Auditions often require performance of orchestral excerpts as part of the screening process because orchestral literature contains a wealth of technical challenges at different levels of difficulty; however, many cello teachers still only use etudes, sonatas, and concertos for musical development and technical application and do not use orchestral excerpts as pedagogical tools or daily exercises. This dissertation, in an effort to standardize orchestral excerpts as part of common technical exercises, includes the ten most popular major excerpts selected from thirty audition lists from major orchestras in the United States. Analysis of each excerpt highlights different technical elements, provides short exercises to overcome these challenges, and discusses the aspects of cello playing that will benefit most from practicing orchestral excerpts. In this way, these selections can be played in preparation for auditions, as well as incorporated into daily practice routines.

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The velocity fields around a circular cylinder in a crossflow of drag-reducing polymeric solutions and water were experimentally investigated using a laser-Doppler velocimeter. Measured boundary-layer velocity profiles indicated that the flow parameter controlling the drag on a bluff body in drag-reducing flows is the turbulence intensity rather than the Reynolds number. For turbulence intensity less than 0.7% polymer addition induced delayed separation. For turbulence intensity over 1% the opposite effect was true. Time-averaged velocity profiles of water did not show any significant difference between self-induced and forced oscillatory flows. Heat, mass and momentum transfer of Newtonian and power-law non-Newtonian fluids were theoretically investigated using an implicit finite-difference scheme. The results clearly· indicated that shear-dependent non-Newtonian viscosity controls the entire transport processes of the power-law fluids. For the major portion of the boundary layer, it was found that the more shear thinning the material exhibits, the lower the skin friction and the higher the heat transfer result. Accounting for the motion of the stagnation point provided an improved prediction of heat transfer for Newtonian fluid. / Doctor of Philosophy

Unlike most other musicians, pianists need to play by memory during their recitals, juries, etc. Doing so can greatly influence the intensity and frequency of anxiety due to potential memory slips when performing. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between memory strategies, experiences with memory lapses, and performance anxiety among classical pianists. The specific aims of the study are to: (1) characterize demographics, performance practices, and memorization strategies used by college-level pianists; (2) assess experiences of performance anxiety and the influence of performance anxiety on memory lapses; (3) examine the relationships between demographics, performance practices, and memorization strategies; and (4) suggest various memorization strategies that might be useful intervention to overcome memory lapses. To examine participants' awareness and perception, a survey was conducted via invitation of participation from music schools and piano groups on social media, and the useable collected data came from 162 respondents. The results disclosed that pianists' awareness of memory strategies and performance anxiety were significantly correlated. It showed a relationship between knowledge of memory strategies and frequency of performance anxiety within their musical experiences.

Composition has been conceptualized as a method for communicating a way of thinking (i.e., cognition) from composers to performers and audience members. Music notation, or how music is represented in a visual format, becomes the vehicle through which such cognition is communicated. In the past, research on notation has been approached either categorically or as a taxonomy, where it is placed into separate categories based primarily on visual elements, including its symbols, conventions, and practices. The modern application of notation in Western classical music repertoire, however, has shown that the boundaries between these systems are not always clear and sometimes blend together. Viewing music notation from a spectrum-based approach instead provides a better understanding of notation through its cognitive effects. These spectra can then be viewed through multiple dimensions, all addressing different aspects. The first dimension consists of the historical systems of notation, ranging from standard music notation (SMN) to music graphics. Additional kinds of notation, such as proportional, pictorial, and aleatoric, work as the mediary levels between these two. The second dimension focuses on whether notation is processed intuitively, based on either cultural priming or general cognitive principles, or through conscious interpretation. The last dimension views notation as either a visual representation of the sound (descriptive) or a representation of the process performed to create the sound (prescriptive). This thesis conceptualizes a theory for understanding music notation though these multiple dimensions by synthesizing psychological studies about music, music notation research, and pre-existing musical scores.

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.