Matching Items (38)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

152361-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The study of acoustic ecology is concerned with the manner in which life interacts with its environment as mediated through sound. As such, a central focus is that of the soundscape: the acoustic environment as perceived by a listener. This dissertation examines the application of several computational tools in the

The study of acoustic ecology is concerned with the manner in which life interacts with its environment as mediated through sound. As such, a central focus is that of the soundscape: the acoustic environment as perceived by a listener. This dissertation examines the application of several computational tools in the realms of digital signal processing, multimedia information retrieval, and computer music synthesis to the analysis of the soundscape. Namely, these tools include a) an open source software library, Sirens, which can be used for the segmentation of long environmental field recordings into individual sonic events and compare these events in terms of acoustic content, b) a graph-based retrieval system that can use these measures of acoustic similarity and measures of semantic similarity using the lexical database WordNet to perform both text-based retrieval and automatic annotation of environmental sounds, and c) new techniques for the dynamic, realtime parametric morphing of multiple field recordings, informed by the geographic paths along which they were recorded.
ContributorsMechtley, Brandon Michael (Author) / Spanias, Andreas S (Thesis advisor) / Sundaram, Hari (Thesis advisor) / Cook, Perry R. (Committee member) / Li, Baoxin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
151722-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Digital sound synthesis allows the creation of a great variety of sounds. Focusing on interesting or ecologically valid sounds for music, simulation, aesthetics, or other purposes limits the otherwise vast digital audio palette. Tools for creating such sounds vary from arbitrary methods of altering recordings to precise simulations of vibrating

Digital sound synthesis allows the creation of a great variety of sounds. Focusing on interesting or ecologically valid sounds for music, simulation, aesthetics, or other purposes limits the otherwise vast digital audio palette. Tools for creating such sounds vary from arbitrary methods of altering recordings to precise simulations of vibrating objects. In this work, methods of sound synthesis by re-sonification are considered. Re-sonification, herein, refers to the general process of analyzing, possibly transforming, and resynthesizing or reusing recorded sounds in meaningful ways, to convey information. Applied to soundscapes, re-sonification is presented as a means of conveying activity within an environment. Applied to the sounds of objects, this work examines modeling the perception of objects as well as their physical properties and the ability to simulate interactive events with such objects. To create soundscapes to re-sonify geographic environments, a method of automated soundscape design is presented. Using recorded sounds that are classified based on acoustic, social, semantic, and geographic information, this method produces stochastically generated soundscapes to re-sonify selected geographic areas. Drawing on prior knowledge, local sounds and those deemed similar comprise a locale's soundscape. In the context of re-sonifying events, this work examines processes for modeling and estimating the excitations of sounding objects. These include plucking, striking, rubbing, and any interaction that imparts energy into a system, affecting the resultant sound. A method of estimating a linear system's input, constrained to a signal-subspace, is presented and applied toward improving the estimation of percussive excitations for re-sonification. To work toward robust recording-based modeling and re-sonification of objects, new implementations of banded waveguide (BWG) models are proposed for object modeling and sound synthesis. Previous implementations of BWGs use arbitrary model parameters and may produce a range of simulations that do not match digital waveguide or modal models of the same design. Subject to linear excitations, some models proposed here behave identically to other equivalently designed physical models. Under nonlinear interactions, such as bowing, many of the proposed implementations exhibit improvements in the attack characteristics of synthesized sounds.
ContributorsFink, Alex M (Author) / Spanias, Andreas S (Thesis advisor) / Cook, Perry R. (Committee member) / Turaga, Pavan (Committee member) / Tsakalis, Konstantinos (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
189272-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This research aims to identify ways in which student live-in Musician-in-Residence programs help meet the social needs of older adults through university partnerships. Independent Living retirement communities face a gap in music programming. Student live-in Musician-in-Residence programs like the one at Mirabella at Arizona State University (Mirabella at ASU) were

This research aims to identify ways in which student live-in Musician-in-Residence programs help meet the social needs of older adults through university partnerships. Independent Living retirement communities face a gap in music programming. Student live-in Musician-in-Residence programs like the one at Mirabella at Arizona State University (Mirabella at ASU) were used to help determine how music impacted the quality of life of retirees and how it affected their relationships with a younger generation. Only residents in Independent Living were included in the study. Prior research has shown that when an older adult relocates to senior living, it can be viewed stereotypically as a sign that they are diminishing their capacity to live independently and are preparing to live the rest of their lives detached from society. Additionally, research shows that some retirement communities are unaware of how music programs can encourage the fostering of meaningful relationships for independent retired adults. As adults are retiring earlier, they are living healthier lives and require quality programming that reflects their active lifestyle. In this research, the questions asked provided qualitative responses and residents shared anecdotal reports of their experiences. Questions were divided into two categories, 1). Residential history and prior music experience, 2). Sense of belonging and retention. The results of this study suggest that intergenerational music programs contribute to maintaining older adults' social and emotional health by providing opportunities to engage in music through observation and participation. They also show that music programs serve as conduits for fostering relationships between seemingly disparate groups, in this case, the older and younger populations.
ContributorsCox, Tychiko Dustin (Author) / Swoboda, Deanna (Thesis advisor) / Hawkins, Gordon (Thesis advisor) / Wells, Christi Jay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
190830-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This paper presents three new arrangements of works for solo tuba and piano, originally written by Black composers before 1950. The works presented here include Méphisto masqué by Edmond Dédé, Three Arabian Dances by Amanda Aldridge, and Warbling in the Moonlight by Alton Augustus Adams. Composer biographies, a formal analysis,

This paper presents three new arrangements of works for solo tuba and piano, originally written by Black composers before 1950. The works presented here include Méphisto masqué by Edmond Dédé, Three Arabian Dances by Amanda Aldridge, and Warbling in the Moonlight by Alton Augustus Adams. Composer biographies, a formal analysis, and form diagrams are included for each piece, along with the new transcriptions.
ContributorsMatejek, Matthew Ryan (Author) / Swoboda, Deanna (Thesis advisor) / Edwards, Bradley (Committee member) / Shea, Nicholas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
162018-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Behavior-driven obesity has become one of the most challenging global epidemics since the 1990s, and is presently associated with the leading causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, strokes, and some forms of cancer. The use of system identification and control engineering principles in the

Behavior-driven obesity has become one of the most challenging global epidemics since the 1990s, and is presently associated with the leading causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, strokes, and some forms of cancer. The use of system identification and control engineering principles in the design of novel and perpetually adaptive behavioral health interventions for promoting physical activity and healthy eating has been the central theme in many recent contributions. However, the absence of experimental studies specifically designed with the purpose of developing control-oriented behavioral models has restricted prior efforts in this domain to the use of hypothetical simulations to demonstrate the potential viability of these interventions. In this dissertation, the use of first-of-a-kind, real-life experimental results to develop dynamic, participant-validated behavioral models essential for the design and evaluation of optimized and adaptive behavioral interventions is examined. Following an intergenerational approach, the first part of this work aims to develop a dynamical systems model of intrauterine fetal growth with the prime goal of predicting infant birth weight, which has been associated with subsequent childhood and adult-onset obesity. The use of longitudinal input-output data from the “Healthy Mom Zone” intervention study has enabled the estimation and validation of this fetoplacental model. The second part establishes a set of data-driven behavioral models founded on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). The “Just Walk” intervention experiment, developed at Arizona State University using system identification principles, has lent a unique opportunity to estimate and validate both black-box and semiphysical SCT models for predicting physical activity behavior. Further, this dissertation addresses some of the model estimation challenges arising from the limitations of “Just Walk”, including the need for developing nontraditional modeling approaches for short datasets, as well as delivers a new theoretical and algorithmic framework for structured state-space model estimation that can be used in a broader set of application domains. Finally, adaptive closed-loop intervention simulations of participant-validated SCT models from “Just Walk” are presented using a Hybrid Model Predictive Control (HMPC) control law. A simple HMPC controller reconfiguration strategy for designing both single- and multi-phase intervention designs is proposed.
ContributorsFreigoun, Mohammad T (Author) / Raupp, Gregory B (Thesis advisor) / Tsakalis, Konstantinos S (Thesis advisor) / Spanias, Andreas S (Committee member) / Forzani, Erica S (Committee member) / Muhich, Christopher L (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The Building Blocks of Trumpet is a comprehensive and fully modular method book specifically designed for beginner trumpeters. It is designed to be approachable and accessible, providing a reliable resource for both starting students and teachers alike. The book aims to tackle and answer the major questions and challenges that

The Building Blocks of Trumpet is a comprehensive and fully modular method book specifically designed for beginner trumpeters. It is designed to be approachable and accessible, providing a reliable resource for both starting students and teachers alike. The book aims to tackle and answer the major questions and challenges that beginning trumpeters often encounter at the onset of their musical journey. Its content is structured in a way that naturally guides performers from the initial steps of learning their instruments and progressively leads them to mastery of foundational musical concepts. These concepts equip students with the necessary knowledge to actively participate and contribute to Western cultural communities.A key feature of this method book is its emphasis on fostering independent learning. It encourages students to delve into their private studies of music, guiding them through the process of perfecting their technique through routine exercises and understanding musical compositions through repertoire studies. Moreover, the progression presented in this book is not merely linear but also modular in design. The book is designed with plenty of material and organized in a clear and thoughtful manner. This allows students and teachers to design personalized lesson curriculums. The book's ultimate goal is to empower students to perform these exercises, etudes, and solos effectively and confidently to express their music to an audience.
ContributorsDicks, Brandon (Author) / Burgstaller, Josef (Thesis advisor) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Temple, Alex (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
187339-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Over the past fifty years, the number of new compositions written for trumpet has increased tremendously. Fueled by close collaboration between composers, performers, and organizations, audiences are yearning to hear these new works. The purpose of this doctoral project is to provide insight into how a commission for solo trumpet,

Over the past fifty years, the number of new compositions written for trumpet has increased tremendously. Fueled by close collaboration between composers, performers, and organizations, audiences are yearning to hear these new works. The purpose of this doctoral project is to provide insight into how a commission for solo trumpet, All My Spirit Tingled, came to fruition and how a burgeoning soloist may best learn this challenging repertoire. The first chapter provides background on the composer, his musical vision, and the chosen soloist for this commission. The second chapter provides a detailed performance guide of All My Spirit Tingled, including references to technical studies, etudes, and solos from trumpet literature that may provide further material with which to grow as a performer of this work. The dissertation provides a professional recording of the premiere to assist the reader throughout the performance guide. This document also includes program notes for the composition, as well as composer biographical information, a list of other works by Robert Tindle featuring brass instruments, and a transcript of the composer and performer interview.
ContributorsDeshler, David Woehrle (Author) / Burgstaller, Joesef (Thesis advisor) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Temple, Alex (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
187357-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Saxophonists regularly transcribe works from the 19th and 20th centuries in order tobolster our repertoire from those eras. As one of the youngest concert instruments, few substantial works exist for the instrument prior to the mid 20th century. By regularly transcribing works that are standards in other instruments’ repertoires, we have perpetuated the

Saxophonists regularly transcribe works from the 19th and 20th centuries in order tobolster our repertoire from those eras. As one of the youngest concert instruments, few substantial works exist for the instrument prior to the mid 20th century. By regularly transcribing works that are standards in other instruments’ repertoires, we have perpetuated the historical underrepresentation of female composers from the same time period. In answer to this, I have researched, analyzed, transcribed, and recorded four works originally for violin and piano written by female composers born in the 19th century. This program represents differing styles and nationalities, while being a cohesive program of works. The repertoire consists of a set of character pieces by Ika Peyron, sonatas by Dora Pejačević and Germaine Tailleferre, and finally a theme and variations by Teresa Milanollo to serve as a closer. Each chapter provides insights into my transcription process and tables of the alterations made to the original material, as well as short analyses of each piece. i
ContributorsDodge-Overstreet, Jessica (Author) / Creviston, Christopher (Thesis advisor) / Shea, Nicholas (Thesis advisor) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Spring, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
157408-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Joseph Turrin’s compositions for trumpet are frequently performed, and have

become a large part of the trumpet repertoire. His trumpet works are played at events

such as International Trumpet Guild conferences, have been featured with many well-known

orchestras and bands, and are standard recital works. Many of Turrin’s trumpet

works have been performed and

Joseph Turrin’s compositions for trumpet are frequently performed, and have

become a large part of the trumpet repertoire. His trumpet works are played at events

such as International Trumpet Guild conferences, have been featured with many well-known

orchestras and bands, and are standard recital works. Many of Turrin’s trumpet

works have been performed and recorded by well-established musicians, which include

Philip Smith, Joseph Alessi, David Hickman, Robert Sullivan, Brian Shaw, Thomas

Hooten, Terry Everson, Wynton Marsalis, and Alison Balsom.

This study examines in detail each of Joseph Turrin’s twenty-four published

works for trumpet. Turrin’s pieces include Elegy, Caprice, Concerto for Trumpet, Intrada,

Two Portraits, Someone to Watch Over Me, Chronicles, Two Gershwin Portraits,

Fandango, and Three Episodes, and include pieces written for Philip Smith, Joseph

Alessi, Wynton Marsalis, Harold Lieberman, Lew Soloff, Brian Shaw, Robert Sullivan,

and Thomas Hooten. A complete history of each composition and arrangement, and

information relating to their premieres are presented. Technical elements from the music

are discussed, such as range, articulation, melodic contour, endurance, and difficult

fingerings. Biographical information such as youth, education, and career about Turrin

are incorporated, along with a discussion of his compositional characteristics and

influences. In addition, a list of each work with an assigned difficulty grade, as well as a

current discography, is included.
ContributorsAlbrecht, Christopher (Author) / Hickman, David (Thesis advisor) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Stover, Christopher (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
157175-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
For those familiar with the name of Bohumir Kryl, he may be known simply as a cornetist who regularly utilized the extreme pedal register of his instrument. However, his life was much more complex than that. Born in 1875 near Prague, Kryl was trained by his father as

For those familiar with the name of Bohumir Kryl, he may be known simply as a cornetist who regularly utilized the extreme pedal register of his instrument. However, his life was much more complex than that. Born in 1875 near Prague, Kryl was trained by his father as a sculptor, and, for a brief stint in his childhood, he was a circus tumbler. Returning to his family vocation, he traveled with them to America and spent much of the 1890s sculpting the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument and busts on the English Hotel in Indianapolis, as well as the friezes adorning the Lew Wallace study in Crawfordsville, Indiana. In the late 1890s, he left sculpting to become a professional cornet soloist, touring with the bands of John Philip Sousa and Frederick Innes, among others. Kryl soon garnered the title of World’s Greatest Cornetist. He formed his own band in 1906 and continued to solo and conduct well into the 1930s, eventually becoming known as one of the five greatest bandmasters in the world. He stopped soloing in the 1930s, but continued to conduct various orchestras until the late 1940s, gaining notoriety for his women’s orchestra. He also became infamous in the way he chose to parent his two daughters. He was financially successful, spending a short time as a bank president in the 1920s and amassing a significant art collection over the span of his life. When he died in 1961, he was worth nearly $2,000,000. This document is the first comprehensive biography of the extraordinary life of Bohumir Kryl.

Many documents were reviewed in preparation for this biography, including thousands of newspaper articles, telegrams, and letters. Much of Kryl’s personal correspondence used for this study was acquired through the Redpath Chautauqua Collection, located in the University of Iowa Library in Iowa City. Because there are few secondary sources, this biography of Kryl is based on these primary sources, which were carefully organized, reviewed, and documented. Their wealth of information has allowed this study to offer a complete and multifaceted picture of the life and times of Bohumir Kryl.
ContributorsHaake, Joshua Lee (Author) / Hickman, David R (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019