Music Performance Commons^™

A Singer’S Stress: Yoga And Meditation Techniques In The Collegiate Voice Studio, Zackery David Morris

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Often neglected in voice study is the understanding that a singer’s instrument lives in his/her body and therefore cannot be packed away like other musical objects. Yoga and mindfulness compliment the belief of a whole body instrument. Data gathered on college campuses report that stress and anxiety are on the rise, thus reinforcing the need for MBSR and yoga as beneficial and proven tools for stress relief. The current state of research in the realm of mental health in colleges merits the study of a cohesive layout of these exercises and their expected outcomes in singing as well as stress …

Rachmaninoff And The Flexibility Of The Score: Issues Regarding Performance Practice, Tanya Gabrielian

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano music is a staple of piano literature, but academia has been slower to embrace his works. Because he continued to compose firmly in the Romantic tradition at a time when Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg variously represented the vanguard of composition, Rachmaninoff’s popularity has consequently not been as robust in the musicological community. He left a rich legacy of recorded material which provides a first-hand account of his approach to musical interpretation. Few have analyzed Rachmaninoff’s recordings in great detail, and there are even fewer studies addressing Rachmaninoff’s performances of works by other composers.

The aim of this …

Thesis For Graduate Study In Tuba Performance, Allen Parrish

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

A document in support of the graduate tuba recital given on April 1, 2017. A description of composer biographies for each work performed as well as performance considerations and how those specific performance considerations were addressed in preparation for the recital. Submitted as part of the requirements for the Master of Music in Tuba Performance.

Ministry Through Musical Performance: Establishing Biblical, Historical, And Pedagogical (Educational) Precedent For The Christian Performing Artist, Lindsey Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As a performing artist, the author suggests in an “American Idol” culture, Christian artists have largely lost their identity as worshipers with a ministry of the Gospel through music. The Christian performing artist has the responsibility to commit to spiritual maturity and personal growth. This thesis project proposes the artist is a communicator of the Gospel through music and seeks to substantiate the Christian performing artist through biblical, historical, and educational rationale and precedent. Biblical rationale of the Christian performing artist is considered in Old Testament and New Testament principle and precedent. Historical rationale and precedent is established through the …

Performance Anxiety And The Benefits Of Proper Breathing For Singing, Kate Zecher

Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to help those with Music Performance Anxiety, or anxiety in general, better understand their anxiety and its causes. They can then use this knowledge to reduce or control their symptoms in order to improve their performance, whether on a stage or in a classroom. One of the main symptoms of Music Performance Anxiety is constriction of the chest. It is one of the most debilitating symptoms to singers as it causes shortness of breath. Therefore, focusing on anxiety in relation to breathing will most benefit those with Music Performance Anxiety. In addition, learning about …

Music & Media: A Senior Recital & Honors Project, Kayla Luteran

Honors Projects

Music & Media: A Senior Recital & Honors Project is a cross-media marketing strategy. The main purpose of this project was to develop visually appealing, informative graphic elements and branding to effectively promote a musical performance. This is interdisciplinary in nature and includes written and oral communication.

While many music students post about their senior recital on social media or place flyers, they do not develop a thorough methodology for generating buzz about their event. Although musical preparation is of utmost importance for a performance, I believe that time should be spent on all aspects of planning the recital. With …

Across The Ages Of Music And Emotions: What It Is To Be Human A Reflection On My Senior Voice Recital, Amanda Haverdink

Honors Projects

Creators and artists involve themselves in the passion and process of art as a way to discover what it is to be human. Such a notion has been central to my experiences at Grand Valley, growing as a student, as a performer, and as an individual. This recital aims to address four primary feelings (love, sadness, longing, and passion) that remind each of us what it is to be human. The pieces featured in this recital will explore a range of interpretations based on each emotion, depicting the multi-faceted and personal experience of feeling. Every performer has a unique interpretation …

Tyler Kline’S Render: A Formal Analysis And Performance Guide, John Douglas Handshoe

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Since the 1950s, composers worldwide have explored the use of the trombone in new and exciting ways, from expanding the functional range of the instrument to creating unique timbres through the use of mutes and extended techniques. Since then, many standard works in the literature have been born from this pushing of the envelope from composers like John Cage, Luciano Berio, Iannis Xenakis, and Daniel Schnyder.

On the forefront of the newest crop of composers expanding the voice of the trombone is Tyler Kline (b. 1991). This project will function as a formal analysis and performer’s guide to his 2015 …

Lynne Ramsey, Violist: Biography, Pedagogical Background, Teaching Techniques, And Career Advice, Ignacio Cuello

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research document explores teaching methods, career advice, and major influences that shaped the professional course of the violist Lynne Ramsey. Ramsey teaches viola at the Cleveland Institute of Music and is first assistant principal viola in the Cleveland Orchestra. For over thirty years, she has taught countless viola students in the US while maintaining a full-time performance career.

The introductory chapter covers Ramsey’s biographical and educational backgrounds during her time as a student of Ramon Scavelli, David Dawson, and Karen Tuttle. It is worth mentioning that Tuttle was the primary student of one of the best-known violists in …

Music, Politics, And Sociality: Ethnic Tensions And The Performance Of Gikuyu Nationalism, Peter Njagi Mwangi

Foreign Languages & Literatures ETDs

This thesis examines how some selected Gikuyu popular music propagates ethnic tensions in Kenya by promoting Gikuyu nationalism at the expense of Kenyan nationalism. This music derives its themes from the historical period of the Mau Mau armed struggle against British colonists and connects this struggle with everyday experiences of the Gikuyu people. Memory and the performance of everyday life in this music solidifies the Gikuyu community as tied to a common destiny and distances other Kenyan communities from this destiny. The music consolidates Gikuyu ethnic nationalism and authenticates the position of the community as superior and a dominant force …

A Graduate Recital In Voice, Joshua Donaldson

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This thesis consists of a vocal performance recital and the accompanying program notes. The recital includes a variety of literature and styles, ranging from the Baroque to the Twentieth Century. The program notes for each selection include biographical information, analysis of the work, poetic analysis (when necessary), and performance concerns. Composers include George Friederich Handel, Robert Schumann, Maurice Ravel, Peter Warlock, and Ernest Charles.

Grains Without Territory: Voicing Alexander Garsden’S [Ja] Maser And The De-Centralized Vocal Subject, Jessica Aszodi

Directions of New Music

The singing subject is both site-of and author-of her practice. This practice-based, artistic research unpacks the entangled process of making new music, conscious that the performer-author is the site where embodied problem solving takes place. The principal focus of the paper is the author’s realization of Alexander Garsden’s [ja] Maser, for voice and electronics, created by recording and reconstituting vocal elements using traditional compositional and performative methods as well as studio recording and granular synthesis. The author approaches the realization of this new work as an experimental practice in dialogue with theoretical frames that inform and situate the research. …

Redefining The Performance Degree Curriculum For The Crossover Saxophonist, Ian M. Cruz

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Many collegiate saxophone performance degree programs are overwhelmingly classical, adopting from other performance programs in the Western music tradition. However, there is a growing number of saxophone compositions that are “crossover” in nature. Crossover is a term used to describe the fusion of popular music styles in a classical setting. There is also evidence that collegiate music education as a whole is moving towards a more diverse curriculum, which emphasizes ethnomusicology. Due to this trend in composition and education, it is becoming increasingly important that saxophonists have the training of both classical and jazz disciplines.

The problem is that while …

Songs From The Willow Tree: Staging Collective Inspiration For Creative Songwriting, Aubrey W. Carpenter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The songwriting process, inspiration to song, can take many forms. This project explores a highly structured approach, using themes derived from reported individual experience to direct the creation of musical ends addressing common experience.

"Manuscripts And Medieval Song: Inscription, Performance, Context" By Helen Deeming And Elizabeth Leach, Timothy Mcgee

Performance Practice Review

Timothy McGee reviews and discusses Helen Deeming and Elizabeth Leach's 2015 work. Deeming, Helen and Elizabeth Leach. Manuscripts and Medieval Song: Inscription, Performance, Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. ISBN: 1107062632.

"Beyond The Score: Music As Performance" By Nicholas Cook, Aron Edidin

Performance Practice Review

Aron Edidin reviews and discusses Nicholas Cook's 2013 work. Cook, Nicholas. Beyond the Score: Music as Performance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-19-935740-6.

Establishing Human Identity Through Randomly-Generated Lyrics: A Comprehensive Performer's Analysis Of Robert Paterson's Captcha And Its Performance, Kyle Yampiro

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Robert Paterson’s CAPTCHA is a five-song cycle for baritone and piano that comes with some unique challenges from an interpretive standpoint. The text is comprised of CAPTCHAs: two-word phrases originally designed to test human identity versus that of a computer. Nearly every phrase contains a gibberish word and a real word and there is no proper syntax. The composer leaves interpretation open to the performer, which prompts the primary question explored in this document: how can a singer create an effective performance of this piece, given its unique challenges?

This document takes a multidisciplinary approach to discover the range of …

Mozart’S Concerto For Piano And Orchestra In B-Flat Major, K. 450: A Performance And Formal Analysis, Yihao Zhou

Music Honors Projects

An examination of the formal designs of the three movements that comprise Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in B-Flat Major, K. 450, this thesis, along with a performance of the work (April 16, 2016), completes my Honors Project in the Macalester College Music Department. Drawing connections with standard musical forms that had been developed by the late eighteenth century, the formal analysis of K. 450, through a hermeneutic approach, offers a way of understanding the formal aspects of the three concerto movements. Particularly, it reveals that this concerto simultaneously presents the distinction of an individual in the …

Creating And Performing A Composition For Tuba And Piano, Joel A. Ragona

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this creative thesis, I compose and perform a six movement art composition for tuba and piano. The reason for this performance and composition is two-fold. First, I am able to express myself in a way that other methods do not allow. Second, I reinforce important skills that will be vital in my future teaching career. To create the composition, I use various compositional methods, but I mainly adjust the composition by listening to it using piano and online compositional software. Preparing the composition for performance requires that I practice for multiple hours and find an accompanist who will perform …

Making A Great Performance: A Step-By-Step Guide, Diego A. Rocha

Student Publications

This project is meant to synthesize the body of knowledge I gained from my First-Year Seminar and my own research into a practical guide for excellence in performance. In it I address a number of stages and steps necessary for successful performance and various ways of going about those. While it focuses more heavily on the performance of music, due to my background and my intention to become a music educator, much of the text can be used in any field.

Beethoven Ahead Of His Time: Sonata In C Major No. 21 Op. 53, Carolina E. Perez Ms.

Honors College Theses

This research looks at the work of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata in C major No. 21 Op. 53. A historical, theoretical, and technical analysis helps set a foundation for a better comprehension of the work and influence the overall performance.

A Summary And Reflection Of The Percussion Repertoire For My Senior Recital, Christopher Scimecca

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

Fright Night, Music Department

Concerts

Peter and the Wolf by Prokofieff, narrated by Allen Lanham, Green Eggs and Ham by Kapilow, with Marilyn Coles (mezzo soprano) & Rachel Sapp (soprano), and “Carol Ann’s Theme” from Poltergeist with a Children’s Chorus from Charleston Elementary and Middle Schools. Performed by The Eastern Symphony OrchestraConducted by Richard Robert Rossi.

Cathedrals, Castles, & Colonies, Music Department

Concerts

Cathedrals, Castles, & Colonies, performed by the EIU Choral Ensembles, and conducted by Richard Robert Rossi & April Lee.

Collage Concert, Music Department

Concerts

Collage Concert, featuring the talents of EIU's Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, WInd Symphony, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Combos, Concert Choir.

Mind, Body, Music, Kimberly Lewis

Honors Projects

Performance anxiety is a phenomenon that all musicians struggle with at some point in their careers. As someone who has been a victim of performance anxiety throughout my life as a musician, I searched for ways that I could eliminate my own performance anxiety, as well as share information with other musicians on how their performance anxiety could be reduced. After doing my research, I realized that many music teachers do not discuss performance anxiety and ways that it can be reduced when teaching their students. I propose that music teachers discuss performance anxiety and performance anxiety reducing techniques with …

Rodeo, Music Department

Concerts

Rodeo by Aaron Copland & Concerto in D minor by CPE Bach. Performed by the Eastern Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Richard Robert Rossi. Featuring special guest artist Rebecca Johnson, Flute.

Songs Of Love, Music Department

Concerts

Performed by the EIU Choral Ensembles & EIU Symphonic Honor Choir. Conducted by Richard Robert Rossi and April Lee.

A Survey Of Choral Ensemble Memorization Techniques, Margaret A. Alley

Phi Kappa Phi Research Symposium (Archived)

Choral ensembles memorize music for concerts and other performances. Previous research in memorizing musical material is mostly anecdotal and primarily applied to individual instrumentalists. Research in choral memorization is nonexistent. This study aimed to systematically find out what memorization techniques are used in choral ensemble settings and to examine them based on existing literature in music memorizing. A survey was sent to choral directors and teachers in Southeast Georgia, collecting data on whether or not choral ensembles memorize their music and why, specific memorization techniques, and the aspects of memorization that present challenges for ensemble members. Fourteen choral directors and …

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 …