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ContributorsStone, Amanda (Author) / Myers, Nathan (Thesis director) / Steiner, Kiernan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Music, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2023-05
ContributorsStone, Amanda (Author) / Myers, Nathan (Thesis director) / Steiner, Kiernan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Music, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2023-05
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 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
Description
The Vocal Jazz ensemble, a uniquely American choral form, has grown and flourished in the past half century largely through the efforts of professionals and educators throughout the collegiate music community. This document provides historical data as presented through live and published interviews with key individuals involved in the early development of collegiate Vocal Jazz, as well as those who continue this effort currently. It also offers a study of the most influential creative forces that provided the spark for everyone else's fire. A frank discussion on the obstacles encountered and overcome is central to the overall theme of this research into a genre that has moved from a marginalized afterthought to a legitimate, more widely accepted art form. In addition to the perspective provided to future generations of educators in this field, this document also discusses the role of collegiate music academia in preserving and promoting the Vocal Jazz ensemble. The discussion relies on recent data showing the benefits of Vocal Jazz training and the need for authenticity towards its universal integration into college and university vocal performance and music education training.
ContributorsAmerind, Gregory (Author) / Kocour, Michael (Thesis advisor) / Carpenter, Ellon (Committee member) / Britton, David (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Beneath the epidermis, the human body contains a vibrant and complex ecology of interwoven rhythms such the heartbeat, the breath, the division of cells, and complex brain activity. By repurposing emergent medical technology into real-time gestural sound controllers of electronic musical instruments, experimental musicians in the 1960s and 1970s – including David Rosenboom – began to realize the expressive potential of these biological sounds. Composers experimented with breath and heartbeat. They also used electroencephalography (EEG) sensors, which register various types of brain waves. Instead of using the sound of brain waves in fixed-media pieces, many composers took diverse approaches to the challenge of presenting this in live performance. Their performance practices suggest different notions of embodiment, a relationship in this music which has not been discussed in detail.
Rosenboom reflects extensively on this performance practice. He supports his EEG research with theory about the practice of biofeedback. Rosenboom’s work with EEG sensors spans several decades and continue today, which has allowed him to make use of advancing sensing and computing technologies. For instance, in his 1976 On Being Invisible, the culmination of his work with EEG, he makes use of analyzed EEG data to drive a co-improvising musical system.
In this thesis, I parse different notions of embodiment in the performance of EEG music. Through a critical analysis of examples from the discourse surrounding EEG music in its early years, I show that cultural perception of EEG sonification points to imaginative speculations about the practice’s potentials; these fantasies have fascinating ramifications on the role of the body in this music’s performance. Juxtaposing these with Rosenboom, I contend that he cultivated an embodied performance practice of the EEG. To show how this might be manifest in performance, I consider two recordings of On Being Invisible.
As few musicologists have investigated this particular strain of musical experimentalism, I hope to contextualize biofeedback musicianship by offering an embodied reading of this milestone work for EEG.
Rosenboom reflects extensively on this performance practice. He supports his EEG research with theory about the practice of biofeedback. Rosenboom’s work with EEG sensors spans several decades and continue today, which has allowed him to make use of advancing sensing and computing technologies. For instance, in his 1976 On Being Invisible, the culmination of his work with EEG, he makes use of analyzed EEG data to drive a co-improvising musical system.
In this thesis, I parse different notions of embodiment in the performance of EEG music. Through a critical analysis of examples from the discourse surrounding EEG music in its early years, I show that cultural perception of EEG sonification points to imaginative speculations about the practice’s potentials; these fantasies have fascinating ramifications on the role of the body in this music’s performance. Juxtaposing these with Rosenboom, I contend that he cultivated an embodied performance practice of the EEG. To show how this might be manifest in performance, I consider two recordings of On Being Invisible.
As few musicologists have investigated this particular strain of musical experimentalism, I hope to contextualize biofeedback musicianship by offering an embodied reading of this milestone work for EEG.
ContributorsJohnson, Garrett Laroy (Author) / Xin Wei, Sha (Thesis advisor) / Ingalls, Todd (Committee member) / Suzuki, Kotoka (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
The purpose of this study was to: (1) record and describe a brief history of the life and career of Bolivian composer Dr. Nicolás Suárez Eyzaguirre, and (2) write an analysis from a vocal performer's perspective of Suárez's song cycle for soprano and piano, Monólogos del Desierto, with texts by Dr. Guillermo Mariaca Iturri.
In August of 2013, I traveled to La Paz, Cochabamba, and Coroico, Bolivia, with translator Dr. Marie Cooper Hoffman for thirteen days in order to conduct interviews with Suárez, his family, his colleagues, his composition professors, and other professional musicians. In addition to both in-person and e-mail interviews, I reviewed television productions, videos, and newspaper/magazine articles that featured interviews with Suárez and/or reviews of his works. Also, I familiarized myself with Suárez's compositional style by performing a leading role in the 2011 world premiere of his opera El Compadre; collecting and listening to as many recordings of his works as I could find; and reading the transcript of Suárez's Doctor of Musical Arts Lecture Recital. For this study, I focused specifically on the compositional style of his three-song cycle Monólogos del Desierto. A performance of the work will be part of my defense of this paper.
In August of 2013, I traveled to La Paz, Cochabamba, and Coroico, Bolivia, with translator Dr. Marie Cooper Hoffman for thirteen days in order to conduct interviews with Suárez, his family, his colleagues, his composition professors, and other professional musicians. In addition to both in-person and e-mail interviews, I reviewed television productions, videos, and newspaper/magazine articles that featured interviews with Suárez and/or reviews of his works. Also, I familiarized myself with Suárez's compositional style by performing a leading role in the 2011 world premiere of his opera El Compadre; collecting and listening to as many recordings of his works as I could find; and reading the transcript of Suárez's Doctor of Musical Arts Lecture Recital. For this study, I focused specifically on the compositional style of his three-song cycle Monólogos del Desierto. A performance of the work will be part of my defense of this paper.
ContributorsStanford, Allison (Author) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
This project examines over 40 publications consisting of published warm-ups, routines, and materials suitable for daily routines. The books were all written specifically for the horn and published between 1940 and 2015. They are split into periods of twenty years each during this timeframe: 1940-1959, 1960-1979, 1980-1999, and 2000-2015. Included are brief annotations for each of the books which consist of general biographical information on the author, a summary of the material presented in each routine including a breakdown of how much each author covers a set of defined components, and suggestions for which type of student would be best to utilize each routine through an assessment of its strengths. Trends are also examined within each time period that attempt to demonstrate the larger evolution within the project over the course of the entire 75-year period.
ContributorsManners, William Alexander (Author) / Ericson, John (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Many of Erik Morales's trumpet compositions have become standard repertoire. This study examines his trumpet works, which are examples of Morales's outstanding compositional skill and versatility. The composer, some of the most significant performers, and people who commissioned these pieces were interviewed. Biographical information and compositional characteristics of Morales are presented. Historical information about the pieces is also provided, including the premieres, commissions, recordings, and significant performances. Technical concerns specific to the trumpet, and performance recommendations, are assessed. This study is a pedagogical and informative source for all trumpet educators and performers interested in solo and trumpet ensemble music.
ContributorsZapata Correa, Oswaldo Arley (Author) / Hickman, David (Thesis advisor) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
A New Home is a multi-movement musical composition written for a chamber orchestra of flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in C, trombone, bass trombone, percussion (1), pianoforte, and strings. The duration of the entire piece is approximately fourteen minutes (movement 1: four minutes; mvt. 2: four minutes and thirty seconds; mvt. 3: five minutes and thirty seconds). As an exercise in compositional experimentation, some of the musical techniques explored throughout the piece are harmonic planing or parallelism, ostinati, modality, chromatic dissonance, thematic transformation, mixed meter, and syncopation, as well as issues of orchestral blend, balance, and color.
The first movement, ironically titled “Don’t Panic,” highlights my initial anxieties on experimentation by creating hectic textures. The movement is structured around two main alternating sections of chromatic, chordal dissonance with more modal, melodic syncopation in addition to a developmental section, but a sense of rhythmic groove is prominent throughout. The second movement, “Still Here,” is a darker, more sensitive music as it explores various settings of its main thematic material interspersed with march-like episodes and a related secondary theme. The themes are organized around a diatonic scale that omits one pitch to comprise a six-note scale. The third movement, “Change of State,” recalls the modality and rhythmic liveliness of the first movement, and it bears a thematic relationship to the second movement. Much of the material also revolves around scales and mediant relationships to comprise an opening theme, a groove section, and an ethereal, glassy texture which ends the movement. Essentially, the piece closes with a calmer music in contrast to the brute force that opened the piece.
The first movement, ironically titled “Don’t Panic,” highlights my initial anxieties on experimentation by creating hectic textures. The movement is structured around two main alternating sections of chromatic, chordal dissonance with more modal, melodic syncopation in addition to a developmental section, but a sense of rhythmic groove is prominent throughout. The second movement, “Still Here,” is a darker, more sensitive music as it explores various settings of its main thematic material interspersed with march-like episodes and a related secondary theme. The themes are organized around a diatonic scale that omits one pitch to comprise a six-note scale. The third movement, “Change of State,” recalls the modality and rhythmic liveliness of the first movement, and it bears a thematic relationship to the second movement. Much of the material also revolves around scales and mediant relationships to comprise an opening theme, a groove section, and an ethereal, glassy texture which ends the movement. Essentially, the piece closes with a calmer music in contrast to the brute force that opened the piece.
ContributorsJones, Zachary William (Author) / Rogers, Rodney (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Wellness resources at postsecondary music schools: a survey of how this information is being offered
Description
Musicians have the potential to experience health problems related to their
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.
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.
ContributorsFraser, Catherine (Author) / Spring, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Gardner, Joshua (Thesis advisor) / Caslor, Jason (Committee member) / Feisst, Sabine (Committee member) / Sullivan, Jill (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016