This project explores the possibilities and challenges associated with writing for and performing with an unconventional, and for the composer new set of instruments. With the purpose of creating music out of intuitive, creative ideas rather than instrumentally based knowledge and habitual patterns I wrote and/or arranged six original songs for an ensemble consisting of lead vocals, accordion, trumpet/flugel horn, electric guitar, and a cellist and vocalist combined in one. We later performed the music at my bachelor’s recital which took place on the 3rd of April 2024 at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.  The analysis of the musical result highlighted two compositional structures which in turn effected the co-playing in the group and divided the role-based responsibilities differently. The structure which was based around homophonic voices led to a common phrasing being the most important focus in comparison to the other which divided the ensemble into smaller groups with different functions where a joint time feel was of most importance. / <p><strong>Musik:</strong></p><p>Sinking into a Dream</p><p>Buss 61</p><p>Time and Places </p><p>Utegymmet</p><p>Botanical Garden</p><p>Pick Up </p><p>Kompositioner och arrangemang av: Ellen Mansten Bruchfeld</p><p></p><p><strong>Medverkande musiker:</strong></p><p>Anna Østerby – dragspel</p><p>Hannes Arason – trumpet och flygelhorn</p><p>Linnea Hildén – cello och sång</p><p>Svante Qvennerstedt – elgitarr</p><p>Ellen Mansten Bruchfeld – sång </p>

This dissertation is intended as a supportive document for the five-part suite for ten-piece jazz ensemble entitled Real Talk. It is divided into six chapters, four of which are analytical and cover the following topics: Form, Melody, Harmony, and Other Compositional Techniques. Subcategories are used within these chapters to draw attention to specific compositional components relevant to the construction of the piece; illustrative tables and examples have been provided to assist in describing these components. The ultimate purpose of this document is to describe in detail my technical approach to the composition. / text

This, the first study at doctoral level of any white female jazz instrumentalist, provides an overview to the long, active and enduring musical career of British-born, New York-based jazz pianist, Marian McPartland (born 1918). For over six decades, besides being a pianist and a composer, she has been prominent in the professional roles of educator, writer, record producer and recording artist, radio broadcaster and advocate. The scope and impact of this multi-layered career are conveyed through the medium of a Website profiling significant aspects of her professional life through textual, aural and visual presentation. Although not claiming to be exhaustive, this Website brings together a comprehensive collection of data covering all aspects of Marian McPartland's career. Data have been gathered and collated from material in the public domain, and all such sources are acknowledged and referenced. The Website is navigable through three links at the bottom of the Home Page - 1) Historical Perspective; 2) Selected Analyses; and 3) Marian McPartland In Context. Part One of the Website provides access to Marian McPartland's various professional roles in jazz, as well as public profiles, and is consolidated by listings of support material. Part Two of the Website contains formal analyses of four of her compositions, each preceded by a short introduction. The analyses are based on scores transcribed from her recorded improvisations. A discussion of her stylistic approach follows the analyses. Part Three of the Website contextualizes Marian McPartland as a woman in jazz during its major historical and stylistic movements. An Introduction and a Conclusion provide the academic framework for this study. The Introduction outlines the rationale for the study, the dimensions of the study, the methodologies used, and the research process. The Conclusion provides critical commentary on Marian McPartland's musical career, and deductions are made about her significance in and contribution to jazz, based on the evidence presented in the Website. A CD of the entire Website completes the presentation of this thesis, included under Supplementary Material in the back pocket of the thesis. This overview of Marian McPartland's entire career makes an original contribution to knowledge on this jazz artist, and, in a broader sense, provides an important resource for future research in the area of jazz music and musicians.