Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Background: Professional orchestral string musicians are exposed to many physical and psychological stressors due to demands placed on them from playing their instruments. The prevalence of performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD’s) in this highly skilled group of individuals has been investigated internationally, consistently showing a high injury rate. There is however, a paucity of literature documenting the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in South African professional orchestral string players. It is hypothesized that South African trained orchestral string musicians may be at a greater risk for PRMD development due to the unique training and performance environments encountered in this country. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the demographic and injury profile; prevalence rate of current injury and risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in South African professional orchestral string musicians. Method: The study utilized a self administered quantitative questionnaire distributed to all string players in the three professional orchestras in South African in a semi-supervised fashion. SPSS version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used to analyze the data. A p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. iv v Results: There were 27 respondents, with the average participant being a Caucasian, right handed, non-smoking female, 37.11 years of age, 1.5631 meters tall, with a weight of 62.96 kilograms (BMI = 25.768) who exercised regularly (primarily in the gym). A bachelors degree in Music was the most commonly awarded qualification, obtained between the years 2000 and 2009, from a University outside of the Republic of South Africa. The prevalence of PRMD’s in the sample was 63% (n = 17), with a 95% confidence interval of 42.4% to 80.6%.In this study there was a high rate of injury (6.53 PRMD’s per player over a 12 month period), equating to 111 reported injuries in a population of 27 string players. The upper back (defined as the area between the shoulder blades) was the most commonly injured part of the body (77.8%, n = 21), followed by the upper extremity, mainly the shoulder (70.4%, n = 19). No statistically significant relationships were found in determining and confirming expected risk factors in the string players. Conclusion: Professional orchestral string musicians in South Africa suffer from a high rate of injury which is comparable to international studies of the same nature

An original composition in one movement for a chamber octet comprised of a string quartet and a jazz piano quartet with tenor saxophone. The work develops an idée fixe, introduced in the opening bars, through a wide variety of transformations, textures, and styles. The two quartets begin in antiphonal alteration, united in thematic material, yet separated by style. A modern art music style contrasts with an improvisational jazz style. Gradually, the two quartets, and their concomitant musics, bleed into one another, breaking down stylistic boundaries. In the conclusion of the work, the idée fixe, the supplementary themes, and the two quartets coalesce into an organic sonic whole.

We compute the exact partition function of two dimensional N=(2,2) supersymmetric gauge theories on S². For theories with SU(2|1)_A invariance, the partition function admits two equivalent representations corresponding to localization on the Coulomb branch or the Higgs branch, which includes vortex and anti-vortex excitations at the poles. For SU(2|1)_B invariant gauge theories, the partition function is localized to the Higgs branch which is generically a Kähler quotient manifold. The resulting partition functions are invariant under the renormalization group flow. For gauge theories that flow in the infrared to Calabi-Yau nonlinear sigma models, the partition functions for the SU(2|1)_A (resp SU(2|1)_B) invariant theories compute the Kähler potential on the Kähler moduli (resp. complex structure moduli) of the Calabi-Yau manifold. We also compute the elliptic genus of such theories in the presence of Stückelberg fields and show that they are modular completions of mock Jacobi forms.

Dieter Schnebel's String Trio from 2007-2009 is a spatial sound composition that features unique visual components within a traditional string trio setting. This research provides performers and audiences a more thorough understanding of the String Trio and its evocative aesthetic qualities, by identifying and organizing the ways in which the visual and musical material interact. To provide context for String Trio, a brief overview of Schnebel's compositional style and influence on avant-garde musical trends of the latter half of the twentieth century is provided in chapter 2. Special consideration is given to his instrumental chamber music and works for string instruments. In chapter 3, the prior musical analysis and aesthetic context provides a basis for the many conceptual implications resulting from the incorporation of theatricality into a typically non-theatrical genre. The performers' roles within the ensemble and the ways in which they relate to one another as well as their audience, are illuminated and ultimately contribute to a deeper, enhanced experience of the piece. Expectations and traditional notions concerning formal, classical music etiquette are also explored through Schnebel's complex directional changes in orientation and unconventional utilization of the performance space.

Nigel (Henry) Butterley (b. 1935) is recognised as one of Australia??s foremost contemporary composers. His works span most compositional genres. By making a case for the value of sketch study in the process of musical analysis, the principal purpose of this thesis is to augment understanding of Butterley??s music and in particular, his compositional processes and procedures through the various stages of the genesis of a composition, from the sketch to final score. Butterley??s string quartets, composed between the years 1965 to 2001 provide the basis for this study; these works are contextualised and examined to illustrate his approach to composition in microcosm and also his individual style within the genre of string quartet writing. This study focuses on the examination of preliminary sketches, drafts and holographs, as well as the scores of the completed works. Initially, analysis is based on preliminary sketches; this will be augmented by a formal analysis of the completed works. Traditionally, formal analysis deals with the final product, something that has been created, and in a sense, views a work retrospectively. Sketch study, in contrast, examines the work as it is being created and is concerned with the attendant compositional issues and choices available to the composer and the processes followed as he or she creates the composition. The current work will identify significant common features in all the string quartets, and will trace Butterley??s compositional trajectory through these works demonstrating that individual characteristics of Butterley??s style, emergent as early as 1965, continued to be utilised in 1995 and remain present in the Bagatelle of 2001. That these characteristics remain present in a minut?? is significant, in that the Bagatelle may be seen as a microcosm of the writing style evident in his larger works. This thesis will demonstrate that sketch study and formal analysis may interact in order to provide a more comprehensive interpretation of a composer??s work and enrich the understanding and appreciation of the compositional process and the final product, ultimately impacting on the realisation of a composer??s work through performance.

D.M.A. final project--Department of Music, Stanford University, 2003. / Pref. includes abstract and performance instructions. "Weave, for string trio, is formed of three solo pieces: Weft for violin solo, Shuttle for viola solo, and Warp for cello solo, each composed using a common structural and metrical grid, so that they may be performed simultaneously"--Leaf iv.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MMus.) - University of Glasgow, 2008. / MMus. thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, Department of Music, Univeristy of Glasgow 2008. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2004. / For string quartet and lyric soprano. Vita. Acc. tape includes recording of work.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Physics and Astronomy." Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-174).