Comparison and Application of Verismo Singing Concepts to Trumpet Performance through Aria Transcription and Emulation (open access)

Comparison and Application of Verismo Singing Concepts to Trumpet Performance through Aria Transcription and Emulation

The link between trumpet playing and emulation of the human voice has been acknowledged by a number of prominent teachers, authors, and composers since the inception of the trumpet as a melodic instrument. This dissertation is a pedagogical guide to lyrical trumpet performance based on the verismo style of singing consistent with the authentic interpretations of operatic soprano arias by Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, and Giacomo Puccini. Included are chapters that examine various aspects of the verismo style, as well as comparison and application of late 19th-century voice pedagogy to trumpet practice and performance. This resource examines six recordings of sopranos who created or popularized operatic roles during the verismo period. Included are transcriptions of the six arias for trumpet and piano, with performance notes based on dramatic and textual contexts, as well as interpretive aspects, namely tempo, dynamics, and vibrato.
Date: May 2021
Creator: Pratt, William (Trumpeter)
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Instrumental Song without Words about Hope: A Melodic Motivic Analysis of the Third Violin Sonata by Charles Ives (1874–1954) (open access)

An Instrumental Song without Words about Hope: A Melodic Motivic Analysis of the Third Violin Sonata by Charles Ives (1874–1954)

The American composer Charles Ives is well known for musical quotation/borrowing: composing music with or from pre-existing musical sources, such as folk tunes, hymns, chants, or other composers' works. His Third Violin Sonata is one of few works that used his unique technique of cumulative setting with only hymn tunes. For analysis of his instrumental music, the text of the hymn tunes is generally disregarded, as the compositions are for instruments. Ives' Third Violin Sonata is challenging to understand in comparison with other violin sonatas, because it lacks information such as titles and subtitles. Even though Ives never mentioned the piece's meanings or extramusical meanings, almost all the elements of the piece indicate hope as a common theme. This dissertation examines which hymn tunes were quoted in the piece, gives the meanings of the hymn tunes, and discusses how Ives uses these tunes as themes with textual meanings. The study includes a brief life of Ives and his historical circumstances and presents a brief musical analysis. The research should give a better understanding of the piece to performers and others curious about it.
Date: May 2021
Creator: Kim, GaLeoung
System: The UNT Digital Library

Manuel de Falla's "Siete Canciones populares Españolas" (1914): Study and Transcription for Horn and Piano

This survey presents a transcription for horn and piano of Siete Canciones populares Españolas (Seven Popular Spanish Songs) by Manuel de Falla (1876-1946). Siete Canciones populares was written originally for voice and piano and previous transcriptions with different instrumentation have been published after the original work. In order to provide a faithful representation in my version, my study explores three main subjects: the style of Manuel de Falla; the significance of Siete Canciones; and the composer's horn writing in his orchestral work The Three-Cornered Hat. The solo horn repertoire originates in the central European countries and remains a product of their traditions until the second half of the twentieth century, when it was broadened by composers worldwide. My transcription helps to fill a gap in the repertoire for horn and piano by Spanish composers before 1950. It will serve as both a resource for horn players and a valuable contribution to horn recital repertoire.
Date: August 2021
Creator: Pérez Alonso, Rubén
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gabriel Pierné's Sonata in D Minor, op. 36: A Study of the Work's Compositional Language and Context, Focusing on the Composer's Transcription for Flute (open access)

Gabriel Pierné's Sonata in D Minor, op. 36: A Study of the Work's Compositional Language and Context, Focusing on the Composer's Transcription for Flute

There are very few significant sonatas for flute and piano written between 1880 and 1918, a period of unusually rich stylistic diversity. Gabriel Pierné composed his Sonata in D Minor, Op. 36 for piano and violin in 1900, and later transcribed it for flute and piano. Unfortunately, the work has not been embraced to a significant extent by either violinists or flutists. The wealth of violin sonatas from this period might explain it not becoming part of the canon for violinists, but this is not the case for the flute repertoire, where it seems that it should hold a place of genuine importance. Since little has been written about Pierné as a composer or about this piece in either of its versions, this project is intended to promote an understanding of the work in its historical and theoretical context and to advocate for more frequent performances. This document also suggests an alternate version of several particular passages so it can better represent the characteristics of today's flute and its modern techniques. This research will help other flutists and flute professors to introduce and spread an awareness of its existence and ideally helping to establish its place in the flute repertoire. …
Date: May 2021
Creator: Le, Huong Thu
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
A comparison of Petar Christoskov’s Op. 1 and Op. 24 Caprices for Solo Violin: The effect of the changing Bulgarian political climate on his compositional style (open access)

A comparison of Petar Christoskov’s Op. 1 and Op. 24 Caprices for Solo Violin: The effect of the changing Bulgarian political climate on his compositional style

Bulgaria, though a fairly small Eastern European country, boasts an ancient history of folk traditions and music; however, very few notated works exist due to the people's primitive lifestyle throughout Bulgaria's history. Singing and dancing as well as creating instruments from wood and animal skin were considered an integral part of everyday life, equal to cooking, sewing, herding, or farming; in fact, one almost always accompanied the other. Thus, more than 1500 years of folklore was orally passed on and preserved generation after generation; however, nothing was notated until only very recently when Bulgarians realized the cultural and national value of their history. After the liberation from Ottoman Rule (1453-1877) a nationalist movement spread throughout the Balkan countries, which resulted in the emergence of Bulgarian composers. Music and songs from the local folk traditions evolved, developed, and - with notation - became the foundation for the vocal and instrumental music of the so-called first generation of Bulgarian composers. Around the turn of the century, many Bulgarian artists and musicians traveled to Western Europe (mostly Austria, Germany, and Russia) and upon their return, their artistic output created an original mixture of Bulgarian national folk with influences from Western classical music. After …
Date: May 2016
Creator: Vassileva, Veronika
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Selection of Nineteenth Century Trumpet Literature for Low F Trumpet: A Performance Edition of F.G.A. Dauverné's Variations op. 3 and Amilcare Ponchielli's Concerto per Tromba e Banda op. 123 (open access)

A Selection of Nineteenth Century Trumpet Literature for Low F Trumpet: A Performance Edition of F.G.A. Dauverné's Variations op. 3 and Amilcare Ponchielli's Concerto per Tromba e Banda op. 123

This dissertation presents a performance guide of two solos for early valved trumpet, as well as an appraisal of their historical significance. The first of these solos is F. G. A. Dauverné's Variations pour trompette à pistons avec accompagnement de Piano-forte, op. 3 (1833). The second solo examined is Amilcare Ponchielli's Concerto per Tromba e Banda, op. 123 (1866). Although Ponchielli's work dates from only the middle of the century, by time of its composition the valved trumpet had already been developed enough to have attained true artistic value. This dissertation provides evidence concerning the evolution of nineteenth solo literature for the Romantic trumpet by means of formal analysis in regard to form, harmony, and historical performance practice.
Date: May 2017
Creator: Monroe, Jonathan
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
Original Viola Study Literature: Analyzing the Pedagogical Contributions of Marco Frank (open access)

Original Viola Study Literature: Analyzing the Pedagogical Contributions of Marco Frank

Viola pedagogy has historically been closely intertwined with and highly dependent upon violin repertoire. As the viola emerged as an instrument worthy of independent study, many still rely on transcriptions of violin etudes. Fortunately, the efforts of performers, teachers, and scholars have brought forth discoveries of original viola literature and thus shifted toward the perception that viola should begin to embrace its individual pedagogy. Viennese composer and violist Marco Frank contributed three volumes of Viola-Etuden and a method book, Praktische Viola-Schule, which are suitable for the intermediate violist. This document explores and analyzes the usefulness of an original viola series in comparison to the ‘tried and true' violin transcriptions.
Date: May 2018
Creator: Salinas, Ashley
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Grundgestalt Analysis of the Clarinet Trio and Clarinet Quintet by Johannes Brahms (open access)

A Grundgestalt Analysis of the Clarinet Trio and Clarinet Quintet by Johannes Brahms

The Grundgestalt (Ger: 'basic shape') is a term coined by Arnold Schoenberg to describe the basis for coherence within a musical composition. Although neither precisely defined, nor adequately supported by examples from his literature, the Grundgestalt remains an important facet of Schoenbergian theory. Composed of several gestalten that occur repeatedly, Schoenberg's Grundgestalt functions as a germinating factor within a piece that allows its motivic, thematic, and rhythmic information to become more accessible through their frequent repetition and diverse presentation. In addition to Schoenberg's definition, the first part of this dissertation discusses the individual findings of Schoenberg's pupils Josef Rufer and Rudolf Réti. Subsequently developed by the contributions of David Epstein, Walter Frisch, Patricia Carpenter, Michael Schiano, and Brent Auerbach, their combined efforts then attempt to illustrate the organicism of the Grundgestalt, to clarify its terminology, and to refine the framework of its analysis. Based upon the framework described in the previous chapter, the second half of this dissertation presents the criteria for the determination of the Grundgestalt. Beginning with a derivation of Brent Auerbach's proto-Grundgestalt analysis that catalogs the various voice-leading strands of a given composition into a summary chart that tracks the frequency of each motive's occurrence within its …
Date: August 2019
Creator: McConnell, Michael (Woodwind instrument player)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transcription and Critical Edition of Carl Nielsen's Songs, Op. 4 and 10 for Flute and Piano (open access)

Transcription and Critical Edition of Carl Nielsen's Songs, Op. 4 and 10 for Flute and Piano

Widely regarded as one of the most significant composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Carl Nielsen and his music have come to define the early twentieth-century musical traditions of Denmark. His original songs for voice and piano are often revered as popular folk tunes and contributed to his status as a national icon. My dissertation explores Nielsen's vocal repertoire through a multipart project that includes transcribing and editing eleven of Nielsen's early songs from Op. 4 (1891) and Op. 10 (1894), originally for voice and piano, for flute and piano. I discuss the reception history and context of Nielsen's Songs, the important role of transcription in flute literature, and provide full score transcription of the original works for flute and piano. Many vocal works have been transcribed for flute from the original vocal score, providing variety in programming and attracting diverse audiences to performances. Transcription offers scholars a new view into a work, by determining what elements of the piece are integral to maintain the composer's intentions.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Pillman, Laura, 1990-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oration, Concerto Elegiaco by Frank Bridge: A Practical Guide for Performance (open access)

Oration, Concerto Elegiaco by Frank Bridge: A Practical Guide for Performance

English composer Frank Bridge (1879-1941) is well known as Benjamin Britten's teacher and to a lesser degree for his chamber music. Because his mature creative period occurred between the First and Second World War, his works were not well studied or performed until the 1970s, well after his death. This dissertation discusses Bridge's life and his music, how World War I affected in this work, and specifically the work Oration Concerto Elagiaco. Oration is considered historically in terms of its meaning and delayed premiere. Additionally, the work's fantasy arch form, Bridge's signature compositional style, and the character of each section is discussed. Finally, this dissertation provides a practical guide to the work, providing practice and performance suggestions for the numerous complex and technically challenging portions of the concerto.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Yoo, Kyungjin
System: The UNT Digital Library

Luigi Boccherini's Cello Concerto in B-Flat Major, G.482: Creating a Performance Edition through a Critical Study of the 'Original' Version and Friedrich Grützmacher's Edition

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
The Cello Concerto in B-flat major, G.482, by Italian composer Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805), is the composer's most beloved work for the instrument, as well as one of the most performed pieces in the Classical concerto repertoire. Historically, cellists performing this work have used an edition prepared by German cellist Friedrich Grützmacher (1832-1903). However, an 'original' version that was discovered in 1949 is significantly different from that of Grützmacher. A comparison of both editions has revealed that Grützmacher in fact made considerable modifications to Boccherini's 'original.' Along with the issue of having two editions, cellists that have played the 'original' edition have noted that there are certain practical and interpretative matters that are not favorable to the cellist, particularly in terms of the way the music is notated and how it lacks many details. This dissertation provides clarity to these issues by undertaking a comprehensive analysis of both editions in order to make cellists become aware of the differences between both editions by comparing musical elements from a performance practice viewpoint. In addition, I discuss relevant issues that are present in the 'original' version, ultimately providing an alternative performance edition to this score that is based on historically informed performance (HIP) …
Date: August 2019
Creator: Cho, Hyun Mi
System: The UNT Digital Library
Addressing Technical and Musical Demands of Contemporary Music for Horn through Newly-Composed Etudes (open access)

Addressing Technical and Musical Demands of Contemporary Music for Horn through Newly-Composed Etudes

Contemporary music for horn often requires techniques and musical or notational considerations that are unconventional with respect to the standard pedagogy of the instrument. As such, these considerations often represent a level of challenge to which the average-intermediate to advanced-hornist is unprepared to approach or altogether unfamiliar. The most prominent of these demands arising in the last few decades of the twentieth century through today include microtonality (such as extended just intonation and quarter tones), extended techniques in combination or juxtaposition (such as multiphonics and right hand technique), rhythmic complexity (including metric modulation, non-dyadic meters, additive rhythms, and nested tuplets), and unconventional notations (graphic, spatial, and other temporal notations). This document first surveys the challenges of the repertoire in question, which includes works by György Ligeti, Thea Musgrave, Milton Babbitt, Brian Ferneyhough, Iannis Xenakis, Heinz Holliger, and Douglas Hill, among others. After considering the merits and limitations of existing pedagogical materials that work towards these ends, the document then underlines a strategic pedagogical goal for understanding and approaching unconventional contemporary repertoire through newly-composed etudes. This document is written in conjunction with and justification for the author's 24 Unconventional Etudes for Horn, and includes examples therefrom.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Hessel, Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library

Beyond Nothingness: A Broader Nihilism in Cinema Paradiso by Stephen Goss

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Stephen Goss composed Cinema Paradiso, a six-movement suite for solo guitar, as an homage to films and film directors. Goss cites nihilism as a theme in Dogville, the film that inspires the fourth movement, "Mandalay," but I assert that all the films and many musical devices throughout the piece can be read through the lens of nihilism. The first movement, "Paris, Texas," depicts the stark landscape of the opening scene of the 1984 Wim Wenders film of the same name. "Modern Times" chronicles Charlie Chaplin's slapstick-laden descent from the factory to the insane asylum in the opening sequence of his 1936 Modern Times. "Noir" is a tribute to the procedures of film noir: violent storylines that depict the harshness of life, dim lighting, and anti-hero characters, all accompanied by jazz. Lars von Trier's Dogville provides the movement "Mandalay" with its nihilistic meaning, but Goss writes that he invokes the musical style of Kurt Weill's opera The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Just as the book people of François Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 had to pass on books orally, Goss has burned the score for his "451," forcing guitarists to learn it by watching a video and listening to …
Date: August 2019
Creator: Kyzer, Dan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tommy Smith's Two Sonatas, "Hall of Mirrors" and "Dreaming with Open Eyes": A Performance Guide and Analysis (open access)

Tommy Smith's Two Sonatas, "Hall of Mirrors" and "Dreaming with Open Eyes": A Performance Guide and Analysis

Tommy Smith is considered by many to be one of the greatest jazz saxophonists not only in Scotland, but world-wide. Celebrated for his virtuosic performance skills, tremendous compositions, and prized albums in the jazz idiom, Smith has also had great success as a composer and performer of the classical genre. Fusing the styles of jazz and classical, he composed and recorded two sonatas, entitled, Sonata No. 1 - Hall of Mirrors and Sonata No 2. - Dreaming with Open Eyes, on his 1998 album, Gymnopédie: The Classical Side of Tommy Smith. Unique pieces, they are not considered standard repertoire in the classical saxophone world, however, they are welcomed, substantial works for either the soprano or tenor saxophone and piano. Composed in a classical style and performed with jazz inflections and improvisation, these sonatas are challenging pieces to learn and execute at a high level. For many classical saxophonists, improvising a cadenza or utilizing standard jazz performance techniques could dissuade them from performing these terrific, distinctive works. This study is intended to aid in the learning and presentation of these two pieces, and includes transcriptions from Tommy Smith's album, errata, and performance analyses for each sonata.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Dunbar, Sarah
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
A Pedagogical Guide to Brass Quintet Repertoire for the Trumpet (open access)

A Pedagogical Guide to Brass Quintet Repertoire for the Trumpet

In today's rapidly changing performing arts market, trumpet players are required to be more versatile than ever. Trumpet performing jobs are diversifying and for a trumpeter, employment often requires the multi-faceted skill set that includes the ability to perform in all styles and settings ranging from jazz to classical, solo to large ensemble and brass quintet. As the demand for the brass quintet medium has grown, the study of chamber music repertoire has also become a common requirement in collegiate music programs. However, coaching in chamber music is limited, sometimes to as little as one hour per week. This coaching time is generally in the format of a single coach instructing the full chamber group, and therefore one-on-one instruction/attention is limited or nonexistent, leaving the onus of learning on the students, for whom these collegiate chamber music ensembles are their first exposure to the medium. While students have ample access to concentrated instruction for orchestral, band, and opera excerpts through the multitude of existing excerpt books, such a resource for trumpet players learning brass quintet repertoire does not yet exist. The purpose of this project is to create a succinct guide to the performance of the trumpet parts of standard …
Date: August 2019
Creator: Bailey, Megan (Trumpeter)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Crystal Clear: A Performance Guide and Electronic Accompaniment of Mario Lavista's Marsias for Oboe and Crystal Glasses (open access)

Crystal Clear: A Performance Guide and Electronic Accompaniment of Mario Lavista's Marsias for Oboe and Crystal Glasses

Mario Lavista (b. 1943) is a dominant figure in Mexican classical music. In the second half of the twentieth century, he promoted the use of contemporary techniques, leading to a series of collaborations with expert instrumentalists to explore extended techniques. Marsias for Oboe and Crystal Glasses is one of those pieces. Due to the nature of contemporary techniques, different oboes and reed styles produce different effects with the same fingerings. This document analyzes the contemporary fingerings in the two published editions of the work in consideration of the long-scrape reed style and oboes commonly used in the United States. The contemporary techniques were played on twelve professional oboe models as a way to collect data on how the printed fingerings work. The data is the foundation for the performance guide, which details every contemporary technique in the work. The performance guide also provides comprehensive information about the crystal glass logistics. The document also presents an electronic accompaniment created with Max/MSP in the event that the crystal glasses or crystal glass players are unavailable.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Thompson, Jonathan (Oboist)
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis and Performance Guide of Selected Works for Saxophone by Cuban Composers Jorge Luis Sosa and Andrés Alén-Rodriguez (open access)

An Analysis and Performance Guide of Selected Works for Saxophone by Cuban Composers Jorge Luis Sosa and Andrés Alén-Rodriguez

A large portion of the standard repertoire for saxophone and piano has already been recorded and performed many times and has received significant scholarly study. For a performer, remaining relevant requires learning and performing new compositions. Jorge Sosa and Andrés Alén are both accomplished composers, yet outside of the Latin-American community they remain virtually unknown to most saxophonists. This project serves as an introduction to both composers. Combined, Sosa and Alén have nine compositions for saxophone. Their works include saxophone quartets, saxophone and piano, and saxophone quartet with choir. This study focuses on three compositions: La Zacapaneca by Sosa, Tema con Variaciones and Sonata para Clarinete ó Saxofón Soprano y Piano, both by Alén. Compositional background information is given about each composition to include date of composition, premiers, important recordings, length of performance and Cuban ethnic and traditional elements used as the basis for rhythmic and thematic ideas. The Cuban and Afro-Cuban influences are explained in further detail pertaining to how they were used in the construction of the works and in their being performed stylistically correctly. Dynamics, articulations, and performance considerations are studied at length.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Friel, Stephan
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
Adaptation and Validation of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale for Use with Musicians (open access)

Adaptation and Validation of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale for Use with Musicians

Identity is a powerful concept that influences behavior and health. For over thirty years, researchers in sport psychology have been using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) as a research instrument providing insights into the relationships between athletic identity and health variables. While musician identity is recognized as an important factor to be investigated in relation to occupational health, there are no known robust instruments like the AIMS in music psychology research. The current study aimed to adapt and validate the athletic identity measurement scale for use with musicians. The AIMS history includes episodes of modifications for performance enhancement of the instrument that resulted in five different models. The validation process includes evaluating the psychometrical properties across all five models. The sample included student musicians and non-student musicians (N = 1040). The traditional confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the maximum likelihood (ML) estimation method were used. The exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and robust weighted least squares (WLS) was utilized to explore a new method of estimation that was known to resolve issues consistent with the CFA and ML method. The goodness-of-fit indices of CFA and ESEM were compared. The results showed that the MIMS is a reliable and valid …
Date: December 2022
Creator: Zuhdi, Nabeel
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
Solo Violin in Gustav Mahler's Symphonic Works as a Musical Sign (open access)

Solo Violin in Gustav Mahler's Symphonic Works as a Musical Sign

Noted for both vocal and symphonic output, Gustav Mahler's musical sophistication constantly puzzled scholars in the past decades. In his symphonic works, the mixed forms and styles in combination with the vocal influence make it abstruse for listeners to detect the meaning of the use of traditional instruments. The solo violin, which has an extensive history of appearing in symphonic compositions since the Baroque era, is an instance of a traditional instrument given an unusual function. For instance, Mahler's violin solos do not tend to showcase the virtuosity of the instrument as they normally do in orchestral music. In order to closely examine the role of the solo violin, I rely on aspects relating to introversive semiosis such as harmonies, rhythms, textures, phrase structures, and forms; then my focus shifts to extroversive semiosis, specifically to topics and contextual factors. By considering the violin as a musical sign, listeners can comprehend the instrument's structure, syntax, and ultimately the complex logic of Mahler's musical discourse.
Date: December 2017
Creator: Yang, Chaul
System: The UNT Digital Library