Symphonic Engagement is a longitudinal study spanning six years, investigating the reasons and benefits for, and the impact on twelve urban public school students who decided to use their free time to participate and be engaged in extra-curricular activities in string orchestras. Literature and research inform us that the arts can play a significant role in the curriculum, inside and outside school, and this study discusses: the connection of the music curriculum to students’ future lives after secondary school graduation; the place of music education in the curriculum; music in our society; music and the brain; the effect of after-school programs on student engagement; and the pedagogy of arts education. Case study is the qualitative methodology used in this research. Data comes from interviews, field notes, and questionnaires that explore and interrogate the issues surrounding music education. Twelve young participants, from different gender, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, were interviewed about their lived experiences and involvement with string orchestras, and on the ways in which these experiences have affected them as students and as members of society. The analysis of the data reveals connections between the author’s arts experiences in the public school system, and those of the twelve students interviewed. The teacher-student relationship, equity, family influence, and technology are discussed as factors that can strengthen programs for youth, by deepening engagement in school experiences. This study explores why some teachers and students choose to participate or become engaged in extra-curricular activities and examines the impact on educational communities, on the future direction of string education, and on the relationship of the teaching/learning experience.

The Shores of Light is an orchestral composition which seeks to explore musical processes of coherence and evolution at a deeper level. The piece charts the journey of a single musical identity across a shifting aural landscape. This thematic idea — a strongly modal melody reminiscent of both plainchant and folksong, which serves as both the initial premise and foundation for the piece — is rooted in serene yet archaic stasis. After a brief introduction, the theme is subjected to tremendous pressure by external forces, which eventually crush it beyond recognition via a series of 'destructive' harmonic, contrapuntal, and acoustic procedures. Reduced to a shadow of its former self, the theme then undergoes a series of transformations, culminating in restoration — not to its original form, but to a new identity which functions as part of a whole, a 'master' entity whose components have been discreetly but gradually cohering throughout. This final realization is glimpsed but not necessarily fulfilled (hence the "shores of light") and the work, while striving at every register to return to its initial tonic, ends on a note that suggests (somewhat ominously) the possibility of a cyclical process. It is the essential tension between hierarchical complexity (tonality) and disorder (perceptual dissonance generated either by highly chromatic aggregates, acoustic saturation, or both) which plays the most crucial role in this discourse. The evolution toward greater and greater cohesion is achieved, necessarily, in opposition to the chaotic undercurrent which threatens to overwhelm or shatter the 'cohering' elements at every turn. The final chorale is a triumph of the 'meek,' as the elements of noise and distortion (ie. disorder) are stripped away to reveal an image of luminous simplicity. The use of tonal and non-tonal material as metaphors for order and chaos seems to betray an arbitrary initial condition — after all, there is no explicit logical connection between these parameters. But order, like beauty or meaning, is a perceptual phenomenon that transcends its processes. For me, the true complexity of the tonal hierarchy lies in its emergent qualities — the layers of content that emerge from a highly structured syntax. Thus, the gradual accretion of jumbled musical letters into recognizable words, then coherent sentences, then paragraphs imbued with specific meaning, carries with its own symbolism and structural significance.

This thesis examines the evolution of digital copyright protection in response to the digital challenges, specifically unauthorized file-sharing, in the context of the music industry. It reviews the different strategies used to fight the peer-to-peer technology and its users so as to assess whether the direction which has been taken is in agreement with the ultimate goal of copyright and with other fundamental values of our modern society. It posits that the effort to strengthen the rights of copyright holders and thus maintain an old system of distribution in the face of new technology not only runs afoul the expectations of the public but also prevents the artists and the public from fully taking advantage of the new opportunities of the digital era. This thesis ultimately suggests that policy makers tackling the digital copyright reform should seriously consider legitimizing the use of file-sharing services as a possible way to better achieve the goals of copyright.

This dissertation examines the repertoire for solo trumpet and electronics through a study of the genre as a whole and discussions of four compositions that represent its main stylistic approaches. An obscure but fascinating genre, current research in this area is limited to discussions of a few of its compositions in other dissertations and lecture recitals. By investigating this music, this dissertation will contribute to an area that has so far seen little research while promoting new repertoire that greatly expands the musical possibilities of solo trumpet performance. Based on the List of Compositions for Solo Trumpet and Electronics compiled by the author, several aspects of this repertoire are described in Chapter Two, including its development from 1965 to 2009 and the relative popularity of its different compositional approaches. The primarily academic background of this repertoire’s composers is discussed as well as the diverse nationalities they represent. The relative obscurity of this repertoire is suggested by the number of compositions for solo trumpet and electronics that have been published and recorded. A discussion of the aesthetic, qualitative and practical aspects of the repertoire is presented in Chapter Three. Based on interviews with leading performers of this repertoire and the composers of the pieces examined in this dissertation, this music is discussed from the perspective of musicians who have significant experience in this field. Their interviews illuminate several important issues that may not be apparent to musicians who are unfamiliar with this repertoire. Chapters Four through Seven discuss four representative compositions from the List. An overview of each piece is given, along with biographical information about its composer, a description of its electronic components, discussion of relevant performance techniques, and formal analysis of the composition. Conclusions based on this investigation and suggestions for future research are suggested in Chapter Eight.

The Shores of Light is an orchestral composition which seeks to explore musical processes of coherence and evolution at a deeper level. The piece charts the journey of a single musical identity across a shifting aural landscape. This thematic idea — a strongly modal melody reminiscent of both plainchant and folksong, which serves as both the initial premise and foundation for the piece — is rooted in serene yet archaic stasis. After a brief introduction, the theme is subjected to tremendous pressure by external forces, which eventually crush it beyond recognition via a series of 'destructive' harmonic, contrapuntal, and acoustic procedures. Reduced to a shadow of its former self, the theme then undergoes a series of transformations, culminating in restoration — not to its original form, but to a new identity which functions as part of a whole, a 'master' entity whose components have been discreetly but gradually cohering throughout. This final realization is glimpsed but not necessarily fulfilled (hence the "shores of light") and the work, while striving at every register to return to its initial tonic, ends on a note that suggests (somewhat ominously) the possibility of a cyclical process. It is the essential tension between hierarchical complexity (tonality) and disorder (perceptual dissonance generated either by highly chromatic aggregates, acoustic saturation, or both) which plays the most crucial role in this discourse. The evolution toward greater and greater cohesion is achieved, necessarily, in opposition to the chaotic undercurrent which threatens to overwhelm or shatter the 'cohering' elements at every turn. The final chorale is a triumph of the 'meek,' as the elements of noise and distortion (ie. disorder) are stripped away to reveal an image of luminous simplicity. The use of tonal and non-tonal material as metaphors for order and chaos seems to betray an arbitrary initial condition — after all, there is no explicit logical connection between these parameters. But order, like beauty or meaning, is a perceptual phenomenon that transcends its processes. For me, the true complexity of the tonal hierarchy lies in its emergent qualities — the layers of content that emerge from a highly structured syntax. Thus, the gradual accretion of jumbled musical letters into recognizable words, then coherent sentences, then paragraphs imbued with specific meaning, carries with its own symbolism and structural significance.

This thesis examines the evolution of digital copyright protection in response to the digital challenges, specifically unauthorized file-sharing, in the context of the music industry. It reviews the different strategies used to fight the peer-to-peer technology and its users so as to assess whether the direction which has been taken is in agreement with the ultimate goal of copyright and with other fundamental values of our modern society. It posits that the effort to strengthen the rights of copyright holders and thus maintain an old system of distribution in the face of new technology not only runs afoul the expectations of the public but also prevents the artists and the public from fully taking advantage of the new opportunities of the digital era. This thesis ultimately suggests that policy makers tackling the digital copyright reform should seriously consider legitimizing the use of file-sharing services as a possible way to better achieve the goals of copyright.

Symphonic Engagement is a longitudinal study spanning six years, investigating the reasons and benefits for, and the impact on twelve urban public school students who decided to use their free time to participate and be engaged in extra-curricular activities in string orchestras. Literature and research inform us that the arts can play a significant role in the curriculum, inside and outside school, and this study discusses: the connection of the music curriculum to students’ future lives after secondary school graduation; the place of music education in the curriculum; music in our society; music and the brain; the effect of after-school programs on student engagement; and the pedagogy of arts education. Case study is the qualitative methodology used in this research. Data comes from interviews, field notes, and questionnaires that explore and interrogate the issues surrounding music education. Twelve young participants, from different gender, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, were interviewed about their lived experiences and involvement with string orchestras, and on the ways in which these experiences have affected them as students and as members of society. The analysis of the data reveals connections between the author’s arts experiences in the public school system, and those of the twelve students interviewed. The teacher-student relationship, equity, family influence, and technology are discussed as factors that can strengthen programs for youth, by deepening engagement in school experiences. This study explores why some teachers and students choose to participate or become engaged in extra-curricular activities and examines the impact on educational communities, on the future direction of string education, and on the relationship of the teaching/learning experience.

This dissertation examines the repertoire for solo trumpet and electronics through a study of the genre as a whole and discussions of four compositions that represent its main stylistic approaches. An obscure but fascinating genre, current research in this area is limited to discussions of a few of its compositions in other dissertations and lecture recitals. By investigating this music, this dissertation will contribute to an area that has so far seen little research while promoting new repertoire that greatly expands the musical possibilities of solo trumpet performance. Based on the List of Compositions for Solo Trumpet and Electronics compiled by the author, several aspects of this repertoire are described in Chapter Two, including its development from 1965 to 2009 and the relative popularity of its different compositional approaches. The primarily academic background of this repertoire’s composers is discussed as well as the diverse nationalities they represent. The relative obscurity of this repertoire is suggested by the number of compositions for solo trumpet and electronics that have been published and recorded. A discussion of the aesthetic, qualitative and practical aspects of the repertoire is presented in Chapter Three. Based on interviews with leading performers of this repertoire and the composers of the pieces examined in this dissertation, this music is discussed from the perspective of musicians who have significant experience in this field. Their interviews illuminate several important issues that may not be apparent to musicians who are unfamiliar with this repertoire. Chapters Four through Seven discuss four representative compositions from the List. An overview of each piece is given, along with biographical information about its composer, a description of its electronic components, discussion of relevant performance techniques, and formal analysis of the composition. Conclusions based on this investigation and suggestions for future research are suggested in Chapter Eight.

The concept of “creating tone” indicates the relationship that Beethoven wanted with his main instrument, the fortepiano, and symbolizes his desire for expression when performing on the instrument. The story of Beethoven’s evolving pianistic writing unfolds in tandem with his changing instrument preferences; there is a constant feedback loop between innovations in piano construction and his piano music. This study investigates how Beethoven “created” his own tone when faced with the new Erard and Streicher instrument models in the first decade of the nineteenth century. The first chapter outlines the context of Beethoven’s involvement with contemporary instruments up to the early nineteenth century. His progressive tendencies in relation to the Stein vs. Walter actions and his interest in the English school of playing demonstrate this perspective. His eventual purchase of an Erard instrument in 1803 is an example of his desire to be on the forefront of instrument building developments in his time. The influence of Beethoven’s Erard piano on his pianistic output is assessed in chapter two by examining several compositions written during this period that reflect characteristics of French pianism and instrument building. Many of Beethoven’s pianistic innovations can be understood in the context of this new model. Pianistic devices include the use of register as a compositional dimension; vocal melodic style; textural innovations to enhance the Harmonie of the instrument, such as the tremolo effect; and the use of multiple, colourful pedals. The link between Beethoven and the instruments of the Streicher firm is the subject of the third chapter. The resultant merging of Viennese, English, and French features in piano construction led to the creation of an instrument that was reported as fully “orchestral” in sonority. Pianistic devices of this period include the return to a rapid “Viennese” touch; sustained lyricism; and, in concerto writing, scoring for the piano as an equal to the orchestra. Many of the musical elements that we embrace as characteristically Beethovenian may have their origin in these organologically-inspired pianistic effects.

Commenting on Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904), music critic Václav Juda Novotný declared in 1881 that “a Czech composer has to write, first and foremost, for a Czech audience.” Scholars have given considerable attention to Dvořák’s reception abroad and have shown that his path to success on foreign stages, particularly in Vienna, was not always direct. The composer’s reception in the Czech lands during the late nineteenth century was no less complicated – shaped by various cultural and political factors, as the Czechs sought to assert themselves in the fight for the nationalist cause, while remaining under Habsburg rule. Drawing on the wealth of newspaper and journal articles that were printed in the Czech press at this time, the dissertation places Dvořák’s music into its Czech context. The topic is explored by way of three case studies that deal with Dvořák’s contributions to choral, operatic, and symphonic genres. Each of the works examined came at a significant moment in Dvořák’s career in the Czech lands. The performance in 1873 of the choral cantata Hymnus: Heirs of the White Mountain marked Dvořák’s professional debut; with the 1878 production of the comic opera The Cunning Peasant, Dvořák celebrated his first major triumph on the coveted Czech operatic stage; and the Prague premiere in 1881 of his first widely recognized symphony, the D major, Op. 60, proved to be crucial in defining Dvořák’s role in the concert hall. These case studies reveal that Dvořák’s treatment in the Czech press varied depending on the unique traditions of these genres and their differing status within Czech musical culture. The project highlights the complex relationships and interactions among critics, audiences, and composers. In the politically-charged climate of fin-de-siècle Bohemia, Czech critics took ownership of Dvořák and enlisted his music to advance their own agendas. Dvořák, in turn, was keenly aware of and often catered to public tastes and critical expectations. Intertwining various realms of contextual inquiry, including nationalist rhetoric, contemporary critical discourses, and the musical repertories that were cultivated in the Czech lands, the dissertation draws attention to the multiple agents at play in Dvořák’s nineteenth-century Czech reception.