<p> This paper deals with the compositional process of writing my Mass, <i> Missa Familiae Sanctae</i>, and covers the influences I most keenly felt in that process. Two great masterpieces of this form of liturgical music from the Twentieth Century are carefully analyzed: Stravinsky's Mass (1948) and Leonard Bernstein's <i>Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers</i> (1971). This paper draws connections to the techniques used by my illustrious predecessors and my own, and talks about the centrality of the text of the Ordinary of the Mass in all three works. </p><p> This paper is composed of two parts. The first part deals with the influence of these two Masses on the composition of <i>Missa Familiae Sanctae</i>. Here, I discuss the features of both my predecessors' Masses that proved most salient to my processes--the most crucial feature being treatment of the text. The second part of this paper is devoted to the methods of composition I employed in the creation of <i>Missa Familiae Sanctae</i>. I will illustrate both connections to past practices in my processes (put in context in the foregoing part of the paper), as well as the features of my Mass I believe to be unique. </p><p> An analytical methodology was best suited to a discussion of the compositional practices applied to the pieces discussed here. For the purposes of the composition of <i>Missa Familiae Sanctae</i>, it had the added benefit of aiding in my effort to inform myself of past practices and, thus, enabled me to determine my own methods of composing my Mass. For the purposes of this paper, this focus on analysis was most helpful in describing the musical language of each Mass, and allowed for some meaningful comparisons between my predecessors' Masses and my own. From these analyses, I identify commonalities in harmony, derivation of melodic material, treatment of text and orchestration, as well as investigate differences between Stravinsky and Bernstein's settings of the Mass and my own as a means of explaining my unique voice as a composer. </p>

<p> Various treatments of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) have already been researched extensively. However, there are few resources readily available to aid musicians with treating their unique form of MPA in a practical way. The goal of this paper is to examine the work of various psychologists, performers, and educators in order to form a cohesive characterization of MPA, explore its possible causes, resultant mental or physical limitations, and develop practical strategies that aid the performer in coping with this problem. This report will look at some of the possible effects of Music Performance Anxiety and provide practical solutions for the reader.</p>

<p> The album <i>Odalisque</i> by the indie rock band Sanglorians is the culmination of many years of deep personal, artistic, and technical work. Many aspects of the composition, arrangement, performance, and recording of the project album were widely influenced by the methodologies espoused within the Master of Music program in Commercial Music Composition and Arranging at California State University, Los Angeles. This project report explores these methodologies of commercial music composition as they were applied to each song during the songwriting, arranging, and production processes. Approached as a scholarly personal narrative manuscript, each song's genesis is sourced, and its meaning examined in proper creative context within the whole.</p>

<p> The Panorama competition held in Trinidad each year is the global epicenter of steel drum music, showcasing the greatest performers and composers while shaping steel drum world-wide. However, music written for the standard Panorama ensemble of 120 players offers up a challenge for smaller, less experienced ensembles to preserve the spirit and energy of the original composition, especially when the drum set is the only member of the percussion rhythm section. My interest in this endeavor was spirited by the challenge of combining the typical percussion section consisting of congas, maracas, guiros, cowbells irons, and drum set into an individual part while maintaining key elements of the original composition. This paper addresses the concepts and approaches I employed for my recital performance of <i>The Last Word; </i> composed by American steel drum virtuoso, Andy Narell.</p>

<p> Since its inception, the piano recital has remained the principal&mdash;if not exclusive&mdash;model for presenting solo piano repertoire. It is a format that, as this essay will examine, has evolved throughout its history in response to artistic, social, and technological changes. Therefore, to advocate for modifications in the piano recital is simply to continue the rich tradition of a format that has not been rigid, but responsive to its environment. One way to suggest an alternative is by rethinking the recital in an audiovisual way. Correspondences between acoustical and visual elements abound, both in theory and materialized in instruments to &ldquo;perform&rdquo; colors. Furthermore, the development of abstract animation allowed fundamental aspects of music to be effectively visualized: time, gesture, and form, to name a few. The moving image solidified the relationship between both modes and began our current multimedia era. Many genres of music have demonstrated the value of a visual component as a complement to a performance, something which has been increasingly capturing the attention of classical musicians. By analyzing the aesthetic implications of a multimedia recital and evaluating projects that explore the addition of a visual element, we can suggest an alternative format that preserves the traditional piano repertoire and re-contextualizes it in a way that might better resonate with modern audiences. </p>

<p> What does the current focus on identity as a medium of social exchange bring into the practice of improvised music? What happens to listening, spontaneity, empathy, freedom and generosity in this social climate? Is there somehow emerging within the music-improvisatory discourse a kind of de facto constraint, perhaps superimposed on the musical language from the larger cultural field? The frameworks of music sociology, object relations theory, political philosophy, pedagogy, music history and art criticism offer a backdrop against which the complex challenges of interpersonal communication can be seen in their relevance to the here and now of music improvisation.</p>

<p> The Italian noble Carlo Gesualdo (1566&ndash;1613), Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, is remembered in history just as much for his eventful and tormented life as he is for the richly expressive music he composed. His vengeful slaying of his first wife Donna Maria D&rsquo;Avalos and her lover Fabriozo Carafa Duke of Andria is widely regarded to be one of the great murder stories of Renaissance Europe, and from it stemmed wild folklore and superstition regarding the Prince. His famously melancholic disposition, numerous romantic affairs (including one with a practicing witch), brutally masochistic behaviors, and turbulent relationship with his Catholic faith only helped solidify his place as among the most notorious and fascinating nobles of his day. As for his music, his six books of Madrigals and other assorted religious works brought Renaissance compositional styles to their ultimate finale with their groundbreaking use of chromaticism, highly complex counterpoint, and expressive figures. But another part of this extraordinary life is all too often overlooked&mdash;his encounters with the hidden mysteries of the occult. The historical evidence for such involvement is well-documented on a number of fronts. However, any connections or influence this may have had regarding his music have gone largely unexplored. </p><p> The goal of this project report is to explore direct relations between Gesualdo&rsquo;s music and the occult, specifically relating to Tarot, Hermeticism, and Catholic theology. This can be achieved through analysis of his choices in counterpoint, melodic structure, modulations, and text setting, all relating directly to the symbolism contained in an altarpiece in his personal chapel, <i> Il Perdono di Gesualdo</i>. By doing so one may divulge the esoteric mysteries connected in the mind responsible for, arguably, among the most revolutionary western music of the time.</p><p>

<p> Since the mid-twentieth century, many composers and performers have embraced the idea of synchronizing live musicians with electronic sounds to create a new musical experience, with organizations such as IRCAM advancing the development of electroacoustic music and technology. The genre of solo and chamber percussion music has also flourished since the twentieth century, with composers exploring the many sounds these instruments have to offer. Consequently, the parallel developments of electronic and percussion music eventually came together to form a new idiom. </p><p> One recent composer, Edmund Campion, helped propel electroacoustic music into the twenty-first century with many works incorporating electronics with live musicians. One of Campion's works, <i>Losing Touch</i> for amplified vibraphone and fixed electronic sounds (1994), pairs vibraphone with electronics to create a sound world unlike those before it. This project report provides a closer look at <i>Losing Touch</i> with a formal analysis and a guide to the performer on how to interpret this piece and navigate its technical challenges.</p>

<p> Extended techniques play an important role in flute repertoire today, as composers continue to explore the possibilities of the instrument in ways not previously done before the mid-twentieth century. Pioneers of flute extended techniques, including Edgard Var&egrave;se, Luciano Berio, and Robert Dick, have all played an important role in the progression of flute repertoire leading into the twenty-first century. </p><p> Ian Clarke, a British flutist and composer, uses extended techniques as a vital element in his compositions, and has gained a great deal of attention for his breadth of work, including one of his more recent compositions, <i> Hatching Aliens</i>. First published in 2010, this work utilizes a vast amount of extended techniques, all of which contribute to the eerie and mysterious qualities of this programmatic composition for flute and piano. This project report studies the notation and production of extended techniques and how Clarke incorporates them into his composition, <i>Hatching Aliens</i>. </p>

<p> The subject of this dissertation is the contemporary Russian composer and pianist Nikolai Kapustin. Being himself a virtuoso pianist, Kapustin has written a large repertoire for solo piano. During the last fifteen years, the popularity of Kapustin in the United States has grown enormously through performances, publications, presentations, and recordings. Kapustin's output has over 150 opus numbers in all major forms of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music, such as suite, invention, preludes and fugues, variations, sonata, concerto, and more. </p><p> Kapustin's style fuses the classical approach to form and the jazz approach to harmony and rhythm in a very unique way. His compositional style is strongly influenced by American jazz, particularly the style of Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans. From the other side, his music is strongly influenced by composers of Classical music such as Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninov, Frederick Chopin, Maurice Ravel, and Bela Bartok. </p><p> Kapustin composed twenty Piano Sonatas during the period of 1984-2011. There has been little research to this point regarding the music of Kapustin and no formal research has been completed concerning Piano Sonata No. 3. This sonata is the particular scope of this dissertation, as nearly every aspect of Kapustin's compositional style can be found in this work. </p><p> Sonata No. 3 was composed in 1990 and was published in August 2014. The Sonata is a one-movement work and it contains a quote of the "Dies Irae" theme, which sets this work apart from his other sonatas. </p><p> This dissertation will provide biographical information on Nikolai Kapustin, historical and musical background, and will include an analysis of Piano Sonata No. 3. </p><p> Fortunately, the author speaks the Russian language and had opportunities to meet with Nikolai Kapustin. The information obtained in personal interviews with the composer will also be presented. </p><p> Hopefully, this dissertation will promote further research, performance, and understanding of the music of one of the most outstanding modern day composers, Nikolai Grigorievich Kapustin.</p>