Music Commons^™

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Factors That Challenge And Advance Music Education In K-12 Schools: A Qualitative Study In Lebanon, Khaldoun Abou Dargham

Theses and Dissertations

Music education plays a crucial role in developing students on the individual level and societies on the communal level. Despite its benefits on the human brain, student learning, physical and mental health, and its contribution to culture and the creative economy, music education still faces challenges that prevent it from fulfilling its potential. Due to scant research on the factors that impact music education in Lebanon, this phenomenological study explored the perceptions of six K-12 music teachers in Mount Lebanon through in-depth interviews regarding the issue. Drawing upon the constructivist and humanistic learning theories, the research investigated how the Lebanese …

Closing The Gap In Performing Music Ensembles: A Study To Examine Barriers Of Access To Equitable Participation, Caitlin Hale

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a significant difference in student participation in the music courses of band, chorus, orchestra, and general music as related to race/ethnicity, ELL status, and free and reduced lunch status. The participants in the study included 389 eighth-grade students from a suburban middle school in the northeastern United States, located near a major metropolitan city. The school district maintains a nationally recognized music program. The quantitative study used archival data including student music course selection, GPA at the end of 8th grade, and 9th grade music course selection, race/ethnicity of …

Electromagnetic Field Analysis, Materials Characterization, And Advanced Modeling Of Modern Guitar Pickups, Luis Alonso Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

This Thesis establishes the foundations of modern guitar pickup theory, enhancing current pickup design by an increase in voltage output, reduction of DC resistance, and a reduction of production costs. This research investigates factors that have received insufficient attention, such as the performance of different magnetic materials, magnet geometry, bobbin geometry, metal effects, etc. An equation to calculate the output of guitar pickups is developed. Additionally, this work constructs a modern pickup using the techniques developed in this thesis incorporating theory and advanced modeling techniques to simulate changes in performance and interactions with different magnetic materials and geometries. The new …

The Impact Of Incorporating Self-Myofascial Release Into Voice Lessons: A Six-Week Study, Benjamin Patrick Stogner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of Self Myofascial Release (SMR) techniques within voice lessons over six weeks; aiming to alleviate muscular tension, enhance vocal performance, and improve singers' overall well-being. The study employed a qualitative pre-test/post-test design. The data collected indicates that while SMR offers significant benefits, it is impractical to incorporate a comprehensive routine into applied lessons. However, using SMR techniques in vocal warm-up routines, and encouraging the student to use SMR techniques on their own, yielded promising results. Consistent SMR application led to improved posture, jaw mobility, and overall well-being, with older participants …

Bohuslav Martinů’S Eight Preludes For Piano H. 181: Style Analysis And Pedagogical Approaches In Piano Performance, Jinkyung Kim

Theses and Dissertations

This treatise delves into Bohuslav Martinů’s Eight Preludes for Piano H. 181, offering a comprehensive exploration of the twentieth-century Czech composer’s life; discussing his compositional significance; analyzing the style of his Eight Preludes using the framework of Sound, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, and Growth (SHMRG); and suggesting pedagogical approaches for advanced piano learners. The study examines Martinů’s life and the socio-cultural influences that shaped his artistic language. His compositional journey, combining elements of Czech folk music with Parisian influences of impressionism, neoclassicism, and jazz, illustrates his versatility and ingenuity. Through the SHMRG framework by Jan LaRue, the style analysis of Eight …

Creative Insights On The Commissioning, Analysis, And Performance Of Four New Works For Saxophone, Andrew Joseph Hutchens

Theses and Dissertations

This document explores, in detail, four works for saxophone, which the author commissioned. These pieces were performed on the author’s degree recitals prior to the writing of this document. The selected works are At the Seams by Baljinder Singh Sekhon II, Intrepid by Russell Wharton, Unity Synonym by Michael Laurello, and Third Rail / Revelation by Stephen Karukas. This document focuses on the commissioning process, musical performance, and theoretical aspects of these four pieces. Interviews were conducted virtually via Zoom and then transcribed for inclusion in this document. There have been no previous studies that have explored these four works. …

Contemporary Vocal Pedagogy In The Choral Ensemble Rehearsal: A Guide For Secondary Educators, Luke Lee Browder

Theses and Dissertations

The field of contemporary commercial vocal pedagogy is relatively new, with serious academic study primarily taking place over the last twenty-five years. In that time, however, a growing body of research has shown that the function of the vocal mechanism operates in essentially the same manner across classical and contemporary commercial music (CCM) genres, but the application of vocal function is what differentiates classical and CCM singing. Since secondary music educators often represent the only vocal training their students will ever receive, it is helpful for them to know the differences in vocal techniques and how to effectively train singers …

Covering The Beatles: Tribute, Tradition, And Transformation, Alexander J. Prezzano

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on cover songs as they relate to the music of The Beatles. Before and after the 1969 break-up of the band, the number of Beatles songs that have been covered by artists of various genres and in different eras is immeasurable. The implications of the cover song phenomenon of the 20th century crosses musical, cultural, political, and global borders. From the view of cover songs, this thesis will analyze The Beatles' continued influence on popular music, and the way their music has become a template, or pedagogical device for composers and songwriters in the postmodern era.

Competencies Of Modern Musician Entrepreneurs: The Role Of Digitalization In The Music Industry, Richard A. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The culture creation industries are undergoing a period of accelerated digitization, globalization, and democratization. The 21st century music industry is bustling with lowered barriers to entry, increased knowledge sharing, and direct to consumer models which have resulted in a gold rush of entrepreneurial opportunities for musicians and increased competition to music firms and superstars. The music industry has been subject to innovative disruption providing valuable insight on the nuances of this paradigm shift for music entrepreneurs and scholars alike. Specifically, I explore competency factors in artist’s journey from musicians to entrepreneurs with successful self-managed careers. Employing Lazear’s Theory of Balanced …

Injury Prevention Exercise Guidelines For Flutists, Ziqing Guan

Theses and Dissertations

Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) have long been a common topic among performing musicians. There are studies of PRMDs specific to flutists, but not much detailed guidance of playing-related injury prevention has been provided. As increasing numbers of students have taken up the flute in recent years, PRMDs in flutists have become more of a concern. However, large numbers of flutists are still lacking education on prevention of PRMDs. The purpose of this document is to help flutists better understand the major muscle groups that we use in playing the flute, how these muscles are affected by flute-playing, and to introduce …

The Post-Tonal Evolution Of David Diamond: A Theoretic-Analytical Perspective, William John Ton

Theses and Dissertations

David Leo Diamond (1915–2005) was a prolific and highly esteemed American composer whose works were premiered by such notable conductors as Dimitri Mitropoulos, Eugene Ormandy, Serge Koussevitzky, Leonard Bernstein, and Gerard Schwarz. In addition to his significant output and a large circle of famous friends and professional acquaintances, his sphere of influence also included his tenure as professor of composition at the Juilliard School where he worked from 1973 until 1997. His impressive roster of students includes distinguished composers such as Lowell Liebermann, Eric Whitacre, and Vivian Fung. Despite his stature as a composer, however, there is a surprising lack …

Comprehensive Method For Clarinet Latin American Music Heritage Case Study – Venezuela, Carmen Teresa Borregales

Theses and Dissertations

Latin American music and music-making have much to offer in their performance traditions and richness of genres, which demand technical proficiency and musicianship. In particular, some contemporary new music for clarinet carries traditional elements, including rhythmic patterns, accentuation, articulation, harmonic progressions, and instrumentation, among others. This study proposes an innovative approach to technical practice and skill development for clarinet, based on twelve etudes for clarinet, commissioned from twelve outstanding Venezuelan composers who explore Venezuelan traditional music genres. The results represent a comprehensive method for clarinet, appropriate for advanced-level players, and its application to pedagogical and performance practices.

Luis Abraham Delgadillo: A Rediscovery Of His Piano Music, Fanarelia Auxiliadora Guerrero López

Theses and Dissertations

Luis Abraham Delgadillo (1884–1961) is one of the most representative Nicaraguan musicians from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Works such as his Sinfonía Indígena (Indigenous Symphony), Suite Teotihuacán (Teotihuacán Suite), and Sinfonía Incaica(Incaic Symphony) positioned him as one of the most important composers and pianists from Latin America. He had great success during his career as a composer and toured North America and South America extensively during the 1930s and 1940s. During these visits, he had many of his works performed, and met other influential composers and musicians such as Carlos Chavez, Amadeo Roldán, Aaron Copland, Arthur …

Three Settings Of "Cruda Amarilli:" Examining Melismatic Cadences And Word Repetitions That Convey Meaning, Peter Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to do a comparative analysis between three settings of “Cruda Amarilli:” one by Monteverdi in 1605, and two by D’India in 1606 and 1609, and to interpret my findings. I focused on each composers use of melismatic cadences and word repetitions in each setting.

The Flex Voice In The Soundtracks For The Nintendo Game Boy, Matthew Dineiro

Theses and Dissertations

The Nintendo Game Boy had a sound chip which allowed for only three pitched voices and one unpitched percussive voice. These limitations affected the music that was written for this video game system. Of the three pitched voices, one voice typically performs the melody, and one voice typically is the bass and harmonic foundation. This thesis analyzes the third voice, typically in the middle of the musical texture, and the various functions that it can hold. As is discussed, the middle voice sometimes pairs in harmony with the melody or the bass. In other cases, however, it forms a musical …

Grouping Against The Groove: Metrical Dissonance In Hiromi's "Voice", Sam Falotico

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis engages theories of rhythm, meter, and groove in an analytical study of Japanese-jazz pianist/composer Hiromi Uehara’s tune “Voice.” In doing so, it examines not only the techniques of this specific artist, but it also explores general issues regarding how a sense of embodied, forward propulsion—that is, a “groove”—may manifest in a jazz work that uses odd meters, and how metrical dissonances function in this context.

Made In Italy: Gli Effetti Della Musica Italiana (T)Rap Sulla Società E Sulla Lingua, Paraskevi Z. Gkana-Alberico

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the history of Italian (t)rap music, and uses the lyrics of famous songs in an attempt to examine the effects the sometimes vulgar and explicit themes, which are usually accompanied by the use of foreign languages, could have on society and the Italian language.

Symphony No. 1, Isaac Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains an original multi-movement work for orchestra. The music score is preceded by a theoretical analysis that examines the construction of the work including the expansion of various motives and themes, the use of variations, palindromes, and one example of axis of symmetry. It is hoped that this symphony, within a historical context, will find its way into the modern concert repertoire of the twenty-first century.

Encouraging Equal Musical Collaboration : A Guide For Collaborative Pianists In Facilitating Effective Rehearsals, Michelle Ann Henning

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Conductor’S Study And Resource Guide Of Four Band And Chamber Wind Compositions, Juana Caballero Casas

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preparation, Performance, And Experience Evaluation Of "Symmetrical Structures" By Giorgi Papiashvili, Ana Galdavadze

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Bass Trombone Works Of Eric Ewazen, Zhangzejie Xu

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The History, Evolution, And Maintenance Of Violin Strings, Iva Pecotić

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Symphony No. V: Elements (Julie Giroux, 2018); An Overview Of Programmatic Elements And Performance Devices, Zackery Augustus Deininger

Theses and Dissertations

Julie Giroux is a multi-faceted composer who has been writing for the wind band since the 1980s. Having composed and arranged over 125 works for wind band, Giroux has dedicated her compositional career to furthering the development of the wind band repertoire while simultaneously working to establish the wind band genre as an area of serious artistic merit. Giroux is in constant demand as a commissioned composer. Her projects are often commissioned by distinguished ensembles, both in the United States and around the world, and many of her pieces receive performances at significant events such as The Midwest Clinic Band …

An Investigative Analysis Of Fernando Sor’S Introduction And Variations On “O Cara Armonia” From Mozart’S The Magic Flute, Luke James Nolan

Theses and Dissertations

Fernando Sor provides directions for fingering his Introduction and Variations on “O Cara Armonia” in the specific beaming and notation of the work. Although there are numerous publications of Sor’s Op. 9, most fail to provide elegant fingerings for his difficult passages. In these editions, the editor either failed to understand Sor’s intentions rendered in the notation, or disregarded Sor’s technical practices in favor of modern technical practices. Both avenues will lead to a disastrous reproduction of the work. While the piece may offer a challenge for the guitarist, the technical difficulties of Sor’s Op. 9 should not be readily …

The Theory Of Intonation: Boris Asafiev And The Russian Piano School Tradition, Polina Golubkova

Theses and Dissertations

Boris Asafiev was one of the leading musicologists whose Theory of Intonation is a philosophical and aesthetic study that comprehensively explains the historical and theoretical aspects of musical art. The Theory of Intonation is the methodological basis for music disciplines in Russia, including piano pedagogy. The purpose of this study is to create a source that explains Asafiev’s philosophical and aesthetic vision of the concept of intonation and to show how it can be applied to piano pedagogy. This study is also intended to translate and codify the Theory of Intonation and to provide examples of its implementation in any …

How Do They Do It: A Narrative Of Disabled Public School Instrumental Ensemble Conductors And Their Positive Working Relationships With Their Administrators, Lia Alexandria Patterson Snead

Theses and Dissertations

As the leader of the instrumental ensemble, the conductor’s role is important on and off the stage. Public school conductors have especially demanding jobs because they must act as a conduit between composer and ensemble as well as handle all administrative duties pertaining to running a music program. Subsequently, this results in a heavier workload than the average teacher. The demanding workload can add to any preexisting issues for disabled ensemble conductors who struggle at work due to insufficient support from their administrators. The lack of strong administrative support for disabled or impaired faculty and staff may be due to …

Fourth-Grade And Fifth-Grade Cover-Band Classes: An Action-Research Project Inspired By Popular Music Education And Music Learning Theory, Julia Turner

Theses and Dissertations

I facilitated “Fourth-Grade and Fifth-Grade Cover-Band Classes,” a popular music education-, informal music learning-, and music learning theory-inspired action-research project. The purpose of this action-research project was to examine the facilitation and learning processes used by my students and me when engaged with those music learning approaches and theory. The guiding questions for this study included: 1) How do I use and adapt principles from modern band (2023), Green (2008; 2014), and Gordon (2012; 2013) to prepare my facilitation of a popular music project for my fourth-grade and fifth-grade students? and 2) How do my fourth-grade and fifth-grade students engage …

A Conductor’S Guide To Lucrecia Roces Kasilag’S Misang Pilipino (1965), Denise Ysabel Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Composer Lucrecia Roces Kasilag (1918-2008) is a National Artist for the Philippines and a UNESCO International Artist of the World. Though she has many more accolades and triumphs to note, both national and international, Kasilag is not well known outside of her native Philippines. One factor that obscures this composer from the world is that much of her work is unpublished, as are other historical Filipino composers’ works.

Kasilag composed her first Misang Pilipino in 1965 to commemorate the 400^th year of Christianization in the Philippines, but multiple editions of the work were written and used for different occasions. …

A Comparative Analysis Of Samuel Barber’S Third Essay For Orchestra, Op. 47, David Abrams Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

Samuel Barber (1910–1981) was an American composer who lived and worked during the twentieth-century. His list of works includes forty-eight published pieces that span virtually every major genre of western art music. One of Barber’s most unique contributions is the invention of a new orchestral genre: the essay for orchestra. Borrowing the term from literature, Barber is credited with composing the first musical essays. Today, musical essays are understood to be single-movement instrumental works that are non-programmatic in nature.

Barber composed three essays for orchestra during his lifetime. His First Essay, Op. 12, was composed in 1937; his Second …