Music Theses and Dissertations

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PLACE, IDENTITY, AND SELF: PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY THROUGH THE LENS OF MUSICIANSHIP
(2024) Sakamoto, Kumiko; Salness, David; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This dissertation examines the intersection of place, identity and musical expression. The purpose of this dissertation is to outline a three-concert performance project that examines the concept of psychogeography through the lens of musicianship. Each concert program centers on a specific area of psychogeography in relation to my life: my heritage, where I have lived, and the influence of place on one particular piece of music.This dissertation seeks to achieve two main objectives. The first is to demonstrate the influence of psychogeography on self, and therefore artistic expression. The second is to draw from my own heritage, musical lineage, and experience to create three thoughtfully curated concert programs that testify to the power of self-discovery and expression. Each performance encompasses an overarching thematic focus that ties each program and piece together. Researching the effects of psychogeography in relation to music and presenting these ideas through three performances has resulted in a deeper understanding of the connection between place and musical expression.
TRAILBLAZERS, INNOVATORS, AND FUTURISTS: 350 YEARS OF THE SOLO VIOLIN
(2024) Whitley, Christopher; Salness, David; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The purpose of this dissertation is to outline a three-concert performance project, entitled Trailblazers, Innovators, and Futurists, by Christopher Whitley that examines the rich and varied repertoire of the solo violin from the seventeenth century to the present. Each concert program centers on a specific theme or topic related to the history of the solo violin repertoire. This dissertation seeks to accomplish three main objectives. The first is to demonstrate specific thematic, compositional, and artistic through lines that have their foundations in the Baroque period and continue to exist in contemporary works for violin. The second is to present three highly curated and immersive concert experiences that include multimedia, dramatic lighting, and a variety of performance practices. The third objective is to draw historical connections concerning the role of technology in the development of violin repertory, along with the role of the composer-performer in violin literature. Finally, this project will offer a contemporary approach to the programming and performance of Western art music that reflects on the potential impact of technological integration and creative plurality within the field. Each performance features four works for solo violin, two of which include an element of technology (playback track, live processing, accompanying visuals, etc.). Each performance is dedicated to a single, overarching thematic focus that links each work and includes a demonstrated historical example of a “trailblazer,” “innovator,” and “futurist.” Finally, each program features one of my own original compositions created for each concert.
MAKING A ROADMAP: THE ART OF COORDINATION IN MUSIC-THEATER REPERTOIRE
(2024) Harika, Jessica Anne; Kier, Craig; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The technological advances of the 21st century have ushered in completely new ways of experiencing art and stylized performance must adapt to meet modern audience demands in order to stay relevant. Music-theater, a general term used to define the singing-based performing arts (e.g. opera, art song, operetta, and musical theater) are text-driven, meaning that composers first look to the poetry, libretto, or lyrics to inform musical settings. However, teaching artists continue to prioritize vocal technique in isolation for the first several years of training, and ultimately expect students to independently integrate singing with other skill sets required for music-theater performance (e.g. acting, movement, and stagecraft). There is a neurological connection between how our bodies learn and subsequently move onstage, and how the audience interprets stage action. This knowledge must be integrated into the training of young singers. Teaching students the art of coordination that moves away from siloed learning ensures that emerging artists are prepared to work successfully post-graduation. Given this reality, I propose a new technique: one that encompasses skills that serve the vocal, physical, and emotional demands of music-theater performers in addition to vocal production. A preliminary tool for coordination is detailed, along with a paradigm for organizing analysis, exemplified by performances in the role of Third Lady (Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte), the roles of Estelle Ogelthorpe and Thelma Yablonski (Musto’s Later the Same Evening), and Dominick Argento’s From the Diary of Virginia Woolf.
NATIONALISM IN PIANO MUSIC FROM POLAND, HUNGARY, SPAIN, AND BOHEMIAN CULTURES FROM THE 19TH CENTURY TO THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY
(2023) Zhang, Hanni; Gowen, Bradford BG; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: NATIONALISM IN PIANO MUSIC FROM POLAND, HUNGARY, SPAIN, AND BOHEMIAN CULTURES FROM THE 19TH CENTURY TO THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY Hanni Zhang, Doctor of Musical Arts, 2024 Dissertation directed by: Professor Bradford Gowen School of Music From the 19th century to the early 20th century, the spirit of nationalism in music emerged as a response to the growing sense of identity and pride in the newly formed nations of Europe. Composers began to incorporate folk melodies, rhythms, and other traditional cultural elements into works as a way of expressing their national identities and distinguishing themselves from the dominant German and Italian musical traditions.Nationalist composers often drew on themes from their country's history, literature, and mythology and sought to create a distinct national style that reflected their country's unique character. As a result, such efforts contributed to strengthening their country’s sense of nationalism and patriotism. Frédéric Chopin, Maria Szymanowska, and Karol Szymanowski employed traditional Polish folk melodies and rhythms in their compositions. Three Hungarian composers, Franz Liszt, Béla Bartok, and Ernst von Dohnányi, often incorporated Hungarian folk music from their country into their works. In Spain, Joaquín Turina and Enrique Granados were known for using flamenco rhythms and other traditional Spanish elements, while the compositions of Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák were heavily predicated on traditional Bohemian folk music. This dissertation contains two hours of piano solo recordings and explores how each of these composers was influenced by folk music and how they integrated it into their unique style in celebration of national history and identity. Jeff Gruber from Blue House Production Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland, conducted the two-hour piano solo recording project. The recordings will be made available in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).
Examining the Performance Practice and Techniques of the Viola in the String Duo Repertoire
(2024) Lee, Chi; Kutz, Eric; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This document examines the string duo repertoire with viola from the beginning of the genre in the 18th century to the present day. The study begins by documenting over 3,000 string duos with information regarding the composers, time periods, publishers, and instrumentation. A table including the information of all known string duos with viola is included with as many details as possible to present a complete representation of the repertoire that exists. The information gathered from this data will then be analyzed to find general trends in the compositions from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern periods. Upon examining different pieces in more detail, the performance practice and techniques required from the viola will be explored to better understand how composers used the viola in string duos throughout history.
THE CATALOG OF AMERICAN WIND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COMMISSIONS UNDER ROBERT AUSTIN BOUDREAU FROM 1957 TO 2019
(2024) Jopek, Bradley Stephen; Votta, Michael; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The American Wind Symphony Orchestra (AWSO) commissioned over 400 works from 1957 to 2019 under the direction of Robert Austin Boudreau with the C. F. Peters Corporation publishing about 200 works. In 2022, Boudreau donated the AWSO works to the University of Maryland Bands and were cataloged by the author of this dissertation with the assistance of Jeffrey Renshaw’s book The American Wind Symphony Commissioning Project: A Descriptive Catalog of Published Editions, 1957-1991 which catalogs 159 works. Discoveries were made to include 255 AWSO works not included in Renshaw’s book.This dissertation is divided into three parts. The first (Chapters 1 and 2) focuses on the history of AWSO, its commissioning project and general programming practices, funding and operations, and the key individuals who created and developed the ensemble over its 62-year history. The second part (Chapter 3) catalogs 255 AWSO works listing the instrumentation, important musical characteristics, program notes, and research resources. It is also intended to act as a supplement to Renshaw’s book for wind band and orchestra conductors searching for wind repertoire. The third part (Chapters 4-6) examines the potential limitations and marketability of the AWSO works as well as future research.
Echoes of Celestial Arias - The Bassoon's Harmonious Journey Through Adaptation
(2024) Ren, Qun; Grimmer, Joseph JG; Frisof, Sarah SF; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This performance dissertation examines the potential of musical expression and technical skills on bassoon through a series of arrangements for the instrument. Each program features original works in addition to vocal and other instrumental works that were transcribed for bassoon. The works performed and discussed in this document include: Steven Dibner’s arrangement of Fantasia di Bravura on motives of Donizetti’s La Figlia del Reggimento; William Winstead’s First Operatic Anthology and arrangement of Carmen Fantasy; Antonio Torriani’s Divertimento on various themes from Lucie de Lammermoor; John Steinmetz’s Suite from an Imaginary Opera; J.S. Bach’s Sonata for Viola de gamba, BWV 1029 and his Oboe Concerto BWV 1053r; Maurice Allard’s Variation on a theme by Paganini (Capriccio 24); Fritz Kreisler’s Liebesleid and Liebesfreud; Johannes Brahms’ Sonata for Piano and Violoncello in E minor, op. 38; C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Sonata in A minor, H. 432; and G.F. Handel’s Trio Sonata in G minor, HWV 393.
A Collaborative Pianist's Survey of Twentieth-Century Virtuoso Viola And Piano Duos
(2023) Sun, Yihan; Sloan, Rita; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
While my colleagues in collaborative piano graduate studies were focusing on learning violin and cello repertoire, I found an affinity for the burnished, dark sound of the viola. I became interested in how the instrument evolved from mainly a background middle voice throughout the eighteenth century, to being worthy of solo star status in the later part of the nineteenth into the twentieth century. In this dissertation, I plan on exploring twentieth-century virtuoso viola and piano literature written between 1907 and 1979. The repertoire includes both sonatas and suites by composers Dmitri Shostakovich, York Bowen, Rebecca Clarke, George Rochberg, Paul Hindemith, and Ernest Bloch. Analyzing how these composers navigate and expand the tonal and coloristic possibilities of the instrument will provide valuable insights for the interpretation of their works. From the collaborative pianist’s perspective, I aim to address key issues of balance and color when playing with lower-voice string instruments. Additionally, I will discuss the challenges involved in preparing and performing each individual piece and propose solutions to these challenges. This DMA collaborative piano performance dissertation project included one lecture recital, two collaborative recitals, and extended program notes. All three recitals were performed in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. All three recitals were performed in 2023: the first on February 11th, with violist William Satterfield, and the second and third with violist Yu-Hsuan Chen on March 7th and May 11th respectively. The live audio recordings of these three recitals can be found in the Digital Repository of the University of Maryland (DRUM).
AVIAN MOTIFS IN ARMENIAN MUSIC: AN EXPLORATION OF INTERGENERATIONAL MEMORY, TRAUMA, AND IDENTITY IN THE ARMENIAN DIASPORA
(2024) Yaralian, Lilia Medea; Lie, Siv B.; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This thesis explores the theme of birds in Armenian music as it relates to identity, trauma, and commemoration. Based on one year of participant observation and interviews with Armenian Americans, I discuss the relationship between music and genocide commemoration among members of the diaspora in Washington, D.C. and, to a lesser extent, in Los Angeles. I analyze my interlocutors’ interpretations of Komitas Vardapet to learn why he is so meaningful for individuals in the diaspora. I then dedicate much of this thesis to analyzing individual interpretations of Komitas’ song “Krunk” (“The Crane”). I trace the indexical associations the song has accumulated over time to its present-day associations with diasporic identity, the 1915 Armenian genocide, and the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. Lastly, this thesis explores genocide commemoration events among the Washington, D.C. area community and music’s role in memorializing trauma and shaping collective identity. I investigate whether these two communities have shared interpretations of songs commonly heard in commemorations or if being in different environments with varying levels of exposure to Armenian language and cultural practices impacts the ways in which community members value these songs.
MUSICAL NARRATIVES OF RESISTANCE: ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY SONGS IN THE ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
(2024) Yaralian, Alexandra Anoush; Lie, Siv B.; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This thesis explores the role of Armenian revolutionary songs among Armenian youth in the diaspora, focusing on interpretations of these songs by members of the Armenian Youth Federation Washington, D.C. “Ani” Chapter. I demonstrate how these songs have been transformed over the years on the frontlines of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War by volunteersoldier and musician Arthur Khachents, through rock renditions by the Adana Project, and during protests led by Armenian youth in D.C. to commemorate the 108th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. I specifically focus on “Gini Lits” (“Pour the Wine”) and “Zartir Lao” (“Awake My Son”) and how contemporary renditions are adapted to current circumstances of war and political upheaval in Armenia and Artsakh.
TEACHER PRACTICES AROUND REPERTOIRE LEARNING AND SELECTION IN THE ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC CLASSROOM
(2024) Nixon, Elizabeth Rivera; Elpus, Kenneth; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
In music education, it is sometimes said that “the repertoire is the curriculum.” This research seeks to study the ways that elementary general music teachers select repertoire for use in their classrooms, and how the repertoire that they choose in turn influences what students are taught. By interviewing four elementary general music teachers about their practices around repertoire selection, with a focus on one specific lesson, I attempted in this research to answer the following questions:What resources (textbooks, digital resources, etc.) do teachers report utilizing when seeking repertoire for use in their classrooms? When selecting repertoire for their classrooms, what musical and extra-musical factors do elementary general music teachers consider? How do teachers describe the influence of repertoire selection on the concepts taught in elementary general music classrooms? After conducting these interviews and analyzing the data collected, I have determined that the teachers in this study report drawing repertoire from a variety of different resources, including digital resources, print books, and their colleagues. From these resources, they select repertoire based on a variety of overlapping selection criteria, including content-based, aesthetic, functional, and repertoire that provides opportunities for learning about different cultures. The repertoire selected has impacts on the remainder of the lesson, whether through pedagogical or structural impacts. Finally, this paper discusses the impacts of teacher pedagogical approaches on repertoire selection, and the ways in which repertoire is transmitted between colleagues within the world of elementary general music education.
Four X Three: Unconventional Contemporary Chamber Music Trios Featuring Solo Trumpet
(2024) Rye, Dylan; Gekker, Paul C; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Although the trumpet has been largely absent from the instrumental color palette used by composers of chamber music, the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have spawned new conceptions of the trumpet in the context of the chamber music trio. Recent chamber music features extremely diverse instrumental combinations, producing novel compositional effects and technical demands on performers. A study of developing ideas about the trumpet in the chamber music environment tracks the trumpets’ growing acceptance in the chamber music sphere and its recent liberation from the confines of the brass family. Analysis of two twentieth century chamber trios with solo trumpet shows that advancements in trumpet design and technique have made the instrument suitable in many instrumental contexts, and that modern composers have used it to great effect in “neo-tonal” music. Examination of two twenty-first century chamber trios with unorthodox orchestration tracks contemporary composers' evolving use of the trumpet.
EXPLORING THE GUATEMALAN PIANISTIC LEGACY: REVEALING THE HIDDEN GEMS OF THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY
(2024) Hernandez Mendoza, Francisco Alfonso; Dedova, Larissa; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the country of Guatemala produced an extraordinary amount of excellent music written for the piano. Composers Manuel Martínez-Sobral, Ricardo Castillo, Jesús Castillo, Jorge Sarmientos, and more contemporary figures such as Joaquín Marroquín, Enrique Solares, and Xavier Beteta all contributed to the evolution of piano compositions. In this performance dissertation, I will perform selected works from this legacy. I will also provide an in-depth analysis of the selected works and historical context, educational influences, and cultural exchanges that have shaped this musical tradition. The repertoire will be explored with a particular emphasis on pointing out various composer’s stylistic characteristics.The selected dissertation repertoire includes my two-piano arrangement of Jorge Sarmientos’ “Concierto para Piano No. 1 Op. 10” for its academic value and to aid in studying and performing this pivotal Guatemalan piano concerto. This DMA dissertation project includes two solo recitals and a two-piano recital, showcasing my arrangement of Sarmiento’s concerto. The written portion of the dissertation also presents the score of this arrangement. All recitals were held in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. The live audio recordings of these recitals can be found in the University of Maryland's Digital Repository.
Resonance of Change: An Exploration of Repertoire Programming Shifts in Choral Conducting Graduate Programs in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic and George Floyd Protests
(2024) Helms, Mark; Ferdinand, Jason M; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Few decisions made by a choral conductor are as important as the selection of repertoire. This study seeks to uncover the ways repertoire selection practices may have shifted in choral conducting graduate programs following two major concurrent disruptive events: the COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd protests. The study also seeks to fill a gap in the literature by examining repertoire trends in standard concerts on university campuses rather than in concerts occurring exclusively in festival settings (such as ACDA conferences). Complete repertoire data for four academic years (2017–2019 and 2021–2023) were collected from sixteen research universities with choral conducting graduate programs. The design of the study was guided by four major questions, which concerned: (1) the overall characteristics of the body of repertoire performed, (2) changes in the characteristics of performed repertoire between the two-year time periods studied, (3) similarities and differences in programming practices among the sixteen participating schools, and (4) whether the trends found in the present study echo those found in previous studies of repertoire trends in festival settings. The data were also analyzed with two hypotheses in mind: (1) that composer and composition diversity and representation would increase (in part in response to the George Floyd protests), and (2) that composition difficulty would generally decrease (due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic). Findings reveal high variation in the works and composers performed by the sixteen schools in the study, with few specific composers and works seeing broad performance across a majority of the schools. Demographically, performed composers were overwhelmingly White and male, though the percentage of non-White- and non-male-composed works performed at each school increased significantly between 2017–2019 and 2021–2023. It was found that much of this increase could be attributed to non-idiomatic works by Black composers, though this increase did not come at the expense of idiomatic works by the same. The data further suggest that conductors may often select a single piece to fill both race- and gender-based diversity goals. Performed compositions skewed significantly toward newly-composed works, though to what extent varied substantially between schools; the data suggest these variations are largely attributable to the programming practices of individual faculty members. A high level of variation among the schools was seen for sacred/secular status and accompaniment status. No conclusive result was found concerning the average difficulty of performed works, but English- language works were found to be inversely related to composition difficulty; the percentage of English-language works increased significantly between 2017–2019 and 2021–2023, suggesting a corresponding decrease in average difficulty.
“CHARACTERS” IN DIVERSE WORKS FOR PIANO, 1720-1944
(2024) Chan, Ham; Dedova, Larissa; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The main aim of this research project is to gain a thorough comprehension of piano music classified as “Character Pieces,” as well as music that exhibits similar musical traits but is not officially categorized as such. In a narrative context, a character is typically defined as a person depicted within a story, either through description or direct speech. In the realm of music, characters are often linked to the mood or atmosphere. Expanding on this, characters in music should assist performers and listeners in creating a musical scene through their individual imaginations. The fundamental essence of “Character Pieces” can be distilled to compositions imbued with distinctive musical qualities. While there exists no unanimous consensus regarding the precise criteria for characterizing a piece as such, there is a general consensus that compositions bearing evocative titles such as Ballade, Fantasy, Nocturne, and Mazurka are commonly regarded as character pieces. In a more scholarly context, the Harvard Dictionary of Music aptly defines the term “Character Piece” as a convenient designation encompassing a substantial body of short compositions from the 19th century, designed to express a definite mood or programmatic idea. Most of these compositions are written in ternary form, a structure that proves especially suitable for depicting two contrasting moods, such as the dramatic section A and the lyrical section B.A notable feature of the genre is its freedom from a fixed naming convention, enabling compositions to encompass a wide array of titles. This stands in stark contrast to other genres such as Sonatas and Variations, which are inherently defined by predetermined names and structural elements. However, influences on “Character Pieces” in terms of structure and musicality can be found in some of these genres. Several of these works will also be highlighted in the program. “Character pieces” can be viewed as a genre conceptualized by scholars to encompass the majority of piano music from the 19th century that may not adhere to conventional notions of “serious” music. Given the flexibility of this classification, the three planned recitals have been carefully curated to showcase music relate to this genre, spanning from works of Bach to Prokofiev composed between 1720 and 1944. Each recital will revolve around a central theme, with the initial installment titled “Fantasies and Ballades,” followed by “Humanity” in the second recital, and concluding with “Literary Inspirations” in the final recital.
A CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE TO BÉLA BARTÓK’S CANTATA PROFANA
(2024) Lofton, Nathan; Ferdinand, Jason M; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Béla Bartók composed Cantata Profana in 1930, at the height of his interwar European career. Bartók’s only major choral-orchestral work, the cantata is a synthesis of Bartók’s immersion in Eastern European folk music and his mature compositional aesthetic. Cantata Profana is a work of modest scale, approximately twenty minutes in duration, though it is also one that makes considerable musical demands of a double chorus, tenor and baritone soloists, and a full orchestra. Above all, it is a work that is considered by many prominent Bartók scholars to be among the composer’s finest creations. Despite all of this, Cantata Profana is so infrequently performed that most musicians know it only by reputation or through one of the handful of existing recordings, if they know it at all. This dissertation gathers the resources a choral conductor needs when preparing to perform Cantata Profana. These resources include a brief history of the cantata’s genesis and analyses of the work’s structure and musical elements. The dissertation examines the required performing forces, choral divisi, Hungarian diction, rehearsal strategies, and programming considerations, and provides possible solutions to these as some of the challenges inherent in the work. The last section of the dissertation considers the interpretation and meaning of the cantata. Appendices are devoted to a literal English translation and International Phonetic Alphabet transliteration of Cantata Profana’s Hungarian text; a selected performance history of the work; and an annotated discography of the available recordings. The ultimate goal of this dissertation is to make Cantata Profana a more approachable work, and to encourage more conductors, choruses, and orchestras to undertake its performance.
21st CENTURY AMERICAN TRUMPET SONATAS: THE PERFORMANCE PRACTICE AND PEDAGOGICAL INFLUENCES OF FOUR SONATAS
(2024) Rudy, Brennan; Gekker, Paul C; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Sonatas for trumpet and piano have played an impactful role in the development of the trumpet as a recital instrument. Thorvald Hansen’s 1903 sonata for cornet and piano was the earliest sonata for our instrument, later leading to the first two sonatas for the Bb trumpet and piano in 1939 by German composer Paul Hindemith and Soviet composer Boris Asafiev. The first American sonata for trumpet and piano was written by Harold Shapero in 1940 and was dedicated to his teacher, Aaron Copland. These early sonatas led to other prominent 20th Century trumpet sonatas that were written by American composers Kent Kennan, Halsey Stevens, and Eric Ewazen. As a modern solo instrument, performance and pedagogical practices for the trumpet are strongly based on compositions of the 20th Century or earlier. As we are now almost 25 years into the 21st Century, trumpet sonatas and their composers have continued to evolve and create a lasting impact on the use of the trumpet and its pedagogy. This dissertation will discuss the pedagogical impacts and musical developments of several 21st Century sonatas for trumpet and piano. Accompanying this dissertation are four recordings of some of the most recently published trumpet sonatas from 2015-2023, each by American composers of diverse backgrounds. The four recorded sonatas previously had very few or no professional recordings and exemplify modern developments on traits originally established by composers of early trumpet sonatas. Through this dissertation and accompanying recordings, I hope to encourage the use of modern trumpet sonatas for application in pedagogical instruction, performances, and college and university juries and entrance auditions.
I Shall But Love Thee Better After Death: A Rediscovery of Eleanor Everest Freer’s Sonnets from the Portuguese, Op. 22 (1910)
(2024) Kalbacker, Courtney Ann; Ziegler, Delores; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Though largely unheard of today, Chicagoan Eleanor Everest Freer (1864-1942) was a relentless and effective supporter of early American vocal music and an accomplished composer. Freer not only possessed musical talent and a refined compositional craft, but also the foresight and means to preserve her work for posterity. This dissertation focuses on Freer’s magnum opus: a forty-four song cycle Sonnets from the Portuguese (1910). Freer is still the only composer to have ever set and published all forty-four poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s masterwork of English poetics, yet this work remains mostly unknown. The initial chapter of this dissertation offers a biographical background of the composer, including her musical training, advocacy for American vocal music, and compositional work. Chapter 2 discusses the work of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, her masterwork of the Sonnets, and Freer’s composition of the cycle. Chapter 3 gives a performance and critical reception history of the song cycle. The next sections outline notable aspects of the cycle as a whole, offers a table of performance practice guidance for each of the forty-four songs, and highlights notable features of each of Freer’s sonnet settings. Chapter 6 considers other settings of the poems by women (Larsen, Hall, and Branscombe), comparing them to the work of Freer. Conclusions and suggestions for continued scholarship and performance follow. Ultimately, this paper shows that because of Freer’s persistent advocacy for American vocal writing and her own compositional masterwork Sonnets from the Portuguese (1910), Freer deserves not just to be remembered, but celebrated for her accomplishments.
flight 295 | a string quartet in two parts.
(2024) Visser, Johannes Hendrik; Gibson, Robert; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This work is a critique of the social injustices committed by the oppressive South Africangovernment at the height of the Apartheid era. Its commentary is exemplified through the metaphor of Flight 295 – a South African Airways flight that crashed in the Indian Ocean in the late 1980s. The crimes against humanity committed throughout South Africa by the Apartheid regime find a chilling parallel in the events that caused the crash of Flight 295. En route from East Asia, it is widely acknowledged that the Boeing 747-200 Combi was carrying volatile arms in its cargo compartment. Severe turbulence is said to have caused the arms to destabilize, causing a fire that engulfed the aircraft mid-flight. The recklessness of the government in smuggling unstable black-market arms to South Africa (which would then be used to fight a “war” against people of colour) on board a passenger flight, showed their lack of concern for human life. It is an awareness of these atrocities that this composition strives to share with audiences through the expression of the emotions that I feel when I think of the events of that horrific era in the history of my country and culture. I believe that it is important to share this uncomfortable historical event with people so that we can fight against similar human rights violations happening daily around the world.
OBJECT SOUNDS: CONNECTING MUSIC EDUCATION AND MUSEUM EDUCATION AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
(2024) Folk, Christian Michael; Giebelhausen, Robin; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), part of the Smithsonian Institution (SI) complex in Washington, D.C., is the only SI museum with a permanent music exhibition, titled Musical Crossroads. This exhibit traces significant figures and developments in African American musical cultures, demonstrating “how African American music provided a voice for liberty, justice, and social change” (NMAAHC, 2016). In this document, comprised of three interrelated studies, I navigated the connections between music education and museum education in this unique space. In the first study, I relayed the narratives of performing arts curator Dr. Dwandalyn Reece and her team on the development of Musical Crossroads. For the second study, I surveyed current NMAAHC visitors to determine the efficacy of the Musical Crossroads exhibit. Finally, in the third study, I described the experiences of three music teachers who use SI’s online platform, Smithsonian Learning Lab (SLL), to teach lessons on African American musical cultures using objects found in Musical Crossroads. In the final chapter, I traced the throughline of these studies and provide implications for future connections between music education and museum education pedagogies. The first study, a narrative inquiry, traced the development of Musical Crossroads from the perspectives of three key figures in the exhibit’s history: Dr. Dwandalyn Reece, former curator of music and performing arts; Dr. Kevin Strait, a former curatorial assistant for the exhibition; and Ms. Hannah Grantham, a current curatorial and research assistant for NMAAHC. These narratives are bound by temporality, sociality, and place, highlighting the crux of music and museum education in the development of Musical Crossroads. I identified several common themes through their stories, including: (a) the educational, professional, and musical backgrounds of participants; (b) the themes and objectives of Musical Crossroads; (c) the curation and collaboration process; (d) tensions in the development process; and (e) the role of education in Musical Crossroads. Although three distinct experiences were present throughout, I funneled the three perspectives into one cohesive narrative. In the second study, I distributed surveys to Musical Crossroads visitors (n = 422) over several months to examine if visitors meet the experiential and educational goals set by NMAAHC staff. The survey contained questions on visitors’ overall experience in the exhibit, what genres they experienced, what elements of the exhibit they interacted with, if they learned about various themes of African American musical cultures, and several demographic items. Results of the survey showed that Musical Crossroads visitors generally had a positive experience in the exhibit, had varied levels of interaction with exhibit elements, and are learning about key themes of African American musical cultures developed by NMAAHC staff. In the conclusion of this study, I discussed implications based on various survey items, including visitor demographics, exhibit interactive spaces, musical genres, and exhibit themes. For the final study, I conducted a multiple case study of music teachers’ perceptions and implementations of the Smithsonian Learning Lab (SLL) program. SLL is an online platform that provides users access to millions of museum artifacts, specimens, recordings, and other materials from all museums across the SI ecosystem, including NMAAHC. I tasked three music teachers with using SLL to conduct two lessons that included African American musical cultures. Each participant approached these lessons differently based on their varied classrooms and comfort with the SLL program. I identified several findings, including the varied impressions of SLL from the teachers, how they incorporated SLL based on various specialties and grade levels taught, and how they perceived and practiced culturally relevant pedagogy and object-based learning using SLL. Along with these findings, I discussed how music teachers may utilize SLL in the future and possible improvements to SLL. I conclude this dissertation with an overview of the three studies, their connections to each other, and their relevance in music and museum education. Additionally, I discuss how this dissertation uniquely contributes to the music and museum education literature. Finally, I provide a reflection on this specific project and how music and museum educators can influence each other in future projects and research.

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