ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
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- Creators: Hawkins, Gordon
Description
Ben Moore’s So Free Am I is a fascinating, yet little known song cycle addressing feminist concerns. This work consists of seven settings of poems by women, namely Amy Lowell, Katherine Philips, Anna Wickham, Dorothy Parker, and Muriel Rukeyser. It also features settings of texts by two anonymous 6th-century Buddhist nuns, which are translated into English by Uma Chakravarti and Kumkum Roy. The texts are diverse and all speak to the courage and dignity of women in the face of oppression. In this case study and performance guide, one of the primary purposes is to show how the poets’ lives and adversities inform their texts, and thus offers engagement for musical interpretation.
After a brief introduction of composer Ben Moore and his song cycle, each poet and text is discussed, providing biographical summaries and general interpretations of each poet’s text. What follows is a detailed reading of the text, illuminated by the poet’s particular life experiences. In the case of every text setting, the compositional interpretation was decidedly enhanced by the perspective of the poet, which could not be ascertained without the research into that particular poet’s life. I also offer a performance guide for selected songs, numbers I, III, and VII, which Moore recommends as an effective small set for performance. Finally, I hope that this study of Moore’s song cycle and the biographical sketches of each poet will be of help in the advancement women’s rights and to combat the oppression of women. It is further hoped that this study will encourage the performance of these songs and therefore lend these otherwise marginalized women a voice.
ContributorsHatch, Michelle Broadbent (Author) / Hawkins, Gordon (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
The notion that a singer’s voice is an expression of their personality serves as the catalyst for an examination of the relationship between the continuum of introversion and extraversion, and the pathologies of muscle tension dysphonia, vocal nodules, and performance anxiety. This paper begins with a brief introduction defining extraversion and introversion, followed by a review of personality studies identifying opera singers as primarily extraverted. Definitions of vocal nodules and muscle tension dysphonia are then given along with a list of recommended therapies. These elements tie in with two studies in speech pathology that suggest that behaviors of extraversion contribute to the development of vocal nodules, and behaviors of introversion contribute to muscle tension dysphonia and a higher laryngeal placement. Performance anxiety is shown to compound the behaviors that lead to vocal pathologies in singers. Additional therapies are recommended to address anxiety management in vocal lessons. Finally, since personality factors that contribute to vocal pathology are psychological, it is recommended that voice teachers refer their students to a psychotherapist for proper treatment.
ContributorsCurtis, Paul Josef (Author) / Norton, Kay (Thesis advisor) / Hawkins, Gordon (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017