The central claims of this study are that Maria Schneider relies on normative rhythmic structures from the jazz tradition, and that her expressive deviations from those norms are comprehensible to experienced listeners in real time. The study proposes a non-recursive model of hypermeter wherein the measure is formed through entrainment, the four-bar sub-unit is formed through recognizable qualia at the measure level, and the eight-bar level is formed through the expectation for sub-units to group into pairs. I introduce the “structural phrase” as a unit that, while normatively hypermetrical, is distinct from the issue of hypermeter in its formal aspects and its ability to diverge from hypermetrical organization. Structural phrases mediate our sense of place in the music, and they most often begin with an audibly clear attentional peak that I call the “structural phrase onset.” I posit that experienced listeners understand how structural phrases operate in Schneider’s compositional style through awareness of the relative frequency of each structural phrase type. Based on data gathered from a corpus of twenty-four pieces, comprised of 1,105 structural phrases, I find that 61% of Schneider’s structural phrases are normative. Further, the influence of the normative structural phrase supersedes its literal appearance on the surface of an acoustic signal, serving as the conceptual background for nine dialogic deviations: 31% of structural phrases are deviational yet operate in direct dialogue with the norm. Only three deviation types, accounting for 8% of structural phrases, are entirely independent of the normative organization. Structural phrases function as shallow-level formal units that group into deeper levels. This study categorizes Schneider’s formal approach as a hybrid between two practices: (1) traditional big band arranging, in its emphasis on improvised solos and idiosyncratic features such as the “ensemble feature” section; and (2) sonata form, in its motivic-thematic emphasis, freely unfolding sectional organization, and broadly three-part design. I refer to the three parts at the deepest structural level as “three-Spaces,” including Exposition, Solo, and Recapitulation Spaces. These Spaces are comprised of seven types of sections at a lower structural level: introduction, expositional, transition, soloistic, ensemble feature, recapitulative, and coda sections. Three “formal division criteria” specify how these sections audibly signal divisions between the deeper-level Spaces. An in-depth analysis of Hang Gliding explores how rhythm at multiple structural levels interacts with other parameters such as pitch, orchestration, and dynamics, to shape a composition’s dramatic arc.

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AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF José E. Guzmán Borrero, for the Master of Music degree in Music Theory and Composition, presented on April 8, 2016, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: ISOCHRONAL: A SUITE FOR JAZZ ORCHESTRA MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Christopher Walczak The suite is a three movement composition for jazz orchestra in which I integrate contemporary compositional methods with the harmonic idioms of the jazz genre. The first movement, “Flight,” takes a minimalist (ca. 1970-1990) approach through the beginning of the piece, then incorporates a development section reminiscent of music from the Classical period with the use of two and three voice counterpoint. Followed by a traditional jazz solo section. The second movement, “'Round Ten” is a ballad featuring the post-tonal compositional method of dodecaphony (ca. 1925-1950) in tandem with melodic and harmonic jazz expressions reminiscent of Thelonious Monk. My compositional use of tone rows is similar to the methods of Benjamin Britten and Alban Berg, who used the row as a compositional guideline or tool. This is unlike the initial use of the row by its founder, Arnold Schoenberg, which restricted the composer by the necessity of using all twelve pitches (with no emphasis on a tonal center) and using it in a predetermined order. The ballad section of the second movement is similar to Thelonious Monk's music in its use of non-harmonic tones and sharp dissonances mixed with a repetitive melodic contour. The third and final movement, “Lights Out!” is an up-tempo piece that uses the dense harmonies reminiscent of Don Menza and Thad Jones’ arrangements. The harmonic structure of the piece is from the modal jazz period of the 1960s in which composers pushed the boundaries of the typical 32-bar song format. The melodic material in this movement includes material from the two previous movements.