Music Commons^™

Maurine Dewsnup, Myrna J. Layton

Faculty Publications

Grace Maurine Dewsnup (February 8, 1909 – February 1, 1998) was a Utah piano soloist, dance accompanist, composer, music theorist and teacher.

Marie Nelson Bennett, Myrna J. Layton

Faculty Publications

Marie Nelson Bennett (June 15, 1926 – November 18, 2018) was an American composer.

Frances K. Thomassen Taylor, Myrna J. Layton

Faculty Publications

Frances Eliza Warren Kingsbury Thomassen Taylor (January 21, 1870 – November 17, 1952) was an organist, composer and member of the General Board of the Primary Associations.

Mildred Tanner Pettit, Myrna J. Layton

Faculty Publications

Laura Mildred Tanner Pettit (August 9, 1895 – April 9, 1977) is best known as the composer of the iconic Primary song, I am a Child of God. Much of the music composed by Sister Pettit was aimed at children and can be found in various publications of the Primary Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, Sister Pettit wrote dance music and operettas which were performed widely. She sometimes choreographed and directed the productions as well.

Facilitating Bedroom Recording Practices, Christopher William Bulgren, Jason C. Fick

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

An increase in access to recording technology has expanded opportunities for teachers and students. One approach, bedroom recording, involves the use of low-budget hardware and software in common, untreated spaces, often in one’s home. Bedroom recording practices significantly impact the sense of place and workflow in the industry for both professionals and amateur music makers. As an art form that thrives on mobility, bedroom recording is a natural pathway for music students to achieve low-cost, self-guided recordings. The purpose of this study was to explore best practices and student interactions related to a bedroom recording project. Participants were 17 Music …

A Lost Culture Of Touch And Sound: The Contribution Of Visually Impaired Musicians To The Evolution Of The Spanish Guitar, Marco Ramelli

Soundboard Scholar

In the story of music-making, blind musicians have played an intrinsic role, helping to drive the development not only of musical styles but also of instruments, instruction, and aesthetics. Many musical practices were cultivated first within blind communities and adopted only later by sighted musicians, often with a gradual erasure of their original context. The history of the Spanish guitar offers a compelling case study of this progression, demonstrating how the contribution of blind musicians could be both wide-reaching and yet, over time, forgotten. The history of this contribution is challenging to recover, for in Spain as elsewhere, blind musicians …

2025-2026 Master Of Music Recital - Nabil Hetman (Collaborative Piano), Nabil Hetman, Li Yang Liu, Aneliya Novikova, Isabella Swalm, Elizaveta Goryunova, Elena Swalm, Peter Pao

Master of Music Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Ppc Recital - Devin Foster (Tuba), Devin Foster, Rebeca Sierra

PPC/PSDP Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Ppc Recital - Patrick Hengstler (Trombone), Patrick Hengstler, Sheng Yuan Kuan

PPC/PSDP Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Performance Forum - November 14, 2025, Ethan Thompson, Aidan Quintana, Emma Joyce, Julia Jacobsen, Christian Curran, Nathaniel Jones, Verse Tomac, Betania Canas, Mia Cotton, Keegan Neely, Ethan Sanchez, Aneliya Novikova, Meixi Zhou, Peicen Qin, Lillian Platte, Anttuan Rios Pelaez, Dina Bikzhanova, Paola Nava

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Ppc Recital - Dina Bikzhanova (Violin), Dina Bikzhanova, Sheng Yuan Kuan

PPC/PSDP Recitals

No abstract provided.

Haydn's Canonic Minuets, James S. Mackay

HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America

Haydn composed many hundreds of minuets during his long career, enriching the courtly dance with compositional skill and ingenuity. One of the ways in which he sought to elevate the minuet genre was through contrapuntal artifice, including canon. The famous “Hexenmenuett” (“Witches’ Minuet”) from his “Quinten” Quartet, Op. 76 no. 2, dating from 1797, is the most famous of these works, in which the viola and cello duplicate the leading voice of violins I and II at the distance of an octave. Haydn’s interest in canonic minuets dates back to the early 1760s, however. Minuets from three early symphonies (Nos. …

Music Technology As A Medium To Stem Education, Sophia Grace Moon

Masters Theses

This project researched how music technology programs can be implemented in high schools of low-income communities to act as a medium in teaching STEM education. The point at which students are first introduced to STEM concepts is critical in terms of their interest. The project explored the ways we can help students not only excel in school, but also help to interest them in subjects that have lucrative job markets as well. The number of jobs related to STEM fields continues to grow as our society relies more and more on technology. Getting students interested in STEM almost guarantees a …

Come, Heavy Sleep: Motive And Metaphor In Britten’S Nocturnal, Opus 70, Stephen Goss

Soundboard Scholar

"The prevailing melancholy [of Britten’s Nocturnal] is as natural to the guitar’s sonorities as it is appropriate in a tribute to John Dowland."

—Peter Evans, The Music of Benjamin Britten.

Such summary remarks characterise what little has been written about Britten’s Nocturnal outside the guitar world. The reader’s reaction might be one of passive agreement or mild irritation, but there is rarely dialogue because discourse is limited: Nocturnal after John Dowland is often passed over by Britten scholars with scant discussion or no mention at all. In fact, little has been added to Evans’ reliable commentary, written only three …

A Comparative Analysis Of K–12 Public School Music Teacher Burnout From 1986 To 2025, Veronica A. Rovatti

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This historical comparative analysis assessed five different sources to understand the effect stress and burnout have had on public school music educators over the last fifty years. In the United States, music educators are facing stress and burnout in their teaching careers, which can result in attrition from their profession. In this research study, four studies pertaining to music educator burnout are analyzed through a narrative compilation of research already established. Also analyzed is a supplementary recent article providing contemporary relevance. The criteria for source selection included studies or articles that primarily researched stress and burnout among K-12 public school …

Jazz & Contemporary Combos, Department Of Music, University Of Richmond

Music Department Concert Programs

No abstract provided.

The Resonance Of Desire: A Sonic Exploration And Guide To Recreating Disney’S Signature ‘I Want’ Songs, Aiyanna E. Riley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the sonic architecture of Disney’s Renaissance-era “I Want” songs and develops a framework for recreating their signature production style. This study analyzes how vocal timbre, microphone choices, layering, stereo placement, and mixing strategies contribute to the immersive qualities that define the Disney sound. Drawing from historical accounts, interviews with industry professionals, and technical literature, the thesis documents production practices unexamined in scholarly work. Inspired by David Gibson’s The Art of Mixing, my analyses prioritize spatial and textural qualities in Disney mixes, highlighting how sound design shapes narrative impact. The study culminates in two original compositions modeled …

Rules And Rhetoric: Historically Informed Guitar Performance Of Baroque Music, Arash Ahmadzadeh

Soundboard Scholar

Reviews of Interpreting Baroque Music: A Guide for the Modern Classical Guitarist, by Afshin Torabi Ardekani (Bergmann, second corrected edition, 2025) and Performing Baroque Music on the Classical Guitar: A Practical Handbook Based on Historical Sources, by Peter Croton (2015)

2025-2026 Philharmonia No. 2, Lynn Philharmonia, Guillermo Figueroa, Ay Kawasaki, Paola Nava, Li Yang Liu, Hanting Peng

Philharmonia

Concert Date & Time: November 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM and November 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM

2025 Concerto Competition Winners

• Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, FS 119 / Carl Nielsen - Ay Kawasaki, flute
• Symphonie espagnole, Op. 21 / Edouard Lalo - Paola Valentina Nava Romero, violin
• Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 / Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - LiYang Liu, violin
• Variations on a Nursery Song (Variationen über ein Kinderleid), Op. 25 / Ernö Dohnányi - Hanting Peng, piano

To view the season program, visit 2025-2026 Philharmonia Season Program

Shame On You, Cultural Appropriation! Rethinking Dvořák’S ‘Gypsy Songs, Op. 55, Ana Molano

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

This paper investigates the portrayal of Romani, “gypsy,” people in Western music, with Antonín Dvořák’s song cycle “Gypsy Songs, Op. 55” as a central case study. It explores the view of cultural appropriation as cultural borrowing, examining how this concept intersects with musical exoticism and orientalism, and how these musical traits shaped Dvořák’s portrayal of Bohemian Romani culture. Drawing on historical and socio-musical methodologies, the study analyzes the Bohemian Romani and Hungarian influences in Dvořák’s cycle. It discusses the ecological impact of the Gypsy Songs within its cultural environment and implications for performance reception. By situating Dvořák’s work within broader …

Beyond Distraction: Music Therapy For Chronic Pain Management In People With Advanced Cancer, Joke Bradt, Lynn Gumert, Carrie Cottone, Ming Yuan Low, Clarissa Lacson, Kate Myers-Coffman, Karolina Bryl, Preethi Selvan, Jacelyn Biondo, Allison Millstein, Anna Cephas, Stephenie Sofield, Brooke Worster, Amy Leader

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Effective, non-pharmacological approaches to pain management for people with advanced cancer that can enhance quality of life while minimizing adverse effects are urgently needed. While music therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing pain and improving pain-related outcomes across various patient populations, it has not been specifically examined in addressing chronic pain among people with advanced cancer. This study aims to enhance understanding of how people with advanced cancer experience music therapy for pain management.

METHODS: As part of a mixed methods intervention trial, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a subsample of 25 outpatients with advanced cancer …

2025-2026 Performance Forum - November 7, 2025, Daniel Cruz, Sheng Yuan Kuan, Rebeca Sierra, Laura Gonzalez, Nia Morgan, Roey Dushi, Verse Tomac, Juan Fernandez Villegas, Rishi Gurnani, Jacob Lomboy, Kade Gordon, Patrick Hengstler, Dj Combs, Amanda Rearden, Chase Hogan, Manuela Wanumen Jiménez, Sarah Conley, Pablo Camacho

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Junior Recital - Ana Maria Uzunova (Piano), Ana-Maria Uzunova

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Together In Song: Honoring America's 250th For The Friends Of The Conservatory, Nabil Hetman, Aneliya Novikova, Rebeca Sierra, Lisa Leonard, Ingryd Herrera

Friends of the Conservatory Events

No abstract provided.

Too Loud To Ignore: Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Regarding Hearing Protection In Student Musicians And Ensemble Directors, Lucile Donald, Ashley G. Flagge

Ashley Flagge Publications

Musicians are at an elevated risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to repeated exposure to sound levels exceeding occupational safety guidelines. Although many strides have been made in educating music students on the potential dangers of noise exposure and the mitigating effects of hearing protection devices, the current attitudes on this topic among high school and college-level student musicians remain largely unknown. An electronic survey was administered to high school (n = 195) and university (n = 161)-level band students and ensemble directors (n = 15) regarding knowledge of noise/music-induced hearing loss (MIHL), personal practices with HPDs, and types …

From "Pata Pata" To Come Back, Africa: Miriam Makeba And Her Fight Against Apartheid, 1953-1990, Maddie Heiser

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Perhaps one of the most notorious periods in African history was that of Apartheid – a system of racial, political, social, and economic discrimination placed upon the non-white majority of South Africa. Beginning in 1948 and lasting until the early 1990s, Apartheid marked a significant transformation in not only African liberation movements but also those happening across the globe, including the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. While the efforts to overcome Apartheid and empower the overall messages of African liberation and solidarity are well-documented, there are several methods of achieving these goals that have been unfortunately overlooked. Figures …

Bomba E: Tradition And Eclecticism In Selected Choral Works Of Ángel "Cucco" Peña, Luis F. Gonzalez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This monograph presents a musical analysis of three choral works by Puerto Rican composer Ángel “Cucco” Peña: Negra Majestad, Bomba E, and Aleluya Criollo. Although Peña is widely recognized for his contributions to popular music and production, these pieces highlight a lesser-known side of his creative output in the choral realm. Each work draws from traditional Puerto Rican genres—bomba, plena, and aguinaldo—while incorporating modern compositional techniques that reflect Peña’s eclectic style and his engagement with both popular and classical traditions.

The study situates these pieces within their historical and cultural contexts, particularly the African diaspora’s …

2025-2026 Performance Forum - October 31, 2025, Caroline Dratnal, Zion Pe Montebon, Ana-Maria Uzunova, Owen Chen, Kade Gordon, Sheng Yuan Kuan, Juan Fernandez Villegas, Ingryd Herrera, Rebeca Sierra, Lisa Leonard, Li Yang Liu, Jon Cruz, Hanting Peng, Julia Jacobsen, Derek Lund, Devin Salazar

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Musical Improvisation Through Poetic Inspiration: A Creative Practice Investigation, Sean Foran

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

This presentation explores creative practice as research through an innovative approach to musical improvisation that challenges traditional boundaries between music and literature. Working with experienced improvising musicians, this study investigates how poetic texts serve as catalysts for new creative processes and musical outcomes.

The methodology involved musicians responding improvisationally to recorded poetry narrations, followed by reflective discussion and re-improvisation, extending Hannan's concept of 'comprovisation' while maintaining complete musical agency. Significantly, the final creative works present only the improvised music, requiring audiences to read poems independently and construct their own text-music relationships.

This approach differs from established music-poetry collaborations by positioning …

Fall Choral Concert, Department Of Music, University Of Richmond

Music Department Concert Programs

No abstract provided.