Matching Items (4)
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- All Subjects: Composition (Music)
- Creators: Hamilton, Robert
Description
About piano students who display disruptive behavior and perform far below reasonable expectations, teachers first conclude that they are lazy, rude, disinterested, and/or lacking intelligence or ability. Most dismiss such students from studios and advise parents to discontinue lessons. In truth, many of these students are both highly gifted and also have a learning disability. Examined literature shows that the incidence of dyslexia and other learning disabilities in the gifted learner population is several times that of the regular learner population. Although large volumes of research have been devoted to dyslexia, and more recently to dyslexia and music (in the classroom and some in individual instrumental instruction), there is no evidence of the same investigation in relation to the specific needs of highly gifted dyslexic students in learning to play the piano. This project examines characteristics of giftedness and dyslexia, gifted learners with learning disabilities, and the difficulties they encounter in learning to read music and play keyboard instruments. It includes historical summaries of author's experience with such students and description of their progress and success. They reveal some of practical strategies that evolved through several decades of teaching regular and gifted dyslexic students that helped them overcome the challenges and learn to play the piano. Informal conversations and experience exchanges with colleagues, as well as a recently completed pilot study also showed that most piano pedagogues had no formal opportunity to learn about this issue and to be empowered to teach these very special students. The author's hope is to offer personal insights, survey of current knowledge, and practical suggestions that will not only assist piano instructors to successfully teach highly gifted learners with dyslexia, but also inspire them to learn more about the topic.
ContributorsVladikovic, Jelena (Author) / Humphreys, Jere T. (Thesis advisor) / Meir, Baruch (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Hamilton, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
As one of the composers living in an era filled with innovations, Anatol Konstantinovich Lyadov (1855-1914) has been relatively ignored by scholars and pianists to date. He is an unusual composer with multiple characteristics: solitary but expressive, talented but indolent. His compositional style never lacked critics—especially with respect to his persistent preference of miniatures. Nonetheless, his piano works embody the breathtaking beauty of the composer’s independent musical ideas and colorful musical language. Compared with the flourishing, dazzling, and nationalized music from other composers living in the same era, these light, flowing musical pieces from Lyadov have irreplaceable value.
Through the study of these small-scale piano works, one finds important connections with the music of other renowned composers (e.g. Chopin and Scriabin), and the employment of traditional aspects such as Russian folk tones and fairy tales. Stylistically, Lyadov was a representative of 19th-century Romanticism; however, his compositional style changed during his late period (after 1900), presenting a unique use of dissonance.
The scholarly research on Lyadov’s piano works remains limited. Most of the related resources can be found only in the Russian music literature. No in-depth study or dissertation on the complete piano works of Lyadov could be located, and therefore my research paper is intended to provide useful information to piano performers and teachers, hopefully encouraging more study and performance of Lyadov’s piano works. Despite their lyrical melodies and deep emotion, these works are thus far relatively unpopular and unknown, with only a few played occasionally as encore pieces.
Through the study of these small-scale piano works, one finds important connections with the music of other renowned composers (e.g. Chopin and Scriabin), and the employment of traditional aspects such as Russian folk tones and fairy tales. Stylistically, Lyadov was a representative of 19th-century Romanticism; however, his compositional style changed during his late period (after 1900), presenting a unique use of dissonance.
The scholarly research on Lyadov’s piano works remains limited. Most of the related resources can be found only in the Russian music literature. No in-depth study or dissertation on the complete piano works of Lyadov could be located, and therefore my research paper is intended to provide useful information to piano performers and teachers, hopefully encouraging more study and performance of Lyadov’s piano works. Despite their lyrical melodies and deep emotion, these works are thus far relatively unpopular and unknown, with only a few played occasionally as encore pieces.
ContributorsZhang, Xiaoyu (Author) / Hamilton, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Creviston, Hannah (Committee member) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Meir, Baruch (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Pacific Suite (2016) is a four-movement work for solo piano composed by the author of this paper, Holly Kordahl, that incorporates elements of several musical idioms, including Impressionism, tintinnabuli (as in the music of Arvo Pärt), post-modernism, minimalism and improvisation. This Doctorate of Musical Arts project consists of a descriptive paper, analysis, score and recording. The piece features varying levels of performer independence and improvisation along with notated music. Each movement is named after a different environment of the Pacific Ocean: Great Barrier Reef, Mariana Trench, Sunlit Zone, and Bikini Atoll.
Pacific Suite is engaging to mature pianists and accessible to students. The score of Pacific Suite is a blank canvas in some ways; almost all dynamics, tempi, pedaling, and fingerings are to be determined by the performer. The first movement, Great Barrier Reef, presents different musical vignettes. The second movement, Mariana Trench, requires the performer to improvise extensively while following provided instructions. The third movement, Sunlit Zone, asks the performer to improvise on a theme of Debussy. The final movement, Bikini Atoll, illustrates events of nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll in the 1940s.
Pacific Suite is engaging to mature pianists and accessible to students. The score of Pacific Suite is a blank canvas in some ways; almost all dynamics, tempi, pedaling, and fingerings are to be determined by the performer. The first movement, Great Barrier Reef, presents different musical vignettes. The second movement, Mariana Trench, requires the performer to improvise extensively while following provided instructions. The third movement, Sunlit Zone, asks the performer to improvise on a theme of Debussy. The final movement, Bikini Atoll, illustrates events of nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll in the 1940s.
ContributorsKordahl, Holly (Author) / Meir, Baruch (Thesis advisor) / Bolanos, Gabriel (Committee member) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / Hamilton, Robert (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
The core element of this research paper is an analysis of the B-flat minor prelude and fugue BWV 867. The author’s analysis is then compared with the main contributors to Bach’s analytical studies. An understanding of the work’s structure, together with its motivic and harmonic details, help the performer develop an interpretive approach to the work.
Significant Bach scholars, including David Ledbetter and Peter Williams, are used as the source for the additional works to be studied. These scholars also mention close associates of Bach who offer additional insight into his music: Kirnberger and Weiss. The paper includes a brief discussion of the opening chorus fugue BWV 64, instrumental prelude to the cantata BWV 106, chorale prelude BWV 721, and Tombeau sur la Mort de Mr Comte de Logy by Weiss, as they relate to the B-flat minor prelude and fugue. In addition, the analysis provides materials on how the elements of the work relate to the Doctrine of Affections. From the B-flat minor prelude and fugue, the harmonic progressions and figuration are examined from the point of view of the Doctrine. The research also examines the fugue subject, with its unusual leap of a minor 9th, to its structural connection to the opening chorus fugue of BWV 64, and its ties to the Doctrine.
Through the analysis of the B-flat minor prelude and fugue and a comparison to works by Bach that are stylistically connected to this work, the author offers insights into the music and its relationship to works that have a sacred text association.
Significant Bach scholars, including David Ledbetter and Peter Williams, are used as the source for the additional works to be studied. These scholars also mention close associates of Bach who offer additional insight into his music: Kirnberger and Weiss. The paper includes a brief discussion of the opening chorus fugue BWV 64, instrumental prelude to the cantata BWV 106, chorale prelude BWV 721, and Tombeau sur la Mort de Mr Comte de Logy by Weiss, as they relate to the B-flat minor prelude and fugue. In addition, the analysis provides materials on how the elements of the work relate to the Doctrine of Affections. From the B-flat minor prelude and fugue, the harmonic progressions and figuration are examined from the point of view of the Doctrine. The research also examines the fugue subject, with its unusual leap of a minor 9th, to its structural connection to the opening chorus fugue of BWV 64, and its ties to the Doctrine.
Through the analysis of the B-flat minor prelude and fugue and a comparison to works by Bach that are stylistically connected to this work, the author offers insights into the music and its relationship to works that have a sacred text association.
ContributorsYoo, Hye Eun (Author) / Hamilton, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Little, Bliss (Committee member) / Meir, Baruch (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020