as well as discussions about the nature of traditional music and production of events involving traditional music, all work to construct the region called Appalachia.

Through this dissertation, I seek to answer some simple questions that have complicated answers involving place, identity, power, and social relations, with economic, social, and emotional ramifications: Who gets to be an Appalachian …

A New Geometric Model And Methodology For Understanding Parsimonious Seventh-Sonority Pitch-Class Space, Enoch S. A. Jacobus

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Parsimonious voice leading is a term, first used by Richard Cohn, to describe non-diatonic motion among triads that will preserve as many common tones as possible, while limiting the distance traveled by the voice that does move to a tone or, better yet, a semitone. Some scholars have applied these principles to seventh chords, laying the groundwork for this study, which strives toward a reasonably comprehensive, usable model for musical analysis.

Rather than emphasizing mathematical proofs, as a number of approaches have done, this study relies on two- and three-dimensional geometric visualizations and spatial analogies to describe pitch-class and harmonic …

Opera And The Modern Culture Of Film: The Genesis Of Cinemopera, Its Intertextuality And Expansion Of Operatic Source Material, Yuell "Chuck" E. Chandler Iv

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The boundaries of opera, as in all art forms, are constantly being re-evaluated. This analysis examines one of the most recent developments in opera-the use of film as source material, and connections to the film world- through analyzing three operas: Austrian composer, Olga Neuwirth’s opera, Lost Highway, Chinese-American composer, Tan Dun’s opera, The First Emperor, and acclaimed American film composer, Rachel Portman’s opera, The Little Prince. Each of these works exemplifies the modern relationship of opera and film in different ways. To classify these newly film-influenced works, the term cinemopera is used in describing operas connected to …

Elegies For Cello And Piano By Bridge, Britten And Delius: A Study Of Traditions And Influences, Sara Gardner Birnbaum

Theses and Dissertations--Music

In the western classical tradition, the violoncello has developed a reputation for its soulful, vocal qualities. Because of this distinction, many composers have written elegiac works for the cello. This document comprises studies of three twentieth-century British elegies for cello and piano, each explored against a backdrop of poetic, societal and musical influences. The results reveal several common tropes of mourning, both musical and extra-musical, which can be applied to further studies of musical works.

The Effect Of Mindful Listening Instruction On Listening Sensitivity And Enjoyment, William Todd Anderson

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Mindful Listening Instruction on Music Listening Sensitivity and Music Listening Enjoyment. The type of mindfulness investigated in this study was of the social-psychological type, which shares both commonalities with and distinctions from meditative mindfulness. Enhanced context awareness, openness to new information, situation in the present, awareness of novel distinctions, and awareness of multiple possible perspectives (cognitive flexibility) are components of social-psychological mindfulness.

A pretest-posttest control group design was used for this study. Two different age groups of students were studied: fourth-grade students (N = 42) and undergraduate non-music major …

Expression In Technical Exercises For The Cello: An Artistic Approach To Teaching And Learning The Caprices Of Piatti And Etudes Of Popper, Leah Hagel

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Caprices of Piatti and Etudes of Popper are considered by most cellists to be fundamental components of the cello literature designed to provide a solid technical basis for the student. This document will provide an alternative approach to teaching and learning these works by focusing on the qualities of expression that can be developed during the process of integrating these studies into one's repertoire. After providing contextual information for the both composers and the works, I will examine how this concept of "artistry through technique" has been adopted by other art forms, used in training students on different instruments, …

Christopher Rouse: An Exploration Of Three Percussion Standards, Brian T. Nozny

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The percussion ensemble is still a relatively young ensemble, with the first works by Edgard Varèse and Amadeo Roldan composed in the first third of the 20th century. Because of this youth, it is important to examine significant works for the percussion ensemble which establish themselves as staples to the repertoire. Christopher Rouse, a Pulitzer-Prize winning composer has written three such works, Ogoun Badagris (1976), Ku-Ka-Ilimoku (1978), and Bonham (1989). This study will closely examine each of these works, providing background, detailed analysis, and performance practice for each of these works.

Strategies And Methods For Improving Sight-Reading, Ming-Hui Kuo

Theses and Dissertations--Music

A student's sight-reading ability directly affects the speed and quality of their learning, especially for those at the beginning and intermediate levels. Sight-reading on keyboard percussion instruments is typically very challenging for percussionists because percussion instruments are the only kind of instruments that the player doesn't physically touch when they play them. The player is removed from contact with the instrument through the use of mallets. This document will cover the topics of body movements, kinesthetic sense, music pattern recognition, sight-reading strategies in different levels, and music resources for instructors. Students who develop better sight-reading skills will learn new music …

Recreational Music-Making In Music Pedagogy: A Manifesto For Change, Brandon Keith Wood

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The arts are an essential part of any student’s well rounded education. The future of music in education will depend on its ability to deliver relevant, effective, and measurable outcomes. However, the expectations and performance nature of traditional curricula often foster a sense of musical elitism and ostracizes students that are solely interested in music as a recreational outlet. Incorporating recreational music-making into education can provide opportunities for students to experience self-expression, creativity, social connection, and enjoyment. These values will not only enhance their education, but also lead to acquired skills for use in all areas of their lives. Activities …

April: A Song Cycle For Low Voice And Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Arnold

Theses and Dissertations--Music

An original composition in five movements for voice and a chamber orchestra of eleven instruments. The first movement is an overture; the second and fifth movements have text by Sara Teasdale; the third and fourth movements have text by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Language As A Performance Parameter: The Marcel Bitsch Vingt Etudes, Evan Benjamin Duke

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Bitsch Vingt Études are a significant part of the trumpet performers repertoire. They are taught in many university trumpet studios across the United States. David Baldwin, professor of trumpet at the University of Minnesota, has recorded all of them for the International Trumpet Guild. The editor, Raymond Sabarich, is considered the founder of the modern French school of trumpet playing.

Articulation is a significant component in performing on a brass instrument. By varying the attacks of the tongue, different timbres can be successfully achieved on the trumpet. Because of the volume the trumpet can generate, any defective articulation will …

[Review Of] Blues, Funk, Rhythm And Blues, Soul, Hip Hop And Rap: A Research And Information Guide, Robert A. Aken

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Nationalism And Its Expression In Cuba’S Art Music: The Use Of Folklore In Mario Abril’S “Fantasia (Introduction And Pachanga)” For Clarinet And Piano, Nikolasa Tejero

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In the centuries since the colonization of the New World, the people of Cuba created a strong musical tradition. Initially, their music mirrored the European composition canons of structural, melodic and harmonic order. The eventual confluence of its distinct cultural elements (i.e. the European, African, and, to a lesser extent, Amerindian) led to the emergence of a new, distinctly Cuban musical tradition.

The wars for independence that began in the United States and Europe in the eighteenth century created a surge towards political and cultural autonomy that swept across the Latin American colonies, generating a wave of nationalism during the …

Six Japanese Gardens And Trois Rivières: Delta: An Analysis Of Kaija Saariaho’S Two Major Works For Solo Percussion And Electronics, Bradley Edward Meyer

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Music for solo multiple-percussion (“multi-percussion”) has been rapidly developing in terms of quantity of and creativity exhibited within works since this genre was established in the late 1950s. It is important to underscore, analyze, and question the music of composers who have helped further multi-percussion towards the highest level of musical excellence possible as the genre continues to expand and mature. Finnish-born composer Kaija Saairaho has achieved international fame and success with her acoustic, electronic, and electro-acoustic (the simultaneous combination of electronic and acoustic elements) compositions. She has a large body of musical works, including two compositions for solo percussionist …

Challenges Of Technique And Interpretation In The Percussion Music Of Fredrik Andersson: A Performer’S Analysis, Kyle Manning Forsthoff

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In the mid 1990s, Swedish composer Fredrik Andersson composed not everything which happens is in the newspaper (1993), the lonelyness of Santa Claus (1994), and imagine there was nothing (1996). All three pieces share a number of compositional and stylistic elements while emphasizing the capabilities of their respective instrumentations to create mysterious sonic worlds that are unique in the percussion idiom. By examining specific concerns of each piece in detail, an understanding of Andersson’s presentation of musical challenges will result. Acceptable solutions to such challenges will be examined and compared, based primarily on the author’s analysis and experience encompassing multiple …

“I’Ll Fly Away”: The Music And Career Of Albert E. Brumley, Kevin Donald Kehrberg

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Albert E. Brumley (1905-1977) was the most influential American gospel song composer of the twentieth century, penning such “classics” within the genre as “Jesus, Hold My Hand,” “I’ll Meet You in the Morning,” “If We Never Meet Again,” “Turn Your Radio On,” and “Rank Strangers to Me.” His “I’ll Fly Away” has become the most recorded gospel song in American history with over one thousand recordings to date, and several of his works transcend cultural boundaries of style, genre, race, denomination, and doctrine. However, the racialized historiography of American gospel music has left Brumley—from America’s lesser-known white gospel traditions of …

[Review Of] The Elvis Encyclopedia, Robert A. Aken

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

[Review Of] Encyclopedia Of Indie Rock, Robert A. Aken

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Music And Identity In Circuit Chautauqua: 1904-1932, Paige Clark Lush

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the place of music in circuit chautauqua, the place of circuit chautauqua in American culture, and the role of music in defining that place. It takes into account the perception of chautauqua as a conduit by which higher culture and urban intellectual discourse could reach rural Americans, and the implications of this perception on musical programming.

The heyday of the circuit chautauqua movement (1904-1932) occurred during a time of considerable interaction between, and discussion of, entertainment and education in the United States. Music was important to the self-image of those involved in the entertainment and education industries, …

Adolphe Nourrit, Gilbert-Louis Duprez, And Transformations Of Tenor Technique In The Early Nineteenth Century: Historical And Physiological Considerations, Jason Christopher Vest

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The April 1837 debut of tenor Gilbert-Louis Duprez at the Paris Opéra sparked uproarious applause and inspired a new group of tenors with a different vocal technique from tenors of the previous generation. Whereas previous tenors of the nineteenth century sang in a graceful, light, and flexible style that complemented the operatic compositions of Gluck, Rossini, and Bellini, Duprez sang in a powerful, forceful voice that brought new dramatic fervor to the existing repertoire of French Grand Opera. Duprez’ stentorian vocal representations of Arnold in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and Robert in Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable, among others, inspired composers …