Developing a Pedagogical Model for Twentieth Century Flute Repertoire (open access)

Developing a Pedagogical Model for Twentieth Century Flute Repertoire

Modern flute pedagogy tends to focus on repertoire which utilizes or builds upon tonal and Romantic stylistic conventions, largely ignoring works that disregard or reject these conventions until later in student's education. This lack of stylistic diversity in commonly studied works from the first half of the twentieth century can be problematic when students are approaching avant-garde or modernist repertoire for the first time, as they are unfamiliar with the style and technical needs of the pieces. This dissertation provides a style guide and progressive curriculum for the avant-garde repertoire of the early- and mid-twentieth century to help students bridge the gap from commonly-studied early-twentieth century repertoire to Post-War Modernist works. The curriculum and style guide are accompanied by an overview of avant-garde musical styles prominent in Europe and American between the 1890s and 1970s, a discussion of the pedagogical challenges of avant-garde repertoire, and two performance guides for avant-garde pieces included in the curriculum, Diaphonic Suite No. 1 by Ruth Crawford and Variations for Solo Flute by Ursula Mamlok.
Date: August 2022
Creator: Maker, Anne Marie Dearth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Performing Controlled Indeterminacy in Leo Brouwer's "Sonata Mitología de las Aguas No. I, para Flauta y Guitarra" (open access)

Performing Controlled Indeterminacy in Leo Brouwer's "Sonata Mitología de las Aguas No. I, para Flauta y Guitarra"

Leo Brouwer's Sonata Mitología de las Aguas No. I for flute and guitar, first published in 2017, has taken its place as an important twenty-first-century addition to the flute and guitar duo repertory. I provide a brief historical context for the work, followed by preparation guides for guitar alone and duo passages. My preparation guides include exercises and rehearsal strategies, focusing on those passages of the work that include controlled indeterminacy. The study of indeterminacy in music is unusual in the pedagogy of the classical guitarist; this leaves guitarists unprepared for dealing with pieces, especially chamber works, that use improvisation or aleatoric music as a primary element. I take a multifaceted approach to facilitate the realization of the indeterminate sections of the work; this includes demonstrations of my traditional music notation transcriptions and other rehearsal strategies and the application of music performance study systems by James Thurmond and Marcel Tabuteau. This document aims to provide guidance to creating an organic, natural aesthetic in the actualization of Brouwer's groundbreaking work.
Date: May 2021
Creator: Rodriguez, Hector Javier
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Selected List of Music for Solo Clarinet and Clarinet with Piano by Taiwanese Female Composers Composed between 1986 and 2015: The Investigation of a Neglected Repertory with an Annotated Bibliography (open access)

A Selected List of Music for Solo Clarinet and Clarinet with Piano by Taiwanese Female Composers Composed between 1986 and 2015: The Investigation of a Neglected Repertory with an Annotated Bibliography

Clarinet works by Taiwanese female composers are not well researched or catalogued, and to date, and no comprehensive research codifies this subcategory in Taiwan or elsewhere. A comprehensive research and bibliography is necessary to the international community. It is hoped that through this annotated bibliography, readers will gain a deeper understanding of this genre. This study contains a brief history of Taiwan's Western music history, the female composers' history in Taiwan, and literature review. A total of twenty compositions by eighteen different Taiwanese female composers are discussed in the annotated bibliography, including thirteen for unaccompanied clarinet and seven for clarinet and piano. Information includes a brief biography of the composer, the date of composition, duration, premiere, dedication, commission, location of the score, difficulty and commentary on the piece.
Date: May 2017
Creator: Wang, Yi-Wen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Through His Own Words: An Exploration of the Pedagogy of Robert Marcellus (open access)

Through His Own Words: An Exploration of the Pedagogy of Robert Marcellus

This dissertation presents the clarinet pedagogy of Robert Marcellus through reorganizing, documenting, and consolidating the archival recordings of summer master classes held at Northwestern University from 1977-1990. Pedagogical discussions and exercises are examined on topics such as wind, articulation, hand and finger position, and phrasing. Marcellus' interpretation and comments are discussed, along with musical examples from Cyrille Rose's 40 Studies for Clarinet, numbers 13, 21 and 32. This dissertation contains Marcellus' repertoire list and a sequence of study. Through this examination and consolidation of Marcellus' own words, this dissertation serves as a unique resource for those clarinetists interested in learning about this distinguished pedagogue.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Bronson, Karen Andreas
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Inspiration behind Compositions for Clarinetist Frederick Thurston (open access)

The Inspiration behind Compositions for Clarinetist Frederick Thurston

Frederick Thurston was a prominent British clarinet performer and teacher in the first half of the 20th century. Due to the brevity of his life and the impact of two world wars, Thurston's legacy is often overlooked among clarinetists in the United States. Thurston's playing inspired 19 composers to write 22 solo and chamber works for him, none of which he personally commissioned. The purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive biography of Thurston's career as clarinet performer and teacher with a complete bibliography of compositions written for him. With biographical knowledge and access to the few extant recordings of Thurston's playing, clarinetists may gain a fuller understanding of Thurston's ideal clarinet sound and musical ideas. These resources are necessary in order to recognize the qualities about his playing that inspired composers to write for him and to perform these works with the composers' inspiration in mind. Despite the vast list of works written for and dedicated to Thurston, clarinet players in the United States are not familiar with many of these works, and available resources do not include a complete listing. Much of this repertoire remains unexplored and unrecorded yet is suitable for intermediate to advanced level …
Date: August 2018
Creator: Razey, Aileen
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comprehensive Performance Guide for the Use of Advanced Technology in Euphonium Repertoire with Electronic Media through Analyses of Works by D. Edward Davis, Neal Corwell, and Lucy Pankhurst (open access)

A Comprehensive Performance Guide for the Use of Advanced Technology in Euphonium Repertoire with Electronic Media through Analyses of Works by D. Edward Davis, Neal Corwell, and Lucy Pankhurst

Solos for euphonium with electronic media present the unique challenge of incorporating an active, physical involvement in the live accompaniment through sound-altering technology such as guitar pedals or digital processors. Instructions for this solo genre are often vague and demand a general knowledge of how to use non-traditional devices. Due to the lack of information available on newly-composed pieces for this medium, students and professionals easily overlook the artistic merit of electroacoustic music. This dissertation provides a comprehensive performance guide that aids in the set-up and operation of advanced technology and presents a methodical approach to performing common musical and technical challenges found in modern euphonium repertoire with electronic media. Included in this dissertation are tables of common audio vocabulary and images of connectors, safety precautions, equipment recommendations with performance settings, a list of required connectors, adapters, cables, speakers, and amplifiers, performance set up diagrams, background information, and analyses of both the technical and musical aspects of each piece. In the appendices are signal flow charts, visual illustrations of polar recording patterns, and an updated catalog of published and unpublished original, adapted, and arranged euphonium solos with live electronics and electronic media accompaniment between 1970 and 2017.
Date: August 2017
Creator: Ray, Irving
System: The UNT Digital Library
Preparing selected wind band euphonium audition materials through the use of etudes (open access)

Preparing selected wind band euphonium audition materials through the use of etudes

Etudes have been composed to address the primary challenges found in ten selected euphonium wind band pieces. Each work was chosen based on its frequency of occurrence in military band auditions as well as its appearance in excerpt books and journal articles. Practice drills, practice variations, and overtraining studies are the primary concepts used for composing each etude. List of selected works: (1) Roman Carnival Overture Op. 9, Hector Berlioz; (2) First Suite in E-flat for Military Band Op. 28 No. 1, Gustav Holst; (3) Barnum and Bailey's Favorite, Karl King; (4) The Melody Shop, Karl King; (5) Aegean Festival Overture, Andreas Makris arr. Albert Bader; (6) Theme and Variations Op. 43 A, Arnold Schoenberg; (7) Festive Overture Op. 96, Dmitri Shostakovich arr. Donald Hunsberger; (8) Festival Variations, Claude T. Smith; (9) The Stars and Stripes Forever, John Philip Sousa; and (10) Suite from the Ballet: Pineapple Poll, Arthur Sullivan arr. Charles Mackerras.
Date: May 2016
Creator: Chapa, Danny
System: The UNT Digital Library
Selected Works by Female Composers of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries for Advanced Suzuki Violin Students (open access)

Selected Works by Female Composers of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries for Advanced Suzuki Violin Students

The intent of this dissertation is to identify and analyze several pieces by female composers that are technically suitable for the specific development of an advanced Suzuki violin student studying in Suzuki books 7 or 8. The selected pieces can then be used by trained Suzuki teachers, in conjunction with the male-composer-dominated Suzuki repertoire, to enhance students' technical development while also increasing their well-rounded musicianship by exposing them to female composers. The development of off-the-string bow strokes, string crossings, shifting, left-hand articulation and musical expression will be traced through the first six volumes of the Suzuki repertoire in order to understand a Suzuki student's expected abilities pertaining to these technical elements when beginning the repertoire in books 7 and 8. Pieces by female composers highlighting and enhancing the referenced techniques will be identified and analyzed in a similar manner. These pieces will be compiled into a document for Suzuki students and teachers to use, along with appropriate editorial markings and biographies of the composers. This document can be an inspirational supplement to Suzuki students' musical development and help develop an awareness of female composers.
Date: August 2017
Creator: Edelman, Rhea
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comprehensive Remedial and Enhancing Cello Method for Professors and Undergraduate Students: Conformation-Based Theoretical Methodology and Sequential Practical Solutions (open access)

A Comprehensive Remedial and Enhancing Cello Method for Professors and Undergraduate Students: Conformation-Based Theoretical Methodology and Sequential Practical Solutions

Undergraduate cellists from diverse pedagogical backgrounds with various levels of technical proficiency often struggle to adapt to the demanding performance standards of the university environment. Frequently, these challenges are caused by technical concepts that have been incorrectly learned or unaddressed in the cellist's previous educational experience. Designed for university cello professors and undergraduate cello students, this study is a remedial and enhancement technical method for developing efficient performance habits; it presents a synthesis of cello performing ideologies, comprehensive technical analysis, physical conformation solutions, original sequential exercises, practice models, and recommendations for supporting literature. The method provides a structured path to expressive mastery and artistic freedom in performing advanced cello repertoire.
Date: May 2022
Creator: Totan, Dan Iuliu Mircea
System: The UNT Digital Library

A Performance Guide to Zili Li's Viola Concerto No. 1 (2010)

The Viola Concerto No. 1 was commissioned in 2010 by Xidi Shen, a viola professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and composed the same year by Zili Li (b. 1938), a Chinese composer and violinist. For musical, cultural, and technical reasons, this little-known Chinese viola concerto strongly aroused my interest, leading me to use it as the research subject for my doctoral dissertation and to also introduce this work to Western violists. This dissertation provides a performance guide to Zili Li's Viola Concerto No. 1. By analyzing the Mongolian music topics used in the work as well as addressing its typical Mongolian-style string performance techniques, the dissertation should provide a foundation for viola players who wish to play the work but are not familiar with this specific style. In addition, I hope that it can serve as an inspiration to other string players who are playing works based on Mongolian music.
Date: December 2023
Creator: Chen, Fang
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr: American Clarinet Performer and Pedagogue (open access)

Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr: American Clarinet Performer and Pedagogue

Method books are a major means by which musicians study techniques and performance practices of the past. In addition to being practical tools for learning one's craft, these books serve as a historical reference into the minds of famous performers and teachers. Today's use of nineteenth century method books ensures the instructional lineages of famous clarinetists are carried forward. However, clarinet researchers and historians would be remiss if they did not also record and preserve the distinctive methods of the twentieth century's most effective performers and teachers. Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr is one such clarinetist who has established herself as a substantial twentieth century figure through (1) her performance record, (2) her students' performance and teaching record, and (3) her involvement in the international clarinet community. Review of current literature indicates four articles, five biographic dictionary entries, and one dissertation observation and interview about Dr. Verdehr's methods exist. These sources honor her, provide biographical information, and reference the tenets of her teaching philosophy; however, they do not discuss her detailed methodology or specific pedagogical exercises. Therefore, this text seeks to answer questions about Dr. Verdehr's teaching philosophy and clarinet method in order to record and preserve her life's work. This text provides …
Date: August 2018
Creator: Daffinee, Jennifer Mendez
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Survey of Solo, Chamber Music and Orchestral Excerpts Selected and Organized Pedagogically for the Intermediate Cellist (open access)

A Survey of Solo, Chamber Music and Orchestral Excerpts Selected and Organized Pedagogically for the Intermediate Cellist

The use of orchestral excerpts from standard music repertoire as a pedagogical means has been adopted by many instrumental pedagogues to train the advanced instrumentalist. This dissertation presents an innovative idea among the excerpt tradition by drawing excerpts from solo, chamber music and orchestral music to function as etudes for the intermediate level cellist. 320 music excerpts are drawn and organized under the headings of different technical categories in order to train the techniques within the context of quality music. The purpose of the dissertation is to introduce the young player to the concept that techniques and musical expression are not two separated entities, rather, techniques serve as a medium to convey the music.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Zhou, Lejing, 1986-
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Art of Marimba Articulation: A Guide for Composers, Conductors, and Performers on the Expressive Capabilities of the Marimba (open access)

The Art of Marimba Articulation: A Guide for Composers, Conductors, and Performers on the Expressive Capabilities of the Marimba

Articulation is an element of musical performance that affects the attack, sustain, and the decay of each sound. Musical articulation facilitates the degree of clarity between successive notes and it is one of the most important elements of musical expression. Many believe that the expressive capabilities of percussion instruments, when it comes to musical articulation, are limited. Because the characteristic attack for most percussion instruments is sharp and clear, followed by a quick decay, the common misconception is that percussionists have little or no control over articulation. While the ability of percussionists to affect the sustain and decay of a sound is by all accounts limited, the ability of percussionists to change the attack of a sound with different implements is virtually limitless. In addition, where percussion articulation is limited, there are many techniques that allow performers to match articulation with other instruments. Still, percussion articulation is often a topic of little concern to many musicians. The problem is not that this issue has been completely ignored, but rather that a vast number of contradictory and conflicting viewpoints still permeate pedagogical methods and literature. This is most certainly the case with the marimba, where a review of method books reveals …
Date: August 2018
Creator: Davis, Adam Benjamin
System: The UNT Digital Library

Exploring Texas Music Educators' Health Literacy, Musician Health Literacy, and Intentions to Address the Health-Related Fine Arts TEKS in Ensemble Instruction Using the Newest Vital Sign, MHL-Q19, and Integrated Behavior Model

This study assessed music educators' health literacy, musician health literacy, and intentions to teach the health-related Fine Arts TEKS in ensembles. An online survey was developed using the integrated behavior model, Newest Vital Sign (NVS), and Musician Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHL-Q19). Texas music educators who taught secondary band, choir, or orchestra were recruited via email and social media. Results: This survey yielded N = 207 respondents, with 43%, 29%, 14.5%, and 13.5% teaching band, choir, orchestra, and multiple ensembles, respectively. Most participants (67.6%) demonstrated adequate health literacy by answering at least four items correctly on the NVS. Attitude (p =.47) and personal agency (p =.30) were significant predictors of behavioral intention, while perceived norm was not (R2 =.484). Including NVS total score and MHL-Q19 total score in the model showed that while both factors improved the model (ΔR2=.038), only NVS total score was significant (p =.26) in predicting behavioral intention. Music educators in this study had adequate health literacy, which may contribute to their intentions to teach health concepts in ensembles. However, future efforts to improve these intentions should focus on bolstering perceived norms and personal agency by providing music educators with opportunities to take charge of implementing these concepts …
Date: May 2023
Creator: Taylor, Meghan S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Impact and Influence of the Recordings and Pedagogy of David Baldwin (open access)

A Study of the Impact and Influence of the Recordings and Pedagogy of David Baldwin

David Baldwin has been the trumpet professor at the University of Minnesota since 1974. His most celebrated accomplishment is his recording of the Charlier 36 Etudes de Transcendantes and the Marcel Bitsch Vingt Etudes. In addition to this recording Baldwin has made recordings of etude books by Small, St. Jacome, Arban, Caffarelli, Smith, and the 32 Etudes de Perfectionnement also by Charlier. The quality of performance on all of these makes them excellent reference recordings. The back cover of the Etudes 32 de Perfectionnement reveals that the two-CD album, with a total run time of 115:35, was recorded over a span of four days. Endurance is a topic that all brass players confront. Baldwin wrote an etude book titled Lips of Steel that also contains two previously published articles on the topic of endurance. His ideas on endurance reveal a unique approach. This study analyzes the pedagogical concepts in those articles and in Lips of Steel. In addition to his recording projects, Baldwin has had many successful students. Thomas Rolfs and Lynn Erickson are both members of full-time professional orchestras. Larry Griffin, Scott Hagarty, and many others built their careers as professors of trumpet. An investigation of Baldwin's influence on …
Date: August 2018
Creator: Adams, Richard (Richard James)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Expansion of Musical Styles, Function of Texture, and Performing Techniques in Brian Lock's Sonic Archaeologies No. 1: A Performance Guide (open access)

Expansion of Musical Styles, Function of Texture, and Performing Techniques in Brian Lock's Sonic Archaeologies No. 1: A Performance Guide

British composer Brian Lock merges the composition styles of Alexander Goehr, Henryk Górecki and Witold Lutoslawski in his innovative works for instrumental sounds and electronics. His most recent work for flute, Sonic Archaeologies No.1, was premiered at the University of North Texas by Mary Karen Clardy, flute; Brian Lock, piano/electric keyboard; and Daniel Pardo, laptop/live mixing. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide flutists with artistic and technical guidance in preparing this work for flute, prerecorded orchestra, interactive electronics and improvisatory accompaniment. Sonic Archaeologies No. 1, a piece in five movements (Black Rain, Psychomania, Kodo, Susperia, and Deep in the Machine), incorporates contemporary techniques to create sounds other than the Western concert flute, with the use of live reinforcement devices such as microphones and time-based audio effects within a D.A.W. (Digital Audio Workstation.) Reggae, Hip-Hop and cinematic styles are juxtaposed within the work, fusing current genres with traditional rhythmic forms like the ones found in a bourrée. As the solo instrument, flute provides more textural than melodic elements, and the performer is required to interact with an unpredictable sonic soundscape as a result of the improvisatory element of the keyboards and computer. The notation of Sonic Archaeologies No.1 invites …
Date: May 2016
Creator: Pardo, Daniel (Flutist)
System: The UNT Digital Library

Vocal Fold Onset and Its Effect on the Spectral Envelope

The purpose of this study is to examine the acoustic implications of using aspirated, well-coordinated, coup de la glotte, and hard glottal onset methods, in order to compare and contrast the radiated acoustic spectra. Twenty-five singers trained in bel canto singing style were asked to sing 5-second samples on three pre-determined pitches comprising the low, middle, and high range in male and female voices. Each participant was instructed and trained to sing the three pitches with the four methods. EGG was used with audio perception to verify onset type, and VoceVista Video Pro was used to analyze power spectra. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (rMANOVA) was performed with the SPSS General Linear Model function, with onset type as the within-subjects variable to determine main effects and interaction effects on harmonic amplitude (up to 5000Hz) from the independent variables. A significant main effect was found for onset type and more specifically, a significant acoustic difference was found between the well-coordinated and coup de la glotte onsets. Substantial inconsistencies were found in the execution of the well-coordinated onset, as well as in participants' reported preferred onset compared to their baseline measurement of executed onset type. Intentional study of the phonatory …
Date: May 2022
Creator: Austin, Kourtney Regan
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Contemporary Bassoonist: Music for Interactive Electroacoustics and Bassoon (open access)

The Contemporary Bassoonist: Music for Interactive Electroacoustics and Bassoon

As the bassoon has evolved over time, the music written for the instrument has evolved around it, and was many times the catalyst for its evolution. Bassoon music of the seventeenth through early twentieth centuries has defined much of the curricula for bassoon studies, and has established how we consider and experience the bassoon. We experience, write, and consume music in vastly different ways than just a generation ago. Humans use technology for the most basic of tasks. Composers are using the technology of our generation to compose music that is a reflection of our time. This is a significant aspect of art music today, and bassoonists are barely participating in the creation of this new repertoire. Performance practice often considers only the musical score; interactive electronic music regularly goes beyond that. The combination of technological challenges and inexperience can make approaching electroacoustic music a daunting and inaccessible type of music for bassoonists. These issues require a different language to the performance practice: one that addresses music, amplification, computer software, hardware, the collaboration between performer and technology, and often the performer and composer. The author discusses problems that performers face when rehearsing and performing interactive electroacoustic works for bassoon, and …
Date: May 2016
Creator: Masone, Jolene
System: The UNT Digital Library
Expanding Modern Cello Technique: A Survey of the Technical Innovations in Paul Tortelier's "How I Play, How I Teach" and Their Application Within the Repertoire (open access)

Expanding Modern Cello Technique: A Survey of the Technical Innovations in Paul Tortelier's "How I Play, How I Teach" and Their Application Within the Repertoire

Paul Tortelier's How I Play, How I Teach (1975) is an invaluable addition to the limited amount of comprehensive cello methods written during the second half of the 20th century. Although Tortelier's influence on cello performance is still being felt today, the application of his method has not been sufficiently explored. An exceptional performer and devoted pedagogue, Paul Tortelier (1914-1990) can undoubtedly be ranked among the greatest cellists of the 20th century. Influenced by Pablo Casals' (1876-1973) approach to cello playing, How I Play, How I Teach develops his views on intonation, sound production, shifting, and articulation. However, Tortelier also introduces numerous daring inventions of his own into his method. These include playing with a flattened last joint of the finger for a more expressive vibrato, "rolling the stick of the bow" while playing for a wider palette of tone colors, new pizzicato and thumb position techniques, new legato fingerings for double stops, and the "pianistic passing of the thumb," among others. Due to their highly unorthodox nature and often condensed, minimalistic explanations, many of Tortelier's ideas have failed to gain acceptance since their publication and are regularly considered to be types of extended technique, mostly applicable to contemporary music …
Date: August 2021
Creator: Csikós, Zoltán
System: The UNT Digital Library
Integrating Body and Mind Awareness into the Pedagogy of Expiratory Breathing, Large Intervallic Leaps, and Altissimo Production when Performing the Alto Saxophone (open access)

Integrating Body and Mind Awareness into the Pedagogy of Expiratory Breathing, Large Intervallic Leaps, and Altissimo Production when Performing the Alto Saxophone

Specific movements within the pelvic floor, abdomen, diaphragm, ribs, and spine are show to be associated with either inspiration or expiration when playing the alto saxophone. These movements support tone production during the performance of large intervallic leaps and altissimo register notes. During expiratory breath, specific vocal-tract formations and movements are show to be adaptive with either the higher and lower registers. Anatomical areas studied include the glottis, larynx, pharynx, velum and soft palate, tongue arch, and tongue proximity to the reed. Flouroscopy and endoscopic research by Watkins, Pattnoede, and Jordheim challenge common pedagogical advice for palm-key and altissimo register notes such as using a high tongue arch, fast air and the "ee" vowel. Literature by historical and even current pedagogues do not clarify their use of the terms "larynx" or "throat." In the context of their writing those terms could ambiguously mean oropharynx, laryngopharynx, glottis, neck muscles or vertical position of larynx. Mental tension, fear, and negative inner dialogue are shown to cause reflexive and tension-based movement. These issues negatively impact the formation and direction of adaptive vocal-tract movements for large ascending intervallic leaps and altissimo-register note production. Repeated failure by a student can provoke negative self-talk as well …
Date: December 2022
Creator: Kelley, Brandon Matthew
System: The UNT Digital Library
Strategies for Developing Individual Education Programs for Public School Music Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyslexia (open access)

Strategies for Developing Individual Education Programs for Public School Music Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyslexia

Strategies for Developing Individual Education Programs for Public School Music Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyslexia explores the need for curriculum modifications, accommodations, and remediation techniques for beginner band students with specific learning disorders (SLDs) under the umbrella of Individual Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or dyslexia. ADHD and dyslexia are the most common of the neurodevelopmental disorders, often affecting a student's ability to stay focused and attentive; remain quiet and well behaved; comprehend written, visual and/or oral instruction; organize thoughts and materials; exhibit good time management; execute fine and gross motor skills; retain and recall information; decode symbols; process information quickly and correctly; maintain healthy, interpersonal relationships; and overcome anxiety. In order to provide inclusive instruction, music educators should understand how to identify these (often comorbid) conditions and the musical challenges these students might encounter, including time/pulse, notation, rhythm, posture, fingerings, and sight-reading. A guide for instrumental directors and private instrumental teachers, "How to Accommodate or Modify Musical Instruction for a Student with ADHD and/or Dyslexia" is included in this dissertation to provide useful information, multisensory techniques, and suggestions to help students with these learning disabilities achieve better success in the music …
Date: December 2016
Creator: Raviotta, Benjamin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Investigation, Interpretation and Internalization in Concerto Piccolino for Vibraphone by Milton Babbitt (open access)

Investigation, Interpretation and Internalization in Concerto Piccolino for Vibraphone by Milton Babbitt

Written in 1999, Concerto Piccolino is a part of the Composer's Guild of New Jersey Vibraphone Commission, which contains a collection of twelve soli written exclusively for vibraphone. Concerto Piccolino presents vibrant opportunities for both performer and listener to experience the compositional world of Milton Babbitt. With its limited register, ability to control duration and create extreme dynamics, the vibraphone serves as an appropriate vehicle for Babbitt's multi-dimensional style. The intent of this study is to first situate this work into Babbitt's compositional output as well as referencing Babbitt's other works for solo percussion. Next, an investigation into the background structure will provide a recommended analytical framework. Included is a performance guide for how these structures should be realized via surface materials throughout the interpretive and internalization stages of the work. Examining a recommended progression from analysis through performance will demonstrate Concerto Piccolino's significance and proper place in the standard repertoire of percussion. The study concludes with discussing connections to pedagogy and how the importance of Babbitt's work, as well as other composers of serious music, is vital to the forward progress of music performance.
Date: December 2018
Creator: Yakas, James
System: The UNT Digital Library
Practical Learning Strategies for Musicians with Specific Learning Disorder (Dyslexia) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (open access)

Practical Learning Strategies for Musicians with Specific Learning Disorder (Dyslexia) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

This research explores the need for a unique, self-help manual to provide music students with diagnoses of dyslexia under the umbrella of specific learning disorder (SLD) and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a positive way of coping with their musical tendencies. Dyslexia and ADHD are the most prevalent, comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders with symptoms affecting academic, social, and/or personal life. Musical symptoms could include difficulties in any of the following areas: notation reading; time, pulse, and rhythm; posture; fingering coordination; memorization; sight-reading; organization of thoughts, time, and materials; spatial and directional awareness; focused attention; retention of new concepts; positive attitude; and the ability to process written and/or oral information quickly and accurately. This dissertation includes scientific information related to the conditions; an analysis of musical tendencies; pedagogical approaches; personal anecdotal stories that serve to illustrate scientific concepts; and a self-help manual. The manual, "Music, Dyslexia, and ADHD: A Self-Help Manual for Students with Exceptionalities," is a colorful, accessible resource that begins to fill the self-help gap in the musical instruction literature for students with dyslexia and/or ADHD. It offers useful information, multisensory/multimodal techniques, and coping strategies to empower students with these learning differences to achieve more rewarding, independent success throughout their musical studies.
Date: May 2017
Creator: Raviotta, Sara
System: The UNT Digital Library

A Performance Guide to "Passacaglia for Solo Violin" (1997) by Byung-dong Paik

Byung-dong Paik is the one of the most famous Korean composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He has wanted his music to keep up with the times and also incorporate features of Eastern music without catering to the "difficulty" of modern Western music. The Passacaglia for Solo Violin takes a unique modern approach to the Baroque form of passacaglia and its tonal structure by transforming the characteristics of the original theme in a series of seventeen variations and a coda. In this paper, a general analysis of the work leads to suggestions on how to perform it effectively.
Date: August 2021
Creator: Lee, Seowon
System: The UNT Digital Library