Music Practice Commons^™

An Examination Of Maria Schneider’S Big Band Artistry Through The Lens Of Wind Band Arranging, Amy Birdsong

Dissertations, 2020-current

Within the world of instrumental music there tends to be strict adherence to styles and genres that have historically been connected to a standard collection of instruments. Wind ensembles are expected to perform contemporary art music, orchestral transcriptions, or military marches, with little expectation of individual creative interpretation. Jazz ensembles, or “big bands,” are expected to perform styles of music such as “swing,” which cannot be properly notated using western notation, while also being rigidly glued to reduced instrument choices, repetitive chord cycles and standard song forms. While wind ensemble performers are confined to read and perform all aspects of …

Villa-Lobos Choros No. 1: A Study Of The Recordings, Andrei Jan Hoffmann Uller

Dissertations

This dissertation explores changing perspectives on performance practice for the well-known solo guitar work Choros No.1 composed in 1920 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), by documenting different interpretations heard on selected recordings from across the 20th century and into the 21st century. The methodology considers the recordings as the main object of study. Choros No. 1 features a hybrid style that makes it especially interesting for a research method that captures performance details such as articulations, dynamic and agogic accents, timbre, and tempo flexibility. This dissertation will consider performance decisions that are not often discussed in the research. For example, the …

A Survey Of The Comparative Performance Demands Of Performing Mozart’S Fourth Horn Concerto On The Natural Horn And Modern Horn, Brandon Garrison

Doctoral Projects

The four horn concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are fundamental standards of horn repertoire. Since the production of Dennis Brain’s early recordings in 1953, many virtuoso horn players have recorded these concerti on the modern horn. However, there are few professional recordings made on the natural horn. Though Mozart’s four horn concertos are prominent in horn study across the world, they are rarely executed with correct performance practice techniques. In my presentation, I will demonstrate passages from Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4 to survey the challenges when performed on natural horn versus the modern horn. It is important to understand …

Trịnh Công Sơn And Bob Dylan: Essays On War, Love, Songwriting,And Religion, John C. Schafer

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

In this accessible deep-dive into the careers of Trịnh Công Sơn and Bob Dylan, Trịnh Công Sơn and Bob Dylan evaluates the relationship between two of the 20th century’s most beloved and essential songwriters. Schafer retells countless colorful stories from the two artists’ lives drawn from a wide range of Vietnamese and English-language sources, illuminating Vietnamese and American views on spirituality, romance, philosophy, identity, and conflict.
/="/">
/="/">Schafer critically examines the singers’ lifestyles, relationships, and public statements, meticulously collecting primary and secondary sources into a handy reader of 20th century global literary culture. The book even includes English translations …

Singing In Dark Times: Improvisational Singing With Children Amidst Ecological Crisis, Stephanie Schuurman-Olson

Occasional Paper Series

Through this research-creation project -- which is represented by a process-driven ten-minute video -- the author asks what ways of knowing emerge when children and adults, more-than-human, and inhuman engage in improvised singing together in an urban park? This project recognizes our current "dark times" within ecological collapse and operates from a space that hopes to build relationality with sonic ecologies through listening-and-singing experiences, while centering the voices of children and other singers within the ecologies we sing in-and-with.

Aum314.1 Music For Non-Linear Narrative Example 2, Sae University College

Exemplars

HD / Exceeds Specification exemplar for AUM314.1 - Music for Non-Linear Narrative

Aum314.1 Music For Non-Linear Narrative Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

Exceeds Specification exemplar for AUM314.1 - Music for Non-Linear Narrative

Supplement To The Suzuki Violin School, Di Su

Publications and Research

The Suzuki Method’s mother-tongue approach is particularly effective when applied to teaching beginners. As the student progresses through the method, you may find that a variety of supplements enhance technical training and enrich the repertoire for individual differentiation to satisfy each student’s needs and create a well-rounded violinist.

Laurie Smukler Guest Masterclass, Andrews University

Concerts and Event Programs 2022-2023

Admired for her vivid musical intensity and the beauty of her sound, Laurie Smukler is an artist who is active as a soloist and recitalist, as well as a much sought-after chamber musician. Growing up in Cleveland, she began her studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, with pedagogue Margaret Randall. She started performing early, winning local competitions, and playing as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra at the age of fourteen. She received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School where she studied with Ivan Galamian. Other teachers who had a powerful influence on her development have …

Mus113.1 Collaborative Musicianship: Project Development And Pre-Production Example 2, Sae University College

Exemplars

Development of pre-production strategies for the creation of audio media in a collaborative context.

Mus113.1 Collaborative Musicianship: Project Development And Pre-Production Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

Development of pre-production strategies employed in the creation of audio media in a collaborative context.

Fundamentals, Function, And Form: Student Workbook, Ivette Herryman Rodríguez, Andre Mount, Jerod Sommerfeldt

Milne Open Textbooks

Students of tonal Western art music will find in this workbook a full set of exercises and activities to deepen and reinforce their understanding of music theory and analysis. The book begins with such rudimentary topics as rhythm, meter, and pitch and progresses through polyphony, chromatic harmony, and musical form. In addition to exercises tailored to each topic, the book features recurrent activities focused on four-voice part-writing (figured-bass/Roman numeral realization and melody harmonization) as well as score analysis, which become progressively more advanced as new concepts and skills are covered.

Included for analysis are over 500 excerpts drawn from the …

Sonorous Movement: Cellistic Corporealities In Works By Helmut Lachenmann, Simon Steen-Andersen, And Johan Svensson, John Popham

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In Sonorous Movement: Cellistic Corporealities in Works by Lachenmann, Steen-Andersen, and Svensson, I analyze three compositions that foreground the cellist-body, its physical gestures, and instrumental interactions: Helmut Lachemann’s Pression für einen Cellisten (1969/2010), Simon Steen-Andersen’s Study for String Instrument #3 (2011), and Johan Svensson’s marionette for string instrument, electro-mechanical devices and lights (2018). These works center sound production and the performing body as sites of ontological and creative exploration. Their physical gestures serve multiple sensorial functions, heightening the visual and kinesthetic dimensions of a traditionally aurally oriented practice. For each work, I develop a corresponding analytical method based on …

Aum314.2 Music For Non-Linear Narrative Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

HD / Exceeds Specification exemplar for AUM314.2: Music for Linear Narrative

Conference Report: Reassessing Haydn’S Sacred Music, 12–14 June 2023, Eisenstadt, Austria, Robert B. Wrigley

HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America

A conference entitled "Reassessing Haydn's Sacred Music" took place in Eisenstadt 12-14 June, 2023. Historical, political, and religious contexts, reception, compositional and religous influences upon Haydn, and stylistic characteristics of specific works were all discussed.

Concert Programming Simplified For The Overwhelmed School Conductor, Adam L. Compton

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This document is a basic guide for preparing and programming a concert. It contains five chapters, each of which covers one aspect to consider while going through the process of concert preparation. Some key points are an analysis of the Audience, an analysis of the Ensemble and the selection process of music. It also contains steps of putting together a viable order to a concert. The last two chapters give insight on different approaches to concert programming and some of the aspects of concert programming that does not deal primarily with the music and therefore is often found lacking in …

The Wind Band Music Of Steven Reineke: A Study Of Three Of His Musical Compositions, His Characteristic Sound, And The Inspiration Behind His Works, Eric Stark

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this project proposal is to examine the music of Steven Reineke. The study will investigate and discuss the background information of three pieces and find common compositional elements used by Mr. Reineke. The study will also include rehearsal and performance considerations of each work. Form graphs and conducting analysis will be included. Other information presented in this study will educate the reader about the life of Mr. Reineke. The goal of this thesis is to help band instructors with rehearsal guides and performance instructions for Heaven’s Light, The Witch and the Saint, and Pilatus: Mountain of Dragons …

With Every Name But Yours: A New Orchestration Of Clémence De Grandval's Stabat Mater, David Walters

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Clémence de Grandval was a late-Romantic composer whose extensive body of work, high profile performances, and numerous accolades should have garnered prominent placement among her contemporaries. Yet her vast collection of orchestral, choral, operatic, and other stage works have been all but forgotten.

Grandval’s Stabat Mater counted among her most popular works. Though the extant score for choir, harmonium (or organ), and piano explicitly references orchestral accompaniment1 , none of the parts or full score are available. Rather than providing a conductor’s guide or chord-by-chord analysis of Grandval’s work, this document breathes new life into this lost masterpiece by orchestrating …

Dong Qing Fang’S Musical Depiction Of Lin Chong: An Analysis Of Chinese Traditional Music Elements In His Cello Composition Of 2009, Congcong Bi

Doctoral Projects

Dong Qing Fang (b. 1981) is a prolific composer of cello music. His contribution includes twenty compositions, many of which have been performed around the world.[1] While Fang is the most famous composer in China as well as a leading figure of recent music, his compositions have not been recognized world-wide. This project focuses on his representative cello composition Lin Chong (2009). Lin Chong is a significant character in Chinese literature, known for his role in the classic novel, Water Margin (1524). Fang's musical portrayal of Lin Chong's life incorporates elements of Chinese traditional music.

The methodology for this …

Exploring High School Students’ Perceptions Of The Influence Of Fine Arts Education On Academic Achievement, Samantha Fields

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative study aims to explore student perceptions of fine arts exposure on academic achievement in a southwestern Georgia high school. The study focuses specifically on exposure time and how it affects students academically. Qualitative research methods were used for this investigation. Information was collected through questionnaires, interviews, and artifacts analysis to better understand student perceptions of how fine arts education impacts their personal growth and academic success. This study’s findings provide insights about discovering students’ perceptions of fine arts exposure in relation to personal academic achievement. The results of this investigation can help educate stakeholders and policymakers as they …

A Performer's Guide To Two Song Collections: “Mementos Of Innocence” And “Three Yeats Songs” By Malaysian Composer Chee Yean Wong, Wu Ji Khoo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the flourishing existence of Asian Art Music for over half a century, relatively little has been done to advance its recognition and prominence. Through this project, the author hopes to shed light on the beauty and richness of Asian Art Music and encourage its inclusion in the repertoire of American classical music. The purpose of this document is to supply a comprehensive performer’s guide to Malaysian composer, Chee Yean Wong’s song collections: “Mementos of Innocence” and “Three Yeats Songs.” The collections feature settings of English poems by Jean Blewett, Christina Rossetti, Edwin C. Ranck, Rabindranath Tagore, and William Butler …

Tracking The Harmonium From Christian Missionary Hymns To Sikh Kirtan, Gurminder Kaur Bhogal

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

The harmonium is prominent in Sikh practices of devotional music known as kirtan and yet its significance has barely been addressed in Euro-American scholarship. Following on the heels of a recent ban against using the instrument at the holiest temple of the Sikhs, Harmandir Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple), this article explores how the ban seeks to discard this colonial instrument and return to playing traditional string instruments (tanti saz) associated with the courts (darbar) of the Sikh Gurus. This study is the first to examine primary missionary sources from the nineteenth and early …

Why Not Be Free: The Black Worldmaking Praxis, Research Method, & Manifesto For Developing Music Interventions Against Stress In Black Youth, Armond Epps Dorsey

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Why Not Be Free? is an interdisciplinary exploration of music intervention development demonstrating the application of my integrated research and artistic practices through an outlined antiracist method for designing music to reduce stress in Black college youth and a manifesto detailing the compositional process. I draw from Black feminist and womanist thought, music cognition, and public health literature to outline a framework for designing music interventions to reduce stress among Black populations: the Music Medicine Critical Race Praxis. I situate my work among Black speculative artists reimagining experiences in everyday Black life as well as music intervention researchers integrating …

Play Makes Perfect: An Exploration Of Game And Play Elements In Composition And Performance, Gabrielle Chou

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation aims to explore the intersection of play and games in Western classical music and define a new category of pieces, “ludic pieces,” which contain play structures and game mechanics within their composition. Starting with surveying perspectives in ludology and ludomusicology, including those by Roger Caillois, Johan Huizinga, Jesper Juul, Katie Salen, and Eric Zimmerman, I will examine various definitions of a “game” and what its qualifying aspects are. I will then turn to music and consider pieces that interact with play and games without containing game structures, including examples of musical humor and pieces which evoke the imagery …

Reevaluating Student Engagement: Exploring And Applying Alternative Assignments In Higher Education Undergraduate Applied Saxophone, Anthony S. Cincotta Ii

Dissertations, 2020-current

Undergraduate applied saxophone study revolves around the conservatory model. This inflexible model, often referred to as a master-apprentice relationship, can create an instructor-centric power dynamic which does not address the needs of the modern student. A classroom where the power lies so heavily with the instructor can stifle student engagement and can create a sense of disenfranchisement. In this setting, students have limited input on their assignment selections. While curricula have evolved with regards to being more culturally diverse, relevant, and inclusive, the approach that educators use to deliver the material has remained largely unchanged. There is limited research on …

I Felt Unfettered And Alive: A Musical Narrative Inquiry Into Identity Through Commissioning And Performing New Music For Solo Classical Guitar, Libby Myers

The 21st Century Guitar

This paper discusses how commissioning new music served as a means of musical narrative inquiry into the performance of the authorʼs identity. Traditionally, musicology has centred on the identities of composers; their lives, working practices and philosophies. Meanwhile, the identities of performers have remained inaudible. Challenging this conventional narrative, the commission project foregrounds experiences of identity and subjectivity of the author as performer-researcher. This paper introduces the innovative methodology of musical narrative inquiry used in this project, in which lived narratives of identity are told and re-told in collaboration with the composer to explore what it means to be, or …

Noise Peddler: An Exploration Of The 21st Century Pedalboard, Danny Bright, Lee Westwood

The 21st Century Guitar

Noise Peddler is a practice-based research project exploring the 21st century guitar pedalboard as composition and performance interface. Recent growth in the guitar pedal industry has seen a notable increase in popularity of the pedal platform, expansion in the number of manufacturers, the scope of effects available, and solidification of the concept of the pedalboard. The widespread adoption of MIDI/CV control, alongside the packaging of increasingly experimental and complex processing into stompbox formats has expanded the pedalboardʼs potential as a flexible canvas for the creation of unconventional guitar sounds. Performers such as Sarah Lipstate, Nels Cline and Ed OʼBrien have …

Guitars With Ambisonic Spatial Performance (Gasp): An Immersive Guitar System, Duncan Werner, Emma Fitzmaurice, Bruce Wiggins, Matthew Hart

The 21st Century Guitar

The GASP project investigates the design and realisation of an Immersive Guitar System. It brings together a range of sound processing and spatialising technologies and applies them to a specific musical instrument ‒ the Electric Guitar. GASP is an ongoing innovative audio project, fusing the musical with the technical, combining the processing of each stringʼs output (which we called timbralisation) with spatial sound. It is also an artistic musical project, where space becomes a performance parameter, providing new experimental immersive sound production techniques for the guitarist and music producer. Several ways of reimagining the electric guitar as an immersive sounding …

Marc Ribot's Exercises In Futility, Francesca Naibo

The 21st Century Guitar

Marc Ribot (*1954), one of the most influential guitarists of the worldwide avant-garde scene, started his musical life taking classical guitar classes with the Haitian teacher Frantz Casseus, turning then to electric guitar. After decades spent mainly on electric instruments, Ribot composed and recorded Exercises in Futility, his own series of etudes for solo guitar. The collection of pieces presents fifteen compositions that are intended to be studies for classical guitarists.Between 2015 and 2020 Ribot and I collaborated to create the scores of this collection of studies, soon to be published. The purpose of this paper is to present the …

When Bonfá Meets Villa: Creative Processes In The Elaboration Of A Guitar Arrangement To Manhã De Carnaval By Luiz Bonfá (1922-2001), José D. T. Dos Santos

The 21st Century Guitar

This paper presents part of an artistic research where the focus is on elaboration of guitar arrangements. In the scope of the study here, my aim was to understand the implications of an ecological approach to music making based on the identification and use of guitar affordances. In particular, the elaboration of an arrangement of the song Manhã de Carnaval, by the Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfá (1922-2001). The process was informed by existing perspectives on arrangement (Sadie & Tirell, 2001), affordances (Gibson, 1977), tacit knowledge (Polanyi, 1966) and embodied meaning (Merleau-Ponty, 1968). Throughout the arrangement, excerpts of the music of …