The aim of this dissertation is to lay the groundwork for an integrated approach to violin instruction for children who are not being groomed explicitly for professional careers as instrumentalists. The study presents a particular focus on the age of middle school children, in order to showcase a more specialized and definitive result of research without, however, distinguishing between advantages and limitations of different age groups of children who study music and learn to play the violin. My first goal is to craft a sample method of teaching with a premise that not all students studying music must or need to become professional musicians in their future. I promote an approach based on the premise that music has universal value available to all and that any kind of music education encourages the growth, personality development, and imagination of children. My second goal is to explore how music education functions in 21st century western culture. Research is based on teachings and methods established by Suzuki, Kodaly, Jaques-Dalcroze, and Orff, among others.

This dissertation explores the perceived readiness of potential violin majors (PVMs) in the United States for university-level violin study. The purpose of this study was to explore violin professors’ expectations of PVMs in the United States, their perceptions of how these expectations are being met, and how PVMs can be prepared to meet these expectations. A lack of research into how PVMs in the United States are being prepared for the rigors of university-level violin study warranted investigation to define violin professors’ expectations and their perceptions of the preparedness of PVMs. A descriptive instrumental exploratory study was conducted using qualitative and descriptive statistical data with 121 participants (n = 121). The participants were tenure-track and tenured violin professors in the United States who have taught for at least three years at universities accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and whose teaching loads consist of a minimum of 75% applied violin lessons. Participants were asked to define their ideal expectations of PVMs, their perceptions of how these expectations have been met, and advice they have for the adults who help prepare PVMs. Data were collected online through a Qualtrics survey and Zoom video interviews. The findings indicated that violin professors generally agreed upon their expectations of PVMs, which include having a solid technical foundation, performing repertoire that is aligned with their technical development, and being open-minded. Violin professors perceived that less than 50% of PVMs have a solid technical foundation and less than 50% perform developmentally appropriate repertoire, though most PVMs were perceived to demonstrate an openness to learning. Most violin professors accept PVMs into their studios whom they perceive to be unready for university-level study, usually due to administrative pressure. To meet violin professors’ expectations, they suggest that PVMs work with private violin teachers outside of the K-12 music classroom. Private violin teachers should hold PVMs to a high performing standard, be familiar with violin professors’ expectations, and have the subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge necessary to develop a solid technical foundation and assign level-appropriate repertoire. Other influential adults include K-12 music teachers, although learning outcomes for K-12 music classes differ significantly from violin professors’ expectations. Overall, this study demonstrated a clear disconnect between violin professors’ expectations and how PVMs are being prepared to meet them. The data showed that participants made the following assumptions: (a) PVMs take private lessons and are already “apprentices” working with a “master,” (b) audition websites present adequate information for PVMs, and (c) private teachers have the subject matter knowledge to prepare PVMs to meet technical expectations and perform with high standards. There appears to be an overall lack of communication and collaboration not just from violin professors, but also from private teachers and K-12 classroom music teachers. Recommendations for practice and implementation are offered to the three identified populations that interact with PVMs: violin professors, private teachers, and K-12 classroom music teachers.

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The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce Violin Concerto No. 2, "Scherben der Stille" (2021) by Unsuk Chin (b. 1961), a South Korean composer based in Berlin. This violin concerto creates a sonic drama. The sound material of this work resembles a "shard," as the subtitle of the work suggests: Shards of Silence. Through this work, Chin shows how music can deliver her dreams and fantasies through unconventional use of instruments and sounds. The dissertation includes a brief biography, observations on the composer's significant works and compositional style, and an overview and analysis of the work. Despite the increasing popularity of Violin Concerto No. 2, the piece has never gained scholarly attention. This writing should also contribute to the available sources about the composer Unsuk Chin and to the study of complex contemporary music that may seem resistant to formal analysis by analyzing its constituent fragments.

In Romanian, the word lăutari refers to highly skilled professional Romani (Gypsy) musicians. By interacting with Romanian culture and tradition, the lăutari settled down in the country and developed a unique musical tradition. Their music is characterized by intricate, elaborate, and refined ornamentation; its execution requires a highly level of technique. George Enescu, regarded as Romania's most influential musician, was affected by lăutari music. He created a unique musical language that recreates Romanian character by using lăutari elements. This dissertation examines how to approach Enescu's Violin Sonata No. 3 and perform it by understanding the characteristics of lăutari music as well as the work's use of such lăutari violin techniques as diverse expressive slides, vibrato, double stops, various ornaments, artificial harmonics, imitation of folk instruments, and a variety of bow strokes. Enescu's Violin Sonata No. 3 is regarded as a challenging work in the violin literature requiring a high level of violin technique. Although the standard violin repertoire is enormous, many violinists are looking to rediscover new and challenging repertoire, distinguish themselves from others, and promote themselves as professional performers. Therefore, this study should help violinists to approach the idiomatic violin writing of Enescu's sonata, especially its lăutari techniques and style.

Like numerous other Baroque pieces, the Ciaccona attributed to Tomaso Antonio Vitali (1663-1745) was transformed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The German violinist and composer Ferdinand David (1810-1873) was the first to edit and publish the piece. The composition became popular after being included in the second volume of his Die Hohe Schule des Violinspiels [The Advanced Method of Violin Playing] (c.1867). Since then, Vitali Ciaccona became an essential work in the violin repertoire and is often heard in concert halls. However, what many audiences hear in concerts is essentially an arrangement of the Ciaccona. Acknowledging the "double life" of the piece as both Baroque and Romantic, this dissertation examines the advantages and disadvantages of playing the Ciaccona attributed to Vitali on both the Baroque and modern violins.

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