Matching Items (681)
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- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
By examining the cognitive mechanisms behind human memory, the author hypothesizes that instrumental conductors can more quickly and effectively internalize music scores. With this theory, conductors could offer more informed and nuanced communications to their ensembles. Furthermore, these ideas could be incorporated into how conducting is taught to younger students by cultivating a more in-depth understanding of the music being studied.
This research paper surveys current trends in cognitive science related to the interactions of long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) concerning score study and memorization employed by instrumental conductors. The research is divided into three sections, beginning with an examination of the key literature from the field of cognitive science. It continues with an overview of current musicological research and applications and finally concludes with a review of current instrumental conducting pedagogy that include discussions of memory. Moreover, recommended steps and a potential framework to incorporate cognitive science research into future conducting pedagogies are further outlined. The primary cognitive theory of focus is the Working Memory Theory of Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch.
This research paper surveys current trends in cognitive science related to the interactions of long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) concerning score study and memorization employed by instrumental conductors. The research is divided into three sections, beginning with an examination of the key literature from the field of cognitive science. It continues with an overview of current musicological research and applications and finally concludes with a review of current instrumental conducting pedagogy that include discussions of memory. Moreover, recommended steps and a potential framework to incorporate cognitive science research into future conducting pedagogies are further outlined. The primary cognitive theory of focus is the Working Memory Theory of Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch.
ContributorsLucas, Cullan Baynes (Author) / Caslor, Jason (Thesis advisor) / Gardener, Joshua (Committee member) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The notion that a singer’s voice is an expression of their personality serves as the catalyst for an examination of the relationship between the continuum of introversion and extraversion, and the pathologies of muscle tension dysphonia, vocal nodules, and performance anxiety. This paper begins with a brief introduction defining extraversion and introversion, followed by a review of personality studies identifying opera singers as primarily extraverted. Definitions of vocal nodules and muscle tension dysphonia are then given along with a list of recommended therapies. These elements tie in with two studies in speech pathology that suggest that behaviors of extraversion contribute to the development of vocal nodules, and behaviors of introversion contribute to muscle tension dysphonia and a higher laryngeal placement. Performance anxiety is shown to compound the behaviors that lead to vocal pathologies in singers. Additional therapies are recommended to address anxiety management in vocal lessons. Finally, since personality factors that contribute to vocal pathology are psychological, it is recommended that voice teachers refer their students to a psychotherapist for proper treatment.
ContributorsCurtis, Paul Josef (Author) / Norton, Kay (Thesis advisor) / Hawkins, Gordon (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
This project is a small scale investigation of various factors concerning "Flow" in Piano Performance. "Flow" is the sweet spot where ability and challenge are about equal, and usually high (Csikszentmihalyi 1990). Piano performance is a state of playing the piano with some intent to perform. In this case, the intent is to create something new or improvise. Improvisation is one form of expressive creativity on the piano stemming from some knowledge and extrapolation upon that knowledge (Nachmanovitch 82). Creativity is essential to the development of new music, and though extensive literature exists on both creativity and music independently, there is a gap in research regarding links between the two (Macdonald et al. 2006). This project aims to address some of these gaps by working with piano players and non-musicians of various technical skill levels to examine the "Flow" state in improvisation as well as potential factors affecting creative performance. Factors such as listening, self-confidence, frustration in methodology, and meditation practices were found to correlate positively with technical skill. Participants who completed the practice program were able to reconstruct challenges and enter the "Flow" state in improvisation regardless of high or low technical scores.
ContributorsDorr, Alexander Nathan (Author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis director) / Parker, John (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Based on the techniques of spectralism and using Grisey's "Partiels" as a model, my thesis composition combines my desire to explore computer music, visual mediums, and my personal desire to create meaning in music through integrating manipulated recordings of "place" in a piece for string orchestra and fixed electronics. My thesis paper includes spectralism history, analysis of "Partiels," and analysis of my own composition.
ContributorsBrown, Bethany Carolyn (Author) / Suzuki, Kotoka (Thesis director) / Schmelz, Peter (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Three high-school and college-level band directors were interviewed about how their ensemble students (both individually and collectively) are affected during times of tragedy and how they responded to the situation. Tragedies discussed included student deaths, school-wide incidents, national emergencies, and other instances of shared grief. Questions that guided the research were: (1) In what musical or non-musical ways do band directors aid their students in the grieving process? (2) How do band directors handle their own personal emotions, both in front of their students and privately? and (3) What resources and previous experiences have prepared band directors to handle a grief situation, and what additional methods may have prepared them more effectively? Interviews were qualitatively analyzed for common themes and compared with literature related to responding to student grief. Four main themes emerged from the study: (1) contextual factors affect stakeholders' responses, (2) band directors make many decisions when handling student grief, (3) band directors recall responses of the wider community, and (4) band directors experience personal impact. Implications for the field included suggestions for band directors to consider non-musical student needs in their orientations to teaching, for the band director community to communicate about student grief situations, and for social workers and administrators to ensure that classroom teachers receive training and information on how to help students with grief. Recommendations for further research included replicating the study with other demographic areas, examining the students' experiences themselves, conducting a survey-based study about the topic, and exploring the role mentors have in shaping band directors' philosophies on this topic.
ContributorsPeters, Alaina Rose (Author) / Schmidt, Margaret (Thesis director) / Hoffer, Julie (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
In this paper we explore the design, implementation, and analysis of two different approaches for providing music recommendations to targeted users by implementing the Gram-ART unsupervised learning algorithm. We provide a content filtering approach using a dataset of one million songs which include various metadata tags and a collaborative filtering approach using the listening histories of over one million users. The two methods are evaluated by their results from Million Song Dataset Challenge. While both placed near the top third of the 150 challenge participants, the knowledge gained from the experiments will help further refine the process and likely produced much higher results in a system with the potential to scale several magnitudes.
ContributorsMeiss, Trevor (Author) / Meuth, Ryan (Thesis director) / Miller, Phill (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The meanings and values that people assign to music and the material culture that music creation offers make excellent data sources for uncovering new and transformative aspects of culture. Gospel music is a subculture that emphasizes a unique performance style, and is based upon culturally specific religious, social, musical, and historical contexts. Students in the ensemble who musically developed through a Western classical-based connective strand may experience some adjustment from what they know and develop new skills to navigate across cultural difference. The purpose of this study was to document how participants in a specific university gospel choir setting navigated across cultural differences for gospel choir study and performance. Participants were recruited and interviewed a total of three times about their experience in the ensemble. Questions that guided the study focused on three areas: religious difference, social difference, and musical difference. An in-case analysis of each participant showed that overall, experiences in the choir were positive. Participants from a variety of diverse backgrounds approached new cultural learning differences such as physical movement, aural music learning, religious text, and performance context with an open mind and an individualized way of navigating through difference. In order for participants to reach a point where they felt that they had cultural competency in a new musical area, in this case, the establishment of a strong community was especially essential because of the assumptions attached to this ensemble and because of many of the participants' initial limited understanding of cultural markers for learning music that draw on improvisatory and aural means. This study implies that there are connections between each cultural difference that are related. For the educator intending to introduce new cultural competencies in their classrooms, considering the dynamics in which cultural differences might interact with each other is essential.
ContributorsCrane, Janelle Elizabeth (Author) / Thompson, Jason (Thesis director) / Schmidt, Margaret (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The Mizrahi Jews have greatly influenced current Israeli culture through their music and food. The Mizrahi immigrated from Middle Eastern countries and brought with them their music and food. Their music has changed slowly over time. Musiqa Mizrahit started as music the Mizrahi brought with them when the immigrated to Israel. As they adjusted to Israeli society, they began switching the Arabic words to Hebrew. Musiqa Mizrahit really took off with the creation of cassette recordings that allowed anyone to cheaply record music and share it. As Musiqa Mizrahit became more accessible, it slowly gained popularity across Israel. As popularity for the genre, it slowly became accepted in Israeli society. Up until then, Musiqa Mizrahit had been discriminated against and was not considered part of Israeli culture. Nowadays, Musiqa Mizrahit is very popular and widely accepted in Israel. The food was accepted by the Ashkenazi in the first two decades of the countries existence by the widespread Israeli pushback in Mandatory Palestine and into the existence of the brand new country. now many of the Mizrahi foods are considered part of the Israeli national cuisine.
ContributorsKoester, Samantha Lanette (Author) / Shemer, Judith (Thesis director) / Ali, Souad (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis proposes and explores an adapted approach to music recommendation and
event promotion, aimed at providing streaming users more accessibility to local artists,
performers, and events. By focusing specifically on the enrichment of local music ecosystems,
this research is undertaken with the express interest of local music artists, venues, and
streamers in mind. It seeks to serve a multifaceted goal: revitalizing local music scenes by
making them more visible and accessible through streaming platforms; empowering local music artists by providing them with a broader audience and new opportunities for engagement; reconnecting artists with the community, thereby fostering a stronger sense of local identity and cultural cohesion; and providing economic benefit to local venues through increased attendance and engagement. In essence, this thesis intends to harness the power of streaming platforms to rekindle the localized relationships between listeners, artists, and venues, thereby contributing to the renaissance, sustainability, and vibrancy of local music cultures. These outcomes will be achieved through a two-pronged theoretical and practical approach, incorporating Proof of Concept (PoC) algorithm with the Business Model Canvas
(BMC). A Proof of Concept recommendation algorithm was developed as a tool to empirically demonstrate the viability of the proposed strategies. This prototype music recommendation
algorithm was designed and tested with the explicit goal of creating a novel music recommendation algorithm that biased users towards exposure of smaller local artists and
events.
ContributorsBradley, Robert (Author) / Clarkin, Michael (Co-author) / Ellini, Andre (Co-author) / Mancenido, Michelle (Thesis director) / Sirugudi, Kumar (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Tempe City Roots is an upcoming music festival that aims to promote sustainability and community in the City of Tempe. Accessibility has been notably absent from the ideation process for this festival, despite being essential for a sustainable and community-oriented festival. Equity and justice are core to sustainability and disabled people are important members of the Tempe community. I have undergone a thorough research and ideation process to create nine accessibility-centered ideas for Tempe City Roots based on the thoughts and experiences of the disabled community. These ideas would make Tempe City Roots more accessible and inclusive for all, and allow each attendee to have a safe and enjoyable experience.
ContributorsColucci, Melody (Author) / Reeves, James Scott (Thesis director) / Kuhn, Anthony (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2024-05