abstract: This thesis proposes an augmentation of the Complete Method for Trombone by Jean Baptiste Arban. Although it is widely considered one of the leading trombone method books in the world, a thorough consideration of the demands of most performed solo literature today reveals serious shortcomings in the Arban Method for preparing trombonists to encounter such demands as meter and rhythm, keys and tonalities, range and endurance, clefs and F-attachment usage. This thesis thus proposes additions for a new version of the Arban Method that better aligns with the playing demands of the most performed solo literature today, as compiled by the International Trombone Association Journal since 1972. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2018

Nicknamed "Mr. Bass Trombone" for his role as a prominent, trailblazing recording artist, George Roberts (b. 1928) has often been recognized as redefining the role of the bass trombone in popular music as well as setting new standards for technical refinement and expressive possibilities of the instrument. Through two interviews and a comparison between ten recorded performances by Roberts and corresponding lead sheets, I make observations about Roberts' performance techniques and illustrate various examples of those techniques. The document includes 35 pp. of interview transcriptions.

abstract: In preparation for an orchestral audition, one of the first considerations a trombonist will have in the study of an excerpt is the question of tempo. The selection of an appropriate tempo for a musical work is key to a successful performance of that work and can make the difference between winning an audition and losing it. This project identifies the tempo of the top sixteen tenor trombone excerpts one is likely to perform in an audition by analyzing the tempo in recordings of professional orchestras. The data generated in the measurements of those recordings is analyzed in an effort to determine an appropriate tempo around which a trombonist preparing these excerpts might center their work. The goal of this project is to provide a resource for trombonists and trombone teachers as an aid in their determination of the ideal tempo of these excerpts. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2020

Abstract Female Trombonists’ Experiences of Gender Bias Em Poff and Dr. Alison Deadman, Department of Music, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Compared with their male counterparts, female trombonists are underrepresented throughout the United States especially in collegiate teaching positions. Does this underrepresentation cause fewer females to pursue playing the trombone and does gender bias play a role? After discussing the historical roles and excepted musical instruments for women to play during the 19th century, this document makes note of many women who were able to surpass societal norms and make their own musical choices. The purpose of this study is to discover if gender bias towards female trombonists exists and if it is a relevant negative factor in the experiences of and musical opportunities open to female trombonists today. This study and the survey questions were inspired by Melissa Ewing’s dissertation, Examining the Under-Representation of Female Euphonium Players in the USA. In order to create a trombone-centered survey, I modified Ewing’s survey questions and added other questions to help gain useful information from female trombone students and trombone professors. I limited my study to 4-year universities in the United States. The names of trombone professors were collected from the College Music Society directory. These professors were surveyed and asked to provide their own gender identity as well as the gender ratio of their studio. In addition, they were asked to forward a survey focused on the college experience of female-identifying trombonists to their female-identifying students. My study will serve as a resource for future research on female-identifying trombonists and gender studies in general regarding musical instruments.

No description available.

The purpose of this critical essay is two-fold. First, the essay presents a detailed critical analysis of my original composition, Blueline Concerto for bass trombone and wind ensemble. Second, using Blueline Concerto, the essay presents preliminary findings of my study to develop an approach to composing that takes into account the musicians' health, specifically regarding noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Through various hypothesized composition- and orchestral-based approaches, I test effectiveness on changes in NIHL risk while also noting that artistic merit and compositional integrity is preserved.

This dissertation attempts to motivate, derive and imply potential uses for a generalized perceptual theory of musical harmony called psychoacoustic entropy theory. This theory treats the human auditory system as a physical system which takes acoustic measurements. As a result, the human auditory system is subject to all the appropriate uncertainties and limitations of other physical measurement systems. This is the theoretic basis for defining psychoacoustic entropy. Psychoacoustic entropy is a numerical quantity which indexes the degree to which the human auditory system perceives instantaneous disorder within a sound pressure wave. Chapter one explains the importance of harmonic analysis as a tool for performance practice. It also outlines the critical limitations for many of the most influential historical approaches to modeling harmonic stability, particularly when compared to available scientific research in psychoacoustics. Rather than analyze a musical excerpt, psychoacoustic entropy is calculated directly from sound pressure waves themselves. This frames psychoacoustic entropy theory in the most general possible terms as a theory of musical harmony, enabling it to be invoked for any perceivable sound. Chapter two provides and examines many widely accepted mathematical models of the acoustics and psychoacoustics of these sound pressure waves. Chapter three introduces entropy as a precise way of measuring perceived uncertainty in sound pressure waves. Entropy is used, in combination with the acoustic and psychoacoustic models introduced in chapter two, to motivate the mathematical formulation of psychoacoustic entropy theory. Chapter four shows how to use psychoacoustic entropy theory to analyze the certain types of musical harmonies, while chapter five applies the analytical tools developed in chapter four to two short musical excerpts to influence their interpretation. Almost every form of harmonic analysis invokes some degree of mathematical reasoning. However, the limited scope of most harmonic systems used for Western common practice music greatly simplifies the necessary level of mathematical detail. Psychoacoustic entropy theory requires a greater deal of mathematical complexity due to its sheer scope as a generalized theory of musical harmony. Fortunately, under specific assumptions the theory can take on vastly simpler forms. Psychoacoustic entropy theory appears to be highly compatible with the latest scientific research in psychoacoustics. However, the theory itself should be regarded as a hypothesis and this dissertation an experiment in progress. The evaluation of psychoacoustic entropy theory as a scientific theory of human sonic perception must wait for more rigorous future research. / Music Performance / Accompanied by one compressed .zip file.

Note: "comments" document only, original score inlcuded as separate entity and accompanied by digital version of "stereo reduction" tape (1 sound tape reel: 15 ips; 7 in.) as separate entity.

A produção orquestral de Villa-Lobos é indubitavelmente grandiosa e exuberante, confrontando a nós músicos, desafios de ordem técnica e interpretativa. Este trabalho discutirá sobre algumas das partes destinadas aos metais graves e suas possíveis soluções técnicas. Escolheram-se oito peças sinfônicas de palco na intenção de se tabular uma amostra razoável dessa faceta composicional de Villa-Lobos. As sugestões interpretativas serão embasadas em análises de autógrafos e suas edições, visualizadas por meio de trechos das partes orquestrais e corroboradas por uma revisão atualizada da literatura, propondo que se busque uma compreensão maior sobre as ferramentas expressivas oferecidas ao intérprete de metal grave, inserindo-o dentro da dialética villalobiana. / The orchestral production of Villa-Lobos is certainly grand and lush. It is confronting us musicians in a technical and interpretive challenges order. This doctoral essay will discuss some of the parts composed for low brass and their possible technical solutions. It was chose eight symphonic pieces in order to major measure a reasonable sample of the compositional facet of Villa-Lobos. Interpretation suggestions are based on solid analysis from autograph and their issues, visualized by means of excerpts from the orchestral and supported by an updated literature review parts, proposing to seek a greater understanding of the expressive tools offered to low brass musician and inserting them inside of the villalobiana´s dialectic.

Trombone concerto (first movement) -- Post-Zero -- Trio for flute, violin and cello, no. 2. / submitted by Tang Pan-hang Benny. / Thesis submitted in: December 1997. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.ii / Acknowledgment --- p.iii / Declaration --- p.iv / Introduction --- p.1 / Trombone Concerto (first movement) --- p.2 / Programme notes --- p.3 / Remarks --- p.5 / Instrumentation --- p.6 / Seating Plan --- p.7 / Scores --- p.8 / Post-Zero 零後 --- p.56 / Introduction --- p.57 / Programme notes --- p.57 / Performance direction --- p.61 / Instrumentation --- p.62 / Seating plan --- p.62 / Scores --- p.63 / "Trio for Flute, Violin and Cello No.2" --- p.144 / Programme notes --- p.145 / Performance direction --- p.145 / Scores --- p.146 / Biography --- p.159 / Music Works List --- p.160