Fading Points is a piece of music for large wind ensemble. The work is concerned with time perception and is designed to convey to the listener a long temporal progression from slow music to fast music. To this end, the work is written using musical gestures specifically designed for their portrayal of musical time. The work consists of four sections, each of which is described in detail in the analytical part of the thesis. The analysis also describes the rhythmic language, which is created around short rhythmic cells. These cells are based on ratios and are used in all levels of the piece from the surface rhythm to the large formal divisions. The harmonic language is also described. The vertical harmony is derived from a dense chord presented at the beginning of the piece. The horizontal pitch material is created from small pitch cells, also taken from the opening chord. These cells are used in isolation but are also combined to create modes, which are the focus of the latter parts of the piece.

No description available.

Given the diversity found in today's Japanese culture and the size of the country's population, it is easy to see why the understanding of Japanese wind band repertoire must be multi-faceted. Alongside Western elements, many Japanese composers have intentionally sought to maintain their cultural identity through the addition of Japanese musical elements or concepts. These added elements provide a historical and cultural context from which to frame a composition or, in some cases, a composer's compositional output. The employment of these elements serve as a means to categorize the Japanese wind band repertoire. In his studies on cultural identities found in Japanese music, Gordon Matthews suggests there are three genres found within Japanese culture. He explains these as "senses of 'Japaneseness' among Japanese musicians." They include Fence, Flavor, and Phantasm. Bringing a new perspective to the idea of Japanese influence, I trace the implementation of these facets of Japanese music through the wind band music of Japanese composers. I demonstrate that Japanese wind band genres are the result of a combination of Japanese musical elements and Western influence and argue that the varying levels of this combination, balanced with historical and cultural context, create three distinct genres within the Japanese wind band repertoire.

The instrumental composition of the band is an outgrowth of utilitarian improvisation. The well-developed percussion section, and the voluminous reed and brass sections are a carry-over from the Military, where the emphasis was on functional beating of time for marching. Mobility and volume sufficient for the accompaniment of troop movements were also necessary. Until recent times, the band existed only for functional matters, never as an independent and self-justifying medium with its purpose being a musical organization. Through the growth of military, professional, and school bands, the band of today has developed into a musical organization in its own right, which can perform almost anything in the technical range of composition.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 539-569). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

No description available.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003. / Printout. Vita. Includes analysis of the cornet as a solo instrument in selected works from the James Benefield collection that reflect a variety of musical styles. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-65).

Dissertation (D.M.A.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2009. / Directed by Jack F. Masarie; submitted to the School of Music. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jul. 20, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-87).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-108). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-108). Also available on the Internet.