There is no abstract available for this thesis.

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

This creative project consists of a twenty minute, sixteen millimeter film of children in grades one through six, creatively involved in the process of music making. It is a challenging music instruction which involves speech, movement, dance, singing, instrumental playing and symbolization in building the basic conceptual development. It is based on the philosophy and aims of Carl Orff of Germany, Zoltan Kodaly of Hungary, and the contributions of a number of American educators who have developed and adapted these methods for American children.In addition to specifying and demonstrating some of the innovative techniques involved in guiding children to the discovery of, and sensitivity to the basic elements of music, this project takes into consideration the natural development of the child as well as the natural order of the musical elements.

"Augmenting Clarinet Technique" is this writer's attempt at introducing students of the clarinet to some of the more common new music practices. The new practices included in this sequential study explore the techniques of microtones, quarter tones, timbre changes, proportional notations, harmonics, timbre trills, portamento drills, dyads, vibrato, smorzato, reverse envelope and decay, timeline score readings, three-note multiphonics, four-note multiphonics, multiphonic trills, kinematic multiphonics, simultaneous humming and playing techniques, and demanding altissimo register studies, as well as the technique of combining an acoustic instrument, in this case the clarinet, with the electronic tape medium.This study's purpose is to expound some of the more common demands of the new music. In order to be approachable, this study is highly selective and takes the form of ten originally composed etudes, their prerequisite studies, and one trio.These techniques present problems which often need detailed performance instructions. Although many new-music compositions do in fact contain performing instructions, it seems that an appropriate sequence of their study would assure exposure to most of these new challenges. Other studies have indicated that the introduction of these new techniques can be simplified by exposure through a learning sequence based on increasing difficulty. This concept is utilized to assure a sequence of study that will at least familiarize the clarinetist with these directives and ultimately will give him a mastery of those selected and presented in these etudes.The prerequisite studies are designed to serve a four-fold purpose: 1) to develop embouchure control and resiliency, 2) to acquire facility in manipulating the oral cavity, 3) to acclimate the ears, and 4) to serve as a solid foundation for the ten etudes which follow them. Since it is the opinion of this writer that a new technique must be mastered out of context before it can be incorporated into a whole composition, these prerequisite studies function merely as an introduction to and a drill on each new performance technique. This is accomplished by exploring the realms of lip bends, harmonics, quarter tones, two-note multiphonics (dyads), and the use of the altissimo register, all presented out of context of a normal frame of music.After these prerequisite studies are sufficiently mastered, the student is then able to incorporate each of these techniques into an etude composed for that purpose. There are ten contemporary etudes in all. Each one deals with the problem of musically incorporating at least one specific new technique into a short but whole composition.Vapors, etude No. 10, is the culmination of the study. This etude is intended to stand on its own in the performance medium as a complete composition; therefore, almost all of the new techniques presented earlier were musically incorporated into this composition. Vapors can be performed alone or preferably with electronics in the form of tape reiteration controlled by the performing clarinetist by the use of a foot pedal or switch."Augmenting Clarinet Technique" is in no way intended to turn a novice clarinetist into a prodigy of new music techniques. It merely serves the purpose of exposing the student to some of the most commonly used new techniques found in the contemporary literature. / School of Music

This paper is an investigation into the problem of the pianist with small hands, causes and effects of limitations encountered, and methods for managing the problem. A central aim is to demonstrate the accessibility of many standard works (particularly from the Romantic era) generally thought to be out-of-reach to pianists with small hands.Early chapters deal with physiological demans of piano playing. This includes hand function, related brain and central nervous system activity, and also ideal hand structure characteristics for pianists. It is then shown that the hands of many pianists deviate from the ideal, but that it is possible to compensate for most deficiencies, as seen in the hand structure and pianistic achievements of several virtuosi with small hands.Although relatively little has been written on the problem of small hands, those authors who did touch on the subject offered a variety of solutions, classifiable as physiological corrective measures, and musical devices and techniques.Physiological corrective solutions fall into three broad groups: (1) stretching the hand span, (2) strengthening hand and arm muscles and building general endurance, either at or away from the keyboard, and (3) inducing a relaxed state of body/mind to eliminate tension and musclecontraction.Musical devices and techniques consist of 166 edited excerpts from standard works of sixteen composers to illustrate numerous principles. These techniques and principlesare categorized as follows:Strength: Devices to increase strength and tone forthose with small or fragile hand structure.Stretch: Devices to increase or to give the illusionor increasing the hand span.Small hand position: Devices to maintain a small and relaxed hand position.Redivisions: Redistributions, rearrangements of notes between the hands to reduce stretch requirements.Re-editing or rewriting of a note or passage.These principles for musical solutions are then applied to selected Chopin, Ravel, and Debussy works, closing with the entire Sonata in B Minor by Chopin.Just as each hand with its limitations is unique, so are solutions highly individual. The musical excerpts, therefore, are meant to serve as examples or catalysts in aiding pianists to solve their own hand problems.

This research project documents the evolution of harp pedagogy in twentieth century America. The investigation focused on teaching trends, materials used, and influences that had an impact on the harp community during this period of time. Information for the study was gathered through questionnaires and personal interviews.Seventy-one harp teachers from throughout the United States, divided into three groups based upon experience, completed a survey on harp pedagogy. Respondents answered questions regarding school of harp playing, instructional methods, and the sequencing of technical skills for the beginning student. In addition, teachers provided their opinions about the quantity and quality of harp teaching materials during the twentieth century, and listed important individuals, organizations, and events. Data gathered from surveys was compared for similarities and differences between the three groups.Results indicated that opportunities for harp study increased significantly from 1900-2000, and that 77% of all teaching materials currently in use were written in 1930 or later. The diversity of teaching methods and materials increased as well, with moderately experienced and less experienced teachers being more likely to combine schools of harp playing in their instruction and use a variety of books with beginning students. The more experienced group of teachers tended to have specific opinions about what materials they use in lessons and were more likely to follow a single school of harp playing. A majority of teachers agreed that the quantity of harp teaching materials increased during the twentieth century, but felt that the quality of these materials either stayed the same or declined. / School of Music

The purpose of this study was to construct teaching strategies for selected skills and concepts in brass-instrument performance. The skills to be studied initially consisted of breathing, embouchure, sound production, and articulation; after research and analysis the skill of posture Haas added. The selected concepts were those identified by various brass authors as representing the elements of classical style; namely, "sostenuto," "accent," "staccato," and the "short accent" or "inarcato." While the brass authors also indicated the importance of tempo and dynamics to classical style, the latter were seen by the writer to be self-explanatory to a far greater extent than the primary elements named.Teaching strategies for the selected skills and concepts were constructed by utilizing relevant results of researchers' studies in motor skill acquisition and conceptual learning. These strategies were combined with the skills and concepts of the study to yield empirically-based methodologies to be used in beginning brass instruction.

This dissertation offers a pedagogical approach to the advanced piano student who needs technique refinement in the areas of dynamic control and disjunct motion. The approach is based on the writings of Otto Ortmann and later writers who have followed and extended Ortmann's studies of piano technique. The concept is developed that the control of either vertical or horizontal technique motions should be the primary technical concern of the player, the choice of a particular form of technique being the result of a rational, cognitive thought process which responds to an aesthetic goal.In order to restrict the scope of the work, it is limited to the application of vertical and horizontal motion in situations of abrupt change. These situations strongly focus attention on the problems inherent in controlling these basic directions of movement.Although the present work consists of an Introduction and four main sections, the result is a three--fold approach consisting of general discussion of each basic movement form (Sections One and Two), short exercises (Section Three) designed to isolate motion shapes or types of motion in non-aesthetic situations, and music excerpts (Section Four) in which to apply concepts and skills developed in the preceding sections. Also included are two appendices containing information which should assist the student in understanding the main body of the dissertation.The eighteen excerpts in Section Four are drawn from the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Field, Chopin, Liszt, Moussorgsky, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Bartok, Webern, Fontyn, Orff, and Copland. These present clearly isolated problems of horizontal or vertical motion as well as complex combinations of both basic motion forms. The commentaries to each excerpt are directed almost exclusively to technical concerns.Appendix I presents a survey of the development of the piano and its acceptance in the eighteenth century. The second appendix offers a survey of the history of piano pedagogy and emphasizes the significance of Otto Ortmann's work and his historical position.

Two important parts of violin pedadogy are left hand and right hand technique. Of these two parts, the right hand technique is eminently more complex, and causes greater frustration for the player. Bow technique Is a combination of many diverse functions in the left arm, and requires great agility and cooperation from the arm and back muscles. Because most of the expression and interpretation of the music comes through the bow, it is important that there be no obstacles confronting the player that would hinder a quality performance.How, then, is such a complicated art taught to students of the violin? In the years preceding World War II, the majority of teachers developed their own methods based on personal experience and pedagogic knowledge. Because pedadogic knowledge was often scant, personal experience was the basis of one's technique, which consisted of a system of rules designed to work for that individual. This method could be impractical when applied to others.By the twentieth century, two schools of bowing technique had been developed and proved to be the most successful in producing superior violinists. Both the Franco/Belgian andRussian methods of bowing are grounded in the Viotti tradition, which, through the past two centuries, has proven to contain the basic, fundamental principles of successful bow technique.It took a few more years to commit these methods to paper and be published, which allowed standard bowing technique to circulate beyond the few prominent music schools and conservatories. Yet, even today, many teachers are unaware of these two schools of bowing, and how they can guide both the teacher and pupil to satisfactory results when confronted with bowing problems.This dissertation presents the history of bowing technique from the first appearance of the violin to the development of Franco/Belgian and Russian bowing techniques. It compares and contrasts the two methods, and examines how the use of either bow grip will affect the execution of the bow strokes. Finally, this work analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each method, and how one determines which method will accomplish the desired results and help each student to develop to his/her full potential by allowing for individual differences. / School of Music

This dissertation proposes an interdisciplinary approach for the study of the timbre of the classical guitar. We start by identifying the static; control parameters of timbre, relating to the structural components of the guitar and the dynamic control parameters of timbre, relating to the gestures applied by the performer on the instrument. From the plucked string physical model (obtained from the transverse wave equation), we derive a digital signal interpretation of the plucking effect which is a comb filtering. Then we investigate how subjective characteristics of sound, like timbre, are related to gesture parameters. The starting point for exploration is an inventory of verbal descriptors commonly used by professional musicians to describe the brightness, the colour, the shape and the texture of the sounds they produce on their instruments. An explanation for the voice-like nature of guitar tones is proposed based on the observation that the maxima of the comb-filter-shaped magnitude spectrum of guitar tones are located at frequencies similar to the formant frequencies of a subset of identifiable vowels. These analogies at the spectral level might account for the origin of some timbre descriptors such as open, oval, round, thin, closed, nasal and hollow, that seem to refer to phonetic gestures. In a experiment conducted to confirm these analogies, participants were asked to associate a consonant to the attack and a vowel to the decay of guitar tones. The results of this study support the idea that some perceptual dimensions of the guitar timbre space can be borrowed from phonetics. Finally, we address the problem of the indirect acquisition of instrumental gesture parameters. Pursuing previous research on the estimation of the plucking position from a recording, we propose a new estimation method based on an iterative weighted least-square algorithm, starting from a first approximation derived from a variant of the autocorrelation func