This three-part study traces the history and chronology of Frank Martin's Quatre Pieces Breves provides an introduction to Martin's compositional style, and examines elements of the work in regard to their significance for the performer. This study also addresses the discrepancies between the various sources of Quatre Pieces Breves , defines the role of Martin's collaborators, and justifies the new critical edition, which is based upon the author's conclusions. Frank Martin's 1933 piano score; GUITARE-Quatre Pieces Breves, published by Universal Edition in 1976, number UE 15041, is used as the primary interpretive model for the new critical edition because the author believes it preserves the composer's original intentions regarding this work. The result is a new, more authentic interpretation that is designed to serve as an alternate to the current, published edition.

<p> Studying the choral works of the great composers of the past is always a worthy endeavor. For those aspiring to create an excellent high school choral program, it is critical to a student's musical foundation and heritage. Choral educators who teach high school are often bombarded with the most recently published new choral works, when they have a trove of excellent pieces right at their fingertips through websites like the Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL), all available at no cost. This project will explore the pedagogical reasons why this canon of public domain choral music should be taught at the high school level. A thorough guide to CPDL and an anthology of 200 works available on CPDL will provide the conductor with resources for programming this music.</p><p> Though choral music in the public domain is free to all, publishers still publish this music and adhere copyright claims. This can create mistrust of legitimate editions on CPDL; why are they available at no cost when publishers are claiming copyright on similar editions? These issues will be thoroughly discussed in this project.</p><p> For any given work on CPDL, there may be multiple editions available on the site. Choosing the right edition requires knowledge about basic editorial principles, especially for works written during the Renaissance period. A detailed discussion of these principles will provide the conductor with the tools needed to choose the best edition for his or her ensemble.</p>

Franz Liszt was one of the most prolific composers in history. Of his almost one-thousand and three hundred works, the great number of them are piano compositions, many of which have been forgotten and neglected. These forgotten pieces are invaluable for pedagogical purposes, especially for those intermediate level students who are still struggling with octaves and chords. This document consists of a careful selection of Franz Liszt's piano works that can be used for the intermediate piano student, both for their artistic worth and their ability to build a technical "bridge" to advanced level repertoire. Part One of this study provides: (a) a general overview of Franz Liszt's piano technique and piano music before 1830; (b) discussion of influences from Berlioz, Paganini and Chopin in Liszt's music; (c) an outline of his compositions of different periods; and (d) his great contributions and innovations to piano music. In Part Two, after a brief discussion of the technique of the intermediate level student, a pedagogical analysis of a number of carefully selected pieces is provided. This analysis is based on a discussion of techniques, musical expression and style from a piano teacher's perspective.

The choral works of David Conte are becoming an ever-increasing part of the American choral repertoire. These works have been performed on numerous choral convention programs and college choral concerts, and by professional choral organizations throughout the United States. Conte's choral compositions have been commercially recorded by several of the world's premier vocal ensembles such as Chanticleer, the American Repertory Singers, Elects Women's Ensemble, and the St. Olaf College Choir. In addition Conte's works are being commissioned by a wide array of groups from top-level high schools and universities to nationally-recognized choral ensembles. To date the only doctoral study that has focused on the music of David Conte is that of Sabrina Lynn Adrian at the University of Texas. Her dissertation focused on his compositions for organ as part of a study of twentieth-century American organ compositions. My study will focus upon one aspect of Conte's choral output: his secular SATB choral works with non-orchestral complement. Special focus will be on the manner in which Conte sets and portrays the text in his works, since it is the text that he cites as being the inspiration for each composition. The pieces will be examined for the harmonic language and various compositional techniques employed to convey the meaning of individual words and the overall emotional progression that the text creates. Based on the information attained through this examination and through surveys sent out to various choral directors, the works will be evaluated as to their level of difficulty and to any inherent problems that would need to be addressed in the rehearsal process.

The document presents a Curriculum of Voice Pedagogy for Choral Conductors based on the author's solo voice techniques derived from studio voice teaching. Included in the Curriculum is basic voice pedagogy for the chorister, a differentiation between choral warm-ups and voice exercises, five steps to cultivating undeveloped voices, the development of the undergraduate voice, and a sample semester outline of the curriculum. The Curriculum's effectiveness was tested by University Singers, an entry-level collegiate choral ensemble (n = 77), and a panel of six graduate choral conductors at the University of Arizona. Seven common choral tone (Color Voices, Intonation, and Vowel Modulation) and singer technique (Flexibility, Legato, Resonance, and Diction) issues and corresponding exercises from the Curriculum were chosen to be tested from an individual singer's standpoint and from a conductor's aural ensemble perspective. Each exercise was applied to excerpts of choral literature to test its effectiveness in helping a singer to develop the vocal skills demanded by choral music. All exercises were concluded to be successful in that singers understood the purpose, the execution, and the pedagogical function of each exercise, and were inclined to use them in future vocal experiences. In addition, all tested vocal exercises helped to develop singer technique for issues encountered in the choral literature. Furthermore, four of the seven exercises were found to have a positive effect on the ensemble's sound as judged by the panel of conductors. The ensemble sound was also positively affected by the exercises for other tested issues in six out seven cases. Results showed that a focus on building individual singer technique will improve the overall sound and vocal ability of the choral ensemble. Furthermore, individual improvement in Intonation and Legato positively influenced the ensemble sound for all other tested issues.

Opera-inspired cello repertoire is well suited for performance and educational purposes, but has not been systematically identified and evaluated. Currently, there are neither existing studies on this repertoire nor any published compilations. Through demonstration and analysis, this study will show the performance qualities and pedagogical merit of this repertoire through identification, review and analysis of each piece. The findings of this study will be used to create a catalog that will make this literature more visible and more accessible to performers, teachers and students in the schools and in the private sector. The study and resulting catalog will be limited to music that is currently in print.

This study identifies and examines the preconceived beliefs about teaching held by entering music teachers prior to enrollment in Music Education or Education courses. Specifically it investigates the thoughts and beliefs these preservice teachers hold regarding (a) their future role as music educators, (b) their future students---as people, as learners, as musicians, (c) the process of teaching, (d) the nature of learning, and (e) what their future students should know. It also summarizes their beliefs and expectations regarding the various components of a university Music Education teacher preparation program. A "Matrix of Teaching and Learning" provides a basic for identifying general perspectives of these future teachers. Based on a purposeful selection process, twelve freshmen participated in the study. Qualitative methods of data collection included an initial open-ended questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, an interactive interview that included sort tasks and case analysis, and examination of the participants' uses of metaphor. The research questions determined a priori the primary categories for coding and analysis. Subcategories for each of the primary categories evolved through the inductive approach of constant comparative analysis. Verification occurred through maximum variation in the sample selection, triangulation, and peer review of the coding. These participants held strong beliefs about the people and processes involved in teaching--some were well developed while others were more simplistic. The theme of connection---students to subject, and teacher and students--surfaced frequently. Responses, however, did not fit the matrix. Instead, the following three themes emerged: (1) valuing the student and student empowerment, (2) predominance of the human aspect of teaching over technical aspects, and (3) the desire for experience in learning to teach, and an uncertainty about the role of the university in that process. Implications for music teacher education include the need for early and frequent opportunities for preservice teachers to develop teaching skills in as authentic a setting as possible. The importance of giving music education students the opportunity to integrate technical skills and teaching skills would appear to help develop the confidence necessary for them to successfully focus on connecting their students and the subject.

The intent of this study is to examine a wide variety of marching percussion arrangements and to evaluate the extent to which these arrangements foster the development of essential performance skills, specifically timing, reading, technique, and musicianship. My evaluation will be based on five original criteria derived from the pedagogical literature, selected repertoire, and my personal teaching experience. These criteria can be used to evaluate the overall quality and musicality of these arrangements and assure that the development of essential performance skills is addressed in the marching percussion ensemble. Arrangements for beginning, intermediate, and advanced ensembles will be evaluated. This study will not present a method on marching percussion techniques and will not deal in depth with the front sideline pit ensemble. It will focus on the percussion battery arrangements and to what extent they facilitate the development of essential performance skills. The critical need for this study is demonstrated by the excessive number of published marching percussion arrangements that do not properly address the development of essential performance skills, nor meet the stated criteria. Students who experience music performance through these arrangements experience learning that is counterproductive and are deprived of powerful, meaningful, and stimulating musical experiences. It is my hope that this document will make a valuable contribution to the profession by strongly developing an awareness of quality marching percussion arrangements, as well as promoting through this awareness more quality marching percussion arrangements based on the criteria. Further advocacy of the criteria and essential performance skills will be achieved by presenting clinics, raising awareness in college percussion method courses, publishing articles, web page dialogues, and publishing companies hiring better arrangers.

Daniel Asia (b.1953) is often referred to as a composer who writes in an "accessible" style. Asia's style of composition evolved from an aleatoric and dissonant style to more lyrical and "accessible." He received commissions from numerous musical organizations. Although Professor Asia's primary compositional focus has been on symphonic music, he has also written five works for chorus. This document will attempt to chronicle Asia's compositional development through a study of his five choral works: (1) Nineteen (published under the title, Sound Shapes) (1973); (2) Why (?) Jacob (1978); (3) She (1981); (4) Celebration (1988); and (5) purer than purest pure (1996). It suggests that these pieces can be performed by auditioned undergraduate choirs, despite their fairly chromatic harmonic idiom and intricate rhythms, if the rehearsals are approached in a pedagogically logical and sequenced manner. Problematic sections of works will be identified, and solutions or exercises provided. The appendix will include bar-line analysis of four of the works. This bar-line analysis will be in the style of "Herford graphs," a system created by Julius Herford and familiar to most choral conductors. A complete list of published works and discography are also included in the appendix.

The purpose of this document is to trace the origin of the modern alto flute from its beginning through Theobald Boehm's design, compare the designs and acoustical qualities of modern alto and c-flutes; identify the various types of extended techniques found in contemporary alto and c-flute repertoire with attention as to how the realizion of these techniques may differ for alto and c-flute; and survey representative works for alto flute that incorporate extended techniques. Chapter I follows the development of larger flutes from examples found in Renaissance-period sources up to the early nineteenth century. Chapters II and III discuss Boehm's design innovations, identify specific parts of alto flute design that distinguish it from the c-flute, in in aspects such as air column diameter and volume, tone hole location and diameter, and head joint design. Chapters IV through VII investigate the origins of extended techniques on alto and c-flute and include explanation of various monophonic, microtonal and multiphonic techniques, and identify differences between alto and c-flute responses in these areas. Chapter VIII examines representative solo and chamber works for alto flute that incorporate extended techniques, with descriptions of the techniques and a grading system that rates these works on their level of extended technique difficulty. Three appendices are included: Appendix A is a quarter-tone fingering chart for the alto flute; Appendix B is a listing of alto flute multiphonic fingerings: Appendix C is a listing of descriptive notes for the multiphonics in Appendix B.