Composition Commons^™

Sinfonia Concertante In E, Braden Cutright-Head

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The "Sinfonia Concertante in E" was written about my journey overcoming a visual impairment as a college student in a global pandemic. It represents the struggle in the first section, while the second section is a lament for things I don't have (not being able to drive or see facial cues), while also representing my unusual but awesome African connections I made during the height of Covid. The third and last section is a big party for having overcome the visual impairment. The accompanying paper describes the processes, as well as my life story and how I got to this …

Bibliography, Jack G. Montgomery Jr.

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Jack Montgomery.

Bibliography, Matthew Herman

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of music pieces commissioned, performed and published by Matthew Herman.

The Unfaithful Bride: A Musical Exploration Of The Jewish Prayer Modes And Comparable Modern Instrumentation, Claire Smith

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Unfaithful Bride is a piece of Western art music written with the intent of acclimating westernized ears to the sonic landscape of Judaism, while simultaneously exploring a difficult and allegorical passage of Scripture that intersects with the composer’s religious traditions. The primary objective, however, was to create a beautiful work of art. To create this work, research on Jewish music (specifically on the ancient liturgical modes) was utilized to both inform and inspire.

Once the text was selected and analyzed, composition began, and rhythmic values and a prayer mode were assigned to each movement. Melodic materials were written at …

Buckberry, Ray B., Jr., B. 1934 - Collector (Mss 685), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 685. Research material collected by Ray B. Buckberry, Jr. related to Ernest Hogan, an African American musician from Bowling Green, Kentucky, who is sometimes credited as one of the pioneers of ragtime music. He composed and wrote lyrics for numerous musical pieces for minstrel shows and published sheet music.

Schulman, Steven A. (Fa 1227), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1227. Student paper titled “The Preacher’s Just Like a Grasshopper: A Study of a Kentucky Song Maker” in which Steven Schulman details the life of Howess Dewey Winfrey, a song-maker from Cumberland County. Schulman collected folk songs and performances from Winfrey over the course of two months. His fieldwork revealed that Winfrey was a creator of satirical tunes, which were influenced by his childhood, his experiences with the Church of the Nazarene, his time spent as a logger, his relationships with family and friends, politics, and land ownership. The paper includes excerpts from …

Evolution Of The Cello In Music, Joshua Propst

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With this project, I have studied cello music written throughout many of the major musical eras in an attempt to discover the cello, specifically regarding playing style, technique, and tonal ability. The composers included in this project are Bach, Haydn, Dvořák, Pärt, and Amanti. Most of the major musical styles are represented, with a focus on baroque, classical, romantic, minimalism, and jazz. I performed this wide variety of pieces at my Senior Recital for the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Music Dept. The goal of the recital was to showcase the rich musical history of the cello and how cello composition …

Carpenter, Howard R., 1919-2016 (Mss 613), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 613. Manuscript orchestral music for several pieces composed by Howard R. Carpenter, a music professor at Western Kentucky University from 1953 to 1984.

A Study Of Chemistry: For Wind Ensemble, Morgan Duff

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Many musicians have a limited understanding of chemistry, while many chemists aren't familiar with details of music theory or composition. Through the composition of a four-part musical work based entirely on several broad areas of chemistry, certain relationships have been shown between music and chemistry. Because of the overlap between certain scientific concepts and many aspects of music theory, it is possible for members of both fields to use what they already know in order to gain a deeper understanding of the other, very different, subject. Because everyone has learning strengths in differing areas, I believe the use of disciplinary …

What Do You Mean, "Practice"? Theorizing The Writing-Music Connection, Callie Elise Compton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Researchers in the field of composition studies have frequently made allusions to musicians when they’ve discussed the role of practice in gaining skill. In doing so, however, they’ve risked making speculative rather than testable claims and separating composition studies from recent insights on practice from other disciplines such as education and music psychology. These fields, I argue, offer testable frameworks with which composition instructors and scholars can teach and study writing practice. Such frameworks are necessary because composition researchers need to supplement qualitative studies of writers and writing with quantitative data to generate replicable tests of teaching methods that may …

Flaher For Wind Ensemble, Benjamin W. Lee

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Music compositions are vehicles of communication. Organized music ensembles in schools allow for students to share in the process of music-making and extramusical expression within the curriculum. As of late, school districts have made a push in mental health awareness and suicide prevention within professional development seminars. This project views the music classroom as an important, open environment for such pressing social subjects. In such, my composition—Flaher (pronounced “flare”)—pays homage to a friend, Anthony Flaherty, who committed suicide (keeping his namesake in the work’s title). Flaher is an accessible piece for high school or college band that directors can …

Mcdaniel, William Joseph, 1918-2009 (Mss 526), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 526. Unpublished manuscript music written by William J. McDaniel, native of Jellico, Tennessee, and Western Kentucky University alumni. Includes symphonic works, a ballet, songs, two chamber operas, small ensemble works, and choral works. Most have a religious theme. Also contains news clippings about McDaniel’s music and correspondence.

Harmon, Arlis Odell, 1905-1992 (Mss 153), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 153. Poems, 1934-1991, obituaries, 1964-1990, written by Arlis Odell Harmon, a gospel song writer and enthusiast, of Allen County, Kentucky. Includes correspondence about gospel music, genealogical data, photos, etc.

[Sabbatical Report], Mary Wolinski

Sabbatical Reports

My work in the academic year 2013- 14 has resulted in a manuscript of approximately 75,000 words. The monograph, entitled The Making of W2: Musical Compilation and Intention in the Shadow of Notre Dame. is a study of the creation of the thirteenth-century Parisian manuscript 1099, known as W2 and preserved in the Herzog-August-Bibliothek in Wolfenbuttel, Germany.

Olympia: A Musical Composition For Wind Ensemble, Kyle Macdonald

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Olympia is a one movement musical composition to be performed by a wind ensemble. Written for the composer’s honors capstone project, Olympia is an exploration into the world of composing for large musical ensembles. The main theme, heard in the trombone solo at measure 40, is the proverbial “voice in the wilderness” that heroically comes out of chaos and is heard throughout the piece in different forms. Starting in short score with piano and percussion, the piece was then orchestrated into the final version. Written in the fall of 2011 and the spring of 2012, Olympia was rehearsed and performed …

Book Reviews, John M. Cipolla

Music Faculty Publications & Performances

Book reviews by John Cipolla of:

• Mandat, Eric. Chips Off the Ol' Block for Solo Bass Clarinet
• Rossini, Gioachino & Carlos Pässler. Divertimento for Clarinet & Piano
• del Aguila, Miguel. Pacific Serenade, Op. 59 for Clarinet & String Quartet
• Wilson, Jeffrey. Colour Studies for Clarinet

Ua94/6/12 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Wku Raldon Smith, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Sheet music and music composition books used by Raldon Smith while a student at WKU.

Ua94/6/1 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Western Kentucky University Small Collections, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Small collections of personal papers and oral histories relating to the Western Kentucky University.

Lewis, Fred (Sc 1777), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1777. Musical scores for songs transcribed by Fred Lewis for the Hawaiian guitar.

Strahm, Franz Joseph (Mss 213), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 213. Musical scores (22) composed by Strahm, a talented composer and pianist, who served as the head of Western Kentucky University's Music Department from 1910 to 1941. Some of the pieces are quite short, while others contain full orchestration.

The Journey, A Suite In Five Movements For Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, And Percussion, Erin Goad

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Journey is a musical suite for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and mixed percussion. Written for the composer's honors capstone project, The Journey describes stages of a mountain hike. Inspiration came from the composer's love of nature. Movement one, "Morning Sunrise," depicts preparations for the hike with a dawn valley scene. Eager preparation is shown musically by a constantly moving accompanimental pattern and a syncopated melody. This moves directly into the second movement, "Sunpatterned Leaves." Conga drums and a march feel paint the brisk trek through the forest. Movement three, "Darkening Pathways," journeys into the depths of an unexplored cave. Haunting …

Harmon, Arlis Odell, 1905-1992 (Mss 194), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 194. Scrapbooks (3) of manuscript music, chiefly gospel music, written and composed by Arlis Odell Harmon, of Allen County, Kentucky.

Endurance, Jeremiah Bush

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis, a musical composition of my own making, is about the ending of a relationship. The written component describes both the pragmatic nature of the piece as well as the theoretical analysis of the musical score and CD components. The music was written to convey feelings of anger, sadness, and relief that one can feel during and after a break up. The end of the piece deals with reconciliation between the two people.

Ua37/4 Faculty Personal Papers Franz Strahm, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Joseph Strahm during his tenure as music professor at Western Kentucky University from 1910 to 1941. The collection includes biographical information and tributes, and Professor Strahm’s composition. The series is arranged in three sections, personal papers, sheet music and compositions and scores.

Hays, William Shakespeare, 1837-1907 (Mss 28), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Collection 28. Correspondence, poems, lyrics for songs, newspaper marine columns, and royalty and copyright contracts related to William Shakespeare Hays, a poet, composer, and newspaper columnist of Louisville, Kentucky. Many clippings of a biographical nature and of his works. Attached (Click on "Additional Files" below) is full text scan of a diary kept by Hayes from 1864 to 1865 and titled "My Leisure Moments to Belle McCullough." This diary is found in Box 3, Folder 4 of the collection.

Computer Technology In Writing Centers: Ways To Increase Their Effectiveness In The Instruction Of Freshman English And Intercurricular Studies, Christopher King

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Creating a space in Room 127 that is increasingly vital to English 100 is more complicated than just having students write on computers. To maximize our potentials in Room 127, we must deal with a variety of aspects — the history of the Writing Center, its functions, perceptions of it, pedagogies related to it, and its space, and our goals, for example ~ before we simply sit our freshman in front of computers and give them a writing prompt. Chapter One will provide a brief history of what Room 127's function has been. This review is necessary so that we …

America Sings: An Oratorio For Mixed Choir, Brass, Percussion, Narrator, William Cates Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

I wrote this work with the nation's Bicentennial Celebration in mind. I was completed on Dec. 1, 1975. I hope the musicians who perform it will do so with the same attitude of pride in being an American that I feel and that I experienced as I wrote it.

The underlying motive, in the beginning, was to write a "Bicentennial piece" that would be totally different from other works that would be most surely coming out in the '75-'76 Bicentennial year. I chose the vocal medium first because the ability to sing is God's gift to man. It is 'natural' …

Classical Music In Early Kentucky, 1850-1889, Kentucky Library Research Collections

Research Collections

No abstract provided.

Stephen Collins Foster & His Folk-Songs, Mary Chisholm

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Every American knows some of Stephen Collins Foster's songs, but not everyone who sings My Old Kentucky Home and Old Folks at Home realizes that it was he who wrote those songs. Of the two hundred songs and compositions which Foster published, at least fifteen are constantly sung. Since these songs voice emotions which are fundamental to mankind, they have become more important than the composer himself. For this reason they may be called folk-songs, and because they voice so truly the spirit of America, America is proud to claim them as her own.

The title of this thesis, Stephen …

English Hyms And Hymn Writers Of The Eighteenth Century, Hazel Turbeville

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to treat the English hymns and hymn writers of the eighteenth century.