Music Commons^™

Solo Piano Works By Ke-Chia Chen: To An Isolated Island And Treasure Box, Stephanie Yu

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Since the twentieth century, it has become increasingly popular for composers to combine traditional folk materials and contemporary compositional techniques. Taiwanese composer Ke-Chia Chen is among these composers who choose to bridge their historical and cultural past with modern compositional methods. To An Isolated Island (2004) and Treasure Box (2010) represent, to date, the mature works for solo piano of Ke-Chia Chen, and are the main focus of this document.

This study details Chen’s employment of various compositional approaches in these works, and provides a thorough analysis of each piece. To An Isolated Island is the first piano piece Ke-Chia …

Art Lande And The Music Of Funko Moderno, Mitchell Dunham

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Art Lande is an accomplished performing musician based out of Boulder, Colorado. He is well-known as a jazz pianist and free improviser and made a name for himself as one of the first recording artists with ECM Records. He has toured all over Europe and the United States as both a band leader and a solo artist. Aside from his superb musicianship, he is also known as a creative and effective pedagogue.

Funko Moderno is Art Lande’s most recent musical venture and was created with the intention of forming an entirely new way of playing and writing music. The freedom …

Will Marion Cook: Threads And Themes, Peter M. Lefferts

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

This document is a supplement to "Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Will Marion Cook," a 2017 document which is mounted on-line at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicfacpub/66/. It draws out of that resource some material on five themes or threads that are constant elements over Cook's career, concerning the history of African American music and dance, and the promotion of schools and professional troupes for African American musicians and actors. Occasionally there is more information below than in the 2017 document, but readers are cautioned that more often, the older document will have additional detail not simply cut and pasted here. …

Family Members Of Will Marion Cook: Biographical Materials For Immediate Family Members, Peter M. Lefferts

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

This document is a supplement to "Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Will Marion Cook," a 2017 document which is mounted on-line at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicfacpub/66/. It presupposes some familiarity with the "Chronology and Itinerary," and puts into some kind of order a number of additional research notes, principally drawing upon newspaper and genealogy databases, that amplify the earlier work in certain respects regarding the public lives of his immediate family members. This is not a finished, polished effort; it represents work in progress, complete with repetitions, missing data, and the occasional typographical error. I invite queries, amplifications, and corrections, …

“It’S Just The Way I Learn!” Inclusion From The Perspective Of A Student With Visual Impairment, Danni Gilbert

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

This article describes the inclusive experience of a student with visual impairment in secondary band settings. Information obtained from students with visual impairments who have experienced active participation in school music ensembles may provide much-needed insight into instructional strategies that could improve inclusion. Many music educators believe they lack adequate resources and training in including students with visual impairments. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the experience of participating in secondary performing ensembles from the viewpoints of students can help guide the efforts of those involved in their music education.

A Musical Analysis And Performance Guide To Alejandro Viñao's Burritt Variations For Solo Marimba, Michael Gordon Roe

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This dissertation and accompanying lecture recital examine musical aspects and performance considerations for Alejandro Viñao's Burritt Variations (2012).

An exhaustive examination of the formal, melodic, motivic, and rhythmic aspects of the piece will highlight the complex compositional processes and thematic transformations found throughout the work. The discussion will also briefly examine the composer's background and the genesis of the work, as well as key influences found in Burritt Variations. These influences include the multi-temporal music of Conlon Nancarrow, and many Latin-American musical styles, especially Salsa music. The discussion will then focus on considerations for those wishing to perform the work. …

Midwestern Portrait For Chamber Jazz Ensemble And Solo Tenor Saxophone, Andrew Janak

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

“Midwestern Portrait” for Chamber Jazz Ensemble and Solo Tenor Saxophone is an original composition consisting of three main movements, an introduction, and two interludes. The piece is written for a full ensemble of 17 musicians – one solo tenor saxophone, four woodwinds, four brass, four strings, and four rhythm section players. The “Introduction,” “Interlude 1,” and “Interlude 2” feature smaller performing forces while the three main movements (“For GK,” “The Tradition,” “The Search) are written for the full ensemble.

“Movement 1: For GK (Lincoln)” is a tribute to my time at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and showcases the solo tenor …

Letters From Olive Fremstad To Willa Cather: A View Beyond The Song Of The Lark, Jessica Tebo

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 1913, Willa Cather met opera-diva Olive Fremstad and the two formed a friendship that would span at least a decade. Fremstad has long been recognized as an inspiration for the character Thea Kronborg of Cather’s Song of the Lark (1915) but has not been portrayed as influential in any other aspects to Cather’s career. Letters sent by Fremstad to Cather have recently been located, and they reveal an ongoing and interdisciplinary dialogue between the two women that negotiates issues surrounding art and professionalism. I locate these letters within the broader context of Cather’s public and fictional statements about art …

Harmonic, Tonal, And Formal Asynchrony In Robert Schumann's Frauenliebe Und Leben, Kelli E. Bomberger

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This thesis explores the asynchrony among form, harmony, and tonality in Robert Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben, Op. 42. Using several theoretical lenses, this study identifies and analyzes a selection of songs from this work that distort tonal, harmonic, and formal relationships and how the text setting may inform these distortions. This is shown through detailed analyses of several songs from the cycle that highlight areas of asynchrony. The first section of this document explores the background of Frauenliebe und Leben and draws upon other musical examples in order to establish working definitions of asynchronous elements. The following sections are …

8scenes, Spencer G. Perkins

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This work explores the juxtaposition of a live ensemble, and pre-collected field recordings. The material for the ensemble is divided into eight sections, or “scenes,” which unfold one after the other without pause, at times blending musical material to where it is unclear when the music has transitioned to the next section. The field recordings are divided into three main sections, which are defined by the underlying loop as follows: “sunny day recording”; “people talking recording”; and “rainy day recording.” Atop these structural loops, it is the responsibility of the “electronics player” to que other recordings in a manner that …

The Cask Of Amontillado, Elysia Arntzen

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This document details the process of creating an opera, from its inception through the premiere. Opera is a very large musical genre, and having a new opera premiered poses different challenges than other musical genres. I discuss the adaptation of the short story, The Cask of Amontillado , into an opera libretto, the composition of the opera, the production and directing of the opera, and what I learned in the process. In the conclusion, I discuss what I have learned as a composer and director, as well as how I can use this knowledge in future productions.

Advisor: Tyler G. …

String Quintet No. 2, Johnny Smith-Wilson

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This work is a four movement String Quintet constructed in cyclical form.

Advisor: Thomas E. Larson

From Rain’S A-Gonna Fall To Bricks In The Wall: A Comparative Analysis Of Humanity’S Core Themes In The Music Of Bob Dylan And Pink Floyd, Alec Williams

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The 1960s were turbulent times of musical creation and revolution. From Motown to Dinkytown, the world suddenly became filled with blooms of creativity that stemmed from the freshly planted roots rock ‘n’ roll. Artists that garnered infamy in this flourishing era, including household names like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Janis Joplin, would become immortalized in music and pop culture. However, few stand out as pinnacle lyrical and musical influences, devout to the art of perpetual creation and development of the global music scene. Of those artists, Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd have contributed immensely to the synthesis of genres …

Studiohub: Streamlining Communication In Private Music Studios, Joseph Klinck

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

At the start of the project, I asked the question “what technology is available to horn players today?” Through an independent study in Spring 2017, I surveyed websites, blogs, YouTube channels, computer software, and mobile apps, reviewing and rating each one, and discussing their strengths and weaknesses.

From this project, I determined that one key piece of technology missing in the music world was some way to unify and streamline the activities of private music teachers and their students. Through my own experiences, and through talking with other music students, I determined three objectives for this streamlining technology: assign and …

State Of The Art: A Sampling Of Twenty-First-Century American Baroque Flute Pedagogy, Tamara Tanner

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

During the Baroque flute revival in 1970s Europe, American modern flute instructors who were interested in studying Baroque flute traveled to Europe to work with professional instructors. They then transmitted that knowledge to their students upon returning to America, furthering the modern study of Baroque flute in America. Now, thanks to their efforts and those of academic institutions and professional organizations such as the National Flute Association, there are many opportunities in America to hear performances by dynamic Baroque flutists, to perform and compete on Baroque flute, and to learn from respected Baroque flute instructors. There are also numerous texts …

Music Education For Mental Health: Creating A Participatory Music After School Program, Nicole A. Shively

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis project, titled “Music Education for Mental Health: Creating a Participatory Music After School Program,” consists of a research paper and curriculum guide for the creation of a nonprofit after school program that will use music education to help youth with depression and anxiety. This program provides participatory music experiences to students in a supportive, cathartic environment. The paper details the research behind the psychological benefits of music, the activities that would be done with the students, and why there is a need for this program in current society. The curriculum guide consists of the addressed national music education …

Black Us Army Bands And Their Bandmasters In World War I, Peter M. Lefferts

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

This essay sketches the story of the bands and bandmasters of the twenty seven new black army regiments which served in the U.S. Army in World War I. The new bands underwent rapid mobilization and demobilization with their regiments over 1917-1919. They were for the most part unconnected by personnel or traditions to the long-established bands of the four black regular U.S. Army regiments that preceded them and that continued to serve outside Europe during and after the Great War. Pressed to find sufficient numbers of willing and able black band leaders for these new regiments, the Army turned to …

Will Marion Cook And The Tab Show, With Particular Emphasis On Hotsy Totsy And La Revue Nègre (1925), Peter M. Lefferts

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

This document is a supplement to "Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Will Marion Cook," a 2017 document which is mounted on-line at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicfacpub/66/. It puts into some kind of order a number of research notes, principally drawing upon newspaper and genealogy databases, that amplify the earlier work in certain respects. This is not a finished, polished effort; it represents work in progress, complete with repetitions, missing data, and the occasional typographical error. I invite queries, amplifications, and corrections, which may be directed to [email protected]. The present document is a first draft of November 2018.

Music Teacher Dispositions: Self-Appraisals And Values Of University Music Students, Robert H. Woody, Danni Gilbert, Lynda A. Laird

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

For music teachers to be most effective, they must possess the dispositions that best facilitate their students’ learning. In this article, we present and discuss the findings of a study in which we sought to explore music majors’ self-appraisals in and the extent to which they value the disposition areas of reflectivity, empathic caring, musical comprehensiveness, and musical learnability orientation. Evidence from a survey of 110 music majors suggested that music education students possess and value the dispositions of reflectivity, musical comprehensiveness, and musical learnability orientation more highly after they have matured through their college careers. Additionally, based on their …

Mucp 183-983: Applied Music Composition--A Course Benchmark Portfolio, Gregory Simon

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

MUCP 183-983, Applied Music Composition, is the core of the music composition course curriculum for students at all levels, from freshman to doctoral candidate. Like all applied lesson environments, it is a one-on-one, individualized study that principally involves the instructor giving students feedback on their musical works-in-progress. This time-honored paradigm for teaching composition has produced brilliant artists, but is rife with pitfalls and traps that can tarnish a student’s growth: composition pedagogues can coerce students into writing music like their teachers, or can prescribe a curriculum that makes composition accessible only to students who have already played classical music for …

Psychological Ways Of Expressing Appreciations, Experiences, Thanks And Blessings In The Society, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT: Research has shown that one of the avenues to make aware of once experiences, appreciations and blessings is through writing a gratitude journal or memoir. By journalizing our thought by hands or electronically, it may help us focus them, according to psychologist Robert Emmons, who says that he does this routinely to remind himself; it makes apple of time to understand the meaning and importance of people and events. It has been found that one should go for a depth in writing rather than breadth, because this will help one to enjoy what one appreciates, and what to keep …

Three Flute Chamber Works By Alberto Ginastera: Intertwining Elements Of Art And Folk Music, Breta L. Neel

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Alberto Ginastera’s output includes three chamber works containing the flute, all composed within the period of objective nationalism (1934-1947), a designation provided by the composer to encompass those works that present folk elements in an overt manner in a largely tonal framework. Impresiones de la Puna and Cantos del Tucumán, written in 1934 and 1938 respectively, contain salient folk elements and are thus representative pieces of this stylistic period. In addition to folk characteristics, these early works also contain pitch-class sets which serve to unify the pieces, thereby suggesting future elements of the composer’s style. The Duo for Flute …

Will Marion Cook (1869-1944): Shows List And Songs And Instrumental Numbers, Peter M. Lefferts

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

The present material supplements my on-line document “Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Will Marion Cook.” That put into some kind of order a number of biographical research notes, principally drawing upon newspaper and genealogy databases. It is one in a series ---“Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of”---devoted to a small number of African American musicians active ca. 1900-1950. In those other documents, compositions were interleaved with other kinds of references following a chronological sequence. Instead of doing the same for Cook, his shows and songs and instrumental numbers, spanning a creative career of almost a half century …

Chronology And Itinerary Of The Career Of Will Marion Cook: Materials For A Biography, Peter M. Lefferts

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

Will Marion Cook (1869-1944) devoted his creative life to the musical stage as composer, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, producer, director, violinist, pianist, librettist and lyricist, as well as making important contributions as an author and educator. One of the foremost American musicians of his generation, and regarded by many in the African American community of his day as its leading composer, he was, in contemporary eyes, an eccentric, irascible genius of great heart. This document assembles a chronology of the principal public events of his life.

A biography of Will Marion Cook by Marva Carter, Swing Along (2008) is an excellent …

The Iconic One-Hit Wonder: The History And Reception Of Franz Biebl's Ave Maria, Matthew Oltman

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria is one of the most well-known small-scale choral pieces written in the latter half of the twentieth century. Since its introduction to American choirs in 1970, it has become an important part of the standard choral repertoire and is often performed perennially, especially at Christmas. It was integral to the rise in popularity of Chanticleer, the American professional male chorus, and remains closely associated with the ensemble thanks to it being recorded and published in the United States under Chanticleer’s auspices. Despite these facts, very little has been written about the composer or his iconic setting …

A Harmonic Analysis Of Saxophonist Ralph Moore Found Through Common Characteristics In Four Solo Transcriptions Of Jazz Standards From 1991–1998, Patrick Brown

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Saxophonist Ralph Moore has performed with jazz luminaries such as Horace Silver, Roy Haynes, Freddie Hubbard, and J.J. Johnson, maintained a national television presence for fifteen years as a member of The Tonight Show Band, and has been a performing and recorded jazz artist for over thirty years. Even with this experience, Moore has not received the credit due his accomplishments.

This research details the life and music of Ralph Moore and analyzes his harmonic vocabulary through four solo transcriptions of jazz standards. Chapter one gives a brief biography of Moore and why he was chosen as the topic of …

A Study Of The Performance Requirements Found In The Sonata For Solo Violin Op. 40 By Miklós Rózsa, James Moat

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Miklós Rózsa’s Sonata for Violin Solo, written in 1986, is his last work for violin and completes a collection of pieces written for the violin dating back to 1929. There have been various scholarly papers written about Rózsa’s violin works, including Nancy Jane McKenney’s dissertation: ‘The Chamber Music of Miklós Rózsa’, and the book written by one of Rózsa’s close friends, Christopher Palmer: ‘Miklós Rózsa, A Sketch of his Life and Work’. Neither of these works discusses the Solo Sonata; in fact, Christopher Palmer’s book was published in 1974, 12 years before the sonata was even composed.

This document discusses …

"Choir Is For Girls": Intersectional Mixed Methods Perspectives On Adolescent Gender Identity, Singing Interest, And Choral Music Participation, Briana E. Nannen

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

As students progress through adolescent development, researchers have observed a lack of male participation in choral music activities. This male to female imbalance is often attributed to a perception that singing is a feminine activity and results in a lack of balance in choral music ensembles. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore adolescent gender identity as it relates to singing interest and choral music participation. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used, in which quantitative data were collected and analyzed followed by in-depth qualitative interviews. A group of 9^th grade students (n=174) completed the …

The Transmutation Of The Immutable Abyss, Amanda Mccullough

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The Transmutation of the Immutable Abyss is a song cycle for a female voice and chamber orchestra, originally inspired by the instrumentation of a community theater pit orchestra. This piece sets eight poems by A. R. Ammons over eight movements. One primary goal of this piece was to combine elements of jazz and contemporary classical music.

The Transmutation of the Immutable Abyss also explores duality along with the combination of disparate elements to create a more complete whole. In a literal sense, jazz and classical elements coexist in varying amounts of prominence. Also in a literal sense, elements of tonality …

Requiem, Jacob K. Lee

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Traditionally, the requiem form began as a Catholic mass to honor the dead. Today, the requiem is generally composed conveying messages of solace to troubled hearts. Many composers, such as Britten and Rutter, choose to abandon some of the orthodox text of the mass to provide an added measure of connection for the audience. The result of these later requiems is often a baring of the composer’s soul – something profoundly personal shared in the hope of inspiring others. This latter process is my aim in creating my Requiem. I approach this end in several ways, compositionally: There is a …