Pianist Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924), famous for his virtuosity, compelling interpretations and mastery of the art of transcription, also composed prolifically in most every genre. From among his piano compositions, the six sonatinas stand as pieces technically less challenging than the others, though they are equals with regard to their interpretive difficulties. Written between 1910 and 1920, they are products of Busoni's maturity, a maturity inseparable from the reflection of his comprehension of several centuries of musical styles including the developments of the early part of the twentieth century. The very different styles of the sonatinas themselves provide a fair sampling of Busoni's great diversity. The sonatinas are also as formally different from one another as their styles, growing progressively further away from the traditional sonata idea and following, instead, unique abstract programs and formal agendas. Busoni's aesthetics are reviewed and the sonatinas are discussed in context of his entire output. Each sonatina is analyzed, and performance considerations are discussed in light of the analyses.

This score was prepared using a new computer software program called the "Professional Composer". Voice Crying in the Wilderness is an original score by Nat Irvin and Bob Ray Sanders.

The Shores of Light is an orchestral composition which seeks to explore musical processes of coherence and evolution at a deeper level. The piece charts the journey of a single musical identity across a shifting aural landscape. This thematic idea — a strongly modal melody reminiscent of both plainchant and folksong, which serves as both the initial premise and foundation for the piece — is rooted in serene yet archaic stasis. After a brief introduction, the theme is subjected to tremendous pressure by external forces, which eventually crush it beyond recognition via a series of 'destructive' harmonic, contrapuntal, and acoustic procedures. Reduced to a shadow of its former self, the theme then undergoes a series of transformations, culminating in restoration — not to its original form, but to a new identity which functions as part of a whole, a 'master' entity whose components have been discreetly but gradually cohering throughout. This final realization is glimpsed but not necessarily fulfilled (hence the "shores of light") and the work, while striving at every register to return to its initial tonic, ends on a note that suggests (somewhat ominously) the possibility of a cyclical process. It is the essential tension between hierarchical complexity (tonality) and disorder (perceptual dissonance generated either by highly chromatic aggregates, acoustic saturation, or both) which plays the most crucial role in this discourse. The evolution toward greater and greater cohesion is achieved, necessarily, in opposition to the chaotic undercurrent which threatens to overwhelm or shatter the 'cohering' elements at every turn. The final chorale is a triumph of the 'meek,' as the elements of noise and distortion (ie. disorder) are stripped away to reveal an image of luminous simplicity. The use of tonal and non-tonal material as metaphors for order and chaos seems to betray an arbitrary initial condition — after all, there is no explicit logical connection between these parameters. But order, like beauty or meaning, is a perceptual phenomenon that transcends its processes. For me, the true complexity of the tonal hierarchy lies in its emergent qualities — the layers of content that emerge from a highly structured syntax. Thus, the gradual accretion of jumbled musical letters into recognizable words, then coherent sentences, then paragraphs imbued with specific meaning, carries with its own symbolism and structural significance.

The Shores of Light is an orchestral composition which seeks to explore musical processes of coherence and evolution at a deeper level. The piece charts the journey of a single musical identity across a shifting aural landscape. This thematic idea — a strongly modal melody reminiscent of both plainchant and folksong, which serves as both the initial premise and foundation for the piece — is rooted in serene yet archaic stasis. After a brief introduction, the theme is subjected to tremendous pressure by external forces, which eventually crush it beyond recognition via a series of 'destructive' harmonic, contrapuntal, and acoustic procedures. Reduced to a shadow of its former self, the theme then undergoes a series of transformations, culminating in restoration — not to its original form, but to a new identity which functions as part of a whole, a 'master' entity whose components have been discreetly but gradually cohering throughout. This final realization is glimpsed but not necessarily fulfilled (hence the "shores of light") and the work, while striving at every register to return to its initial tonic, ends on a note that suggests (somewhat ominously) the possibility of a cyclical process. It is the essential tension between hierarchical complexity (tonality) and disorder (perceptual dissonance generated either by highly chromatic aggregates, acoustic saturation, or both) which plays the most crucial role in this discourse. The evolution toward greater and greater cohesion is achieved, necessarily, in opposition to the chaotic undercurrent which threatens to overwhelm or shatter the 'cohering' elements at every turn. The final chorale is a triumph of the 'meek,' as the elements of noise and distortion (ie. disorder) are stripped away to reveal an image of luminous simplicity. The use of tonal and non-tonal material as metaphors for order and chaos seems to betray an arbitrary initial condition — after all, there is no explicit logical connection between these parameters. But order, like beauty or meaning, is a perceptual phenomenon that transcends its processes. For me, the true complexity of the tonal hierarchy lies in its emergent qualities — the layers of content that emerge from a highly structured syntax. Thus, the gradual accretion of jumbled musical letters into recognizable words, then coherent sentences, then paragraphs imbued with specific meaning, carries with its own symbolism and structural significance.

The purpose of the current research was to investigate the benefits of creating and participating in an original creative musical production on one’s self-esteem. The investigation was done by assessing the effects of creating and participating in an original creative musical production on the self-esteem of adolescents residing in a residential care institution. The objectives that guided the study were to determine the levels of the participants’ self-esteem before and after staging their original musical arts production; to explore elements of their original musical production which exhibited creativity; and to determine the adolescents’ perspectives regarding participating in their production. Observations, performance analysis and group discussions were used for data collection. The results revealed that engaging adolescent children in creating an original musical production and staging it enhanced their self-esteem and confidence, and brought feelings of self-worth. Through creating and participating in their original musical production, the adolescent participants were able to learn social skills, learn to express their views, and showcase their creativity through a musical performance. The current study therefore adds to the existing knowledge which advocates that participating in creative artistic activities enhances self-esteem. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2021. / National Arts Council / Music / DMus / Unrestricted

The traditional healing practices of the Vhavenda people include one very important component, the malombo ritual healing practice. This healing practice has been conducted for centuries. It involves the use of music (including singing and the use of drums and shakers for rhythm), dance and elements of theatre performed by the person to be healed, the healer, invited malombe (community members who have been through the same ritual), as well as family members and supporters. The importance of this ritual as a healing process has long been acknowledged. Of interest in this study, however, is the role-played by the music itself in facilitating the healing process. The ritual cannot take place without the music; neither is the music used outside this specific ritual. Seven representative malombo songs have been partially notated by John Blacking and N. J. van Warmelo also as recorded texts. However, since this ritual is closed and seldom open to strangers, their research was, of necessity, limited. Through long-term fieldwork, and from an insider perspective, this thesis is based on participation in more than fifteen malombo rituals during the field research period (2005-2014). Songs and performances were recorded as possible and some are included on the accompanying CD. In addition, transcription was utilized as a tool to demonstrate the core melody of selected songs, with the acknowledgement that transcription in Western notation limits the demonstration of the creative mato1 process that is fundamental to the malombo ritual. This thesis argues that that music plays a vital role in this healing ceremony, and it is through the mato process that the ancestors are called to heal. The texts of the songs at times include words of the Tshikalanga language that is spoken by the Vhakalanga of Zimbabwe. Most significantly, music is seen as the bridge between the ancestral spirits and the patient and participants in the ceremony, thus underscoring its fundamental importance in Vhavenda culture. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / SAMRO / Music / DMus / Unrestricted

O presente estudo investigou a realização de atividades de leitura à primeira vista em diferentes contextos acadêmicos. Três estudos realizados entre 2014 e 2015 investigaram a implantação de exercícios preparatórios em tarefas de leitura à primeira vista de excertos retirados da literatura do violão. Os estudos, intitulados Estudos A, B e C, contaram com a participação de estudantes de cursos de nível básico, superior e pós-graduação. A incipiência aural afetou no resultado de tarefas de transcrição e execução de um trecho melódico e de composição melódica, sugerindo que os melhores desempenhos estiveram mais baseados na memória motora de localização das notas (Estudo A). A experiência musical e com o estudo de repertório por partituras demonstrou maior influência com os desempenhos, principalmente com a questão do componente aural (Estudo B). Atividades que influenciam no desenvolvimento da leitura à primeira vista foram relatadas pelos participantes, como tocar de ouvido e improvisar. No entanto, relataram não praticar a habilidade de forma sistemática. Um aspecto não considerado como influente afetou na percepção visual de um dos participantes (diferença de escrita entre o exercício e o excerto musical). Mesmo assim, sugere-se ter ocorrido transferência da informação motora armazenada na memória do exercício para o excerto. Participantes com melhores desempenhos apresentaram um equilíbrio de entre experiência musical e experiência de estudo de repertório por partituras (Estudo C). Ainda assim, diferentes níveis de execução da habilidade foram verificados, o que sugere a importância de um treinamento específico. Os participantes pertencentes à amostragem de curso superior demonstraram maior capacidade de otimização do tempo das sessões de estudo, bem como maior autonomia na execução dos mesmos. Isto sugere forte relação com o aumento da capacidade de retenção e decodificação da informação de entrada pelo aumento da experiência geral. / The present study investigated the application of sight-reading activities on different academic contexts. Three case studies, between 2014-2015, investigated the application of preparatory exercises prior to the task of sight-reading excerpts taken from the guitar literature. The participants in the studies, named Studies A, B and C, were high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Aural incipience impacted the result of transcription of a melodic line and melodic composition. It suggests that the best performances were based more on motor memory for note location (Study A). Musical experience in association with repertoire study by scores showed more influential on the performance, especially with the aural component (Study B). Participants related activities which influenced their development of sight-reading, such as playing by ear and improvising music. However, they admitted to not practicing sight-reading in a systematic manner. Differences between an exercise of one excerpt was an aspect not considered previously. Nevertheless, it was suggested that transfer of motor information stored in the memory occurred from the exercise to the excerpt. Participants with better sight- reading results demonstrated balance between musical experience and repertoire study by scores (Study C). However, different levels of skill performance were verified, suggesting the importance of specific training. College level participants showed more ability to optimize time in study sessions, as well as more autonomy to perform it. This suggests a strong relationship between the increase of the ability to retain and decode input data by increasing the general level of experience.

O presente estudo investigou a realização de atividades de leitura à primeira vista em diferentes contextos acadêmicos. Três estudos realizados entre 2014 e 2015 investigaram a implantação de exercícios preparatórios em tarefas de leitura à primeira vista de excertos retirados da literatura do violão. Os estudos, intitulados Estudos A, B e C, contaram com a participação de estudantes de cursos de nível básico, superior e pós-graduação. A incipiência aural afetou no resultado de tarefas de transcrição e execução de um trecho melódico e de composição melódica, sugerindo que os melhores desempenhos estiveram mais baseados na memória motora de localização das notas (Estudo A). A experiência musical e com o estudo de repertório por partituras demonstrou maior influência com os desempenhos, principalmente com a questão do componente aural (Estudo B). Atividades que influenciam no desenvolvimento da leitura à primeira vista foram relatadas pelos participantes, como tocar de ouvido e improvisar. No entanto, relataram não praticar a habilidade de forma sistemática. Um aspecto não considerado como influente afetou na percepção visual de um dos participantes (diferença de escrita entre o exercício e o excerto musical). Mesmo assim, sugere-se ter ocorrido transferência da informação motora armazenada na memória do exercício para o excerto. Participantes com melhores desempenhos apresentaram um equilíbrio de entre experiência musical e experiência de estudo de repertório por partituras (Estudo C). Ainda assim, diferentes níveis de execução da habilidade foram verificados, o que sugere a importância de um treinamento específico. Os participantes pertencentes à amostragem de curso superior demonstraram maior capacidade de otimização do tempo das sessões de estudo, bem como maior autonomia na execução dos mesmos. Isto sugere forte relação com o aumento da capacidade de retenção e decodificação da informação de entrada pelo aumento da experiência geral. / The present study investigated the application of sight-reading activities on different academic contexts. Three case studies, between 2014-2015, investigated the application of preparatory exercises prior to the task of sight-reading excerpts taken from the guitar literature. The participants in the studies, named Studies A, B and C, were high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Aural incipience impacted the result of transcription of a melodic line and melodic composition. It suggests that the best performances were based more on motor memory for note location (Study A). Musical experience in association with repertoire study by scores showed more influential on the performance, especially with the aural component (Study B). Participants related activities which influenced their development of sight-reading, such as playing by ear and improvising music. However, they admitted to not practicing sight-reading in a systematic manner. Differences between an exercise of one excerpt was an aspect not considered previously. Nevertheless, it was suggested that transfer of motor information stored in the memory occurred from the exercise to the excerpt. Participants with better sight- reading results demonstrated balance between musical experience and repertoire study by scores (Study C). However, different levels of skill performance were verified, suggesting the importance of specific training. College level participants showed more ability to optimize time in study sessions, as well as more autonomy to perform it. This suggests a strong relationship between the increase of the ability to retain and decode input data by increasing the general level of experience.

O presente estudo investigou a realização de atividades de leitura à primeira vista em diferentes contextos acadêmicos. Três estudos realizados entre 2014 e 2015 investigaram a implantação de exercícios preparatórios em tarefas de leitura à primeira vista de excertos retirados da literatura do violão. Os estudos, intitulados Estudos A, B e C, contaram com a participação de estudantes de cursos de nível básico, superior e pós-graduação. A incipiência aural afetou no resultado de tarefas de transcrição e execução de um trecho melódico e de composição melódica, sugerindo que os melhores desempenhos estiveram mais baseados na memória motora de localização das notas (Estudo A). A experiência musical e com o estudo de repertório por partituras demonstrou maior influência com os desempenhos, principalmente com a questão do componente aural (Estudo B). Atividades que influenciam no desenvolvimento da leitura à primeira vista foram relatadas pelos participantes, como tocar de ouvido e improvisar. No entanto, relataram não praticar a habilidade de forma sistemática. Um aspecto não considerado como influente afetou na percepção visual de um dos participantes (diferença de escrita entre o exercício e o excerto musical). Mesmo assim, sugere-se ter ocorrido transferência da informação motora armazenada na memória do exercício para o excerto. Participantes com melhores desempenhos apresentaram um equilíbrio de entre experiência musical e experiência de estudo de repertório por partituras (Estudo C). Ainda assim, diferentes níveis de execução da habilidade foram verificados, o que sugere a importância de um treinamento específico. Os participantes pertencentes à amostragem de curso superior demonstraram maior capacidade de otimização do tempo das sessões de estudo, bem como maior autonomia na execução dos mesmos. Isto sugere forte relação com o aumento da capacidade de retenção e decodificação da informação de entrada pelo aumento da experiência geral. / The present study investigated the application of sight-reading activities on different academic contexts. Three case studies, between 2014-2015, investigated the application of preparatory exercises prior to the task of sight-reading excerpts taken from the guitar literature. The participants in the studies, named Studies A, B and C, were high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Aural incipience impacted the result of transcription of a melodic line and melodic composition. It suggests that the best performances were based more on motor memory for note location (Study A). Musical experience in association with repertoire study by scores showed more influential on the performance, especially with the aural component (Study B). Participants related activities which influenced their development of sight-reading, such as playing by ear and improvising music. However, they admitted to not practicing sight-reading in a systematic manner. Differences between an exercise of one excerpt was an aspect not considered previously. Nevertheless, it was suggested that transfer of motor information stored in the memory occurred from the exercise to the excerpt. Participants with better sight- reading results demonstrated balance between musical experience and repertoire study by scores (Study C). However, different levels of skill performance were verified, suggesting the importance of specific training. College level participants showed more ability to optimize time in study sessions, as well as more autonomy to perform it. This suggests a strong relationship between the increase of the ability to retain and decode input data by increasing the general level of experience.

An extensive study on the influences of music education on the forming of musical identities was undertaken. Information obtained from thorough literature review, questionnaires and interviews has been analysed, collated and set out in the dissertation. The review of literature has revealed that there remain few unanswered questions regarding the defining of both music education and musical identities. However, few studies have examined the influences music education has on the formation of identity, particularly concerning the making of music career-choices. The effects of a variety of musical and non-musical developments and/or adaptations may influence the formation of musical identities, since the individual has to develop and adapt alongside these changes. This study was conducted in a multi-cultural South African society, and investigated the influences music education has on the forming of musical identities. The primary purpose of the study was to develop an understanding and awareness amongst professional South African musicians, in practice at the time of the study, regarding the value that music education has on the forming of musical identities. The aim in attaining the said purpose was, firstly, to examine the differences between formal and informal music education, the latter being very prominent in non-Western countries, including South Africa. In this regard musical arts education was also attended to. Secondly, musical identities were delineated so as to view their forming due to music educational influences. Finally, the study examined how prior exposure to different music educational aspects influences professional South African musicians’ career-choices. There were two groups of respondents in the study: <ol> <li>A group of music experts from different music spheres participating in semi-structured interviews, each lasting approximately 45 minutes, that were recorded and then transcribed; and</li> <li>A matched group of music experts asked to complete a questionnaire based on interview questions.</li> </ol> Diverse participants included academics, choir conductors, educators, ethnologists, tertiary music students, performers, psychologists, therapists, and representatives from the private sector. The results indicated that music education, continuously developing and transforming, contributes to one’s musical identities and is crucial to the development of identities, with particular consideration of one’s choice of music career. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Music / unrestricted