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Although music is regarded as a universal language, it is rare to find musicians of different ages, ability levels, and backgrounds interacting with each other in collaborative performances. There is a dearth of mixed-ability-level wind band and string orchestra repertoire, and the few pieces that exist fail to celebrate the

Although music is regarded as a universal language, it is rare to find musicians of different ages, ability levels, and backgrounds interacting with each other in collaborative performances. There is a dearth of mixed-ability-level wind band and string orchestra repertoire, and the few pieces that exist fail to celebrate the talents of the youngest and least-experienced performers. Composers writing music for school-age ensembles have also been excluded from the collaborative process, rarely communicating with the young musicians for whom they are writing.

This project introduced twenty-nine compositions into the wind band and string orchestra repertoire via a collaboration that engaged multiple constituencies. Students of wind and string instruments from Phoenix’s El Sistema-inspired Harmony Project and the Tijuana-based Niños de La Guadalupana Villa Del Campo worked together with students at Arizona State University and composers from Canada, Finland, and across the United States to learn and record concertos for novice-level soloists with intermediate-level accompaniment ensembles.

This project was influenced by the intergenerational ensembles common in Finnish music institutes. The author provides a document which includes a survey of the existing concerto repertoire for wind bands and previous intergenerational and multicultural studies in the field of music. The author then presents each of the mixed-ability concertos created and recorded in this project and offers biographical information on the composers. Finally, the author reflects upon qualitative surveys completed by the project’s participants.

Most the new concertos are available to the public. This music can be useful in the development and implementation of similar collaborations of musicians of all ages and abilities.
ContributorsBrooks, Melanie Jane (Author) / Hill, Gary W. (Thesis advisor) / Caslor, Jason K (Thesis advisor) / Belgrave, Melita (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Swoboda, Deanna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
ABSTRACT The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix occupies and maintains an historical place in the musical and civic history of the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona. Organized in November, 1929, the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix (OMC) is the only performing arts organization in Phoenix that can

ABSTRACT The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix occupies and maintains an historical place in the musical and civic history of the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona. Organized in November, 1929, the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix (OMC) is the only performing arts organization in Phoenix that can claim eighty-one years of continuous performance. The chorus gained popularity locally, nationally, and internationally in its first five decades. The breadth of the chorus's recognition began to decline in the latter part of the 20th century, but the chorus still retains a loyal following of audience members. This study focuses on the first fifty years of the OMC, especially the period from 1946 to 1979, the years the chorus was under the direction of Ralph Hess. Through his leadership the group's popularity and recognition reached a peak, thanks largely to his emphasis on civic responsibility, ties to service organizations, and musical ability and showmanship. No scholarly publications exist regarding this organization. Several boxes of memorabilia housed in the Arizona Historical Society Museum in Tempe, Arizona, serve as the primary source of material for this study. Concert programs supply information about concert repertoire, advertising, and chorus history. Newspaper articles from local and international press offer reviews, announcements, and media perceptions of the chorus. Information illustrating the abundant civic engagement of the OMC appears in proclamations and awards from local, state, national, and international personalities. This objective information helps propel the story forward, as do the personal letters and stories contained within the collection. Because many documents from the latter part of the 1970s are missing, the primary source information becomes more anecdotal and subjective. This study illustrates some of the ways in which the OMC went beyond mere survival to occupy a significant place in the musical life of Phoenix. Engagement in civic and social functions and support for non-profit organizations established the chorus as more than just a musical ensemble. Their pursuit under Hess of "Cultural Citizenship" earned them international recognition as civic leaders and ambassadors of goodwill.
ContributorsButler, Robert C (Author) / Schildkret, David (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Doan, Jerry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
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Description
Vaclav Nelhybel (1919-1996) composed over 600 works, a significant number of which were never published. The trombone is included in more than 200 of Nelhybel’s compositions, some featuring the instrument in a solo role and also as a key contributor in many of his chamber and large ensemble works. The

Vaclav Nelhybel (1919-1996) composed over 600 works, a significant number of which were never published. The trombone is included in more than 200 of Nelhybel’s compositions, some featuring the instrument in a solo role and also as a key contributor in many of his chamber and large ensemble works. The goal of this project is to bring this significant body of trombone literature into the light by examining his seventeen compositions that feature the trombone in solos and trombone ensembles; this paper also includes a select listing of other works by Nelhybel that include the trombone. The seventeen highlighted pieces include nine works for solo trombone and eight for trombone ensemble. This paper also contains background information on the composer and a brief discussion of his overall compositional history, focusing on the last thirty years of his life when he was most active as a composer and became one of the most prominent figures in the wind band movement in the United States. The central portion of the paper describes each of Nelhybel’s compositions that feature the trombone and is divided into three sections: the trombone as solo instrument in published works, an unpublished Concerto for bass trombone, and chamber works for two or more trombones alone. Discussions of key pedagogical aspects, recurring features and techniques, each piece’s difficulty level, and suggestions for performance are included for added depth.
ContributorsHaas, Garrett (Author) / Yeo, Douglas (Thesis advisor) / Ericson, John (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019