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.
While legendary western composers such as Mozart, Weber, and Brahms, will continue to be enduring icons in classic clarinet literature, performers and educators alike should always consider the integration of transcribed works for the expansion and diversity of the repertoire. Although a sizeable amount of literature for clarinet is contained in orchestral and chamber works of the late-Romantic era, the availability of solo clarinet literature in this style is lacking. The purpose of the project is the addition of Rebecca Clarke’s 1919 Viola Sonata for B-flat soprano clarinet and piano to the solo clarinet repertoire. The transcription preserves the integrity of the original music while exploring the virtuosic nature of the clarinet and its interaction with the piano. Comments on the historical background of Clarke’s Viola Sonata and the transcription procedures are provided as well.
This project features five new pieces for clarinet commissioned from three different composers including:
1. Rasa by Jeffrey Ouper
2. Faerie Tale Dances by Jeffrey Ouper
3. Amalgamated Widget by Tavia Sullens
4. Faerie Suite by Theresa Martin
5. Time Lapse by Theresa Martin
Faerie Suite and Amalgamated Widget are for unaccompanied clarinet; Time Lapse is a trio for clarinet, bass clarinet, and piano; Faerie Tale Dances is a trio for E-flat clarinet, sopranino recorder, and toy piano; and Rasa is a quartet for E-flat clarinet, two A clarinets, and bass clarinet. These pieces challenge the performer in various ways, including complex rhythm, use of extended techniques such as glissando, flutter tongue, and circular breathing, and synthetic and non-traditional scales. The composers were given guidelines prior to the compositional process to create works with a thematic connection to mythology, folklore, or fairy tales, and inspired by dance and non-western or traditional harmonies and idioms. This document offers background information about the composers and the works, and a performance guide is included for each. This guide provides recommendations and suggestions for each piece. Also included are interviews with each of the composers. Accompanying this document are recordings of each of the five pieces, performed by the author.
Each piece seeks to communicate and explore current sociopolitical issues related to Mexico, and, like this project as a whole, derive their inspiration from La Onda, a multidisciplinary artistic movement in Mexico, translating as the “wave,” “sound wave,” or “the force” that emerged as part of the 1960s and 1970s North American counterculture. La Onda music emerged as a reflection and consequence of marginalized experiences living in the United States, and is representative of ways the broader public and Latinos have claimed music as their own. As music has historically provided an arena for exploring gender, class, sexuality, and race politics for minority communities, specifically Mexicans in the United States and abroad, music continues to afford a mechanism for communicating the counterfactual in the present day. In this context, this guide synthesizes a broader collaboration with composers to create new, narrative-based repertoire that provides accessibility, greater awareness, and lasting representation to a demographic that has historically been underserved within the classical canon.
This project researches twenty-first century works for clarinet and multimedia that specifically include a visual element (including but not limited to images, fixed and interactive video, light effects, and choreography) and highlights the prevalence of this genre in contemporary repertoire. Discussion begins with a brief overview of the history of multimedia, its relation to the clarinet, and how it has been defined by the twenty-first century. Additionally, in order to contribute to this ever-growing repertoire, three new works for clarinet and multimedia were commissioned in collaboration with composers and visual artists. These new works include: Roadrunner (2019) for clarinet and fixed electronics by Spencer Brand with video by Samuel Proctor; I’d known this place (2020) for clarinet and electronics by Dan Caputo with live audio generative animations by Andrew Robinson; and Spectral Passages (2020) for clarinet and electronics by Alvaro Varas with painting by Miguel Godoy. Background information and performance guides are included for each piece to aid future musicians in performance, as well as respective audio/video recordings. Finally, a significant portion of this document includes a catalog of works for clarinet and multimedia. The catalog was compiled by focusing on the output of twenty-first century composers to serve as a resource for future performers.
Wellness resources at postsecondary music schools: a survey of how this information is being offered
profession. The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) requires schools to
provide information about wellness. There are 634 degree-granting, not for profit, NASM
accredited postsecondary music schools in America. This study examined the types of
wellness resources offered at 387 of these schools or 60%. Wellness information was
divided into three categories: physical, psychological and hearing. The types of resources
offered, category of information and the size of the school were considered. Schools were
emailed and their websites were searched for wellness information.
Forty-eight percent of the schools had website information, 32% offered wellness
workshops, 16% of the schools offered wellness courses, and 32% of the schools covered
wellness information through other methods. Nineteen percent of the schools said that
they did not offer courses or workshops and did not say how they are meeting the
requirement. Physical wellness information was most widely available, followed by
hearing information, while psychological wellness information was harder to find.
Smaller schools were less likely to offer wellness courses but otherwise the size of a
school did not play a significant role in the types of wellness resources they were able to
offer.
Based on the findings, more schools should incorporate wellness information on
their websites and hold wellness workshops. Psychological wellness information should
be more widely available. Schools should advertise the wellness information that they
offer so that students are aware of the options available to them.
The aim of this project is to collect woodwind journal publications into a meta-analysis, focusing specifically on the breathing techniques for woodwind instruments and provide a comprehensive annotated bibliography on the topic and its application. The project is limited to journal articles on breathing techniques applied for woodwinds only, and will not review literature discussing breathing from other perspectives or in a broader sense.
Major findings show that misconceptions and contradictions on the subject still exist. At the same time, they also highlight unique approaches used to help the learner overcome general and specific challenges while mastering the art of breathing.
The project highlights areas where future research on breathing would be encouraged and should be complemented by measured data. Such studies might include a woodwind specific examination of the relationship between the tongue and the soft palate, or analysis of how tension in the torso muscles influences the movement of the diaphragm, or how rhythmical breathing affects breath control and capacity, and finally a discussion on how larynx influences the air stream.