Music Performance Commons^™

Mirrors, Zachary R. Ross

Undergraduate Honors Theses

MIRRORS is a cycle of songs composed for soprano voice and piano using five poems by Sylvia Plath. The work features the creation of a protagonist and tells a chronological story through the arrangement of the five poems colored and unified by the manipulation of a thematic twelve-tone row.

Flow, Tommy Bravos

Compositions

Flow was composed in the Spring of 2014 and premiered in it’s entirety during the April Student Composition Concert here at Illinois Wesleyan University. I composed the piece during an emotionally tumultuous time, and it represents many events that were occurring cyclically in my life at the time. The emotional events that directly inspired Flow were like opposite sides of a coin: one being relationships attempting to grow and the other being relationships gradually turning sour, needing to be left behind. These ideas are represented by the piece revolving around the recurring motive, showing how these events constantly wove in …

Birke Fine Arts Festival 2014. Fifth Annual Festival Of New Music. Marshall University, February 25-28, 2014, Mark Zanter

All Performances

No abstract provided.

2013-2014 New Music Festival, Lisa Leonard, Shirley J. Thompson

New Music Festival

Eighth Annual New Music Festival

• Shirley J. Thompson, Composer-in-Residence
• Lisa Leonard, Director

Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 7:30 pm

• Spotlight: Faculty Concert

Sunday, February 24, 2014 at 7:30 pm

• Contemporary Music Forum - Post Modernism: Contemporary Influences in Art Music

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 7:30 pm

• Spotlight: Young Composers

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 7:30 pm

• Spotlight: Shirley J. Thompson

Commissioned Work

Tequesta Song for Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano by Shirley J. Thompson. The full score is displayed in the Creative Works collection.

Sonata Divina Commedia (Part I: Inferno), Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Research

Part 1 of planned 3-part violin and piano sonata modeled after Dante's "Divina Commedia." Part 1 "Inferno" is a wild modernist adventure for violin and piano, echoing the terrors of inferno. As the piece is incredibly virtuosic, the composer allows for variation, adaptation, and some minor changes if necessary for performers to execute the piece, as faithfully as they can. The work was written in honor of two superb musicians, who by random chance, the composer met or had connections with separately, before realizing the violinist (Mr. Kerr) and the pianist (Mr. Wallace) actually met and went to school together …

Dolce Stil Novo, Timothy W. Mcdunn

Compositions

Dolce Stil Novo is a slightly unconventional kind of tone poem. As the title suggests, the main inspiration for the piece is the poetry of Dante Alighieri, especially that subset of it which belongs to his so-called "Sweet New Style." While the three successive intermezzi are tied only obliquely to this subject, the first and final movements make direct reference to Dante's Sweet New Style as found in the Vita Nuova, an autobiographical compilation of prose and verse. In this way, the piece is a reflection on Dante's writings from two perspectives: that of the author (in the first and …

Graduate Recital In Composition, Joseph Carey

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This graduate composition recital was a compilation recital of two separate events. The first was a public recital which took place on 29 March 2013. This recital included three main pieces: in the day, cloak + dagger, and Fib. The second event was a reading session of Corpus Loci by UNI Concert Chorale, which took place on 14 November 2013. This abstract will summarize the structural, rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic components of each of these pieces, and will recognize and acknowledge the many musicians who donated their time to make this recital possible.

Fiesole: The Hillsides Of Tuscany, A Musical Work For The Classical Guitar And A Study Of The Compositional Process, Matthew Goodman

Music

Fiesole: The Hillsides of Tuscany

This piece of music is composed for 4 guitars, and it includes all of the right and left-hand fingerings for all notes. The individual parts are printed out so it can be distributed easily.

Explorations In Double-Stops: Three New Pieces For Expanding The Role Of The Double Bass In The Jazz Ensemble, Ashley De Neef

Theses : Honours

This dissertation investigates the potential for using double-stops - the sounding of two or more simultaneous notes - as a means for extending the traditional role of the double bass, within compositions for a small jazz ensemble. It is the contention of this dissertation that it is possible to use double-stops to perform a more advanced function within the jazz ensemble, without compromising the double bass’ primary harmonic and rhythmic duties.

A historical overview of the history of the double bass within western classical and jazz music will be provided, as to outline and define what the double bass’ role …

Jonathan Green, Charlie Schlenker

Interviews for WGLT

"How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall? Write - As Well As Practice"

An Illinois Wesleyan University composer recently had a work of his debut at Carnegie Hall. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more.

Folk/Traditional Music Of West Virginia Arranged For Classical Guitar Ensemble, Júlio Ribeiro Alves

Music Faculty Research

My motivation for writing this book grew from my desire to better understand the people and the music heritage of West Virginia and to share the findings of my experience, with the guitar community, in the form of guitar ensemble arrangements.

Solo Composition Recital (October 26, 2013), Dominic Dousa

Selected Works Temporary Series

Faculty Compositon Recital, presented by Nayeli Dousa (Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez) and Dominic Dousa (piano). Performances of the following original compositions: "Lands of Enchantment"

Developing Depth And Dimension: Instructional Tools And Practices To Facilitate And Encourage The Growth Of Young Jazz Musicians, Shauna E. Mcfaul

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Developing Depth and Dimension: A step-by-step, comprehensive introduction to the world of jazz for young musicians. This work begins with a philosophical discussion of the educational methods that are incorporated into the following games, lesson plans and writings. The project is directed toward students who have little to no experience playing jazz or improvising. It is meant to provide a foundation for continued success and development throughout their musical lives.

Uncommon Action: An Interdisciplinary Arts Performance On Ally Involvement, Rachel Dentinger

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This instrumental and dance performance, titled “Uncommon Action: An Interdisciplinary Arts Performance on Ally Involvement”, was designed to raise awareness about bullying and becoming an active ally in the event of bullying. Sixteen student musicians and a team of production assistants were enlisted to produce this interdisciplinary program that was over a year and a half in the making. This production is a unique artistic effort where the classical musicians will also perform as dancers while playing, similar to what is seen in performances by marching bands, drum corps, Stomp, Barrage, Blue Man Group, etc.

The musical piece, commissioned from …

In Autumn Rhythm, Daniel Joseph Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Autumn Rhythm is a twelve-minute work for orchestra inspired by the improvisational processes and artistic outlook of American painter Jackson Pollock (1912 - 1956). Pollock's work Autumn Rhythm manifests itself in this piece as a web of dense, improvisatory counterpoint that emphasizes aggregate texture over clear linear designs. The form is delineated by a metric palindrome extrapolated from the symmetrical rhythmic design of the opening section.

Adapting J.S. Bach's Solo Violin Sonatas And Partitas For The Marimba: Broken Chord And Arpeggio Performance Practices, Jason Eugene Mathena

Dissertations

This purpose of this study is to provide the keyboard percussionist with information and examples for breaking chords and properly executing arpeggio passages in J. S. Bach’s solo violin Sonatas and Partitas. Primary sources included Baroque treatises on performance practice and recent scholarship of the past one hundred years. Various editions of the Sonatas and Partitas were surveyed for this document but, in the end, only Bach’s autograph manuscript and Gunther Hausswald’s critical edition were used for the musical examples as well as the marimba transcriptions included in appendices.

Topics covered are appropriate places to break chords and the various …

Fight Or Flight, Asher Griffith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fight or Flight is a one-act, science-fiction opera. Outwardly the story of an astronaut who is marooned on the Moon, this dark comedy is an allegorical tale of forced isolation and loss; and of the anxiety and sadness that inevitably result. Musically, this piece began as an experiment in the reverse-engineering of mostly improvisatory methods of musical spoken-word delivery such as rap or slam poetry; this compositional device being a means to the more important end of creating a live musical theatre lacking the flippant sparkle commonly associated with Broadway and the like, but also free of the "intellectual" or …

Symphony No.1, Roger Lowe

Original Compositions

Unpublished, Premiered April 29, 2013 in Dover Theater, Gardner-Webb University

Symphony in four movements available on YouTube:

Mvt. I

Mvt. II

Mvt. III

Mvt. IV

Instrumentation: 3231, 4331, Euphonium, 5 perc plus timp, glock, xyl, piano, harp, strings

Additional Instruments, 4^th mvt. only: alto flute, drum set, electric guitar, electric bass.

An Integrated Approach To Preparing Paul Hindemith’S Sonata For Trombone And Piano: A Guide To Help Achieve A Better Performance, Jemmie Robertson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The aim of this article is to enhance understanding of the Hindemith Sonata and assist performers toward performances of the highest musical quality and emotional impact. The goal is to produce a musical and historically informed performance, based on a good theoretical foundation and thorough technical preparation. We will briefly discuss the history and theory behind Hindemith’s Sonata, examine unique performance issues, and introduce ways to prepare for a successful performance with several specific exercises designed to help the trombonist decode Hindemith’s complex compositional language, which involves a unique approach to tonality and rhythm.

An Integrated Approach To Preparing Paul Hindemith’S Sonata For Trombone And Piano: A Guide To Help Achieve A Better Performance, Jemmie Robertson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

The aim of this article is to enhance understanding of the Hindemith Sonata and assist performers toward performances of the highest musical quality and emotional impact. The goal is to produce a musical and historically informed performance, based on a good theoretical foundation and thorough technical preparation. We will briefly discuss the history and theory behind Hindemith’s Sonata, examine unique performance issues, and introduce ways to prepare for a successful performance with several specific exercises designed to help the trombonist decode Hindemith’s complex compositional language, which involves a unique approach to tonality and rhythm.

Composition Portfolio With Accompanying Comments And Analysis, Dermot Mcdermott

Masters

My M.Phil project consists of eight original musical compositions of varying genre and style, together with accompanying analysis and commentary on these works. The compositions include pieces for full symphony orchestra, string quartet, clarinet quartet, and a number of other chamber works with varying instrumental combinations. Together, the works represent approximately fifty minutes of music, together with over nine thousand words of commentary and analysis. Some of my compositions have already been performed by the contemporary music ensemble, Concorde, and I have also completed a commission, with funds supplied by the Arts Council, for a work which was publicly performed …

4th Annual Festival Of New Music February 28, March 1, 2013, Mark Zanter

All Performances

No abstract provided.

Lawrence Pianist Michael Mizrahi Earns “Best Of 2012″ Honors For His Album “The Bright Motion”, Lawrence University

Press Releases

Lawrence University Assistant Professor of Music Michael Mizrahi ended the year in style. His album, “The Bright Motion”, was cited by both Time Out New York and Time Out Chicago on their annual list of best albums of 2012.

Released last May on New Amsterdam Records, “The Bright Motion” was listed eighth on Time Out New York’s 2012 list of the best opera and classical music of the past year, while Time Out Chicago included it on its year-end, non-numerical top-10 list of the year’s best opera and classical music albums.

The Bright Motion” features 10-tracks of newly composed works …

Joe Henderson's Harmonic Approach To Improvisation Within The Duo Setting In His 1992 Quintet Album, Lush Life: The Music Of Billy Strayhorn, Patrick Van Der Moezel

Theses : Honours

Jazz improvisation can be greatly influenced by the combination of instrumentation, influencing the role of the instruments and the way they relate to each other. Notably, the stripped-back nature of the duo emphasises these differences. Musicians such as Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Joe Henderson are three of many saxophonists who have employed this particular combination to explore different ways of improvisation.

This paper will draw on Joe Henderson’s 1992 album Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn, which uses the duo setting on three tracks. Each of these three tracks has a slightly different combination (saxophone with bass, with …

Ronald Stevenson, Composer-Pianist : An Exegetical Critique From A Pianistic Perspective, Mark Gasser

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This exegetical critique makes a conceptual summation of Ronald Stevenson’s life’s work for the piano and his contributions as a composer‐pianist. Chapters one and two provide a profile of Stevenson as a pianist, examining the aesthetic and musical concerns that defined his long career, as well as precedents and antecedents of his pianism. Of particular interest are the ways that Stevenson coalesces aspects of the ‘grand manner’ and his obsession with a pianistic bel canto style. Chapter three examines Stevenson’s remarkable output in terms of piano transcriptions. His conceptualization of this as ‘capturing the essence’ of the original composer is …

Voice Recitals At The Unl School Of Music: Compilation Study, Audrey M. Nicholson

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

An informative compilation of Voice Recitals at the UNL School of Music categorized by Masters, DMA, and Faculty recitals from 1988-2012. Information includes: composer, work title, song title, performer, performance date, instrumentation, audio availability, and online program link.

"Download" button links to pdf version of file. Spreadsheet version (.xls) is attached below as "Related file." ".xlr" files are spreadsheets and can be opened from MS Excel.

The Choral Music Of Allen Henry Koepke (1939–2012) With A Conductor's Special Focus On The Preparation Of His Seminal Work, Missa Brevis, Keith J. Curington

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

Although American choirs have been performing Allen Koepke’s compositions since 1973 and his music is witnessing greater and greater international appeal, especially in Asia, academic writings about the composer and his contribution to the choral art have been absent. This document examines Missa Brevis, the seminal work by Allen Koepke, and serves as a conductor’s guide for score study and rehearsal preparation. It will address practical problems unique to the work and will suggest solutions that will ensure excellence in its performance. A biography, a complete catalogue of the composer’s large number of choral works in print, a listing …

2012-2013 New Music Festival, Donald Waxman, Lisa Leonard

New Music Festival

Seventh Annual New Music Festival

• Donald Waxman, Composer-in-Residence
• Lisa Leonard, Director

Monday, October 1, 2012 at 7:30 pm

• Spotlight 1: Young Composers

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 7:30 pm

• Contemporary Forum

Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 7:30 pm

• Spotlight 2: Donald Waxman

Student Teaching Band Arrangement, Whitney Mensink

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As a future music educator, I have learned how to teach students through various courses and instruction. During the last semester of my undergraduate, I am required to student teach. This gives me an opportunity to apply everything I’ve learned to see if it really works, and what my particular teaching style and philosophy is. At Sky View High School, I had the opportunity to teach the Sophomore Concert Band. For my thesis project, I decided to arrange a piece just for them – to rehearse with them and to score it to the strengths of the ensemble. Since I …

Mouth's Cradle Presents: Wisdom Teeth, Kevin Hegedus

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

[See attached document for abstract]