This report provides a broad technical and pedagogical overview of Paul Rolland's teaching method, as found in The Teaching of Action in String Playing (1974), and accompanying film series of the same title. Through this report, the reader will come to understand important fundamental violin playing techniques, which may be applied at all levels of violin playing. Rolland's unique movement training exercises, called “Action Studies,” present material in a carefully organized sequence of objectives designed to optimize learning and performance in all facets of instruction (Action Studies are distinguished from other tasks by use of quotation and capitalization throughout the report). The Rolland method is pedagogically unique in that it emphasizes basic concepts and ideas and cultivates an acute awareness of the body's movements. While pedagogically innovative, Rolland's violin playing principles drew influence from many great string pedagogues of the past, including Dr. F.A. Steinhausen, Carl Flesch, and Shinichi Suzuki. Additionally, Rolland was greatly influenced by the work of British Speech Teacher Frederick Matthias Alexander, and kinesiology scientist Frances A. Hellebrandt, M.D. For the purpose of accurately expounding Rolland's topical thirty-two unit course of study, this report is organized in sections corresponding with the chapters of The Teaching of Action in String Playing. / text

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When assessing the quality of a brass instrument the player must consider a number of factors, the main consideration being the playability of the chosen instrument. The playability of an instrument is a broad term used to describe how well the instrument plays; this includes how in tune the resonant modes are, how easy it is to start and move between notes, how easy it is to bend notes and the degree of spectral enrichment during a crescendo that is able to be produced. The starting transient is known to be of crucial importance for both the musician and listener, and previous work in the field has been mainly concerned with such starting transients; this work focusses on inter-note transitions. Transitions between notes include both starting and finishing transients as the initial note is ended and the next begun. Using high speed photography images synchronised with pressure signals from the mouthpiece and bell end, the internote transitions are explored. Results from these experiments are compared with those from a simple one dimensional time domain model. Other techniques used to determine the playability of a specific instrument include the rate at which the instrument timbre becomes `brassy' due to nonlinear effects, that are a consequence of loud playing. The relative significance of viscothermal wall losses and nonlinear effects within realistic brass instruments have been explored here using experiments on cylindrical tubes of different internal diameters. These experimental results are compared with results from a computational model that uses weakly nonlinear wave propagation theory and includes viscothermal losses. It is also possible on some brass instruments, when playing loudly, to achieve what are known as super high notes; these notes are above the frequency where the instrument has well defined resonances. Experimental results are presented here using optical techniques to visualise the motion of the player's lips during playing of these super high notes.

During the past two years (1974-76) the writer has become increasingly aware of the need for a method of assisting conductors with the score preparation of "new" band literature. Because this literature often represents the modern composer's efforts to explore non-traditional compositional techniques, the development of a new or at least expanded approach to analysis, aimed directly at the conductor's task of preparing a score for rehearsal (and performance) seems to be in order.Most recent approaches to analysis have been developed by theorists whose microscopic examination of music, sometimes complicated with new terminology, does not necessarily assist the conductor in his efforts to Formulate musical interpretations. Furthermore, the education of most conductors today emphasizes a background heavy with more traditional musical concepts. With these two points firmly in mind, the author has attempted to expand the more traditional concepts of harmony, melody, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, and texture, and subsequently incorporate them in the development of an analytical method that specifically serves the conductor's task of score preparation as related to more contemporary band literature.Essential to the process of developing this analytical method was understanding and defining the goal of the conductor in the task of score preparation. To this end, the writer examined the published views of several well-known conductors. All of these authors seemed in agreement: in order to present a musical work, the conductor must have a broad view of the work so as to understand the logic of its progression, from beginning to end. Seemingly then, score preparation should serve to uncover and enhance this broad view. The writer's analytical method assumed this purpose: to assist the conductor in the discovery and development of this broad view. For the purpose of identifying this goal, the writer developed the term "macro-view".In the course of developing his analytical approach, the writer has introduced his concept of melodic rhythm, a term coined to cover the composite temporal (linear) effect caused by relationships among musical elements such as melody, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, and texture. It is for the expressed purpose of enhancing accessibility to the concept of motion and repose in "atonal" band literature to those who are seemingly more familiar with the concept of phrase and cadence associated with more traditional melodies that the author has chosen the term melodic rhythm.In the view of this writer, the primary concern of descriptive analysis is the discovery of melodic rhythm(s), accomplished through a relatively microscopic investigation of the score. The author suggests that the information uncovered in this process be collected in a systematic fashion for later use. To assist in this collection of information the author has developed a "Descriptive Analysis Chart".Chapters III through VI are demonstrations of the author's analytical method and represent a variety of atonal band literature. Included within these chapters are Geometrics No. 4 by Martin Mailman, Study in Textures by Gunther Schuller, Spectrum by Herbert Bielawa, Statement by Brent Heisinger, and Stargazing by Donald Erb. (Composer comments on the analysis presented are included as Appendix C.)The writer's approach to score preparation is founded on his belief that inherent in all music, regardless of style, period, or medium, is the apperception of motion and repose. Furthermore, it is through the auditory sensation of motion and repose that the unity of a piece becomes comprehendable. Upon completing an analysis according to the guide lines presented in this dissertation, the conductor can proceed with the presentation of a unified performance of an "atonal" band work.

vi, 393 leaves : tables ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1979

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 238-246).

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Department of Psychology, 1979.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-226) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1971. / Vita. Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 73 p.; also includes graphics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-73). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center