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This present study grew of of the writer's own conviction of the need for a thorough comprehension of Music Theory for a well rounded musicianship in any field of musical endeavor. More specifically it was understaken to point out the need for more adequate preparation, through the study of Music Theory in Secondary schools, by those students who intend to enroll in a Collegiate Music School; to show that a major portion of the curriculum of such a school is made up of course in Music Theory; and to offer proof that Secondary schools on the whole do not meet the need of the student by providing sufficient training in these subjects which will occupy such and extensive part of his program of higher learning.

This dissertation consists of two parts: (1) a portfolio of recent works composed during my fellowship at Columbia University, including Aruah (2022) for mixed octet, String Quartet No. 2 (2021), and Clarinet Concerto (2019) for solo clarinet, orchestra, and electronics, and (2) this subsidiary essay. This written discussion centers around three pillars that form the foundation of how I presently conceive of music that incorporates both Arab and Western musical aesthetics. These pillars are organized into three chapters (1) Recontextualizing maqām, (2) “Ṭarab-ic” Harmony, and (3) Organological Transethnicism. At the end of each of chapter, I relate the discussed principles to specific moments in my own music, taken from excerpts from this dissertation’s musical portfolio. My analysis of these works through the lens of these three pillars highlights the amorphous qualities of perception across disparate cultures, and how authenticity as a spectrum, rather than as a fixture, can result in new aural experiences.

It would be impossible to trace the evolution of the form of the scherzo without treating also to some extent the history of the minuet, as the scherzo would hardly have come into being in the way it did had there not been the minuet, even though as the scherzo grew to maturity it resembled less and less its parent-form. This thesis examines the early use and origin of the scherzo, and its use and evolution in the works of Beethoven.

In order to help a group of introductory-level music students achieve a foundational understanding of music theory, a series of computer-based instructional modules were developed using a system called Technology-Assisted Language Learning (TALL). This system, though primarily intended to be used in developing natural language-based instruction, was designed to be flexible enough to handle a broad range of academic subjects. The design of the instruction was largely accomplished via formative evaluation, where student and expert reviews of prototypes played a significant role. Students reviewed three separate prototypes of the instruction, and experts in instructional design and evaluation were also asked to provide feedback. The instructional approach of the learning modules consisted of drill and practice exercises, which included remedial feedback. Activities were sequenced such that review was required until a specified level of mastery had been achieved. The implementation of the software was less than perfect as numerous software bugs were present throughout. This caused frustration on the part of students and resulted in inaccuracies in the data collected by the system. A formal evaluation of the software and implementation was conducted in order to answer specific questions generated by those identified as stakeholders in the experience.

Music theory of Hildegard of Bingen’s era articulated a cosmological worldview, providing thinkers with a way of understanding human beings, the world, the heavens, and how they all interact with each other in musical terms. Hildegard was familiar with this music theory through her theological predecessors. This dissertation argues that a better understanding of Hildegard’s theology requires a deeper consideration of how this musical cosmology influenced her because of the way music pervades her work. Music theory is a major piece of what undergirds her Benedictine, liturgical worldview. To demonstrate this, I take up the task of explicating and illuminating Hildegard’s Christology in terms of her understanding of music and music theory. This task is different from previous scholarship which analyzes Hildegard’s writing about music in terms of her broader theology. I bridge the gap between musicologists and liturgists, on the one hand, who focus on Hildegard’s theology of music but neglect broader consideration of her theology and, on the other hand, theologians who acknowledge music as an integral part of Hildegard’s life but largely consider her theological visions in abstraction from it. I argue that Hildegard uses music theory to define and explicate Christ and Christ’s interactions with the world, sometimes explicitly, but primarily implicitly. Her theological vision centers Christ in a resounding universe. By understanding Christ as symphonia, Hildegard emphasizes the Son’s unique relationship with humanity. While readers cannot understand every aspect of Hildegard’s Christology by considering music theory, music theory helps to illuminate it in a particular way, enabling us to understand Hildegard’s theology more deeply. Thus, this study provides an example for how future scholars can continue to interpret Hildegard’s understanding of various theological loci. In addition, it submits Hildegard as an example of how to unite music/liturgy and theology in a fruitful way for both the Academy and the Church. / 2025-04-25T00:00:00Z

This dissertation examines the linear sequence of segments in musical collages composed by John Zorn between 1988 and 1993. In addition to the use of processes and associations as unifying elements, these pieces present hierarchical organization and narrative structure. The presence of form and narrative in these works illustrates the capacity of postmodern music to be unified in novel and idiosyncratic ways. I examine Zorn's collage pieces using an adapted methodology of paradigmatic analysis and incorporate ideas of musical topics as signifiers of delineation in the works. The segmentation of these works, begun in chapter three, reveals a hierarchical organization where individual musical blocks are organized into larger structures that I call collage phrases. This reveals the presence of hierarchical form in the musical surface, showing that organization in the pieces is not limited to background processes. The collage pieces that utilize this structure are described as exhibiting episodic collage form. Collage phrases in such pieces may also be further grouped together into larger units. I examine narrative in the pieces through the idea of idiolects, which I conceive of as approaches and compositional philosophies that are identified through the careful examination of Zorn and his music. Chapter four examines how linear narrative in Zorn's string quartet Cat O'Nine Tails relates to an idea of visual organization that connects to his conception of cartoon music. Chapter five examines how Zorn's album Radio is organized through the idea of the "musical game," a concept in which borrowed materials and techniques are combined with Zorn's musical persona. Songs on Radio reflect this concept progressively over the course of the album. This study reveals several things about Zorn's music and about musical postmodernism. First, it illustrates the organization of the musical surface of these works. Second, it highlights linear musical narratives in the pieces. These elements of linear organization operate alongside other non-linear structures in Zorn's music. Finally, it demonstrates the capacity of postmodern music to contain innovative approaches towards musical organization.

The use of algorithms in compositional practice has been in use for centuries. With the advent of computers, formalized procedures have become an important part of computer music. David Cope is an American composer that has pioneered systems that make use of artificial intelligence programming techniques. In this dissertation one of David Cope’s compositions that was generated with one of his processes is examined in detail. A general timeline of algorithmic compositional practice is outlined from a historical perspective, and realized in the Common Lisp programming language as a musicological tool. David Cope’s compositional output is summarized with an explanation of what types of systems he has utilized in the analyses of other composers’ music, and the composition of his own music. Twentieth century analyses techniques are formalized within Common Lisp as algorithmic analyses tools. The tools are then combined with techniques developed within other computational music analyses tools, and applied toward the analysis of Cope’s prelude. A traditional music theory analysis of the composition is provided, and outcomes of computational analyses augment the traditional analysis. The outcome of the computational analyses, or algorithmic analyses, is represented in statistical data, and corresponding probabilities. From the resulting data sets part of a machine-learning technique algorithm devises semantic networks. The semantic networks represent chord succession and voice leading rules that underlie the framework of Cope’s prelude.

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