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Among various kinds of piano repertoire in history, the piano repertoire for the left hand alone is a very special category. Though left-hand piano works have the same high artistic value as other piano repertoires, they have been largely ignored and are rarely performed or even played by pianists. Since the 19th century, more and more composers have written music for the left hand, and there are over one thousand pieces composed for the left hand alone, including original solo works, transcriptions, chamber music, and concertos. I had never studied any left-hand repertoires and had minimal knowledge about these pieces before I sustained an injury to my right hand. After intentionally learning, practicing, and performing some left-hand works, I felt like I had been opened up to an entirely new world. I strongly believe that studying those works is essential and provides many benefits for pianists to develop left-hand technique. This research document will be divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 will be an introduction, with brief background information on piano music for the left hand, and an explanation of why composers wrote such works. The history of the development of left-hand compositions, a list of important left-hand pieces, and composers, as well as pianists who influenced the development of left-hand piano composition, will be discussed. In Chapter 2, I will explore five selected left-hand works that are rarely played, including Wanghua Chu’s Prelude for the Left Hand (Man Jiang Hong), Frank Bridge’s Three Improvisations for the Left Hand, H. 134, Max Reger’s 4 Spezialstudien, WoO III/13, Paul Wittgenstein’s “Meditation” and “Du bist die Ruh” from his School for the Left Hand, vol. 3. Providing background information on each composer and composition and identifying the difficulty level of each piece. Using examples from the score, I will focus on the musical and technical challenges involved in learning these works and provide my suggestions for their performance. Chapter 3 will offer advice about how to start learning and playing left-hand works, drawing from my own experience. Chapter 4 will conclude by summarizing information from previous chapters.
ContributorsHuang, Anruo (Author) / Meir, Baruch (Thesis advisor) / Pagano, Caio (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Piano education in China is a complex phenomenon shaped over the past century by many factors: China’s rich history of musical traditions, the influence of missionary piano teachers, the establishment of government-formed music conservatories, rapid changes in a political top-down approach, and the contributions of Russian piano teachers. Globalization and China’s rising economic status in the last four and a half decades have led to more Chinese pianists studying abroad and bringing their education back home. Once a foreign import, the piano is now played by more children in China than anywhere else in the world, and young Chinese pianists are frequently recognized on the world’s most competitive stages. As musicians compete on a global scale and international exchanges grow, understanding piano education in China becomes increasingly important.Three renowned teachers shape today’s piano education in China: Dr. Zhe Tang (唐哲) at Shanghai Conservatory, Dr. Ling Zhao (赵聆) at Central Conservatory, and Dr. Vivian Li (李穗荣) at Xinghai Conservatory. After studying in both China and the West, they train some of China’s best young pianists who are recognized on the world’s most competitive stages. This paper shares the teaching methods and philosophies of Tang, Zhao, and Li through comprehensive interviews and lesson observations. It aims to enhance the teaching and performance of pianists, while offering valuable insights into piano education in China.
The document explores Tang’s methods to inspire characters in the music and achieve balance in timing and sound, Zhao’s techniques to position and move the hands and fingers for effortless control, and Li’s approaches to manipulate natural arm weight to create a variety of tones and sounds. Their teaching presents useful ideas for how to effectively communicate music and guide students to become passionate and independent musicians. Techniques taught by Zhao and Li—such as the finger standing stably on the key, grabbing with the hand, and differing approaches to the high finger technique—encourage pianists to investigate the function of different body parts, the interconnectedness of tension and relaxation, where strength should come from, and how to best support weight with ease. Additionally, Tang, Zhao, and Li describe the unique aspects of piano education in China.
ContributorsBurton, Natalie (Author) / Creviston, Hannah (Thesis advisor) / Meir, Baruch (Thesis advisor) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The aim of this paper is to empower musicians with the knowledge and tools to address the challenges of music performance anxiety (MPA) with confidence and efficacy. Three evidence-based concepts will be examined, beginning with neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s capacity to change both structurally and functionally. It is thus in a constant state of evolution. On the functional side, evidence demonstrates that it is possible for individuals to change the way they think in order to provide more positive outcomes in music performance. Secondly, existing literature on the cognitive side of learning and optimal performance will be examined; particularly, flow theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1975) and Carol Dweck’s mindset theory (2006). Finally, a review of sports psychology research on mental imagery will be provided. For each area of research, I will suggest strategies with which musicians may incorporate these theories in their own practice and performance in order to develop a growth mindset, alter their negative thought patterns, and overcome MPA, achieving their optimal performance level.
ContributorsLee, Kah Yan (Author) / McLin, Katherine (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Meyer, Jeffery (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This paper is based on research conducted during my ongoing collaboration as a participant-observer with the Cuyamungue Institute (CI) of New Mexico, a self-identified nonreligious organization that uses postures to help participants achieve ecstatic trance experiences via a ritual process that prominently features sonic support of trance by the sound of a rattle or drum. While the purpose of the practice—which the Institute has referred to in such terms as “Ecstatic Trance Postures (ETP)” and “Ritual Body Postures”—is ostensibly spiritual in nature, apparent benefits for physical and emotional health have been reported by participants and observed in empirical studies carried out in collaboration with the CI. With appropriate nuance, the Institute traditionally emphasizes the ways these benefits demonstrate the process’s spiritual efficacy more than how they are outcomes desirable on their own merit. As I have continued to work with the CI, the discourse has gradually shifted. At present, the leadership of the Institute give more consideration than before to emotional health benefits as specific goals of the practice, yet spiritual conceptions maintain a dominant presence in conversations and achieving a deep connection with the “alternate reality / spirit realm / unbounded universe” remains the primary objective.
ContributorsMalnory, Lawson (Author) / Fossum, Dave (Thesis advisor) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Solís, Ted (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Alexina Louie (b. 1949) is a highly respected Canadian composer who has received numerous prestigious awards. The present study focuses on her pedagogical works for young pianists: Music for Piano (1982), Star Light, Star Bright (1995), and Small Beautiful Things (2016). All three sets, written in different periods of her compositional career, reveal Louie's highly artistic musical style adapted to her strong interest in piano pedagogy.
Music for Piano, intended for intermediate-level pianists, has four individual pieces, taking two to three minutes each, representing Louie’s early compositional style. Star Light, Star Bright, for intermediate-level pianists at a slightly lower level than intended for Music for Piano, consists of nine short character pieces inspired by the stars and planets and other phenomena of the solar system. Small Beautiful Things is technically less challenging than the other works. It consists of eleven-character pieces with titles from everyday life that are designed to appeal to young musicians.
The first chapter is an account of Louie's educational background and how mentors influenced her development as a pianist, composer, and teacher. The chapter also documents Louie's strong interest in teaching, which led her to compose piano music with pedagogical intent. The second chapter describes the compositional elements of Music for Piano, examining Louie's uses of various Asian elements, minimalism, notational innovations resulting in rhythmic freedom, and Impressionistic timbres and sonorities. The third chapter assesses Star Light, Star Bright, showing the overall palindromic structure of the set while discussing the content and pedagogical value of the individual pieces. The fourth chapter focuses on how the pieces of Small Beautiful Things help young pianists to develop basic techniques and musicianship.
Overall, the discussion reveals not only the musical and expressive qualities of Louie's works for young pianists, but also their value for cultivating both technique and musicality.
ContributorsNam, Michelle Yelin (Author) / Hamilton, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Thesis advisor) / Meir, Baruch (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Korean composer Youngmin Jin (b. 1959) has composed in a wide variety of genres, including works for solo instruments, chamber music ensembles, orchestra, and opera. Jin has written only five solo piano pieces. This paper discusses three of these works for solo piano: Tschum für Klavier (1998), From Childhood for Piano (2014), and A Little Talk for Piano (2016-2017). Prior to the description of these pieces, the document provides a biography of the composer and introduces his compositional features through examples from his music for other genres. Jin has a flexible approach to tonal organization, which he calls SinJoseong. In certain works he employs such Korean elements as pentatonicism, ornamentation, and distinctive Korean rhythms, incorporating them into his music in Western forms and idioms. Jin's later style tends toward clarity and the use of basic elements, a trend that is evident in the two later piano works discussed here, in particular in their formal structures and their sharing and transforming of motives.
The examination of the content and features of these three piano pieces by Youngmin Jin is augmented by information gained through interviews with the composer. A link to my recording of these works is provided in support of the discussion.
ContributorsLee, Eunhwa (Author) / Holbrook, Amy (Thesis advisor) / Meir, Baruch (Thesis advisor) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
This project features three new pieces for oboe commissioned from three different composers. Each piece explores styles and/or instrumentations that are less common in the current body of repertoire. These pieces are Scenes for Charlie by Bryan Kennard, Love’s Last Gift by Thomas Juneau, and But Joy Comes in the Morning by William Brusick. A performance guide has been included for each piece, providing tips and suggestions for musicians wanting to perform these pieces in the future. In addition to the performance guide, each composer answered a list of interview questions to provide background information and give insight into their compositional process. Accompanying this document are recordings performed by the author.
ContributorsSummers, Season (Author) / Schuring, Martin (Thesis advisor) / Gardner, Joshua (Committee member) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
For my creative project/thesis, I gave a fully rehearsed, fully performed hour long recital using rare baseball music I researched, hunted down, studied, practiced, and then performed in a recital setting. I used my long history with and personal knowledge of Baseball, as well as my newly studied knowledge of and newly acquired skills with Musical Theater, Opera, and Voice to make a project that celebrated both my past achievements and what I learned with my performance degree these last 4 years. I, in total, learned 16 new songs and performed each of them back to back to back, with breaks in between each set and an intermission, as well as brief histories and summaries of each song or each song set. I then performed the recital on February 25th in the ASU School of Music Recital Hall, and invited as many friends, peers, colleagues, and family members as I could to attend, while also sharing the streaming and subsequent recording online as well. I was accompanied by pianist Stephen Kuebelbeck on piano, and the two of us spent hours upon hours rehearsing in addition to performing the recital itself. My thesis director, Carole FitzPatrick, helped me with all the vocal technique, song selection, memorization, recital approach, and planning out the logistics of my recital, while Dr. Kay Norton helped me with research such as song selection, history of the pieces, history of the composers, and historical context of the pieces. While this is an unconventional project, I feel like it best reflects my unconventional major. It gives me both advanced knowledge on a niche in my field of performance, provides me with rehearsed music that I love and can use and carry forward into most any concert or performance setting, and provides me with personal artistic satisfaction by combining together two worlds I dearly love and am a part of, in a creative way. It also gives me the irreplaceable experience of putting together my own recital (completely outside of class and on my own time), as recital performances will hopefully become a regular part of my life as a singing performer.
ContributorsLadley, Edward (Author) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Thesis director) / Norton, Kay (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Performance (Music Theatre) (Contributor) / Kuebelbeck, Stephen (Musician)
Created2022-05
ContributorsYang, Miao (Performer) / Kim, Chung Man (Performer) / Kong, Qi (Performer) / Chun, Yung Hoon (Performer) / Tetzloff, Reed (Performer) / Levkovich, Dmitri (Performer) / Falzone, Christopher (Performer) / Chu, Yue (Performer) / Yessimkhanov, Daniyar (Performer) / Khristenko, Stanislav (Performer) / Marshall, Kimberly (Speaker) / Meir, Baruch (Speaker) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2009-01-10
ContributorsMeir, Baruch (Performer) / Barefield, Robert (Performer) / Buck, Nancy (Performer) / Jiang, Danwen (Performer) / Swartz, Jonathan (Performer) / Tescarollo, Hamilton (Performer) / ASU Library. Music Library (Publisher)
Created2004-02-15