Evidence of a link between piano and drumming performance practices in western music dates back to at least the mid-nineteenth century. The modern construction of the piano had yet to be fully standardized when percussive techniques were being applied to its keyboard. Since that time, pianists and drummers (especially those involved with the creation of groove-based music) have grown closer and closer, participating in what remains a richly symbiotic relationship. This study examines parallels between piano and drumming performance practices in jazz. In this context, drumming is acknowledged as an important inspiration guiding the expression of rhythm and percussive attack by non-drummers, pianists in particular. Historical connections between pianism and drumming in jazz are addressed through an examination of those legacies that are widely believed to derive from West African drumming, European march and dance traditions, and various aspects of the so-called "Latin tinge" from the Caribbean and South America. Playing techniques are compared in part based on the premise that similarities in musical output flow naturally from congruencies in instrumental architecture. Percussive action unites pianists and drummers, as do shared abilities to create rhythmic layers through the independent functioning of multiple limbs. A discussion of ensemble roles reveals conceptual links, especially with regard to time-keeping, "comping," and mutual approaches to the creation of groove and swing. Transcriptions are employed to illustrate instances of widely adopted drumming-like gestures from the history of jazz with special attention paid to rhythmic counterpoint, complementation, and rudimental sticking patterns used by jazz pianists since the 1960's. Though a statistically small sample, interviews with ten professional jazz pianists support the essential findings of the study. Questions are raised throughout regarding the effectiveness of traditional jazz pedagogy in emphasizing the importance of drumming to non-drummer instrumental praxis.

A paran is a composed drum piece for the North Indian pakhavaj or tabla drums, and it is also choreographed for kathak dance. Paran refers specifically to a type of pakhavaj composition whose structure and compositional attributes are greatly varied. When applied to tabla or kathak, the term refers to a piece that is either directly borrowed from, or meant to imitate, the pakhavaj. Notwithstanding, it is notoriously difficult to define a paran precisely, especially those varieties found in tabla and kathak dance. Moreover, there are many, often contradictory opinions as to what these pieces are, largely because they display attributes that overlap with other types of composition. In this dissertation I discuss previous scholarly attempts to define the paran genre, various performers’ opinions on the subject, the technical execution of these pieces on the tabla, and the social trends that have contributed to the development of parans as they are performed on tabla or in kathak dance. I also analyse several compositions that I learned on the tabla in order to gain some sense of the structural, aesthetic, and compositional attributes of these pieces.

A Rough Journey is a single movement for orchestra with an approximate length of 14 minutes. The orchestra consists of piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players), piano and strings. The piece is inspired by Alfred Schnittke's musical language and features a variety of elements representing different styles. The harmonic language for instance, consists of pure triads (mostly augmented triads) in both tonal and atonal textures, triads with added dissonances as well as clusters. Although for the most part the piece does not follow a traditional harmonic language, I introduce unstable tonal centers occasionally to strengthen the tonal aspect of the music in contrast with its contemporary textures. The composition includes a few monograms as the main thematic materials which include B-A-C-H and D-S-C-H. However, I add extra notes to these motives to make them slightly longer and more unique. For example, I almost always end the B-A-C-H with the starting note, making it B-A-C-H-B. The Shostakovich motive is also extended to DS-C-H-(B flat-A flat-G). These motives are developed and transformed as the piece progresses, and appear with various rhythms. Dodecaphony is another compositional technique which is used in my work. I use "quasi dodecaphonic" rows against other materials as one of the musical layers. Piano is one of the instruments that features this particular technique by playing all twelve notes in a variety of forms. In addition to tone rows with consecutive notes, I also use dodecaphonic approach in a macro level which is a more unique way of using the technique. For example, the first section of the piece features the two discussed main monograms starting from each and every note of all twelve pitch classes, exploring a vast spectrum of notes at the very beginning. At the same time, I make allusions to traditional harmonic progressions by creating triadic structures in this imitative texture. The pivot note F# is introduced against the discussed texture and maintains its prominence throughout the composition. This pivot note serves as the ending point of some sections, including the string introduction.

Fretboard harmony is essential in any thorough approach to the education of classical guitarists yet no effective method or materials for teaching a course in fretboard harmony is currently available. This dissertation aims to remedy this state of affairs by providing a method book intended for use in an upper-level undergraduate course. The design of the method book is informed by the study of historical documents and by the examination of recent theory and keyboard harmony texts. In Chapter I, materials from the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical guitar traditions are examined to assess the historical conception and use of the guitar as an harmonic instrument. These include Matteis’ The False Consonances of Music, Sor’s Méthode pour la guitare and Horetzky’s Preludes, Cadences and Modulations. Having established some historical context, the dissertation proceeds in Chapter II to examine theory and keyboard harmony texts to determine if there is a consensus on the ordering of presentation of concepts. The type of exercises given and their deployment are also assessed. The fretboard harmony method which emerges from these studies adapts this information to the particular exigencies and constraints of the guitar, resulting in a text which is intended for use in a full-year, upper-level undergraduate course. It comprises Chapter III and consists of a progressive arrangement of over 250 exercises along with written instruction. It begins with fretboard orientation and proceeds through single-note exercises, intervals, triads, chords, chord function and chord progression and modulation. The derivation of barre chords and “common” or “familiar” chords is explicated through a systematic method of chord formulation. Melody harmonization and figured bass realization are employed as pedagogical tools and are objectives in themselves in learning to actualize harmony on the fretboard. The harmonic scope of the method is confined to the vocabulary of the common-practice period. The use of secondary dominants, Augmented and Neapolitan 6th chords are final goals. Chapter IV is a conclusion of the study with a discussion of potential areas of future research.

As the title of the work suggests, Burn brings to mind the qualities, characteristics and properties of fire: its volatile, destructive and unpredictable nature, and its often-overlooked sublime and evanescent states. Although I did not set out to programmatically depict the element in Burn, fire provides a metaphor for the compositional process. My objective was to compose a work that is harmonically and motivically rich, and where colour and character are of absolute importance. In turn, the work is explosive and unrelenting, with contrasting moments of subtler music. The complex and volatile personality of fire takes form right from the dramatic and combustible opening of Burn, through to the kaleidoscopic and mercurial textures of its developmental sections, its slow but catastrophic middle section, and its remorseless ending. And like the prodigiously agile nature of this element, I wanted to write a work that is engaging and virtuosic for its players. Burn is a single-movement work cast in three dramatic sections. The opening, spanning from mm. 1-24, establishes the musical material and sets the tone for the work. The music of the introduction gives way, at m. 25, to a developmental section, where varied forms of the introduction appear as structural delineators: mm. 68-71 to close the first part of the development, mm. 98-106 and mm. 131-136. The outer sections of Burn, mm. 1-136 and mm. 188-291, are fast and furious, colourful and nimble, and are similar to each other in character and content. The contrasting middle section, mm. 137-187, gives way to a different music, one that is slow and intense but shares motivic and harmonic attributes with the outer sections. The music climaxes at the return of the Tempo Primo, mm.166-187, with the defining motif of the outer sections superimposed at its original speed over the broad music of the middle section. Burn closes at the end of the third section with a varied return of the introduction.

Evidence of a link between piano and drumming performance practices in western music dates back to at least the mid-nineteenth century. The modern construction of the piano had yet to be fully standardized when percussive techniques were being applied to its keyboard. Since that time, pianists and drummers (especially those involved with the creation of groove-based music) have grown closer and closer, participating in what remains a richly symbiotic relationship. This study examines parallels between piano and drumming performance practices in jazz. In this context, drumming is acknowledged as an important inspiration guiding the expression of rhythm and percussive attack by non-drummers, pianists in particular. Historical connections between pianism and drumming in jazz are addressed through an examination of those legacies that are widely believed to derive from West African drumming, European march and dance traditions, and various aspects of the so-called "Latin tinge" from the Caribbean and South America. Playing techniques are compared in part based on the premise that similarities in musical output flow naturally from congruencies in instrumental architecture. Percussive action unites pianists and drummers, as do shared abilities to create rhythmic layers through the independent functioning of multiple limbs. A discussion of ensemble roles reveals conceptual links, especially with regard to time-keeping, "comping," and mutual approaches to the creation of groove and swing. Transcriptions are employed to illustrate instances of widely adopted drumming-like gestures from the history of jazz with special attention paid to rhythmic counterpoint, complementation, and rudimental sticking patterns used by jazz pianists since the 1960's. Though a statistically small sample, interviews with ten professional jazz pianists support the essential findings of the study. Questions are raised throughout regarding the effectiveness of traditional jazz pedagogy in emphasizing the importance of drumming to non-drummer instrumental praxis.

Light Traveller is motivated by the works of Czech photographer Josef Sudek. Masterfully portraying contrasts of light and dark in his black and white photography, Sudek has been described as a “traveler in light” for his photography work. In creating this orchestral composition, I was interested in exploring compositional methods that aurally express how Sudek manages space, texture, and most specifically the use of light and dark variances in his photos. I consulted specific collections of photographs from his body of work. The subject materials in these photographs became metaphors that I explored sonically. Light Traveller is structured into four main sections: a beginning section, two middle sections, a final section that recapitulates ideas from the first section, and lastly a coda at the end of the final section. This work embraces measured and deliberate pacing, and is mainly concerned with exploring the range of timbre and resonance possibilities that the orchestra is capable of creating. The composition utilizes static harmonies and slowly unfolding harmonic changes. Quarter tones are employed as a means of expanding the colour and harmonic palette used for this composition. Differing textures are generated through intricate rhythmic materials, gradually moving materials, and static material.

Light Traveller is motivated by the works of Czech photographer Josef Sudek. Masterfully portraying contrasts of light and dark in his black and white photography, Sudek has been described as a “traveler in light” for his photography work. In creating this orchestral composition, I was interested in exploring compositional methods that aurally express how Sudek manages space, texture, and most specifically the use of light and dark variances in his photos. I consulted specific collections of photographs from his body of work. The subject materials in these photographs became metaphors that I explored sonically. Light Traveller is structured into four main sections: a beginning section, two middle sections, a final section that recapitulates ideas from the first section, and lastly a coda at the end of the final section. This work embraces measured and deliberate pacing, and is mainly concerned with exploring the range of timbre and resonance possibilities that the orchestra is capable of creating. The composition utilizes static harmonies and slowly unfolding harmonic changes. Quarter tones are employed as a means of expanding the colour and harmonic palette used for this composition. Differing textures are generated through intricate rhythmic materials, gradually moving materials, and static material.

Nicholai Kapustin (1937-), a Ukrainian composer whose music amalgamates the Western classical tradition with jazz idioms, is becoming increasingly acclaimed in recent years. His works are known for the physical challenge they impose upon the player due to their complexity that is often accompanied by fast tempi. No less formidable, however, is the challenge to discover the conceptual binding that is needed to capture the overarching sense of purpose within a given piece and communicate it in performance. One of the most effective approaches in performing Kapustin's music is to take advantage of the structure upon which his compositions are based, as it can allow a classically trained performer to utilize previously developed analytical skills. Although analytical study is an asset for virtually any type of music, the performance of Kapustin's music especially can benefit from analysis owing to its dense and active textures, rhythmic continuity, and varied repetition of relatively homogeneous melodic material. This research encourages regular involvement in analysis and internalizing the music away from the instrument. An analysis of Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 is provided along with the discussion of performance issues that are related to the analysis. These include solidifying the left hand (Etude No. 5), expressing characters through the varying rhythmic values of the melody and accents (Etude No. 6), and isolating various thematic components while simultaneously strengthening their inter-connections (Etudes Nos. 7 and 8). In addition, the research examines some of the psychological implications of analysis, exploring the ways in which analysis can help the performer to be attentive and engaged in the moment. Furthermore, in order to help one take pleasure from and fully benefit from analytical insights during practice, the research aims to cultivate a mindful mode of thinking where one steps away from constant action and becomes more curious and observant in the process of music-making. The conclusion addresses the physical aspect of playing, applying the notion of mindfulness to one's orientation to the instrument.

Nicholai Kapustin (1937-), a Ukrainian composer whose music amalgamates the Western classical tradition with jazz idioms, is becoming increasingly acclaimed in recent years. His works are known for the physical challenge they impose upon the player due to their complexity that is often accompanied by fast tempi. No less formidable, however, is the challenge to discover the conceptual binding that is needed to capture the overarching sense of purpose within a given piece and communicate it in performance. One of the most effective approaches in performing Kapustin's music is to take advantage of the structure upon which his compositions are based, as it can allow a classically trained performer to utilize previously developed analytical skills. Although analytical study is an asset for virtually any type of music, the performance of Kapustin's music especially can benefit from analysis owing to its dense and active textures, rhythmic continuity, and varied repetition of relatively homogeneous melodic material. This research encourages regular involvement in analysis and internalizing the music away from the instrument. An analysis of Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 is provided along with the discussion of performance issues that are related to the analysis. These include solidifying the left hand (Etude No. 5), expressing characters through the varying rhythmic values of the melody and accents (Etude No. 6), and isolating various thematic components while simultaneously strengthening their inter-connections (Etudes Nos. 7 and 8). In addition, the research examines some of the psychological implications of analysis, exploring the ways in which analysis can help the performer to be attentive and engaged in the moment. Furthermore, in order to help one take pleasure from and fully benefit from analytical insights during practice, the research aims to cultivate a mindful mode of thinking where one steps away from constant action and becomes more curious and observant in the process of music-making. The conclusion addresses the physical aspect of playing, applying the notion of mindfulness to one's orientation to the instrument.