Music

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10315/26542

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 129

Open Access
Taher Aavā: Representations of Halgheh Mysticism For Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Orchestra
(2024-11-07) Saberi, Haamed; De Val, Dorothy; Rapoport, Alexander
The subject of this dissertation is a series of movements for mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra that can be performed either as a whole or individually. The text is my original poems inspired by Halgheh mysticism (mysticism of the Ring), founded by Master Mohammad Ali Taheri. Halgheh mysticism conforms with the framework of Iran's native mysticism (Erfan) and is based on the connection to the Divine Consciousness (or the network of Inter-universal Consciousness). The poems are arranged in order to provide a sequence of poetical themes and musically feature alternating full orchestral settings with subsections. The structure of the poems themselves informs the structure of the individual movements, but the use of thematic repetition within instrumental movements is used to ensure thematic unity, much in the manner of a ritornello in the Western European classical tradition. The central tenets of Halgheh mysticism are firstly, that things that may seem superficially diverse are in fact joined by a deeper unity; and secondly, that the whole of an entity is reflected in its parts. Therefore, the pieces feature a juxtaposition of Iranian and Western musical traditions. In the first case Iranian and Western musical traditions are juxtaposed, especially Western scales and harmony with Iranian modes. In the second case the technique of composition around the bass line, a concept explained in the dissertation, is used, to reflect the concept of unity in the pieces. The musical language is a blend of Iranian classical music with European vocal and orchestral techniques, offering an alternative type of composition that not only marries Eastern and Western techniques but also reflects the concept of Iranian mysticism. Thus, the use of quarter tones is informed by classical Iranian music and its traditional modes, though some modifications have been made to the quarter tone scales to facilitate performance by Western orchestras and accommodate the harmonic system used in the work.
Open Access
Pioneering Guitar Women, An Auto-ethnographic Study
(2024-11-07) Foley, Susan Ellen; Coghlan, Michael
This dissertation, Pioneering Guitar Women, An Autoethnographic Study, explores the significant yet often overlooked contributions of female guitarists to the evolution of guitar music. Despite the dominance of male guitar legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, pioneering women like Memphis Minnie, Mary Osborne, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe have profoundly influenced the genre. The study aims to illuminate the stories, techniques, and legacies of these trailblazing women, addressing four central research questions: the narratives of these women guitar heroes, their success in a predominantly male culture, their impact on the world of guitar, and their influence on the career of Canadian blues guitarist, Sue Foley. This dissertation includes a survey of artists, Memphis Minnie, Geeshie Wiley, Elvie Thomas, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mary Osborne, Maybelle Carter, Elizabeth Cotten, Ida Presti, Lydia Mendoza, Maria Teresa Vera, and Charo. Their musical genres range from classical to flamenco, folk to jazz, showcasing diverse technical innovations and cultural impacts. My research involves not only historical and biographical analysis but also the practical application of these artists’ techniques through performance, highlighting the technical demands and expressive capabilities of their music. The structure of my dissertation includes four parts: biographies and musical techniques of each artist, the birth of musical genres, personal accounts of touring as a female musician, and the role of border radio in shaping musical culture. My autoethnographic approach intertwines my personal experiences with my research, offering a unique perspective on the legacy of female guitarists and their transformative impact on my own career and the broader musical landscape. The study concludes with reflections on the enduring influence of these pioneering women and a call to recognize and celebrate their contributions to the world of guitar music
Open Access
Piano Rolls and Gender Roles: Decoding the American Player Piano in Historical Context
(2024-10-21) Gajadhar, Amy Marilyn; de Val, Dorothy
This dissertation presents a gender-based historical investigation of the player piano during its heyday (1900-1928), focusing on its connections with advertising and the piano roll industry. Broadly influenced by Actor-Network Theory, I contend that this self-playing instrument (in its many forms), with regard to the cultural category of gender, had agency, acting as a medium of communication and a site of negotiation. Specifically, this refers to gender expression and mediation as presented within the frames of player piano advertisements and via performances by female musicians in the piano roll recording studio. Benefiting from archival research – advertisements, piano rolls, music reviews, photographs, paintings, player piano manuals, sheet music and other primary source material – and situated within the subfield of critical organology, my research is organized through case studies. The first is a reading of the gender codes in player piano and piano advertisements from multiple piano/player piano companies (as well as paintings featuring the piano). The second examines the lives and musical careers of piano roll artists Edythe Baker (1899-1971) and Pauline Alpert (1905-1988). Consisting of biographical summaries (that are the most comprehensive to date in the literature) which incorporate analyses of two performances by these women in the Duo-Art recording studio, this case study utilizes examples of Baker and Alpert’s piano arrangements. Based on Tin Pan Alley tunes, these pieces were written in the piano novelty style – a distinct “White”-dominated musical genre with roots in the popular piano rag. Framed by background research that includes a detailed historical account of the player piano, the findings of this dissertation are conclusive. Within the context of player piano advertising and female performance in the piano roll studio, the player piano, as a non-human actor enmeshed within a social network of human intermediaries, had a role to play in the expression and mediation of ideas about gender that both contested and conformed to early twentieth-century gender norms in American society.
Open Access
Jazz Recordings by Ed Bickert and Problems of Stylistic Analysis
(2024-07-18) Forsyth, Thomas James; Westray, Ron
Edward “Ed” Bickert was a fixture in the Toronto jazz scene for almost 50 years, becoming a pervasive influence on both Canadian and international guitarists. This dissertation is an attempt to position Bickert as a unique and masterful improviser. His development as a musician, beginning with his participation in a family band and myriad of playing opportunities in Toronto, mirrors the manner in what I suspect most jazz musicians learn their craft: through performance and continuous home study of challenging music. After a lengthy review of stylistic and musical analysis concepts, the categories in Jan LaRue’s Guidelines for Style Analysis provided an heuristic framework that enabled an exploratory examination of Bickert’s style. The problems of stylistic and musical analysis are many and varied. Primarily, both domains seem suffer from inadequate or ill-defined terminology. Insights into Bickert’s style were organized into LaRue’s categories: Sound, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Growth. In the category of Sound, changes in equipment and technique had a significant effect on his style. Bickert’s highly developed harmonic approach involves the use of unusual chord voicings, implying chords with a small number of notes, a flexible approach to chord type, chromatic “planing” and 2/3 note punctuation chords. Paraphrasing and motive/motivic development are important melodic aspects of Bickert’s style, though both usually involve other categories and required the most research due to the inadequacy or lack of consensus of definitions in the existing literature. In the category of rhythm, Bickert’s ability to swing is universally recognized. He is also able to pull against pulse, seamlessly switch between various note values, effectively employ expressive or rubato timing, and shift the metric accents to suggest a different time signature (cross rhythm). LaRue’s concept of lulls: “a condition of relative stability,” seems to have some relevance to Bickert’s employment of punctuation chords in the development of his solos. These basic elements combine to create the effect of structure — or in LaRue’s lexicon, Growth. Three predominant categories of Growth in Bickert’s solos are Paraphrasing; Motivic Development; and Textural Variation.
Open Access
"Lower Parts": A Gospel-Classical Choral Portrait of the In-Between
(2023-12-08) Donald, O'Neil Gerald; Coghlan,Michael
Lower Parts is a choral piece written for gospel and classical choir. The piece presents the concept of deep mental anguish as told through the lens of the 63rd Psalm. The work uses the timbral differences between the two ensembles to illustrate the “in-between” - the liminal space that the author settled in as a result of life’s stressors. Nonetheless, Lower Parts emerges as a testimony of the author’s survival of the turmoil. The work serves as a plan for reconciliation between two choral practices that are usually kept very separate from one another. The separation of classical choral formats from gospel choral formats presents an assumption of superiority. Thus, Lower Parts is an attempt to heal the rift and tell the story of a composer’s plight with an identity that falls in between mental stability and emotional anguish.
Open Access
Reflections and Compositions Inspired by Three Pioneering Guitar Women
(2015-04) Foley, Susan Ellen; Bowman, Robert M. J.
In the male dominated world of guitar, there have been many, largely unknown, female guitarists who were innovative players and were musical and social pioneers.This thesis brings to light and celebrates the musical achievements of three such women guitarists—Maybelle Carter, Lydia Mendoza and Memphis Minnie—through biographical essays, musical analyses and compositions based around their individual biographies, aesthetics, unique playing styles and techniques. The accompanying compositions are not only influenced by the lives and stories of each artist, but by their varied cultures—Caucasian, Mexican-American and African-American. Besides being an examination of three accomplished women guitarists, this is also a study of the roots and history of American popular music, with an underlying theme of triumph and accomplishment over oppression, transcendence over gender bias and exemplary artistry that has withstood the test of time.
Open Access
Musical and Cultural Negotiations Within Three Chinese Orchestras in Toronto
(2023-08-04) Cui, Yao; Johnson, Sherry
Chinese orchestras have been active in Toronto, Canada since at least 1969, but their activity has rarely been documented; as a genre, Chinese orchestras in the diaspora are largely unrepresented in musical scholarship. In addressing this significant gap, my dissertation explores the question: how do Chinese diasporic musicians negotiate internal musical and cultural spaces within their orchestras? It traces the roots and development of Chinese orchestras in Toronto, situating them within discourses of diasporic and transnational histories and development. Using interviews, questionnaires, participant-observation, and document analysis, I examine three primary topics: music education, repertoire, and musical and cultural interactions. First, I discuss how Chinese instrument education in the GTA, especially for youths and seniors, assists Chinese immigrants in staying linked to their culture and teaches successive generations about their heritage. Chinese instrument education has undergone significant changes over the past seven decades, broadening from “internal” transmission of music knowledge and skills within private lessons, ensembles and orchestras to a broader community engagement. I then analyze the patterns of repertoire among Toronto Chinese orchestras and learn that these orchestras have frequently cooperated and exchanged ideas with musicians and composers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan over the years, and their main target audience is the Chinese communities within the GTA. Finally, I explore the cultural, social and musical interactions that occur within Chinese orchestras. I discover that the identities and self-positioning of Chinese orchestra members are expressed through the choices they make in relation to musical notation, competence, membership, and social interaction. Chinese orchestras serve as a microcosm of society, revealing how Chinese social and cultural practices in the diaspora operate in Toronto’s Chinese communities. Through a systematic study of three Chinese orchestras in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada, this study explores the rich history of Chinese musical involvement in the region that connects homeland to new Canadian contexts, demonstrating the musical and cultural complexity of engaging Chinese musicians and music in a specific diaspora setting.
Open Access
The Neuroscience of Music: An Interdisciplinary Study of the Effects of Music on the Brain
(2023-08-04) Ghanai, Katayoun; Coghlan, Michael
The human brain has evolved into a system which can analyze sound and assign meaningful associations to that stimulus. Studying the human brain with respect to music leads us to ask, why people make music, how people perceive the music and how does music influence the human body? Dancing, playing music, listening to music, and singing all have affective responses. Humans can use their body to move to music or can use their body to produce music. Dance as an “orchestration of energy” is a very deep biochemical experience which produces a rush of neurotransmitters in the brain thereby inducing many different sensations and emotions. Singing and the emotional impact of sound affects the body through the vagus nerve, which passes through the ear, extends into the larynx and all the internal organs including the entire intestinal tract, back muscles, lungs and heart. It carries the fibers that control the release of gastric and pancreatic secretions, and inhibitory fibers of the heart. This dissertation considers the healing properties of music. It studies the insula, a very unified center of the brain that connects different functional systems such as sensory, emotional, and cognitive processing and is also responsible for processing both positive, negative, and socially appropriate emotions. The results of two quantitative pilot studies through brain imaging scans on the healing effects of music and dance on Parkinson’s disease are introduced. Statistical data presented without assessing the emotions of the participants who undergo the difficult process of sickness and aging is rigid science which lacks the information on the hidden, vulnerable sides of human beings. Since music and dance deal with the psyche and the body together, a conversation with one of the participants is added to understand the feelings regarding the inability of science alone in dealing with an incurable disease and the hope that music brings for a better quality of life.
Open Access
A New Place at the Table: Ancient Cadential Patterns for Modern Improvision and Aural Skills Training
(2023-03-28) Stein, Benjamin Charles; Chambers, Mark K.
Contemporary efforts to integrate improvisation practice into institutional music education are many and varied, but lack of improvisatory skill remains an ongoing problem, especially in classical music instruction. Drawing on artisanal training, in which a corpus of memorized repertoire becomes a stylistic knowledge base, source of cognitive schemata and raw material for creative variation, a useful set of historically-derived “standards” can be found in the three introductory cadences used in the Neapolitan conservatory partimento tradition (It. Cadenza Semplice, Cadenza Composta, Cadenza Doppia) of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Referencing music cognition research, music theory sources and improvisation discourse, this paper argues that intervallic suspensions in these schemata (4-3, 7-6) can be seen as a simple demonstration of error perception and correction, a cognitive process that can be deployed to develop and strengthen both aural and creative skills. Integration of these cadences into beginner training also suggests a reassessment of the order of introduction of musical elements found in formal music instruction, which privileges the chord as a discrete entity, and relegates intervallic suspension, schemata and counterpoint to intermediate, advanced, or supplementary study. These cadences concisely synthesize and demonstrate contrapuntal interplay and voice leading between bass and treble voices, basic syncopation and rhythmic division, and the concept of dissonance/consonance within linear parameters as an integral aspect of musical form. A series of beginner to intermediate exercises for use in vocal and instrumental training are presented. The dissertation recommends that intervallic suspensions be given a renewed “place at the table,” once again taking their former role as primal examples of compositional structure and aesthetic possibility.
Open Access
The Historical Development of The Piano in Popular Cuban Music: A History of Musical Nationalism
(2023-03-28) Vazquez, Ruben; Coghlan, Michael
This research is an attempt to clarify the role of the piano in Cuban music and culture through history. Most of the dissertation is carefully focused on the actual music compositions and seeks to present a survey of the devices, techniques, architecture, and genres found in the vast piano repertoire produced in Cuba. As soon as the piano arrived in Cuba at the end of the eighteenth century it became a favorite musical instrument in society. Since its introduction it has played a significant role in the musical expression of the island and soon after it became a symbol of nationalism. Throughout its history in Cuba, the piano has continued to define the stylistic characteristics of a new and emergent musical culture, and even today the piano remains one of the favorite instruments of the country. The importance of the instrument is reflected in the oeuvre of several piano composers who helped develop authentic Cuban genres. This study discusses and analyzes the musical traits and character of the most distinguished Cuban pianists and composers, and it examines the significance of the piano pedagogues who played a vital role in providing the groundwork for the foundation of the Cuban piano school. It also explores the origin and characteristics of Cuban musical genres which are found in the work of the early piano composers and performers who defined the music traditions of the island. The origins and characteristics of some of the most recognized musical genres and styles, some of which played an influential role in the music of the Caribbean and the Americas, are examined and considered.
Open Access
The Practice and Performance of Katajjaq: Culture, Identity and Resistance
(2022-08-08) Singh, Raj Shobha; Johnson, Sherry
Katajjaq, or vocal games, has a long history among the Inuit of Canada. Practiced almost exclusively by women, katajjaq is a playful competition between two or more partners who face each other and exchange sound motifs; one is leading, while the other repeats the same motifs. The first person unable to maintain the rhythm, tempo, or breathing pattern will laugh, indicating that they have lost the game. An oral tradition, katajjaq continues to be a popular practice amongst Inuit. In addition, katajjaq has recently moved from the realm of game to becoming an integral component of Inuit music. Katajjaq's shift from game to music is also accompanied by an increase in male participation. Notably, Nelson Tagoona combines katajjaq with beatboxing to create a genre he calls "throat boxing." The primary purpose of this dissertation is to examine katajjaq. I explore how it is understood, practiced and sometimes recontextualized by numerous Inuit culture bearers as well as how it has been studied and portrayed by ethnomusicologists. In this way I scrutinize research gaps in ethnomusicological investigations about katajjaq and point to how Inuit epistemology and ontology provide culturally appropriate ways of understanding katajjaq. For instance, the complexity and significance of the imaq-nuna-sila (water-land-sky) relationship in Inuit epistemology as well as Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), or the guiding principles of Inuit life and ways of knowing and being provide a richer understanding of the role of katajjaq in Inuit life. The secondary purpose of this dissertation is to present the musical life and creative choices of Nelson Tagoona and trace how he contributes new meaning to katajjaq. Some of my research questions include: What creative and cultural choices are made when a living cultural tradition is combined with a contemporary popular practice? How does Nelson Tagoona negotiate and mediate tradition and innovation? How has the inclusion of hip hop culture with katajjaq affected the meaning of throat singing? By focusing on one musician's experience, I highlight how individual experience and agency can point to broader shifts in cultural practices.
Open Access
Under One Cover: Traditional & Hybrid Woodwind Études
(2021-11-15) Tollar, Ernest Patrick; Coghlan, Michael
This study presents original, traditional, and experimental compositions placed together in a single volume for performers and students of post-traditional music. The template of this research is made up of complete tude compositions which generate the specific technical focus for each chapter. These woodwind-centric compositions are stylistically diverse and suitable for performance, as well as study. Micro-focused details are marked in the music notation, with symbols and abbreviations denoting the stylistic details and techniques presented, so they may be excerpted, practiced and developed creatively. These tudes may either serve as a launching point into latent areas rich with deeper classical or traditional nuance, or conversely, spark creative directions based on hybridized permutations on various woodwind traditions. This thesis is aimed at contemporaneous woodwind players as well as other musicians, composers, artists or thinkers who seek to reconcile the pursuit of traditional depth with that of fearless and joyful
Open Access
Exploring the Significance of Musical-Emotional Response on Community Band Participation
(2021-11-15) Shephard, Gordon John; Thomas, William L.
This study explored the significance of musical-emotional response on community band members. Do participants respond emotionally to the music when rehearsing and performing in a community band, and if so, what it the nature of this response? How do the participants recognize emotional response as an important aspect of participating in community music? What might be a community music approach to musicking that includes emotional response as a deliberate strategy? Literature and research inform us that twentieth-century music philosophers and music education philosophers regarded emotional response as an unimportant aspect of music reception. In particular, they discouraged the idea that music induced or evoked felt emotions. It was not until the emergence of research in neuroscience and music psychology beginning in the 1990s that musically induced emotions were considered. This ultimately led to contemporary theories that considered musical-emotional response as a process that included both cognitive and induced responses. This study utilized a grounded theory approach in order to ascertain the authentic viewpoints of the participants. Following a four-month rehearsal and performance session of selected repertoire, twenty-eight community band members completed an open-ended questionnaire where they reflected on the prevalence and nature of their emotional responses to the music. The findings suggest that community band participants not only perceived the emotions represented in music but also experienced musically induced emotions. The study revealed that the idea of accessibility was key to the participants' ability to respond emotionally to the music. Emotional response, by the participants, became contingent on many factors – the ability of the participants to perform the music successfully (technical challenges and performance anxiety), the ability of the participants to understand the structure of the music, the effect of practice and experience, and the social context.
Open Access
Creativity, Improvisation, and Pedagogy for the Chinese Yangqin
(2021-11-15) Zhang, Di; Coghlan, Michael
Improvisation is commonly employed in the approach to teaching creative and imaginative music in music education systems across many cultures. However, improvisation as a creative teaching strategy is not yet applied in music programs in Chinese universities, conservatories, and schools. The aim of my research project is to formulate and develop pedagogical materials and exercises which can be used to develop contemporary music improvisation programs in Chinese education. My study will focus on a practical/experimental approach to teaching, with the aim of discovering a viable pedagogy for transmitting the values and spirit of free improvisation. This research draws on my own experience studying improvisation at York University as well as conducting research on other North American and European institutions. It is organised on the basis of the following: 1) different models of teaching improvisation; 2) importance of improvisation in music; 3) musicianship exercises; 4) music creation; 5) improvisation strategies. I will also discern the roots of the yangqin and regional yangqin music improvisation techniques to establish an innovative approach to creating music and to compare with Western music improvisation techniques.
Open Access
Hexachords reconsidered towards a revised compositional paradigm
(2021-07-06) Wilde, Douglas Gordon; Coghlan, Michael
This dissertation demonstrates, through a number of original works, the depth and variety offered by the exclusive use of hexachords as a generative compositional resource. Part One provides an overview of hexachords, outlines the connection between hexachords and twelve- tone music, reviews specific techniques, and discusses how these techniques were used by prominent twentieth century composers. Although a great deal of western art music has been created using these techniques, exclusive composition with six-note collections in equal tempered systems is rare. Further, much of the literature devoted to hexachords is concerned solely with their use in twelve-tone music. Interest in the hexachord has long been overwhelmed by the preeminence of twelve-tone music. Part Two introduces eighteen hexachordal compositions. Various techniques developed for use in twelve-tone music are adapted and employed. My research seeks to expand the understanding and use of hexachords as a compositional resource apart from serialism. Another component of this research, and one that sets it apart further from existing work in this area is my interest in different musical genres in addition to exploring hexachordal composition as a resource within western art music, this dissertation presents a distinctly rare investigation into the use of hexachords in jazz composition and improvisation.
Open Access
Third Stream Consciousness: A Compositional Process
(2021-07-06) Riley, Benjamin Douglas Armin; Coghlan, Michael
This thesis presents an original composition based on Gunther Schuller's term, Third Stream, which describes the organic approach of combining essential elements of both classical and jazz music (later in life, he revised this to include all world musics). This approach ideally culminates in an inextricably interwoven structure in and of itself. Therefore the two original streams, or genres, of music merge into a single 'Third Stream', of which there is a homogeneous sense of form, texture, melody, harmony and rhythm-- as opposed to a distinctly separate jazz and classical feel-- within the composition. Inspired by a plethora of classical and jazz composers and musicians alike, this composition represents an attempt to fulfill Schuller's concept of Third Stream music, while at the same time creating something unique, engaging to the listener, and personally fulfilling. The hope is to have contributed a piece of music worthy of admission to the Third Stream catalogue.
Open Access
Original Compositions Inspired by the Genius of Bill Evans' Compositions
(2021-07-06) McGill, Richard Thomas; Coghlan, Michael
This dissertation analyzes diverse compositions by Bill Evans to create a deeper understanding of his creative methodologies and techniques. The knowledge gained generated the musical data which inspired my creation of a collection of original compositions for solo piano. Evans musical style is considered by many jazz aficionados as a benchmark standard that greatly influenced the evolution of jazz. His knowledge of the four centuries of music preceding his works was broad and his compositional techniques were of the highest intellectual order (Reilly 2010, ix). Unlike many of the jazz professionals of his day, he was academically educated and achieved a Bachelor of Music degree at Southeastern Louisiana College (Shadwick 2002, 51) with later graduate studies in composition at Mannes College of Music (Pettinger 1998, 24). Evans composed over fifty original works and received much critical acclaim, including seven Grammy Awards, eleven nominations, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, and induction into the Downbeat Hall of Fame in 1981. In this dissertation, Evans composition techniques were explored to identify trends and patterns to lead to a deeper understanding of his methods. The first step was to select diverse works for intense study from Evans fifty original pieces. The in-depth musical analysis used the LaRue model to analyze sound, harmony, melody, rhythm, and growth (i.e. SHMRG); Schenkerian analysis to investigate the structure; and a unique data-driven methodology to compare chord/scale relationships. The selections chosen for analysis covered a broad range, from the more obscure to his best known characteristics. The distillation of Evans technique through this in-depth analysis of seven pieces was an enlightening experience to advance my compositional skills, and a powerful inspiration for my seven original compositions. This dissertation expands the knowledge in the field of music as follows. Evans use of formulaic composition is explored with examples presented with respect to melody, rhythm, harmonic logic, and elaboration. The use of Schenkerian analysis on the seven inspirational pieces is unique and identifies the formulaic structure of these pieces. My creative processes are also shared and presented in parallel with my seven original pieces.
Open Access
An Investigation into Children's Opera: A Historical Survey, Its Nature and Condition in Canada Today
(2021-05-19) Tehrani, Afarin Mansouri; Coghlan, Michael
Opera is a unique collaboration of music, dance, literature, theatre, and visual arts which some observers believe is the greatest of all art forms. From its origins in Florence, opera has existed as a significant source of cultural and national identity through sharing stories from different nations, addressing social and political issues, and creating new meanings and trends through the combination of old and new. In parallel with contemporary globalization developments, opera continually attempts to reinvent itself by becoming ever more communal, more accessible, and cross-culturally adaptable. This dissertation considers the involvement of children in the merging of music and drama as part of the unbroken tradition dating back to ancient Greece. Opera is capable of entertaining and educating younger generations either as active participants or audience members. It offers the potential to reveal new ideas, illustrate aspects of diverse cultures, support intellectual progress, and facilitate educational and artistic creativity. As a composer and a teaching artist with many years of experience working with children and youth, my teaching philosophy encompasses informing the younger generation about their own cultural values in addition to those of others. This approach supports educational development and encourages the development of strong creative voices in a more diverse society of the future. Through its history, opera has served as a kinaesthetic pedagogical tool for children to assist them in locating their own unique creative selves and artistic personalities. Unfortunately, there are limited resources and references available to facilitate opera production aimed at children. This dissertation seeks to partially remedy this situation by providing a historical overview and analytical and pedagogical resources for individuals (educators, composers, ensemble directors, producers, etc.) who are interested in creating childrens opera or employing opera as a pedagogical approach for children.
Open Access
Mindful Singing: Exploring Mindfulness and Self-Regulation in Classical Singing
(2021-03-08) Chan, Vania Lizbeth; Robbin, Catherine
The harmonious partnership between the mind and body lies at the core of practice and performance for classical singers. Mindfulness (staying in the present moment) and Self-regulation (understanding and controlling ones own learning environment) are key concepts that when applied to the discipline of classical singing, could help to enhance the growth of efficient learning skills and healthy vocal development. This paper gathers the philosophies and perspectives of respected researchers (including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and K. Anders Ericsson), and organizes them into three separate stages: 1) Mindfulness Stage One which involves mindfulness meditation, developing awareness and increased concentration by paying exclusive attention to the breath, 2) Self-Regulation which centers on deliberate practice, the experts approach to acquiring and developing a skill, acting as a bridge to 3) Mindfulness Stage Two FLOW, the state in which the mind-body connection has been finely tuned to the point that the performance seems effortless and spontaneous. Research data was acquired from classically trained singers through a comprehensive online survey, to determine if the concepts of Mindfulness and Self-regulation were being utilized in the training and performance of classical singers. Comparisons were made between the responses of student singers and professional singers. The intention was to look for commonalities and differences with regards to their training and performance practices as well as their perspectives on and experience with these key concepts. Based on the survey results, the researcher concludes that the singer participants are familiar with and do apply some basic Mindfulness and Self-regulatory concepts and strategies to their practice of singing. The researcher believes that the singers could benefit from a deeper understanding of these concepts, leading to more consistent and focused training and performance. Further research is needed that would require direct observation of the singers implementation of these concepts into their regular practice routine. The information garnered through this dissertation sets up a foundation for promising future research projects, such as the development of smart-phone applications as tools for self-feedback and self-analysis, further exploring how Mindfulness and Self-regulation can be applied to classical singing.
Open Access
Pan, Still on the Move: An Exploratory Study of the Steelpan's Uncharted Growth and Development in North America, and What Impact this Puts on the Pan Movement in its Place of Origin, the Caribbean
(2021-03-08) Wilson, Anthony Irvine; Coghlan, Michael
ABSTRACT This study examines the growth and development of the steelpan in its place of origin, Trinidad and the Caribbean, and its diffusion into North American cities in Canada and the USA. This topic is based on a personal interest in the progressive development of the steelpan including the concerns and the implications for the future of the people, places, and institutions that are affected. Steelpan development, in its simplest form, is very broad when considering the varied aspects of cultural, social, academic, and economic scenarios. This dissertation offers a comparative analysis of the various aspects of steelpan development, based on the information focusing on two specific areas: academic and community development. Certain areas have begun the industrialized manufacturing of the instrument. The study is restricted to some of the major cities in Canada and the USA which have been heavily involved in some aspect of steelpan development. The rationale behind the study is to observe and determine the pros and cons in areas of development and to provide information that may be shared and further assist in steelpan developmental strategies. Findings of the research are determined through the examination of related books on the steelpan culture, government documents, newspaper articles, interviews, participant observation, and my personal direct and continuous involvement with the pan culture for over fifty years. The methodology and theoretical approaches of autoethnography and cultural studies are the ways and means that are employed to achieve the necessary research goals.

Browse

Recent Submissions