With the importance of versatility in freelance work in the world of trombone performance, along with increased competition for that work, the need for players to play alto, tenor, and bass trombones to a high level of proficiency has become more and more crucial. This, coupled with the growing number of orchestras looking to hire musicians who are highly competent on all three instruments means that university professors need to be able to teach all three instruments. This evolution of the job market is driving a need for pedagogical material that is specifically designed to address the unique challenges of practicing and performing at a professional level on the main three instruments in the trombone family. As of the time of writing, this material simply does not exist. This project aims to fill that instructional gap. It gives students and teachers a resource that outlines an approach for a four-year undergraduate course of study that allows for the development of the playing of each of the trombones individually and collectively, utilizing the strengths of one instrument to develop the other two. It will also allow for the exploration of the technical challenges that arise when playing and changing between instruments. This four-year course of study combined with a clear explanation of numerous routines can be used from early in a student's development. It can be tailored to their specific needs and will give any teacher and student a comprehensive and holistic method for the acquisition of the skills needed to become a successful utility trombonist.

This dissertation provides a performance guide for the two quartets for saxophones by the Chinese composer Guo Yuan (郭元, Guō Yuán) (b. 1965): Eyes Creating Sun-Birds (创造太阳鸟的眼, chuàngzào tàiyángniǎo de yǎn), composed in 2012, and The Eyes Threading Through Sun-Trees (穿越太阳树的眼, chuānyuè tàiyángshù de yǎn), composed in 2021. Guo Yuan is a professor in the Composition Department at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. He is one of the earliest Chinese composers to have created works for the saxophone. These two pieces were chosen because they demonstrate mature compositional skills and high artistic value, representing a refined level of development of Chinese quartets. Significantly, the composer identifies the two quartets as belonging to a specific series of compositions: both pieces are inspired by the Jinsha (金沙, jīnshā) Site and the Sanxingdui (三星堆, sānxīngduī) Civilization. To facilitate a performance guide, the two works have been analyzed. In particular, an analysis of the method whereby Guo manipulates the timbre and texture through the use of the four parts in the ensemble as well as uses traditional Chinese elements to describe the music should help performers to interpret the desired effect of each compositional technique.

<p> I. Solo Recital: Friday, April 11, 2013, 7:30 p.m., Taylor Theatre. <i> Cendrillon</i> (Jules Massanet) Opera Role. </p><p> II. Solo Recital: Saturday, February 8, 2014, 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall. "Warum betr&uuml;bst du dich," "Wilst du dein Herz mir schenken" (Johann Sebastian Bach); Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (Hector Villa-Lobos); "Kennst du das Land" (Hugo Wolf); "Kennst du das Land" (John Duke); "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt" (Robert Schumann); "Net tolko tot kto znal;" (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky); "Aime-moi" (Pauline Viardot); "Vaga Luna" (Vincenzo Bellini); "Aragonese" (Gioacchino Rossini); "Befreit," "Ruhe Meine Seele," "St&auml;ndchen," "Amor" (Richard Strauss). </p><p> III. Solo Recital: Thursday, March 5, 2015, 7:30pm., Recital Hall. "Youkali," "J'attends un navire," "Wie lange noch?," "Come up from the Fields, Father" (Kurt Weill); "Tom Sails Away" (Charles Ives); "Le disparu," "Bleuet," "C," "F&ecirc;tes galantes" (Francis Poulenc); Ariettes Oubli&eacute;es (Claude Debussy); Cabaret Songs (Benjamin Britten); "Waldseligkeit," "Selige Nacht," "Hat dich die Liebe ber&uuml;hrt" (Joseph Marx). </p><p> IV. D.M.A. Research Project. CROSSING OVER: EXAMINING THE CHALLENGES OF A CLASSICALLY TRAINED FEMALE PERFORMING MUSIC THEATER REPERTOIRE. This document explores the pedagogy of a classically trained singer as well as that of a music theater performer exploring similarities and differences. Musical examples are referenced throughout. A discussion of style of the megamusical and the 21st century musical provides context. A final chapter on repertoire suitable for bridging the styles provides a reference for the teacher and singer.</p>

abstract: ABSTRACT Many musicians, both amateur and professional alike, are continuously seeking to expand and explore their performance literature and repertory. Introducing new works into the standard repertory is an exciting endeavor for any active musician. Establishing connections, commissioning new works, and collaborating on performances can all work together toward the acceptance and success of a composer's music within an instrument community. For the flute, one such composer is Daniel Dorff (b. 1956). Dorff, a Philadelphia-based composer, has written for symphony orchestra, clarinet, contrabassoon, and others; however, his award-winning works for flute and piccolo are earning him much recognition. He has written works for such illustrious flutists as Mimi Stillman, Walfrid Kujala, and Gary Schocker; his flute works have been recorded by Laurel Zucker, Pamela Youngblood and Lois Bliss Herbine; and his pieces have been performed and premiered at each of the National Flute Association Conventions from 2004 to 2009. Despite this success, little has been written about Dorff's life, compositional style, and contributions to the flute repertory. In order to further promote the flute works of Daniel Dorff, the primary focus of this study is the creation of a compact disc recording of Dorff's most prominent works for flute: April Whirlwind, 9 Walks Down 7th Avenue, both for flute and piano, and Nocturne Caprice for solo flute. In support of this recording, the study also provides biographical information regarding Daniel Dorff, discusses his compositional methods and ideology, and presents background information, description, and performance notes for each piece. Interviews with Daniel Dorff regarding biographical and compositional details serve as the primary source for this document. Suggestions for the performance of the three flute works were gathered through interviews with prominent flutists who have studied and performed Dorff's pieces. Additional performance suggestions for Nocturne Caprice were gathered through a coaching session between the author and the composer. This project is meant to promote the flute works of Daniel Dorff and to help establish their role in the standard flute repertory. / Dissertation/Thesis / April Whirlwind by Daniel Dorff / Nocturne Caprice by Daniel Dorff / 9 Walks Down 7th Avenue by Daniel Dorff / D.M.A. Music 2010

Wayne Barrington was a tenured member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for ten years and held positions with the LA Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and San Antonio Symphony. He was an early member of the Chicago Brass Ensemble and a founding member of the LA Brass. While performing in these major orchestras and brass quintets, Barrington played alongside many notable musicians including Philip Farkas, Forrest Standley, Arnold Jacobs, Bud Herseth, Frank Crisafulli, Miles Anderson, Roger Bobo, David Krebhiel, and Christopher Leuba. Many of these musicians mentioned have received recognition in books and dissertations for their achievements as performers and pedagogues. Barrington, however, has not. Barrington was also a founding member and secretary of ICSOM, the International Conference of Symphony and Orchestra musicians. This organization helped improve the working conditions for musicians by creating transparency of orchestra salaries and giving musicians throughout the United States and Canada a say in ratifying their contracts. After Barrington's years as a symphonic musician, he transitioned from a full-time performer to a full-time pedagogue and taught for over three decades at the University of Texas at Austin, and several of his students went on to have successful careers of their own. His impressive career and influence are noteworthy. This lecture and the accompanying dissertation serve to pay tribute to the life and career of Wayne Barrington by offering a biography of his professional playing positions, union activism, teaching philosophy, and impact on several of his colleagues and students.

Based on the poetry of Jehanne Dubrow, professor of English at the University of North Texas, Stateside: An opera in one act uses the mythology of Penelope and Odysseus to tell a story of a modern day military wife. David T. Little's opera Soldier Songs, Sarah Kirkland Snider's song-cycle Penelope, and Stateside are dramatic musical works influenced by the genre, instrumentation, and formal structures of popular music that broadly deal with the emotional and internal elements of military life. These three works prioritize narrative structure of the text in relation to character, and employ elements of popular music harmony, melody, and structure. The critical essay analyzes selections from Soldier Songs and Penelope and explains the compositional process of Stateside. The creative document consists of the full score of Stateside: an opera in one act.

Santiago de Murcia (1673-1739) was one of the most prominent figures of the baroque guitar, both as composer and theorist. Despite his notability, his music and arrangements rarely find their way into the classical guitar repertoire. In modern guitar repertoire, it is common practice to arrange pieces from baroque composers such as Domenico Scarlatti, George Phillip Telemann, and Johann Sebastian Bach, none who wrote for guitar. My research involves doing an analysis of a historical transcription by Santiago de Murcia, and by doing so, share my insight into the possibilities, benefits, and idiosyncrasies of arranging baroque guitar works into the modern guitar. By analyzing Santiago de Murcia's Tocata de Coreli, a patchwork adaptation of Corelli's op. 5, my overarching objective is to empower modern guitarists to leverage this investigation and facilitate the creation of their own adaptations of baroque works. This documents not only the differences and similarities present in the original de Murcia manuscript print but how the study helped me develop a historically informed modern guitar transcription. Through this endeavor, I aspire to contribute to the broader discourse on the adaptation and preservation of baroque guitar repertoire within the contemporary musical landscape.

The slap tongue articulation is a unique sound and challenging technique in the performance of literature for the saxophone that has been used in a wide range of musical media, from classical to jazz. The purpose of this investigation is to gain a deeper understanding of the musical, artistic, and technical aspects of the slap tongue articulation as applied to the performance of selected, original literature for the alto saxophone. During the recital, the examples from Jungle by Christian Lauba, Rock Me by Barry Cockcroft and Pulse by Vincent David for unaccompanied alto saxophone were presented to demonstrate how to apply the slap tongue articulation artistically and effectively.

abstract: The purpose of this project is to introduce Bryan Johanson's composition for two guitars, 13 Ways of Looking at 12 Strings, and present an authoritative recording appropriate for publishing. This fifty-minute piece represents a fascinating suite in thirteen movements. The author of this project performed both guitar parts, recorded them separately in a music studio, then mixed them together into one recording. This document focuses on the critical investigation and description of the piece with a brief theoretical analysis, a discussion of performance difficulties, and guitar preparation. The composer approved the use and the scope of this project. Bryan Johanson is one of the leading contemporary composers for the guitar today. 13 Ways of Looking at 12 Strings is a unique guitar dictionary that takes us from Bach to Hendrix and highlights the unique capabilities of the instrument. It utilizes encoded messages, glass slides, metal mutes, explosive "riffs," rhythmic propulsion, improvisation, percussion, fugual writing, and much more. It has a great potential to make the classical guitar attractive to wider audiences, not limited only to guitarists and musicians. The main resources employed in researching this document are existing recordings of Johanson's other compositions and documentation of his personal views and ideas. This written document uses the composer's prolific and eclectic compositional output in order to draw conclusions and trace motifs. This project is a significant and original contribution in expanding the guitar's repertoire, and it uniquely contributes to bringing forth a significant piece of music. / Dissertation/Thesis / Recording of movement 1: Toccataesque mp3 / Recording of movement 2: Bad Egg Cafe mp3 / Recording of movement 6: Strings Etouffee mp3 / Recording of movement 7: Steel Pans mp3 / Recording of movement 8: Slide Rule mp3 / Recording of movement 10: EGAD! mp3 / Recording of movement 13: Jammus Vulgaris mp3 / D.M.A. Music 2011

abstract: The focus of this study was the first Serbian opera, Na Uranku (At Dawn). It was written by Stanislav Binièki (1872-1942) and was first performed in 1903 at the National Theatre in Belgrade. There were two objectives of this project: (1) a live concert performance of the opera, which produced an audio recording that can be found as an appendix; and, (2) an accompanying document containing a history and an analysis of the work. While Binièki's opera is recognized as an extraordinary artistic achievement, and a new genre of musical enrichment for Serbian music, little had been previously written either about the composer or the work. At Dawn is a romantic opera in the verismo tradition with national elements. The significance of this opera is not only in its artistic expression but also in how it helped the music of Serbia evolve. Early opera settings in Serbia in the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century did not have the same wealth of history upon which to draw as had existed in the rich operatic oeuvre in Western Europe and Russia. Similarly, conditions for performance were not satisfactory, as were no professional orchestras or singers. Furthermore, audiences were not accustomed to this type of art form. The opera served as an educational instrument for the audience, not only training them to a different type of music but also evolving its national consciousness. Binièki's opera was a foundation on which later generations of composers built. The artistic value of this opera is emphasized. The musical language includes an assimilation of various influences from Western Europe and Russia, properly incorporated into the Serbian musical core. Audience reaction is discussed, a positive affirmation that Binièki was moving in the right direction in establishing a path for the further development of the artistic field of Serbian musical culture. A synopsis of the work as well as the requisite performing forces is also included. / Dissertation/Thesis / Opera Na Uranku: Part I directed by Jana Minov / D.M.A. Music 2011