This thesis discusses the use of the bass as a melodic instrument in jazz. It focuses on seven compositions performed for a Master's recital on March 22, 2010. For each selection, I provide a brief biography of the composer, information about the song and insight on performance practice. I examine the advanced techniques pioneered by innovative bassists and explore ways in which they can be used to further exploit the melodic potential of the bass in a jazz context. A compact disc recording of the recital is included.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a historical and musical analysis that illustrates characteristic features of musical compositions from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth century styles. The structural analysis of the pieces reveal the evolution in the musical expression regarding line, texture, form, and the technical skills employed by the composers through polyphonic, homophonic, and twelve-tone procedures. The works of this recital represent four different styles: The prelude and fugue among the important forms of the Baroque style; the sonata embodying the principles of balance and unity of the Classical style; the etude and waltz as representative of the Romantic style; and the nocturne as an illustration of the transformation of the melody, harmony, and rhythm in the music of the 20thcentury.

Suite No. 4 in E-flat major - J. S. Bach Prelude Courante Sarabande Gigue Sonata, Op. 102, No. 1 - Ludwig van Beethoven Andante-Allegro vivace Adagio Allegro vivace Concerto in A-minor, Op. 129 - Robert Schumann Nicht zu schnell Langsam Sehr lebhaft Requierbros - Gaspar Cassado

The purpose of this thesis was to analyze jazz compositions by several great composers. The composers include: Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz, Russell Malone, Thad Jones, Dave Holland, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer and Joe Henderson. Through their unique use of melody, har1nony and rhythm these composers have influenced countless performers and composers over many decades. These compositions served as the repertoire of a graduate jazz guitar recital. The musical group that interpreted these compositions was comprised of: guitar, upright bass, piano, tenor saxophone and drums.

The Master’s Thesis Recital documented on the accompanying compact disc consists of three works that each use folk song. William Schuman’s Chester Overture and Ralph Vaughan William’s English Folk Song Suite use actual folk songs as their main compositional foundation, while Gounod’s Petite Symphonie uses folk song like material as a model. These extended program notes explore the use of folk songs as a unifying device throughout this recital program.

This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of expert performing musicians and the relationship between the flow and clutch optimal performance states. Five professional pianists were interviewed to gain an understanding of their experiences of optimal performance states during performance. The study took a constructivist-interpretivist approach situated in the phenomenological paradigm. It made use of multiple case studies, and data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), as proposed by Smith, Flower and Larkin (2009). Three superordinate themes were identified: Performance-related experiences of flow; The experience of clutch and choke during performance; and Coping skill and performance conditions, which were all discussed relative to ten subordinate themes. It was found that flow and clutch experiences in a music context are predominantly similar to those found in other contexts such as sport. Flow and clutch experiences in a musical context were shown to be distinctive from other fields due to specific task completion requirements. By comparing findings to the proposed Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch by Swann et al. (2017b, 2017c), findings show that the model adequately represents flow as an antecedent of clutch in a music context, and the results provide detailed insights on the experience of optimal performance states in expert performing musicians. The study concludes that clutch is a deeper element of flow, and these optimal performance states are experienced in many similar and distinctive ways compared to existing research in sport psychology. Various non-cognitive traits play a large role in an individual’s ability to obtain and successfully maintain flow and clutch performance states. / Dissertation (MMus (Performing Art))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Music / MMus (Performing Art) / Unrestricted

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The aim of this thesis was to better understand how music performance anxiety can be dealt with to not negatively affect my playing when performing solo piano music by heart in concerts. Another aim was that I would feel a lot more secure and confident on those occasions and that I would be able to focus more on the interpretation and expressing my emotions after this project. The field of MPA has been studied quite a lot but not broadly within the framework of artistic research. This thesis addresses two research questions: How might physical exercises decrease my experience of music performance anxiety? How might mental training decrease my experience of music performance anxiety? The methods used were preparing for three concerts with discovered strategies, keeping a video diary from two days before the concert until the concert day, taking video recordings of the concerts and analyzing the performance videos and video diaries using open coding and observing instimulated recall sessions. I then reflected on how the strategies helped me with the anxiety. As a result of this project, I have found a lot of strategies that help me with MPA. Physical exercises that I have found helpful are e.g., yoga, Zen meditation, deep relaxation, progressive muscle relaxation, regular aerobic exercise, short physical warm-up before the concert, focusing on breathing and releasing muscular tension when practicing and performing. The mental strategies included mental practicing, positive self-talk, identifying and eliminating catastrophic thinking, reinforcing themeaning in performing, having precise goals for the concert, practicing memorization and focusing on musical values when practicing and performing.

This thesis explores the following questions: What is the influence of algorithmic software on the composition process? How can spectromorphologies be manipulated in search of coherent and lucid coupling in electro-instrumental (EI) music? What are the practical implications of the performance of EI music? This thesis will unfold practicalities, creative approaches, and new directions for the practice of EI music, drawing together spectromorphological theory and instrumental techniques. Framed around a body of work for solo instrument/ensemble with computer, I will assess each aspect of my musical process. Musical vocabularies, grammatical organisation and collaborative performance practices will be discussed. Specifically, my research breaks down components of composition into context, materials and an attempt towards categorisation and grammatical organisation including spectral and algorithmic techniques. With the knowledge that the computer has influence on the music making process, I identify and discuss some of its key contributions. Additionally, knowing that the tools and spaces that facilitate performance also impact the music, I seek to understand how these tools and environments contribute in order to get the best musical responses from them. Collaboration is a key theme, and throughout the thesis I pay attention to performer presence in the music making process. This thesis should be read in conjunction with my submitted portfolio for relevant case studies and musical examples.

Using information theory as a foundation, this paper defines virtuosity in the context of laptop performance, outlines a number of challenges that face laptop performers and software designers, and provides solutions that have been implemented in the author's own software environment. A summary of the argument is that by creating a multi-dimensional environment of Sonic Vector Spaces (see page 17) and implementing a method for quickly traversing that environment, a performer is able to create enough information flow to achieve laptop virtuosity. At the same time, traversing this multi-dimensional environment produces a perceptible sonic language that can add structural signposts for the listener to latch on to in performance. Specifics of the author's personal approach to this problem, a software environment coded in SuperCollider, are then shared. Lastly, Mihà¡ly Csà­kszentmihà¡lyi's concept of flow psychology is applied to the three stages of creation in the laptop performance process - software design, patch design, and performance.