Music Commons^™

The World Of Tan Dun: The Central Importance Of Eight Memories In Watercolor, Op. 1, Lin Tian

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tan Dun is a mysterious figure in both eastern and western classical music. His rich music interests, innovative approach, and culturally eclectic writing style have gained him an international reputation. His piano suite, Eight Memories in Watercolor, Op. 1, while conceived as a simple diary of longing for his hometown, is an essential composition in his oeuvre. Although this piece is often overlooked because of its simplicity, I contend that this Op. 1 is a pivotal piano work containing many of the compositional devices used throughout his career. This piece compellingly combines traditional Chinese music and philosophy with western compositional …

Carroll Best: Old-Time 'Fiddle-Style Banjo' From The Great Smoky Mountains, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: In an interview published in the February 1992 issue of The Banjo Newsletter and conducted by bluegrass historian Neil Rosenberg and banjo player and instruction book author Tony Trischka, Carroll Best conveyed the depth of his connections to the instrument he had mastered: “When I was old enough to pick up a banjo I wanted to play.”

The Art Song Of Edmundo Villani-Côrtes: A Performance Guide Of Selected Works, Irailda Eneli Barros Silva Rodrigues

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this study is to present a performance guide for singers on twelve selected songs in Brazilian Portuguese for voice and piano by Brazilian composer, pianist, and arranger Edmundo Villani-Côrtes (b.1930). Since 1949, Villani-Côrtes has been active in the musical scene of Brazil. He has a unique compositional style that seamlessly combines elements of both art music and popular music. Villani-Côrtes’s body of works includes over two hundred compositions for solo instrumental music, orchestral music, choral music, and art song. He has written over sixty songs in Brazilian Portuguese, including the Ciclo Cecília Meireles (1987), winner of the …

Use Of The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual-5 Among Current Music Therapy Students, Jasmine Simons

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) provides updates of diagnostic criteria and it is crucial that clinicians from all relevant fields are aware of new terminology. Music therapists are increasingly being added to interdisciplinary teams and need to efficiently communicate with other professionals. This study aimed to discover if current music therapy students are familiar with the DSM-5 before they enter their professional practice. Music therapy students from two American Music Therapy Association-approved universities completed a survey aimed to assess their use and knowledge of the DSM-5. A total of 58 participants were included in the analysis. Findings from …

The Band At Little Rock Central High School Before, During, And After Integration In 1957-1958, Brandon Earl Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the history of the Little Rock Central High School band before, during, and after integration in 1957-1958. A review of related literature in the areas of civil rights, Brown v. Board of Education, integration of schools, integration of Little Rock Central High School, and integration of school music programs provided the rationale for this study. Based on the related literature, research questions for this study included: What was the history of the Central Band before, during, and after integration in 1957-1958? Who was the first African American in the Central band? When …

Folkloric Musicians Among The Bugakhwe, Robert Veith

Masters Theses

Increased access to global media by traditional culture in remote parts of Africa has, in many cases, seen indigenous music marginalized in favor of imported forms. In some places, a folkloric tradition thrives, though this music may face extinction if those who practice it do not document their art in a way which can be passed down to future generations. For this project, I recorded seven musician/composers of the Bugakhwe, a Khoisan people group living in the Okavango Delta region of Botswana. Two were given enough studio time to create a complete CD-length set, so as to show off the …

The Creation, Myrna J. Layton

Faculty Publications

On the first day, God said "Let there be light. We need the world to have both day and night. Let there be light; let there be light."

De Concentv Amisso Qvaerendo: An Investigation Into The Relative Benefits Of Three Different Types Of Ambient Music On The Observed Agitated Behaviour And Quality Of Life Of Dementia Sufferers In Residential Aged Care Facilities, Peter Wilkinson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is an increasing body of research evidence to support the use of music as a therapeutic modality in reducing the agitated behaviour frequently associated with late-stage dementia. Although much of this evidence suggests that music interventions are most effective when they are “individualized”, this type of intervention is often difficult to implement in large, busy, aged care facilities where residents may be located together in communal areas during the day. The challenge therefore is to try and identify a particular musical genre which, when played as “ambient” or “background” music, demonstrates a consistent capacity to reduce agitated behaviour in …

Expansion And Contraction In Movements I And Vii Of Gyorgy Ligeti's Hamburg Concerto, Andrew Charles Hannon

Theses and Dissertations

György Ligeti's final composition, Hamburg Concerto (1999, rev. 2002), features his compositional technique of expansion and contraction. The concerto is scored for two flutes, oboe, two bassett horns (both doubling on clarinet), bassoon, solo double horn, four natural horns, trumpet, trombone, two percussionists, and single strings. The natural overtones of the horns offer unique harmonic possibilities that relate to Ligeti's use of expansion/contraction. While several analysts have examined expansion/contraction in other works by Ligeti, no one has yet looked at this technique in Hamburg Concerto, particularly as applied to Ligeti's use of natural overtones. This paper examines the two outer …

Ancient Greek Music: The Aulos And The Kithara, Carina Carbone

Honors Projects

The aulos was one of the foremost woodwind instruments in ancient Greece; likewise, the kithara was one of the foremost string instruments. They varied in both form and function throughout time and by region. Given the popularity of both instruments, there are many surviving art pieces which illustrate them and their uses. There are also surviving samples of the instruments themselves.

The End Of The World And Other Times In The Future, Gary Shapiro

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In an interview with his biographer Sylvie Simmons, Leonard Cohen identifies the main interests in his work as "women, song, religion". These are not merely personal concerns for Cohen, they are dimensions of the world that he tries to understand as a poet, singer, and thinker.

Now it's something of a cliché to see the modern romantic or post-romantic singer or poet in terms of personal struggles, failures, triumphs, and reversals. Poets sometimes respond by adopting elusive, ironic, enigmatic, or parodic voices: think, in their different ways, of Bob Dylan and Anne Carson. Yet Cohen has always worn his heart …

Eighteenth Century Techniques Of Classical Improvisation On The Violin: Pedagogy, Practice And Decline, Flavia Claudia Todea

Theses : Honours

The art of improvisation flourished in both instrumental and vocal music during the late seventeenth and throughout the eighteenth centuries. The violin techniques of improvisation taught in the eighteenth century (such as ornamentation of melody, decoration of fermatas, extemporization of cadenzas and creation of preludes) formed an integral part of instrumental pedagogy and performance practice at the time, which then declined significantly from the early nineteenth century onwards. It seems that this practice of improvisation has been neglected and its principles almost forgotten in the world of classical Western music today. This paper makes an argument for the re-introduction of …

Australia’S Microtonal Modernist: The Life And Works Of Elsie Hamilton (1880-1965), Talisha Goh

Theses : Honours

This dissertation represents the most complete account to date of the life and works of Australian composer Elsie Hamilton (1880-1965). Through examining the theories of the Anthroposophical movement, I demonstrate how her music feeds from this belief system, and also demonstrate how Hamilton’s stance is congruent with the modernists of her generation. In addition, I position Hamilton’s modal system within the complex mathematics of Greek musical theory (as conceived by her collaborator, Kathleen Schlessinger). Finally, I provide modern editions and electronically manipulated sound files to all of Hamilton’s surviving compositions. Elsie Hamilton’s story is fascinating. This dissertation welcomes her into …

Music Therapy And Autism: A View From Disability Studies, Joseph N. Straus

Publications and Research

Music therapy has positioned itself squarely within the medical model of disability, arguing that many sorts of human variability should be understood as illnesses, diseases, or other sorts of pathological medical conditions, and offering music as a source of normalization, remediation, and therapy toward a possible cure. But for many human conditions, including autism, cure is neither possible nor desirable. Instead of seeking to normalize autistic people, music therapy might instead acknowledge their distinctive sorts of musical interests and attitudes and offer to enhance their indigenous culture in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Instead of normalization and cure, music therapists …

Idiots Savants, Retarded Savants, Talented Aments, Mono-Savants, Autistic Savants, Just Plain Savants, People With Savant Syndrome, And Autistic People Who Are Good At Things: A View From Disability Studies, Joseph N. Straus

Publications and Research

People identified as idiot savants have long comprised an identifiable group (a high level of skill in the context of perceived mental deficiency) whose story has mostly been told by psychiatrists and psychologists within a medicalized model of disability that assumes deficiency and seeks remediation and normalization. More recently, people identified as savants have become common figures of literary and cinematic representation. Both of these narrative frames have enfreaked them as alien Others, whose gifts and disabilities place them outside the normal run of human intelligence and creativity. With a focus on music, this article tries to see through these …

An Analytical Example For Bob, Joseph N. Straus

Publications and Research

In the fall of 1981, I was the greenest, most naïve young music theorist you can possibly imagine. The ink on my doctoral diploma was still wet, and I had just started my first job, at the University of Wisconsin. It was a simpler, less demanding time for music theorists: I had never attended a conference, much less presented at one. But I found myself at the 1981 meeting of the newly formed Society for Music Theory in Los Angeles, giving my first-ever theory paper. I recognized Milton Babbitt, the keynote speaker for the conference, sitting right in front of …

Program Notes For Chamber Concert Programs At Parkland College, Rebekah Aardsma

A with Honors Projects

Eight program notes on pieces performed by Parkland College Chamber Ensemble, Fall 2014 series.

Never Give A Sword To A Man Who Can't Dance, Colin Slade

Masters Theses

War dances have long been a powerful means of preparing warriors for combat or the intimidation of an enemy, but they are also used in the ceremonial supplication of deity or celebration of victory. They are a fundamental artifact of many cultures throughout the world. Nevertheless, the United States of America boasts the most powerful military in history, yet it lacks a war dance. This is valid until one accepts a simple truth; military drill is a dance. However, Americans would object to such a proposition even though they have adopted and adapted military drill as their own, describe it …

Analysis Of Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, Isela Guerra

A with Honors Projects

This analysis will not be given as your typical analysis which is made to makes sense mathematically. We could attempt to do this but at times the very soul of music is sucked out and we lose the imagination and spirit behind it. I know this because I attempted to do this same; for that very reason this analysis will be given as a story. There will be a girl, creatures and fairies. The creature will appear when the sound and feel of the music is ominous. The fairies will appear when the sound and feel is playful. This story …

An Examination Of Music's Effects On Athletic Performance, Patrick Ford

A with Honors Projects

This paper is an investigation of how music can impact athletic performance and the biological pathways that it acts through.

Reflective Paper On Music Series: A With Honors Capstone Project, Cagla Unal

A with Honors Projects

A summary of concepts learned by attending Parkland College's Music Series during the fall of 2014.

The Performer's Journey As A Student Of Music, Rachel Saliba

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a study of one student's journey as a student of singing at the University of Mississippi. The author documented her progression through four years of vocal study, culminating in a recital performance that occurred on December 7, 2013. First, the author presents the development of a lifestyle that was reflective of her career as a musician. Next, the author provides a description of rehearsal procedures that enabled technical improvement. Then, the author includes a copy of the program notes that were given to the audience of the December recital. Finally, the author presents an analysis of …

"More Than A Wishful Dream", Wai Yong Tang

Senior Honors Theses

“More than a Wishful Dream” is a musical drama that explores the Christmas story through the eyes of Joseph. The author hopes to bring a realization that the Christmas story was an event that truly happened by exploring the emotional and cultural realities surrounding the birth of Christ through the musical. This thesis also includes a study on the different elements of playwriting, musical theatre and songwriting. These elements were compiled and incorporated into the musical as part of the thesis. In the musical, Joseph dreams to be great like his forefathers and to save his people from suffering. However, …

Claude Debussy: Harmonic Innovations In Historical And Musical Context, Ford Joseph Forqurean

Theses and Dissertations

Claude Debussy's music developed as a product of his environment and culminated in the creation of a unique harmonic vernacular that permeates the twentieth century's tonal language. Through a historical and musical context, his early life through his formative years as a composer will be examined as a natural progression of his environment. The first section of this work will discuss these developments while the second part will analyze the structure and form of the Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano to illustrate the culmination of this trajectory.

Late Romanticism pushed tonality to its breaking point. Composers were forced to …

Deconstructing David Lang's The Anvil Chorus, Brandon M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Usually, when a piece of music is taken out of context, that is, when it is learned and performed without studying the piece, the composer, the musical genre, or the historical significance, the understanding of it for the performer is narrow and limited and the performance is less than ideal. This leads to a substandard realization of the music. Contrarily, a musician should integrate research with the learning process as to enhance the comprehensive understanding of the piece, which ultimately results in a high level of performance. This idea is important for the complex and extensive musical repertoire of the …

Patronage: The Renaissance And Today, Thomas E. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Patronage, as it will be discussed in this context, is the "money and support...given to an artist, organization, etc." (Merriam-Webster.com). The word itself comes from "patronus" in the Latin language, meaning "defender, protector...advocate" (Harper, Online Etymology). The concept of patronage existed long before the Renaissance (14th - 17th centuries), but did not come into the forefront in terms of artistic support until the 1300s. There is no specific, definite date to the start of patronage. In fact, it could be said that a hired person working to complete a singular product is being patronized, meaning that this occurred much earlier …

Eco-Theatre, R. Murray Schafer, Eleanor James, Sarah Ann Standing

Publications and Research

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, in 1933, and widely considered Canada’s leading living composer, Raymond Murray Schafer is also a librettist, educator, writer, and “soundscape” theorist. Schafer composes for symphonies as well as chamber orchestras, solo instruments (he has even composed a piece for snowmobile), and vocalists. His compositions have played throughout the world. Schafer’s operatic cycle Patria—a masterwork almost forty years in the making—consists of ten episodes, plus a prologue and an epilogue. The prologue The Princess of the Stars and epilogue And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon (also known as the Wolf Project) comprise an eco-theatre where Schafer places …

A Supporting Document For A Graduate Recital, Noree Michelle Dolphay

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Conflicts Of Soviet Ideology In Sergei Prokofiev's Film Score For Ivan The Terrible, Elizabeth R. Blaufox

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Conversations We Have Had, Michael Koltosky

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.