<p>It?s Something About the Shoes: A Creative Thesis through Practice is an in depth, project-based study that follows the development and implementation of an intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration. This paper illustrates how the Practice-led Research paradigm, when coupled with the Expressive Arts, can promote empowerment and transformation for all participants including audience members. Artistic practices and rehearsals realized through performance and analyzed through constant participant reflection constitute the research data. It?s Something About the Shoes is composed of a live performance installation that includes multimedia video sculptures, still images, and pre-recorded sound, all designed around the living exchange between a contemporary tap dancer and the indigenous Danza CAAS dancers. The inquiry lies in the dance shoes. What is it about these shoes that allows the dancers to connect and communicate? How can two very different dance genres and ontological cultures exist simultaneously within a space? What does a show about a tap dancer and traditional Sonajera dancers look like; how will the different cultures interact in this space? Will the common thread of percussive dance transcend cultural and language barriers or will the resulting rhythmic dialogue be too oblique for the dancers and audience to follow? In order to understand the foundational context in which this work is created, a Literature Review is provided that: defines Practice-led Research and the methods to be used in this study, acknowledges a brief historical review of tap dancing with particular emphasis placed on Hispanic and Native influences, and a metaphysical examination of the ecological intersection of performance, place and space. The literature is divided up into complete subsections or articles so that readers may access particular areas of interest with ease. Individual subsections of the Literature Review are composed of review, analysis, and application of literature sources complete with separate bibliographies for quick reference. All Reference Lists are also compiled into a complete Works Cited at the end of the thesis document. Methods used to address inquiries and provide structure to the Practice-led model include: Performance Research, Ethnodrama, and Socio-Narratology. Coupled with these ideologies are Organic Inquiry, Emergent Design Theory, and Collaborative Theory, which act as lenses through which the collaborative process and organizational development of the thesis may be viewed clearly and precisely. Together these methods are used to create the content of a performance. Utilizing interviews with co-participants, surveys, constant reflection, and video documentation, these inspirations are organized as a creative thesis. The findings are composed of raw audience data collected through surveys gathered before and after the performances. This, combined with personal reflections of the artist participants illustrate the type of knowing that is revealed through artistic practice and inquiry. The project convener provides the final synthesis and interpretation of data through a reflective narrative.

<p> The rate of playing-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders (PRNDs) in advanced pianists remains consistently high worldwide, often limiting or ending study and playing careers. Injured pianists&mdash;desperate for solutions&mdash;seek out allegedly scientifically-informed approaches to developing injury-preventive technique but none of these approaches have been seriously investigated. This mixed-methods study investigated one interdisciplinary, non-traditional approach (the &ldquo;Method&rdquo;) that had received considerable anecdotal support but had not been studied systematically to ascertain its efficacy in recovering from and preventing recurrence of PRNDs, as well as its effects on technique, musicality, and extra-musical factors. Participants included undergraduate and graduate students, independent piano teachers, college teachers, and professional pianists and organists who had studied the Method for at least two academic semesters between 1990 and 2015. An anonymous survey was administered to 103 pianists and organists aged 22 to 82, with 74 (<i>N</i>=74) pianists responding (71.8%), and 26 pianists and organists were interviewed in-depth. Survey and interview results established that participants perceived the Method as significantly helpful in facilitating recovery from PRNDs. Significance of relationships among codes included correlations of .70 between the code &ldquo;it works&rdquo; and &ldquo;playing without injury,&rdquo; and .66 between &ldquo;it works&rdquo; and &ldquo;playing again.&rdquo; Interviewees also perceived the Method as helpful in preventing recurrence of PRNDs, as shown by the high correlation between the codes &ldquo;will help prevent injuries&rdquo; and &ldquo;learned a lot from studying the Method&rdquo; (.67). A one-sample t-test performed on the survey data also showed a positive perception (p &lt; .001) of the Method in helping recovery from and prevention of recurrence of PRNDs. Additionally, both the survey and interview participants reported improvement of technique and musicality with many also reporting enhancement of their extra-musical lives. A one-sample t-test on the survey data showed these improvements to be significant at a 5% level or better. Research also yielded data on psychological, emotional, and professional challenges to learning the Method, as well as reactions to specific aspects of the Method. It is hoped that the data might serve as a baseline and become a useful model for the investigation of other approaches for teaching injury-preventive piano technique.</p>

<p> There are currently ten available works by Antonino Pasculli (1842-1924) for solo oboe or English horn and accompaniment inspired by themes from nineteenth-century operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer, and Verdi. These pieces are so virtuosic that Pasculli has been dubbed the &ldquo;Paganini of the Oboe.&rdquo; The technical demands can be so high that performers can neglect to approach artistic and scholarly interpretation of his lyrical passages. Some editions of his music list the referenced act and scene number from the original source. No existing editions include complete text from the original vocal excerpts or the context from the plots of each respective opera. This volume contains the complete text of the vocal excerpts Pasculli uses, insights from the dramatic plot context, and advice to performers on how to apply such information to an instrumental performance.</p>

<p> This thesis explores the distinct two-part polyphonic patterning in Lithuanian Sutartines to reveal how singers shape and/or experience their songs as musical weaves. The findings are based on original fieldwork as well as old ethnographic sources, which are (re)examined and interpreted through the lens of metaphor as a methodology.</p>

<p> Actors create blocks based in fear, over-intellectualization of acting concepts, and the limiting assumptions they often make from any given theatrical text. Mask work can release the actor out of fear and into a non-intellectualized flow of freedom, expressivity and character transformation. Exploration with the various pedagogies and styles of Mask work can open doors for the actor that other contemporary training methods cannot, and therefore should be considered an essential component of the actor's training process. </p>

<p> Educating our Dance School Educators examines the relevance of certification for private dance school teachers. I offer a personal history as evidence for the need of certification in dance schools. I also provide a desired outline of the certification, which encompasses the mission statement and requirements for the candidates. The question of what it means to be certified is addressed by using the National Dance Education Organization as defining support. To argue for certification I draw support from dance editors and professors as well as the National Dance Education Standards. I use an example of a certification outline from the Connecticut school district and deconstruct why the outline is insufficient for my ideal standards. I do not have a target age group desired when talking about the students because this subject is relevant for students of all levels and ages. I use support from pedagogical research to explain the human developmental process for all ages specifically concerning the effects this process has on their learning curve. I also use critical pedagogy to explain the importance of pedagogical knowledge versus content knowledge. I conclude with a summary of my findings in support of certification for dance school teachers to ensure a quality education for all students whether pursuing it as a recreational activity or as a career.</p>

<p> This statement attempts to document, contextualize, and critically ground the thesis work that Emji Spero completed as part of the Mills College MFA in Book Art and Creative Writing degree. The work, Almost Any Shit Will Do, exists at the intersection between writing, book art, installation, and performance. The magnitude of this project necessitated the collaborative effort of many bodies, and as such, is best articulated in the collective wall text, written by Jess Marks Gale and Emji Spero, that accompanied their exhibition, This Body Public: this work was "an attempt to map intangible sites of intersection, the boundaries of porous bodies in the moment of encounter, and this space that betweens us." </p><p> ALMOST ANY SHIT WILL DO This thesis project included: (1) The writing of a book-length work of poetry, titled almost any shit will do. (2) The digital typesetting, design, and material production of two editions of almost any shit will do: a gate fold artist's book, and a soft cover trade book with letterpressed covers. Both editions were released through Timeless, Infinite Light. (3) An installation of embroidered panels featuring text from almost any shit will do. This text was connected with thread across the space of the gallery as part of This Body Public at Johansson Projects, alongside Jess Marks Gale's installation, Stay, from 21 March to 11 April 2014. (4) A performance of the work in which Emji Spero attempted to read excerpts from almost any shit will do; this reading was continually interrupted by the body of the artist collapsing to the ground. </p><p> CRITICAL THESIS This document includes: (a) An preface that hopes to ground the work, documenting the process of writing almost any shit will do, and providing a critical framework that serves to contextualize the writing; (b) A brief description of the work and the introduction "On the Process," excerpted from the book; (c) The text of almost any shit will do (see: additional materials); (d) Documentation and production notes on the creation of both editions of the text: the gate fold artist's book and the soft cover trade book; (e) Some critical reflections and documentation of the installation for This Body Public at Johansson Projects; (f) Description and documentation of the performance of almost any shit will do by Emji Spero at Johansson Projects on 11 April 2014; (g) A somatic transcription of the performance, written by Ivy Johnson; (h) Video of the audience during the performance, shot by Otis Pig and subtitled with Johnson's somatic transcription of the performance (see: additional materials)</p>

<p> The female musical theater belt voice has been heard onstage for almost one hundred years, yet the demands for this type of singing continue to evolve. While the style dominates Broadway, an understanding of successful teaching of the female belt voice seems to be lacking. Therefore, this study was undertaken to appropriately address the needs of female musical theater singers, and to establish effective strategies for teaching the female belt voice.</p><p> Individual case studies of four nationally recognized master teachers of female belting were created from observations in the studio, interviews with the teachers, and interviews with their students. Thirty-two hours of private voice lessons were observed with 18 female belt students in the studios of these master teachers in an effort to determine the extent to which they employed common techniques in the pedagogy and agreed on the characteristics of the female belt voice. Interview responses and field notes from the teachers and singers were analyzed individually and a cross-comparison of the data was analyzed for consensus or conflicting information on female musical theater belt pedagogy. </p><p> Interestingly, there was much consensus among the teachers on the physicality, sound, and strategies for female belting. Included in the findings were that the female belt voice is not a pure chest voice production, and development of the entire voice is key since working in head voice allows a female to create a lighter belt sound and to make the transition into the higher belt range. Distinct techniques for the traditional and contemporary belt voices emerged. The traditional belt, up to D5, uses more chest voice and full, open vowels. The contemporary belt, higher than D5, is produced with more head voice and closed, narrow vowels. Belting is considered speech-like and exciting, and is a joint process between teachers and students. </p><p> Based on this research, voice teachers working with musical theater students must be educated and proficient on the specific strategies and techniques of the evolving female belt voice. The female belt voice, though different from classical singing, does have its own set of techniques.</p>

<p> Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a common problem in musicians of all ages, genders, socio-economic backgrounds, and levels of performance experience. The intensity of symptoms associated with the condition range from mild to debilitating. Even at lower levels, chronic MPA is associated with stress-related illnesses and maladaptive coping behaviors, such as self-medication with licit (cigarettes and alcohol) and illicit or off-label drugs. Acute MPA is known to destroy musical careers. </p><p> Faced with the pervasiveness and potential gravity of MPA, clinicians have developed a number of nonpharmacologic treatment protocols, some of which have been studied for efficacy. Most of the outcome studies have reported pairwise comparisons (experimental versus control) of measures taken of small samples of performing musicians. The robustness of the treatment was determined by tests of statistical significance of observed differences on outcome measures or by the calculation of effect size. </p><p> Previous narrative reviews of outcome studies have provided summary descriptions of their characteristics and findings. However, these analyses do not provide quantitative evidence of the efficacy of different treatments for ameliorating MPA. </p><p> Since it was first employed in psychological research by Smith and Glass in 1977, meta-analysis has become the gold standard for synthesizing quantitative research findings across studies. The method involves integration of standardized treatment effect estimates from different studies. It can provide comparisons of the effectiveness of subgroups of therapies (approaches), characterize a therapeutic approach in terms of an outcome profile, and determine whether a particular psychotherapeutic intervention is effective. The present review is the first to use meta-analysis to integrate the findings of research studies in the literature on nonpharmacologic psychotherapies for MPA and to compare their effectiveness. </p><p> An exhaustive search of the literature identified 46 efficacy studies. Of these, 29 met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The accumulated data represents autonomic, self-report, and observational measures of MPA for 852 advanced music students and professional musicians. Each measure was coded for type (autonomic, self-report or observational) and for therapeutic approach (cognitive, behavioral, complementary and alternative, and combined). Analysis of the synthesized data indicated statistically significant therapeutic effects of each therapeutic approach. Additionally, when the approaches were compared, the class of psychotherapies that was made of combinations of two or more types of interventions (combined) showed the strongest treatment effect. </p><p> Among the implications of these findings is the plurality of good choices for an individual suffering with MPA. The development of programs to raise awareness of the prevalence of music performance anxiety and available treatments is recommended. For researchers, greater standardization in methodology and periodic meta-analysis is encouraged.</p>

<p> This is a study of the development and validation of a rubric to enhance performer feedback for undergraduate vocal solo performance. In the literature, assessment of vocal performance is under-represented, and the value of feedback from the assessment of musical performances, from the point of view of the performer, is nonexistent. The research questions guiding this study were 1) What are the appropriate performance criteria, learning outcomes, and meaningful descriptors for various levels of proficiency for undergraduate solo vocal performance? and 2) How do students perceive their use of the feedback from the solo vocal performance rubric to improve future performances? The three groups of stakeholders of the project were voice professors from the research institution who assisted in the development of the rubric; students from the research institution who provided performance excerpts and shared their perceptions about the quality of the feedback; and voice professors from outside the research institution who used the rubric to assess the student performances. Mixed-methods participatory action research was the method used to conduct the study. </p><p> Interviews with five experts aided the development of a criteria-specific rubric, which defined performance criteria, learning outcomes, and meaningful descriptors for various levels of proficiency for undergraduate students of singing. The rubric was distributed, along with 20 recordings comprised of 14 students, two professionals, and four repeated student performances, to voice professors who used the rubric to score the performances and provided feedback about the instrument as well as the process. Results of scoring were shared with student performers and interviews conducted about usefulness of the feedback. Seven themes emerged from the research analysis: a) levels of proficiency, b) performance criteria, c) descriptors, d) numerical scoring, e) comments, f) recording method, and g) song selection relative to the skill level of the singers. Results of the study determined that the rubric was statistically reliable, and the students received valuable feedback that validated their own self-perceptions and assisted them in long- and short-term goal setting. Practitioners may benefit from further research that explores the validity of the rubric when assigning a grade, assessing live performances, and including additional repertoire.</p>