Matching Items (35)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Music
- Creators: Hill, Gary
Description
The works of premier Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho demonstrate a fascination with the exploration and expansion of timbral possibilities. This project explores Laconisme de l'aile and NoaNoa, the only two of her works written for solo C-flute. Saariaho has developed a unique compositional style for the flute, characterized by extremes of color which are expressed through extended techniques such as the integration of the voice, with and without text, into the music, the exploration of "noise," the transformation between different timbres, and the use of electronic effects. Laconisme de l'aile (1982) is a dramatic and passionate work filled with lyrical gestures and intriguing timbres with optional electronic effects, and is an excellent introduction to the composer's writing for the flute. NoaNoa (1992) is characteristic of her mature compositional style. Like many of her later works, the electronic aspect of the work is integral to the piece. Saariaho's exploration of the timbral spectrum of the flute has resulted in a complex and unusual style of notation, making these works somewhat inaccessible for performers. Additionally, the technological requirements for NoaNoa make the work both intimidating and impossible to perform without either extensive technical knowledge or consultation with someone who has the necessary technical expertise. Through a detailed performance guide and reference recordings of both works, this project aims to make these two works accessible. All technical specifications are explained and the performance instructions address notation as well execution of all designated effects. Additionally, instructions for the electronic portion of NoaNoa allow flutists to perform the work with minimal assistance.
ContributorsHodjati, Katayoon (Author) / Buck, Elizabeth (Thesis advisor) / Hackbarth, Glenn (Committee member) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Schuring, Martin (Committee member) / Spring, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
The purpose of this project was to commission, perform, and discuss a new work for an instrument pairing not often utilized, oboe and percussion. The composer, Alyssa Morris, was selected in June 2009. Her work, titled Forecast, was completed in October of 2009 and premiered in February of 2010, as part of a program showcasing music for oboe and percussion. Included in this document is a detailed biography of the composer, a description of the four movements of Forecast, performance notes for each movement, a diagram for stage set-up, the full score, the program from the premiere performance with biographies of all the performers involved, and both a live recording and MIDI sound file. The performance notes discuss issues that arose during preparation for the premiere and should help avoid potential pitfalls. TrevCo Music, publisher of the work, graciously allowed inclusion of the full score. This score is solely for use in this document; please visit the publisher's website for purchasing information. The commission and documentation of this composition are intended to add to the repertoire for oboe in an unusual instrument pairing and to encourage further exploration of such combinations.
ContributorsCreamer, Caryn (Author) / Schuring, Martin (Thesis advisor) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Spring, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
This document explores the presence of stereotype threat among college students training for careers in music. Beginning in the 1990s, an effort led by Claude M. Steele (social psychologist and professor emeritus at Stanford University) identified stereotype threat as an attribute to the underperformance of minority groups. Continued research has mainly focused on stereotype threat within the following contexts: female performance within science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) fields, African American performance on standardized tests, and European American performance in athletics. This document contains two pilot studies that strive to apply current stereotype threat research to the field of music education and music performance in order to ask the following questions: Does stereotype threat impact the education of underrepresented collegiate music students? Does stereotype threat heighten gender awareness of musicians when they enter the typical auditioning environment? The two pilot studies consist of the following: (1) a survey intended to analyze the possible impact of stereotype threat on music students’ interaction with their colleagues and music instructors and (2) a quantitative study that explores the presence of stereotype threat (among musicians) through the use of a word-fragment completion task administered immediately before a mock audition.
ContributorsLloyd, Abby Lynn (Author) / Spring, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Gardner, Joshua (Thesis advisor) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Schmelz, Peter (Committee member) / Sullivan, Jill (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The purpose of this project is to add to the repertoire of clarinet music written in the Romantic style. While there are some pieces written by composers such as Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Max Reger, and a few others, it pales in comparison to the amount of highly regarded clarinet music written in the twentieth century. For this project, the three viola sonatas of Julius Röntgen have been adapted for clarinet and piano. Though these pieces were composed in 1924 and 1925 at the height of the expressionist movement, they are written in the late-Romantic style, with chromaticism and rhythmic intricacies akin to the clarinet sonatas of Johannes Brahms, with whom Röntgen had a friendship. I believe that these pieces can serve as an alternative to the often-performed sonatas of Brahms, especially for students. They are similar in technical demands and they are not just sonatas, but true pieces of chamber music, with the piano as an equal partner to the clarinet. The project includes full scores of the adaptations of Röntgen's sonatas in C minor, A-flat Major, and A minor for viola and piano, as well as a comprehensive list of all adaptations made to the original sonatas, and a studio recording of all three adapted works.
ContributorsThompson, Anthony Martin (Author) / Spring, Robert S (Thesis advisor) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Schuring, Martin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The purpose of this study was to collect specific data concerning the use of financial resources from extant adult community bands that are members of the Association of Concerts Bands (ACB). An adult community band is defined as an ensemble consisting primarily of amateur adult woodwind, brass, and percussion performers, the majority of whom are not satisfying school, college, or military requirements through participation.
This investigation comprises two main parts: 1) a perusal of the development of adult community bands within the overall history of bands in the United States, including, when possible, financial aspects of their operations; and 2) an examination of financial trends in ACB organizations, as illustrated by survey data.
An electronic survey was designed to examine six questions: 1) what are the budgets of today’s community bands, 2) how do bands compensate their staff and personnel, 3) where are bands spending their money, 4) what are their sources of income, 5) how are their current financial trends different than Peter Martin’s 1983 study on community bands, and 6) are there trends in regards to their expenses, revenues, bands’ longevity, and locations? In order to make more accurate conclusions, the author divided bands into five classes, based on their financial structure, to analyze and compare data.
Five major trends were observed: 1) current adult bands are usually non-profit organizations that list monetary compensation for their conductors on their Annual Operating Budget (AOB), 2) fifty-four percent (54%) of bands with an AOB spend between $4,000 and $19,999, 3) after adjusting for inflation, monetary compensation has remained nearly the same over the last thirty-four years, 4) music is the most common expense among adult bands, and 5) since 1983, the number of bands reporting government funding as a revenue source has decreased.
This investigation comprises two main parts: 1) a perusal of the development of adult community bands within the overall history of bands in the United States, including, when possible, financial aspects of their operations; and 2) an examination of financial trends in ACB organizations, as illustrated by survey data.
An electronic survey was designed to examine six questions: 1) what are the budgets of today’s community bands, 2) how do bands compensate their staff and personnel, 3) where are bands spending their money, 4) what are their sources of income, 5) how are their current financial trends different than Peter Martin’s 1983 study on community bands, and 6) are there trends in regards to their expenses, revenues, bands’ longevity, and locations? In order to make more accurate conclusions, the author divided bands into five classes, based on their financial structure, to analyze and compare data.
Five major trends were observed: 1) current adult bands are usually non-profit organizations that list monetary compensation for their conductors on their Annual Operating Budget (AOB), 2) fifty-four percent (54%) of bands with an AOB spend between $4,000 and $19,999, 3) after adjusting for inflation, monetary compensation has remained nearly the same over the last thirty-four years, 4) music is the most common expense among adult bands, and 5) since 1983, the number of bands reporting government funding as a revenue source has decreased.
ContributorsRaya, Bryan (Author) / Hill, Gary (Thesis advisor) / Caslor, Jason (Committee member) / Bailey, Wayne (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Mantie, Roger (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017