No description available.

Master of Music / School of Music, Theatre, and Dance / Patricia Thompson / This Master’s Report is in the form of extended program notes on works performed on a graduate recital for a mezzo-soprano. The notes include biographical information, and a literary and historical exploration of the piece selected, to discuss the overall theme of the feminine character as she appears in contrasting works. Translations of the texts are included in the body of the text. The pieces discussed are Debussy’s Trois Chansons de Bilitis, Rossini’s “Cruda Sorte!...Già so per practica” from L’Italiana in Algeri, selections from Wolf’s Spaniches Liederbuch, Massenet’s “Va! Laisse couler mes larmes” from Werther, Lori Laitman’s Daughters, Handel’s “In gentle murmurs will I mourn” from Jephtha, and Granados’s La maja dolorosa No. 1, 2, and 3. The graduate recital was given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Music degree in vocal performance on March 29th, 2015 performed in All Faiths Chapel at Kansas State University. It featured the piano talents of Amanda Arrington, with the aid of Jillian Emerson on cello, Janice McGregor on violin, and Christopher Gugel on flute.

House in Heaven is a theatrical piece for five solo voices (one soprano, two mezzo sopranos, one baritone, and one bass), two trumpets, four French horns, one trombone, two flutes, two clarinets, two bassoons, string orchestra, vibraphone, timpani and a synthesizer which produces pipe organ sound. The composition consists of an introduction followed by a single act in three Scenes. The piece employs the cyclical device in engaging themes associated with particular characters. The texture grows from simple alternating dialogues to arias and, finally, to tutti passages in which all voices are combined to form a quintet, at the climactic point of the entire composition, which occurs at the end of the piece. The scenes depict imaginary events in a Church and at a flower garden. Rear-stage slide projections are used to project the scenes of these locations, and lighting is used to emphasize actions, characters and changes of scene. The singers also serve as actors. The duration of this work is approximately 20 minutes.

The question of how honesty is maintained in animal communication is a perplexing one, especially in the context of aggressive communication, in which the interests of signalers and receivers are opposed. Relevant information for receivers in aggressive interactions includes the fighting ability of the signaler and its likelihood of attack. Signalers may, however, benefit from manipulation of signals to exaggerate this information. To address questions of signal honesty, this dissertation investigates the use of a performance signal in the song of swamp sparrows (Melospiza georgiana). Performance signals are ones that are physically demanding to perform and that therefore reveal the signaler’s physical ability. The particular measure of vocal performance examined here is vocal deviation, which refers to the ability of birds to produce trilled songs approaching a performance boundary defined by the tradeoff between song trill rate (the rate at which elements of a song are repeated) and frequency bandwidth (the range of frequencies encompassed in a song). Three questions regarding the adaptive significance of vocal performance were investigated in the swamp sparrow 1) whether vocal performance is used as a signal in male-male communication, 2) whether vocal performance should be classified as an index signal of male quality, and 3) whether vocal deviation serves as a signal of aggressive intent. Results from four studies indicate that vocal performance plays a role in male-male signaling. Signalers appear to use vocal performance as a signal and receivers attend to differences in vocal performance. Evidence also indicates that vocal performance can be classified as an index signal, because males are constrained in their ability to produce high performance song and high vocal performance is correlated with aspects of male quality, such as age and size. Finally, this dissertation does not support classification of vocal performance as a signal of aggressive intent, because vocal performance fails to predict aggressive escalation.

The vocal performance database is a tool by which BYU vocal performance faculty and students may practice, assess, and review vocal performances, including practice juries, recitals, and end-of-semester juries. This document describes the process and results of designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the vocal performance database. By using this tool, vocal performance professors are able to give faster, more quality feedback to students following the jury. Students are able to receive legible feedback from their professors in a timely manner.

This project provides International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions, translations and a vocal pedagogical analysis of “Six Songs of Poetry by Gellert” by Ludwig van Beethoven. There is discussion of technical concepts applicable to singing, vocal relationships between text and poetry; and background information concerning Ludwig van Beethoven, Christian Gellert, and Christian Neefe. This document addresses possible vocal challenges a baritone might encounter when studying the Gellert Lieder. This guide provides suggestions for vowel modification in the passaggio, as well as a section dedicated to appoggio, aggiustamento, and vocal registration. Finally, this research provides a concise preparation for performance manual for singers and teachers of singing to use in the vocal studio.

Darwin's theory of sexual selection explains the existence of sexual dimorphism, or within-species sex differences in shape, color, size, and behavior. In some cases, sexually dimorphic traits, especially extravagant male ornaments, seem maladaptive and thus in opposition to natural selection. The crux of Darwin's theory was that sexual selection arises from individual differences in reproductive success that result from competition for mates. In this dissertation, I investigated several aspects of sexual selection and the evolution of female mating preferences and male ornaments in the great frigatebird (Fregata minor). Frigatebirds as a group (family Fregatidae) are the most ornamented of any seabirds, and are among the most ornamented of any animal group. Their most prominent ornament is a gular (throat) pouch which becomes red in males during the breeding season, and which is inflated and displayed to females during courtship. Male courtship display also includes a warble vocalization and extension and trembling of the wings. I investigated the following issues concerning sexual selection and ornamentation in great frigatebirds: 1) the source of ornamental coloration in male great frigatebird gular pouches. I determined that this was a carotenoid-based color display; 2) the relationship of male mating success to gular pouch size and coloration. I determined that mating success was not related to the size or color of this ornament; 3) the relationship between male vocal display traits and female preferences. Again, I found no relationship between vocal display traits and female preferences, and finally, 4) the role of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus in female mate choice. The MHC is a highly polymorphic multi-gene family associated with immune defense and has been proposed to play a role in mate choice. I found a significant disassortative mating pattern amongst mated pairs compared to random pairings based on MHC genotypes. In summary, I found no evidence for female mating preferences based on visual or auditory display traits associated with male ornamentation. However, I did find evidence for female mating preferences based on genetic dissimilarity at an MHC locus.

Pitch correction has been a part of music production ever since the introduction of AutoTune, back in 1997. Previous research regarding the topic has not found any significant differences when comparing pitch correctors to one another, in terms of how they correct pitch, however little to no research has been done on pitch correctors introduction of timbral and quality differences, when compared to an un-processed original. This study aims to test the notion that the usage of pitch correction software affects the timbre and quality of a vocal performance. The two pitch correctors chosen for this study was Antares Auto-Tune and Celemony Melodyne. 17 experienced listeners participated in an ABX-style listening test during which pitch corrected stimuli were compared to one another, and to un-tuned stimuli to find if subjects could differentiate between the different excerpts. The subjects also gave qualitative motivations for the perceived difference between the excerpts. The result of the listening test verifies the notion that pitch correction signal processing affects the timbre and quality, as it was found that subjects could, with statistical significance, differentiate the different excerpts. The result also shows that the most prevalent differentiating factor was the treble of the material.

Self-efficacy is theorized to represent our ability, capability, or capacity to accomplish particular tasks. One’s belief in that ability (self-efficacy belief) has been identified as the greatest predictor of successful performance and is influenced by four primary sources (enactive mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal/social persuasion, physiological and affective states), in addition to personal and contextual influences. However, the development of accurate self-perceptions may be particularly challenging for the collegiate vocalist. In the development of singing technique—where self-assessment is complicated by the corporal nature of the vocal instrument—Bandura’s (1997) sources of self-efficacy provide a framework whereby assessment of ability and capability may become more tangible. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to investigate how collegiate vocal students’ beliefs in their vocal performance abilities may be influenced by the four self-efficacy sources and personal/contextual factors. I distributed the Vocal Performance Self-Efficacy Survey (adapted from Zelenak, 2011) to 46 voice majors at a private university in the western United States. Nine interview participants, who represented diversity of performance beliefs, were subsequently selected from the survey participant pool. Interview participants completed an initial interview based on a priori themes (four sources of self-efficacy); and a follow-up interview, which explored contextual factors (i.e., student/teacher relationship, environment, cognitive self-regulation, practice habits, and gender). In addition, participants documented three experiences—in a voice lesson, practice session, and performance—that fostered or hindered their performance belief. Vocal students in this study described how they progressed in self-belief by moving from a reliance on external assessments of ability to a reliance on self-appraisal as they (a) developed their technique through practice, studio learning, and performance (enactive mastery experience); (b) watched coping and master models (vicarious experience); (c) received feedback (verbal/social persuasion); (d) knew and felt physically when they were singing freely (physiological and affective states); and (e) learned to exercise agency (cognitive self-regulation). A particularly important finding from this study was the common and consistent reliance singers placed on physiological and affective states. Eight of nine interview participants responded that, of all the self-efficacy sources, physiological and affective states most affected their performance belief. Interview data indicate the importance of nurturing vocal students’ performance beliefs through utilizing the four sources of self-efficacy, fostering qualities of persistence and resilience, facilitating cognitive self-regulation, working toward productive student/teacher relationships, and creating safe learning and performance environments.

In 2008, the American Academy of Teachers of Singing released a paper in support of further research and training in the teaching of non-classical music or Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM). CCM can be defined as encompassing (but not limited to) the following genres: musical theatre, pop, rock, gospel, R&B, soul, hip-hop, rap, country, folk, and experimental music. Despite the increase in number of musical theatre and CCM degree programs at American universities, and the that national voice pedagogy organizations have begun to include musical theatre competitions and masterclasses, such academic training for future voice teachers has not met the demand. A 2003 survey by LoVetri and Weekly to evaluate the levels of training and experience of voice teachers in CCM styles of singing showed that while 71 schools offered Bachelor’s degrees in Musical Theatre, there were no schools offering CCM voice pedagogy training. In a 2009 follow-up, Weekly and LoVetri found that only 19% of those surveyed had any training to teach Musical Theatre. Additionally, many teachers indicated they were only classically trained and had no idea how to sing in any other style. For this study a three-part survey containing 27 questions was used to survey voice teachers who had been enrolled in or completed graduate-level (MM or DMA) voice programs since the publication of Weekly and LoVetri’s most recent survey. The purpose of the survey was to discover the pedagogical training of recent graduate voice students in CCM. The data is collected from a population in which n=66. While this study did show an increase in pedagogical training in CCM at the graduate university level (26%) as well as an increase in the number of CCM teachers with both graduate-level training and performance experience, this increase was small, and the majority of those who reported having received training did so through private instruction or independent study. / Music Performance