Thesis advisor: Lynn Lyerly / Based in 1960s Detroit, the Motown Record Company established itself and thrived as an independently run and successful African American business. Amidst humble origins in a two-story house outside of which Berry Gordy hung the sign, "Hitsville USA," Motown encouraged America's youth, urging them to look beyond racial divides and to simply sing and dance together in a time where the theme of unity was becoming increasingly important. Producing legends such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, and the Jackson Five, Motown truly created a new sound for the youth of America and helped shape the 1960s. Competing with the "British Invasion" and "the Protest Movement," in 1960s music, Motown is often said to have had little or no impact on the political and social revolution of the time because Motown did not produce "message music." The 2006 film, Dreamgirls even depicts Gordy and Motown as hypocrites and race traitors. Yet Motown embodied one of the principles the Civil Rights Movement preached most: black success and independence. Although the founder of Motown, Berry Gordy, never had the intention of proclaiming a message of black independence and empowerment through his actions of establishing an independent record company, he accomplished one of the goals of the Civil Rights Movement: black economic independence. The establishment and success of Motown was an intrinsically political act that served as proof to Civil Rights claims that African Americans could be just as independent and successful as whites. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2008. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: History. / Discipline: History Honors Program.

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The thesis deals with the Czech community of musicians who play so-called "Balkan music". The research deals with those coming originally from the Czech Republic and who do not have any obvious links to the Balkan peninsula. The emphasis is put on their stereotypical notion about Balkans. The content of the music works they produce and the way how are performed are considered as the key moments how the musicians express their feelings and visions about Balkan. The most of the thesis originates from my personal experience with the "Balkan music" in the Czech environment and from my participation in the Džezvica band. This band is also utilized as an reference model of the "western idea"about the Balkan. The work comprises of both theoretical part denoting the stereotypization and balkanism and the field research carried out during years 2010-2012 in Prague. As an integral part follows the analysis of semi-structured interviews with selected musicians on the (general) topic "balkan music". As the main outcome, the thesis captures and analyses whether we can evaluate the "czech balkanism" with the balkanism and if and how are such musicians' concepts being made.

In my diploma thesis I am focused on biography of polish composer Karol Szymanowski. In his biography I briefly analyze his major works of three different creative periods and I present what was he inspired of at those periods (eg. Wagner's harmony, oriental music, folk music of Podhale etc.). Afterwards, I detaily focus on analysis of the ballet "Harnasie", which is most inspired by the folklore music from Zakopané, where he lived for a part of his life. I analyze the ballet from music aspect, I also write about libretto, kostumes, scenography atc. I have added the ballet notes samples as a part of the musical analysis to facilitate orientation. I have included images of people, places, folk costumes, architecture and dance I am writing about. Annexes include notes samples and another images from composer's life and also a list of compositions, which are included on CD.

Title: Using elements of art education in teaching German as a foreign language (with a focus on drama pedagogy and work with picture book "Queen of Colour" by Jutta Bauer) Summary: My thesis is focused on integration of aesthetic elements into a German language lesson. Such elements help to improve students' language resources and language skills and they also help to develop their personality. The subject of my work is relation between the language and art - particular art education, namely dramatic, musical, and literary - partly - art education and their application in a foreign language lesson. This thesis is based on the theory of drama pedagogy and on analysis of an authentic foreign language literary text, namely on the picture book genre. The topics in the practical section are taken from artistic sources and were tested in particular sample lessons. Keywords: Aesthetic elements, Drama pedagogy, Music, Visual Material, Literary Text, Project-based Learning, Language resources, Language skills