<p> 1942 was a pivotal juncture in Benjamin Britten's career. Originally, he had planned to emigrate to the United States of America, but after staying a few years, he unexpectedly returned to England in 1942. Upon leaving America's shores, his compositional scores and sketches were confiscated by US Customs. This confiscation, on the one hand, disrupted a smooth transition back to the United Kingdom, but on the other, presented the opportunity for a fresh compositional start. In the years directly following his return, 1943 to 1945, Britten's vocal music is full of metric complexity, suggesting a captivation with metric experimentation. <i>The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard</i> (1943), <i>Festival Te Hein</i>. (1944), <i> the Holy Sonnets of John Donne</i> (1945), and <i>Peter Grimes</i> (1945), diverse in their musical construction and distinct in the types of texts set, share a central compositional concern: the employment of sustained metric conflict as a means of emphasizing structural junctures or poetic ideas. This dissertation presents an overview of metric and hypermetric displacement and grouping conflicts, demonstrating how Britten establishes, sustains, and problematizes meter for expressive and text-interpretative purposes. The methodology employed here draws upon developments in metric theory over the past thirty years, and builds upon analyses that foreground cognitive, performative, and spatial representation.</p><p>

<p> I. Solo Recital: Saturday, November 1, 2014, 5:30 p.m., Organ Hall. <i> Three Pieces, Op. 30</i> (Max Laurischkus); <i>Concerto for Clarinet </i> (Henri Tomasi); <i>Carnival of Venice</i> (Paul JeanJean); <i> Press Release</i> (David Lang).</p><p> II. Solo Recital: Friday, April 17, 2015, 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall. <i> Fantasy-Ballet</i> (Jules Mazellier); <i>Concertino, Op. 15</i> (Jeanine Rueff); <i>Klezmer Rhapsody</i> (Paul Steinberg); <i> Quirk for bass clarinet and computer</i> (Eric Honour); <i>Clarinet Concerto</i> (John Veale).</p><p> III. Solo Recital: Saturday, March 19, 2016, 1:30 p.m., Organ Hall. <i> Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622</i> (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart); <i> Bucolique for Clarinet and Piano</i> (Eugene Bozza); <i>Pastorale (Souvenirs du Fr&ouml;g)</i> (Daniel Dorff); <i>Industrial Strength for Bass Clarinet and Piano</i> (Kenji Bunch).</p><p> IV. D.M.A. Research Project. THE TRAINING OF JAZZ AND POPULAR STYLES IN MULTIPLE WOODWIND DEGREE PROGRAMS, (2017).</p><p> This project attempts to determine if graduate students in multiple woodwind degree programs are provided adequate access to jazz training or performance opportunities as part of the degree program. To meet the professional expectations in the field, multiple woodwind instrumentalists not only need to be able to play several woodwind instruments well, but also in a wide range of styles. In particular, players must be literate in jazz performance styles, primarily to be able to play in swing or big band style but also, occasionally, to improvise. </p><p> Degree requirements that were available online from twenty-four universities that offer a graduate degree in multiple woodwinds were examined, in addition to the background and areas of expertise of some of the woodwind faculty. Interviews were conducted of four woodwind doublers who have played in pit orchestras for Broadway-type shows to learn how they became qualified for that work. In all cases, no identifying information of the players and university programs were shared in the reporting of this study.</p><p> University websites tend to outline only partially the curricular requirements of the Master&rsquo;s level multiple woodwind degree, but it was determined that jazz saxophone is not consistently included as part of the multiple woodwind curriculum. Those interviewed all emphasized that the ability to perform in multiple styles and to perform adequately the stylistic interpretation of written notation in a convincing jazz style is an essential expectation of those jobs. Interviewees recalled that little to no jazz training was accessible in their Master&rsquo;s degrees, and those who were most successful playing in a jazz style had previous access to jazz performance opportunities in their undergraduate degrees. Transcripts of the four interviews are provided as an appendix.</p><p>

<p> The establishment of solid, safe vocal technique during the teenage years is essential to a singer&rsquo;s growth and success as an adult; the purpose of this paper is to investigate vocal pedagogical technique for female singers in their adolescence. Through an exploration of adolescent vocal development, a survey of the <i>bel canto</i> singing tradition, and interviews with voice teachers, this project will discuss a teaching method that values vocal health, development, and longevity in young singers. The final objective will be to better understand and identify the developments and challenges encountered by female adolescents in and around puberty, and to suggest pedagogical vocal techniques for current and future singers and teachers.</p>

This study focused on Christopher Small's (b. 1927) perspectives on the inception, reception and application of his work since 1977 when his first book, Music Society Education was published. Small's perceptions and thoughts were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using oral history techniques based on qualitative research design. Grounded theory was employed in data analysis, and in the interpretation of Small's responses to interview questions. Implications for teachers, policy makers and curriculum designers suggest that musical activity within institutions ought to be examined further as to what end this activity serves, and as to where it places both teacher and learner. The author sought the extent to which Small's ideas have gained traction in current music education practice and findings revealed that Small's ideas are outside of foundational and current trends in music education based in the European classical tradition.

The compositional problem I have proposed to solve is the creation of a work for full symphonic orchestra, utilizing a unified melodic and harmonic field in a piece of large dimension. The form of the first movement is ternary, the second is variation form, and the third is rondo-like. Technically I have employed a single hexachord--C, E-flat, E-natural, F-sharp, G, and B--registered in integers as (0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11), which I have rotated and permuted to create both melodic and harmonic materials. Furthermore, I have used a number of rhythmic and timbral devices to help sustain the thrust of these materials, and also to create variety. The projected playing time of this composition is approximately 25 minutes.

<p> The purpose of this study is to provide a descriptive analysis of high school choral teachers&rsquo; inclusion of popular music in current teaching practices by (a) determining the frequency of inclusion, (b) developing a profile of teachers, schools, and choral programs that include popular music in the curriculum, (c) determining which demographic characteristics affected the amount of popular music included, and (d) developing a profile of popular music implementation details. The <i>Popular Music Survey,</i> a researcher designed online survey, was developed to collect demographic data and information concerning the participants&rsquo; inclusion of popular music in their high school choral classrooms. Participants were high school choral teachers in the Commonwealth of Virginia (<i>n</i> = 104). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Macintosh, Version 22.0. </p><p> Results of the study revealed that 100% of participants include popular music in the choral curriculum as performance literature and/or instructional materials. Descriptive statistics of demographic data of the teacher, school, choral program, and ensemble were used to develop a profile to describe the typical high school choral teacher who includes popular music. Descriptive statistics were also used to develop a profile to describe how high school choral teachers included popular music in the choral classroom. </p><p> The majority of participants (n = 91, 87.4%) responded that the percentage of popular music performed was 30% or less of their total performance literature. Pearson Chi-square and one-way analysis of variance were used to determine the extent to which popular music was included in the high school choral curriculum. The achievement of a master&rsquo;s degree was the only teacher characteristic that significantly affected the amount of popular music included in the high school choral curriculum (p = .028). Participants with a master&rsquo;s degree included more popular music than participants who did not have a master&rsquo;s degree. </p><p> Implications for music education were discussed in relation to the findings of the current study. Recommendations were made for future research regarding the inclusion of popular music in choral classrooms, as well as in other areas of music education.</p>

<p> This study explored with high school choral directors and singers, their experiences of musical expression in the choral classroom setting. A phenomenological approach to a collective case study was used to address the notions of &ldquo;what&rdquo;, &ldquo;why&rdquo;, and &ldquo;how&rdquo; in regard to the relationships and interactions between choral directors, singers, their personal experiences and musical texts as they pertain to musical expression. Four high school choral programs participated in this study. One choral director and a focus group of 4-7 students from each program participated in open-ended, semi-structured, interviews. Video recorded observations of choral rehearsals provided media for additional stimulated recall interviews that used both open-ended and framing techniques. These interviews served as the primary method of data collection to help examine how the participants conceptualized and practiced musical expression. </p><p> The high school choral directors and singers of this study described musical expression in broad terms but agreed that it can be understood as both a means of conveying and understanding meanings and emotions. The participants addressed considerations and conditions such as engagement, their emotional response to the repertoire, composer intent, the classroom environment and obstacles such as the difficulty of the score or external distractions. They described specific approaches such as collaborative meaning making of musical contexts, formal elements of a score, and text. Implications are addressed for the ways choral directors approach repertoire selection, classroom configuration, rehearsal strategies, building relationships, delivering content, helping students to develop vocal skills and techniques and the use of collaborative learning and dialog to encourage ensemble interpretations. Participants also described optimal experiences of musical expression in regard to enjoyment, release of tension and perceived time and space. This study helped to uncover some of the ways high school choral directors and singers attempt to acknowledge each member&rsquo;s individuality while working toward a unified ensemble expression. The data revealed that collectively, the four participating programs shared many common ideas and yet each ensemble had a unique and nuanced approach to musical expression that reflected the values, beliefs and experiences of the choir and its members.</p>

<p> This research provides a guide to understanding, preparing, and performing Arnold Schoenberg&rsquo;s last completed opus, &ldquo;De Profundis&rdquo; (Psalm 130) Op. 50B, within the context of the Hebrew chant that inspired it and Schoenberg&rsquo;s other religious works, sketches, archival correspondence, and interviews with conductors. Theoretical and contextual analysis reveals significant discoveries relevant to an informed and accurate performance of the work. &ldquo;De Profundis&rdquo; embodies Schoenberg&rsquo;s mature and most flexible twelve-tone writing at the peak of his spiritual development. Op. 50B is a serial <i>a Cappella</i> composition scored for six-part mixed chorus with great rhythmic and melodic independence in the vocal lines, including soprano and baritone solos and choral <i>Sprechstimme</i>. A composer&rsquo;s final opus is generally regarded as his highest achievement, yet Op. 50, and in particular &ldquo;De Profundis,&rdquo; has received relatively little attention from music theorists or performers. While this research includes the traditional study of the composer and the score, there is also focus on distance learning through digital media and a symbolic interpretation of &ldquo;De Profundis&rdquo; that provides unique opportunities to engage the performer and audience. Through these efforts, others may be encouraged to hear and perform this beautiful work and to explore this unique method of rehearsing.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate principals&rsquo; perceptions of the status of music education in secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. The guiding questions were (a) What are secondary school principals&rsquo; perceptions of music learning outcomes as they are currently being met and as they should be met under ideal conditions, (b) What are secondary school principals&rsquo; perceptions of broad educational goals as they are currently being met and as they should be met under ideal conditions, (c) Is there a difference between principals&rsquo; perceptions of current and ideal conditions for the learning outcomes and the educational goals, and (d) What are secondary school principals&rsquo; perceptions about the degree to which eleven selected variables impact music education?</p><p> A descriptive research design was used in which secondary school principals (<i>n</i> = 93) were provided with the survey instrument. The survey is organized into four sections based on the questions that are derived from the research purpose and questions. Cronbach&rsquo;s alpha was used to test for internal consistency of the survey items. Data, related to the first two guiding questions, was fielded via Likert-type scales where the responses represented the principals&rsquo; perceptions of the level of realization of the standards for the music learning outcomes and the broad educational goals. For the third guiding question, data analyses included repeated <i> t</i>-tests and Cohen <i>d</i> value measurements to describe differences between the current and ideal perceived conditions of the realization of the standards for the music learning outcomes and the broad educational goals. A Spearman correlation was used to describe the consistency between the current and ideal perceived conditions of the realization of the standards for the music learning outcomes and the broad educational goals. Chi-squared analyses, on the two open-ended questions presented to the principals, were used to examine the differences in how principals perceive certain factors affect their ability to support music programs.</p><p> Results from the repeated <i>t</i>-tests showed that principals believe there is a difference between how the music learning outcomes and broad educational goals are currently being met and how they should be met, under ideal conditions. Chi-squared analyses revealed that there were moderately positive associations between the current and ideal conditions, with the music learning outcomes yielding <i>r_s</i> = .71 and the broad educational goals yielding <i>r_s</i> = .65.; however, results were statistically significant only for the broad educational goals.</p><p> Chi-squared analyses revealed that there were no significant differences in the ways principals perceived how 11 variables (a) Medium-Term Policy Framework 2011-2014, (b) Students, (c) Parents, (d) Budget/Finances, (e) Scheduling, (f) Standardized tests, (g) School Board, (h) Governing Office/Ministry of Education, (i) Music Teacher, (j) Classroom Teacher, and (k) Educational and Scientific Research were impacting the music programs. Results showed that the principals were mostly inclined to remain neutral about the effects of most of the variables and that they did not consider any of the variables to either strongly positively or strongly negatively affect the music program. </p>

<p> The horn is renowned for its contributions to traditional orchestral repertoire and concert hall performances. Since its induction into the symphony, its uses outside the concert hall have been diverse albeit comparatively sparse. However rare, its implementation still spans from the high arts, to world of pop, and to the avant-garde. In 1976, the haunting, sonorous timbre of Peter Gordon's legendary solo horn would inspire Jaco Pastorius to feature it on his titular album. This paper will analyze and define key nontraditional uses of the horn, discuss the effects of non-notated performance practice on the hornist, provide method studies for improving non-notated performance, and demonstrate how the horn's employment as a compositional, improvisational, and accompanimental instrument, independent of strictly notated music, will help hornists to best perform Jaco Pastorius's <i>Okonkole y Trompa</i>. </p><p>