Through Boundaries is a string quartet that attempts to recalibrate the way one listens by focusing on two spectrums, time and pitch. I explore what falls between the boundaries, in reference to the space between sound and silence and to frequencies between the conventional twelve pitches. The two movements are differing interpretations of the same graphical sketch material, viewing it from different perspectives. I. In-Between is structured with short gestures that are juxtaposed with longer periods of time that lack notated sound. Each gesture represents an unnamed event. For example, one gesture may represent the toss of a ball and the next gesture may represent it bouncing against the concrete. Each of these is a discrete point. At first, the space between these points appears empty, but on deeper investigation, it is overflowing with movement and energy. Visually, the ball floats up and falls to the ground. The electronics represent this energy, slowly fading into perception and forming waves of sound that weave in and out, nearly overpowering the quartet. II. Glide explores the interaction of pitches on a micro-level, including quartertones and glissandi that occupy a small pitch range. The movement begins with a still, seemingly static nature. Deviations appear, and harmonies seemingly blur and crystallize. When a larger melodic interval finally arrives, it is overwhelming.

It is a well established fact that the practice of the eucharistic prayer in the roman, rite is seriously underdeveloped. This survey of complete or partially through -composed settings of the eucharistic prayer attempts to shed some light on why and how composers have responded to the wide-spread opinion that the eucharistic prayer is rarely experienced as the high point of the eucharistic celebration as it was intended. Divided into two parts, the study initially considers the official aims and norms of the post-conciliar liturgy, both in general and as they pertain to the eucharistic prayer, noting some tension between the aims and their realisation. Three broad themes are identified for the entire work: ritual structure, the role of music and participation. The texts of the eucharistic prayers are then discussed to see how the official expectations are realised. A survey of the theoretical writings on rnusic and the eucharistic prayer concludes the first part. The second part focuses on over 100 musical settings, both published and unpublished d the eucharistic prayer. After offering a general chronological overview of the music, noting its forces and general characteristics, the music is scrutinised to see whether its various parts are celebrated or submerged by music, the broader shape of the compositions is examined and then a discussion concerning participation issues follows. The use of tabulated data aids the discussion. While acknowledging that there are many ways to evaluate the usefulness of such compositions and that this study does not touch on their actual reception and performance, it is hoped the current work will offer some insights into the variety of existing responses to the challenge of the setting the eucharistic prayer and offer some suggestions as to how this important work may continue.

For as long as computers have been around, people have looked for ways to involve them in music. Research in computer music progresses in many varied areas: algorithmic composition, music representation, music synthesis, and performance analysis to name a few. However, computer music research, especially relating to music composition, does very little toward making the computer useful for artists in practical situations. This lack of consideration for the user has led to the containment of computer music, with a few exceptions, to academia. <br /><br /> In this thesis, I propose a system that enables a computer to aide users composing music in a specific setting: soundtracks. In the process of composing a soundtrack, a composer is faced with solving non-musical problems that are beyond the experience of composers of standalone music. The system I propose utilizes the processing power of computers to address the non-musical problems thus preventing users from having to deal with them. Therefore, users can focus on the creative aspect of composing soundtrack music. <br /><br /> The guiding principal of the system is to help the composer while not assuming any creative power and while leaving the user in full control of the music. This principal is a major step toward helping users solve problems while not introducing new ones. I present some carefully chosen tasks that a computer can perform with guidance from the user that follow this principal. For example, the system performs calculations to help users compose music that matches the visual presentation and allows users to specify music, using the idea of <strong>timed regular expressions</strong>, so that a computer can fill arbitrary amounts of time with music in a controlled manner. <br /><br /> A prototype application, called <strong>EMuse</strong>, was designed and implemented to illustrate the use and benefits of the proposed system. To demonstrate that the system is capable of serving as a tool to create music, two soundtracks were created for two sample animations. It is beyond the scope of the work presented here to evaluate if the system achieves the goal of being a practical tool for composers. However, the innovations herein discussed are analyzed and found to be useful for soundtrack composition and for future user-centered computer-music research.

For as long as computers have been around, people have looked for ways to involve them in music. Research in computer music progresses in many varied areas: algorithmic composition, music representation, music synthesis, and performance analysis to name a few. However, computer music research, especially relating to music composition, does very little toward making the computer useful for artists in practical situations. This lack of consideration for the user has led to the containment of computer music, with a few exceptions, to academia. <br /><br /> In this thesis, I propose a system that enables a computer to aide users composing music in a specific setting: soundtracks. In the process of composing a soundtrack, a composer is faced with solving non-musical problems that are beyond the experience of composers of standalone music. The system I propose utilizes the processing power of computers to address the non-musical problems thus preventing users from having to deal with them. Therefore, users can focus on the creative aspect of composing soundtrack music. <br /><br /> The guiding principal of the system is to help the composer while not assuming any creative power and while leaving the user in full control of the music. This principal is a major step toward helping users solve problems while not introducing new ones. I present some carefully chosen tasks that a computer can perform with guidance from the user that follow this principal. For example, the system performs calculations to help users compose music that matches the visual presentation and allows users to specify music, using the idea of <strong>timed regular expressions</strong>, so that a computer can fill arbitrary amounts of time with music in a controlled manner. <br /><br /> A prototype application, called <strong>EMuse</strong>, was designed and implemented to illustrate the use and benefits of the proposed system. To demonstrate that the system is capable of serving as a tool to create music, two soundtracks were created for two sample animations. It is beyond the scope of the work presented here to evaluate if the system achieves the goal of being a practical tool for composers. However, the innovations herein discussed are analyzed and found to be useful for soundtrack composition and for future user-centered computer-music research.

The following dissertation describes a personal course of research into audio morphing technology, with a primary focus on how such research might impact the composition of contemporary, research-based art music. These two primary concerns have been augmented through considerations of both: the broader literature of musical morphology, and selected analyses from the history of western art music that employ an idiosyncratic interpretation of audio morphing principles. I have attempted throughout to tightly focus these discussions through the lens of my own compositional activity, embodied by the accompanying dissertation composition for ten musicians/sound technicians (for chelsea smith) and its chapter-length analysis. Therefore, following a terminological distinction between appearances and usages of the terms morphing and morphology in the existing literature (Chapter 1), the above materials will be organized in order of their importance to my compositional activity. As such, the analysis of my dissertation composition (Chapter 2) will be presented first. This will be followed by a summary of my technical research (Chapter 3), and three highly personalized interpretations of how morphing principles might be said to apply to works from the past repertoire of the western tradition (Chapters 4-6). The morphing principles alluded to above include: the primacy of pure sound, the decomposition of complex sonic phenomena into simpler elements, the importance of continuous transformation, and the connection of disparate sonic entities through continua of new material. Such principles will not only inform my analyses of past music, but will also be revealed as central to my compositional perspective in for chelsea smith. / Graduate / 0413 / emaildfm@gmail.com

A Child's life (symphony for band) is a work for concert band in three contrasting movements. It is programmatic and the movements are compositionally linked by a network of motives and a large-scale tonal plan. The piece gravitates around the pitch center C, branching out symmetrically within each movement to explore neighboring key areas. Though tonal, the piece incorporates much chromaticism and features techniques of contemporary and jazz composition. The total performance duration is approximately 22 minutes. / text

Concerto for orchestra is a twenty-minute work for large orchestra. It was conceived from my personal interest in creating a musical narrative that could create different moods, colors, contrast, agreement, tension, and resolution. I had a major influence from Ligeti’s Double Concerto regarding pitch, mood and form organization. I used his technique of interval signal to differentiate different sections of a movement as well as chromatic balance─the alternation of diatonic scales related chromatically. I also had influences from Mahler, Debussy, Nancarrow, and from my own work. The narrative of my Concerto is based on Ligeti’s notion of states, events and transformations. My Concerto presents states that are transformed into new states. The piece is divided in four movements: Lights, Convergences, Lights II, Convergences II. The Lights movements favor delicate texture, based on a major melodic line and a subtle accompaniment. They also give prominence to solo sections. Convergences favors the idea of dialogue, multitudinousness, contrast, and dense textures. Convergences II emphasizes the tutti versus solo and ritornello form from Baroque concertos. / text

Hearing Vvices is a four-movement instrumental work for clarinet, violin, cello and piano. The title is a reference to both the formal structure and surface features of the music. Structurally, the piece resembles a rhetorical struggle between two distinct musical personalities: the serious and the light. In each movement and across movements, this juxtaposition is evident through sudden changes in tempo, mood, and musical character. In terms of surface features, the trajectory of the piece is best described as the eventual emergence of melody from a dense web of counterpoint and rhythm where, over the course of the movements, small melodic fragments are presented and quickly swallowed up by the surrounding texture. This changes in the final movement, where three of the four instruments join in a soaring melody over a troubled accompaniment, thus illustrating the apotheosis of the preceding musical struggle. / text

Just lucky is a chamber work for three singers, three percussionists and saxophone quartet. It is a setting of a poem of the same name by David Bush. / text

An original composition in one movement for a chamber octet comprised of a string quartet and a jazz piano quartet with tenor saxophone. The work develops an idée fixe, introduced in the opening bars, through a wide variety of transformations, textures, and styles. The two quartets begin in antiphonal alteration, united in thematic material, yet separated by style. A modern art music style contrasts with an improvisational jazz style. Gradually, the two quartets, and their concomitant musics, bleed into one another, breaking down stylistic boundaries. In the conclusion of the work, the idée fixe, the supplementary themes, and the two quartets coalesce into an organic sonic whole.