Musicology Commons^™

Music As A Tool For Ecstatic Space Design, Pranav Amin

Masters Theses

Music and architecture share a sacred bond across cultures. Their histories intertwine and together, they shape ritualistic, religious, and popular practices. As one of the few remaining avenues of universal transcendental experiences that have been so integral to humans, music’s ability to create ecstatic spaces is ever more necessary for the modern human. This thesis uses spatial, artificial intelligence, visual, and aural tools—while engaging in a dialogue between rationalist architecture and shamanic conceptions of spaces—to create an ecstatic space that seeks to reimagine the union of music and architecture. It reveals new ways in which this union can be experienced …

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 …

Elsewhere: In Defense Of Daydreaming, Alex Braden

MFA in Visual Art

Much like music, organic life is an absurd, improbable, and serendipitous instance. I set circular, electric, acoustic, and magnetic forces in motion and allow them to coalesce freely in the hopes of synthesizing unexpected moments of beauty, connection, and harmony.

Give The Drummer Some: A Dive Into Drum Breaks And Drum Break Production, Kyle Kaldhusdal

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper traces the history of hip-hop culture through the evolution of the drum break, the original context of drum breaks in funk and soul music, their influence on DJ culture, and the subsequent impact of drum breaks on music and music production. It follows the development of breakbeat compilations in the 1970s and 1980s, parallel to the development of turntablism and sampling techniques. It also examines in detail how copyright litigation in the 1990s shaped the development of sample-based music genres and created a niche market for originally-recorded drum breaks over the subsequent decades.

New Paradigms In Band Performance: An Analysis Of Three Prototypes, Scott Walker-Parker

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

This document seeks to propose new paradigms in band performance through inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinarity. Initial inspirations were drawn from performance innovations shaped by the new music theater which became popular in the 20^th century. Key concepts which were used throughout the creative, planning, logistic, rehearsal, and performance processes are analyzed in three recitals through prototypes of new paradigms in band performance. These concepts include accessibility and community, nonverbal/multimodal performance and instruction versus time, and nonverbal/multimodal communication.

The document has been organized in a manner which highlights successes and breakdowns of each process so future refinement can be made. …

The Color Of Sound: An Insight On Chromesthesia, Lupe Rodriguez

Honors Capstones

Many people can see with their eyes, but there are some people who can see through sound. Chromesthesia is when sound involuntarily evokes an experience of color through shapes and movement. The goal of this project is to show what this experience is like and give people an opportunity to experience it in a way themselves.

The Color of Sound Website Prototype

A Comparative Investigation Of Tonal Memory Improvements With Electronic And Vocal Pitch Stimulus Training, Grayson M. Fletcher

Senior Theses

The study described herein compares improvements in tonal memory for young adults (age 19- 22), specifically retention of pitches, between two groups (n1=8, n2=8) with nearly identical training programs. One group was provided electronic pitch stimuli for the training program, while the other group was given human vocal stimuli. Self-paced computerized training sessions were conducted in a soundproofed testing room and interposed between pre-test and post-test measurements. A pre-test—post-test randomized experimental design allowed for assessment of whether the training was effective for each group in addition to comparing effectiveness of training between groups. Analyses with demographic factors, particularly previous musical …

Listening To The World: A Brief Survey Of World Music, Antoni Pizà

Publications and Research

A short and engaging introduction to music around the world.

Listen to the world. Explore music from around the globe. Acquaint yourself with a variety of international music styles and traditions. Investigate issues in popular music from both a social perspective (such as race, religion, language, economics, gender, diaspora, and politics), as well as an intrinsically musical position (beat, pitch, meter, rhythm, form, timbre, texture). Learn about how music reinforces values and negotiates tradition with innovation; how rural and urban contexts inform musical experiences; how soundscapes shape identity. Learn how to collect sounds and ask questions: what is this instrument’s …

Music: Numbers In Motion, Graziano Gentili, Luisa Simonutti, Daniele C. Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Music develops and appears as we allow numbers to acquire a dynamical aspect and create, through their growth, the various keys that permit the richness of the musical texture. This idea was simply adumbrated in Plato’s work, but its importance to his philosophical worldview cannot be underestimated. In this paper we begin by discussing what is probably the first written record of an attempt to create a good temperament and then follow the Pythagoreans approach, whose problems forced musicians, over the next several centuries up to the Renaissance and early modern times, to come up with many different variations.

A Line In The Sand: The Acceptance Of Changes To Folk Traditions Observed In The Activities Of Folksong Collector, Creative Participant, Performer, And Festival Organizer Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1882-1973), Zachary R. Ray

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1882-1973) was a folksong collector, performer, recording artist, festival organizer. Lunsford was at once a mountaineer (a member of the Appalachian culture he collected from) and a college educated outsider. This duality complicates analysis of his views and activities, which exist along a continuum from efforts at near-exactness (preserving folksong repertory and performance practices as exactly as possible) to creative participation (actively making changes to folksong style or repertoire). Lunsford’s views often contradicted other folksong collectors, American and European, during the early 20th century. This includes his apparent assertion that folksong is a living tradition – it …

Scores Of Nature (Volume 1), Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Research

1. Bone & Stone Sonata;

2. Jellyfish & Seaweed Suite;

3. Bonfire Bay Sonata;

Three works of experimental music and notation are included in Scores of Nature (Volume 1), which include pieces written on beaches with fishbone and pebbles, a bonfire and bay in Sointula, and a piece recommended for solo 'cello, where the score is an image of a beached jellyfish in a bedding of seaweed, in which the musician needs to react to the image and play what they are imagining from that image. From the description provided in the score text: "In this piece, Jellyfish & …

Cello In Film And Television Music, Annastasia M. Yoshida

Composition/Recording Projects

Throughout the ages, the cello has had a specific role in symphonies, operas, musicals, and pop concerts. In the last century, one of the fastest-growing music practices has been soundtracks to film and television shows. String instruments and specifically the cello hold an integral role within this type of music. In this project I present a study on the use of the cello in film and television show music, using eight representative soundtrack cues. In this project, I seek to do an extensive study of the use of cello within film and TV show music. I have chosen a selection …

Etcètera Ii: Notes Sobre Música, Art I Literatura (2020-2022), Antoni Pizà

Publications and Research

A compilation of essays on music, the arts, and literature previously published in Bellver, the arts section of Diario de Mallorca (2020-2022). This is the second part of ETCETERA.

How Sample Clearance Has Affected Hip-Hop Music-Making, Bryan J. Brewster

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper will explain how sample clearance has impacted hip-hop music-making. It will explain what a sample is and show the historical significance of sampling in hip-hop. I will briefly discuss the basics of copyright and the process of clearing a sample. This paper will also look into legal cases of copyright infringement to show the impact of specific cases and analyze data to determine if the amount of sample clearance has changed because of the decisions of the courts. The main goal of this paper is to highlight the significance of sampling in hip-hop, the inherent challenges of legally …

Analysis Of Robert Schumann’S “Fantasy Pieces For Clarinet And Piano”, Opus 73, For A Greater Understanding Of A Standard In Western Classical Solo Repertory, Kaleigh Alwood

Music Undergraduate Honors Theses

In a mere two days, Robert Schumann composed a duet that would become a lasting symbol of romanticism in chamber music. “Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet and Piano”, Op. 73 is now a standard in clarinet repertoire. As such, the piece is frequently performed and analyzed. Schumann and his “Fantasy Pieces” are well known and broadly discussed, which leads one to wonder: how does one contribute to and interpret such a standard? To answer this question, it is proposed that research is utilized to examine the history surrounding the composer and the work alongside theoretical analysis to find and interpret key …

Embodying The Divine Feminine: Doja Cat’S Use Of Vocal Timbre, Text, And Body In Planet Her To Construct A Feminine Soundscape — Annotated Bibliography, Tommy Dainko

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

In 2021 Doja Cat released her album Planet Her, an imagination of a planet where there was no bigotry, and everyone could live in peace. The main theme of her album, however, revolves around femininity and the divine feminine. This paper will examine how Doja Cat constructs these concepts through a variety of ways. This paper will use Black feminist work to position Doja Cat’s work as feminist. Through the use of a variety of ‘feminine’ vocal timbres—both hers and from featured artists on her album—Doja Cat creates a feminine soundscape. Doja cat also embraces femininity and embodies the …

Phantasticus: An Exploration Of The Sound World Of 17th Century Italian Instrumental Music, Ian Jones

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

The Baroque period is home to some of the most prolific composers known today: Handel, Vivaldi, Bach all fill the standard repertoire of many instrumentalists today. However, who came before, and why should we care? Prior to these notable composers of the High Baroque, the 17th century marked an era of immense musical discovery. The early 1600s was a time of exploration and excitement within the realms of music making and musical thought. Claudio Monteverdi was a pivotal figure in the development of the early Baroque world, and with that, new styles of music emerged, noted as stil concertato …

“For The Orchestra Musicians: Conducting On The Beat Is Effective Or Too Late?”, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

There are a lot of conductors, and every conductor is different. There are as many conducting techniques as well. But one of the most famous approaches in conducting an ensemble, whether a wind ensemble, orchestra, or chorus, is to deliver the beat and expecting the ensemble for an immediate ‘attack’ of the note. An instant reciprocation and reaction at the same exact time as the ‘ictus’ of the conductor. Basically, doing it exactly together. The other notion is that the conductor beating should be beating ahead of time (almost a beat ahead) to give the ensemble some time to prepare …

The Effective Concertmaster: A Look At The 21st Century Role, Eva Toncheva

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

The role and responsibilities of the orchestral concertmaster have evolved alongside the orchestra over the last several centuries, shifting away from composing music for the ensemble and organizing events, and towards being aware of union standards, etiquette, and musician morale, as well as the important task of writing bowings. What makes an effective concertmaster? In attempting to answer this question, this paper will be examining both the musical and extra-musical duties of the modern day concertmaster, primarily focusing on leadership qualities such as cueing and leading with the bow. The paper will draw on biographical sources of current concertmasters of …

The Developmental Influence Of Both Musical Notation And Wind Instruments On Electronic Music And Music Software, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This annotated bibliography is meant for you – the person who wishes to learn more about electronic music and its roots. I argue that electronic music is a legitimate form of music, and despite films depicting machines and robots as cold and lifeless they have the potential to be humanistic and wonderfully expressive. Perhaps one day, sooner than later, electronic instruments will be quintessential for orchestras in the near future. Until that day these series of sources are critical in informing electronic music enthusiasts the history behind electronic music and synthetic sound.

Video Gamers As Performers: Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This study is based on the concept and idea of video game players performing music through the games that they play. This serves as a very assessable way for people who do not have the money, time commitment, and or motivation to be able to play and perform music without any background in music literacy.

Colorism And Its Affects In R&B Music: Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

This is an annotated bibliography of some of the sources that I will be using for my research paper due next quarter.

Why We Don’T Just Dance To A Metronome: Examining The Musical Characteristics Of American Rhythm And Smooth, Tommy Endicott

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

American Smooth and Rhythm are the fastest growing styles of ballroom dance in America, and as new ideas for how to perform the dances flood the dance floor, so do new ideas for what music best expresses the character of the dance. The music of American Smooth is trending towards electronic forms of the tango and towards pop ballads in place of traditional Viennese Waltzes; meanwhile, the music of American Rhythm is trending away from its Cuban roots and towards hip hop. These innovations could potentially revitalize ballroom dance music for new audiences and also help dancers to reach a …

Participation And Community Healing In The Me2/ Orchestra, Lee Cyphers

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

The Me2/ Orchestra is a Boston-based community orchestra for people living with mental illness and those who support them. Me2/’s mission, according to its website, is “to erase the stigma surrounding mental illness (including addiction) through supportive classical music rehearsals and inspiring performances.” In order to investigate the methods and practices used by Me2/ to fulfill this mission, this annotated bibliography compiles important literature on community music initiatives with social projects. Concepts of “participation” and “performance” are explored, as well as problems posed by research into the effectiveness of arts programs. In addition, the distinction is made between amateur music-making …

Technology, Artistic Collaboration, And Performance Practice In Bella Voce’S 2019 Recording Of Brahms’ A German Requiem, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

How do the recordist, conductor, and performers work together to create a unique recorded statement within the discourse between a 19^th century composer and a 21^st century listener in Bella Voce’s 2019 recording of Brahms A German Requiem (1871 London Version)?

The complexity of preparing a musical work and creating a recording of its performance encompasses many disciplines and the collaboration of many individuals. The process involves questions of performance practice, recording technique, applications of digital technology, and artistic choices on the part of all involved. The 2019 Bella Voce recording of Brahms’ A German Requiem is an …

Kundiman As A Politically Contested Artistic Space In The Marcos Era: Annotated Bibliography, Jane Wee

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Kundiman is a Filipino art song where Filipino poetry, often about courtship and love, is set into music. Like its Western counterpart, the German Lieder, the music in Kundiman seeks to reflect the words and the context of each phrase as true as possible. For centuries, Filipinos have used kundiman to express their dissent against oppression and colonization. It is quite common for Filipino composers and poets to express their nationalism in the subject of “courtship” since censorship was highly implemented throughout history.

Years later, we see the same patterns of revolutionary tactics and expression of nationalism. But what happens …

How Notation Dictates Our Musical Understanding: Annotated Bibliography, Simon Webber

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Musical notation has a long and diverse history. The traditions of ancient Greece differ substantially from that of India or China in both content and technique, and even the Greek church has distinct notation from the Latin church. In our modern world there is an accepted notational style utilized for Western classical music, but the disparate regional and cultural styles that we may observe in history yields a deeper understanding of those cultures: what musical elements were prioritized over others, what performers were expected to interpret instead of purely reading, how their tonal structure is imparted. Contemporary musical notation has …

Friedenstag By Richard Strauss: An Exploration Of The Effect Of Nazi Propaganda On German Composers, Benjamin Swain

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Richard Strauss was one of the most influential German composers in the first half of the 20^th century. His relationship with the Nazi Party has been a topic of debate among musicologists and historians for some time and the question of whether Strauss attempted to resist the regime through his work remains. Strauss’s opera Friedenstag has garnered much of this debate as it can be seen as either a piece of propaganda or a piece of pacifist resistance. Given the reach of the Nazi propaganda machine, there is little question that Strauss would have been influenced by it. This …

Communication Through Conducting: The Effects Of Verbal And Nonverbal Gestures On A Musical Ensemble, Jordon Schultze

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Conducting as an artform has drastically changed throughout music history. The modern conductor assumes the role of leader, educator, and coach for a given ensemble. Their duty as a leader is to be the vessel from the composer to the ensemble to the audience. This process can only be completed with practical communication skills. These skills involve verbal communication (CCVS, figurative language, and instructions) and nonverbal communication (gestures, CCVS, and rehearsal preparation). These skills make up the vital role and responsibility of a conductor. A conductor is also responsible for balancing the importance and use of verbal and nonverbal communication, …

The Story Of Orpheus And Eurydice As Told In L’Orfeo Vs. “Hadestown”: Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

An analysis of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as told in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Mitchell’s “Hadestown,” with some brief history and context of the time periods in which these works were written and performed, and how certain ideals and values have changed and altered over time within society. In addition to descriptions of musical form and orchestration of these works, comparisons between both works will be made as they relate to the original myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as discussion on how much of the origin story was retained with each retelling.