Wind Ensemble Music

Theories of embodied cognition state that knowledge is built by means of cross-domain mapping processes between different domains of experience. Recent research informs about the presence of mapping processes in the reception of both tonal and atonal music. A previous experiment suggested the occurrence of mappings between visual attributes and interpretative features in atonal music. However, these results were obtained with musicians; therefore, it is unknown to what extent they are equally valid to non-musicians. This study aims at examining the incidence of interpretative expression within the visual-musical mapping process. Three versions (two expressive and one deadpan) of an atonal musical piece were presented to musicians and non musicians. The two expressive versions, varied in the span of silence between groups. Simultaneously, different visual animated images that represented the image-schema Source-Path-Goal were exhibited. Subjects were required to estimate the correspo...

Elucidating the Sound of It is an artistic tuba performance action research project investigating wind-bass sound and musical performance practice in an adult community wind orchestra. An autoethnographic, musical process philosophy of symphonic wind-brass-bass performance, employing a cognition analysis tool 4E (embodied, embedded, enabled, extended) in a cross disciplinary, humanistic investigation framed within cultural history, classical philosophy, and transpersonal psychology.
The thesis discusses bass sound as an elemental, acoustically immersive phenomenon foundational to psychologically affective somatic experiences of musical depth, size, and power. An acoustical sensation, first encountered in landscapes and later replicated to effect somatic awe in ceremonies and rituals for thousands of years. Bass sounds, manifested in more recent times, by massive brass bells, mighty wind driven pipe organs and the eventual development of brass wind-bass orchestral instruments. The tuba, an industrial era, military band, chromatic, contrabass brass instrument was significantly employed by Richard Wagner in composing the Ring Cycle. Wagner expressed an innovative and expansive conception of bass brass symphonic sounds, consequently, establishing an important musical role for tuba in orchestral performance.
The playing of tuba in a symphonic wind ensemble is the focus of this performative research, which is framed by the orchestral tuba performance and wind instrument pedagogy of Arnold Jacobs (1915-1998) principal tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1944-1988). Jacobs (teacher to generations of accomplished brass players and the author) is renowned for his musical knowledge, orchestral experience, and pioneering study of the anatomical and neurological aspects of effective wind instrument respiration. A pedagogy expressed in a personal style of individualized mentoring often conveyed in cryptic oral maxims. Jacobs’ teaching philosophy is verified in a growing body of published accounts by former students and his recorded masterclasses available online. Evidence of Jacobs’ allegorical, enigmatic, common-sense emphasis of developing an attentive, focused, and imaginative conception of tuba sound and performance excellence. An oral teaching, demonstrated in the thesis to possess meaningful etymological precedents in classical Greek philosophy; an empirical observation that Jacobs’ oral teaching style displays cogent pre-Socratic roots. A classical foundation to a process based, metaphorically expressive, performative philosophy articulating an embodied relationship of music, player, and instrument manifesting imaginative musical products; a poetic process Jacobs characterized as Song & Wind.
The dissertation evidences its qualitative enquiry of tuba wind-bass sound by both examining and documenting the instruments performative role within a symphonic wind ensemble. The bass parts, encountered and performed in concert, of five wind orchestra masterworks are discussed: Gustav Holst, First Suite in E-flat for Military Band - Percy Grainger, Lincolnshire Posy - Leonard Bernstein, Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront - Julie Giroux, Symphony IV: Bookmarks from Japan - John Mackey, The Frozen Cathedral. Embedded within the dissertation are recent concert performances of these works demonstrating the authors tuba performance and process philosophy as practiced within a musically accomplished adult community wind orchestra.

Computational approaches for modeling expressive music performance have produced systems that emulate music expression, but few steps have been taken in the domain of ensemble performance. In this paper, we propose a novel method for building computational models of ensemble expressive performance and show how this method can be applied for deriving new insights about collaboration among musicians. In order to address the problem of interdependence among musicians we propose the introduction of inter-voice contextual attributes. We evaluate the method on data extracted from multi-modal recordings of string quartet performances in two different conditions: solo and ensemble. We used machine-learning algorithms to produce computational models for predicting intensity, timing deviations, vibrato extent, and bowing speed of each note. As a result, the introduced inter-voice contextual attributes generally improved the prediction of the expressive parameters. Furthermore, results on attribute selection show that the models trained on ensemble recordings took more advantage of inter-voice contextual attributes than those trained on solo recordings.

Theories of embodied cognition state that knowledge is built by means of cross-domain mapping processes between different domains of experience. Recent research informs about the presence of mapping processes in the reception of both tonal and atonal music. A previous experiment suggested the occurrence of mappings between visual attributes and interpretative features in atonal music. However, these results were obtained with musicians; therefore, it is unknown to what extent they are equally valid to non-musicians. This study aims at examining the incidence of interpretative expression within the visual-musical mapping process. Three versions (two expressive and one deadpan) of an atonal musical piece were presented to musicians and non musicians. The two expressive versions, varied in the span of silence between groups. Simultaneously, different visual animated images that represented the image-schema Source-Path-Goal were exhibited. Subjects were required to estimate the correspo...

This thesis explores the impact that the internet has had on the esprit de corps of the musical community. As a mechanism for that exploration, it also includes an original composition comprised of three character pieces. The exegesis of the piece will describe the basis of these musical representations and explore the application of the piece as a vehicle for a shared musical experience across the internet. A virtual ensemble was created by crowdsourcing from social media. Participants played different parts that were combined by computer manipulation into a final product. iv PREFACE My interest in the subject of this thesis goes back to my first encounter with Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir. I was so enthralled with the idea that a person could take individuals from all areas of the world and combine them into a single unit that participated together virtually. I thought about those people who whose only connection to the outside world might have been the internet and how wonderful it could be if they were able to collaborate on a musical endeavor with other like-minded people. Whitacre said it best when he described it as a bunch of individuals placing messages in bottles from their remote locations in hopes of making a connection. Another aspect of this project that excited me was an exploration of what this new-found collaboration would entail. How will these virtual connections progress? Will it create a community? What are the dynamics of that community? Are we seeing a glimpse of what future musical collaboration might look like? What role will social media play in this future? The answers to these questions are continuing to define themselves following this thesis. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My acknowledgements have to begin with my faith in Jesus Christ. Without his guidance, grace, and mercy, I would not have been able to take on the task of seeking my master's degree. To quote Isaiah 50:4-"The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakes morning by morning, he wakes mine ear to hear as the learned." My next thanks are to my family. They all have had to deal with their son, husband, daddy, etc. not being there at times so I could complete tasks toward my degree. I love all of you very much and thank you for your understanding. Next is my advisor, Dr. Stephen Lias. I want to thank you for your willingness to share your vast knowledge with me. You made me feel like a part of the SFA family even when I had first submitted a portfolio for your consideration. I am very humbled by your friendship and consider it a prized possession.

usic, like language, is a uniquely human experience, ubiquitous across human cultures and across the human life span. Musical capacity appears early in evolution and it seems to be innate to most of the human population. Neurobiological studies of music perception and music performance profoundly affect the brain, in an acute and chronic way, by modulating networks involved in cognition, sensation, emotion, reward, and movement corresponding to the empirical findings why people listen to music: pleasure, self-awareness, social relatedness, and arousal and mood regulation. Most intriguing is "salutogenic" effect of musical activities, such as instrumental and choral "musicking" (particularly in non-professional musicians), both on the individual level and in populations. Musical training can promote the development of non-musical skills as diverse as language development, attention, visuospatial perception, and executive functions. Music is also a prophylactic resource; it improves the bonding of mother and child. There is a wide range of therapeutic domains and disorders where musical interventions improve the outcome. As an example, familiar music has an exceptional ability to elicit memories, movements, motivation and positive emotions from adults affected by dementia. Considering that one of the most important problems in biomedicine is "understanding what is to be human" then "music should be an essential part of this pursuit"of an understanding of the whole person. Despite M

In-Depth Analysis and Program Notes on a Selection so Wind Band Music Miles B. Wurster This document is an in-depth analysis of five selections for wind band: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, Elliot Del Borgo; Jericho, Jesse Ayers; Sunrise at Angel's Gate, Philip Sparke; Danza Sinfonica, James Barnes and The Engulfed Cathedral, Claude Debussy, transcribed for wind band by Merlin Patterson. These pages contain biographical information on each composer, program notes, formal analysis, musical considerations, and conducting and rehearsal considerations by the author. A detailed diagram of the formal and phrasal structure is included on each piece in the Appendix. This document is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Music degree in Wind Band Conducting at

The objective of this work is the discovery and analysis of teleological strate gies, i.e. the ways in which music which is not tonal-oriented finds points of orientation, how it is structured around them and directed towards them as formal supports. A mod ernist composition Octandre by Edgar Varèse which is composed for seven wind instru ments and double-bass will serve as an analytical sample. An important element of the composition is the use of sound masses as basic building units, whose expressive meaning is within the general character of the sound, and not in the concrete melodic content. Seemingly, the relevance of individual pitches is minimized, which could indicate the possible statics and absence of goal-oriented movement. However, the analysis has dis covered an orientation towards certain goals, as well as the crucial importance of param eters of pitches during the process of their realisation. By tracking these processes, as well as by analyzing the sets from which the sound masses of the work are built, it will be concluded that the analyzed work rests upon advisedly elaborated compositional strategies that make its course targeted.

Cognitive musicology is a psychological domain of music which attempts to proximity several interpretations as notation in a score, analysis, performance, and perception. The previous study of the authors developes the interdisciplinary analysis method of tension design combining music theoretical and perception approaches (investigating contemporary music). In this study we observe different performances of "Sula" (Thaw, 1999) by Estonian composer Helena Tulve (1972). We investigate the impact of performance style of different conductors (Toomas Vavilov, Paul Mägi) and orchestras (ERSO, Orchestra of Estonian National Opera) on the perception-based tension design of the piece and how it is connected to score-based tension design. Observed performances reveal concordance in the overall shape of culmination points (CP-s) of final sections. Most significant for both conductors is the difference of approaching CP-s: Vavilov points out peaks, Mägi builds blending plateaux. Reputedly listeners perceive the overall contour of perception-based tension design individually, but also revealing concordance in significant moments of tension design. This study reveals, that Vavilov's sharp pointing of CP-s corresponds more frequently to expectations of the listeners, while Mägi "overrides" the "real" CP-s, focusing more on blending increasing and releasing phases. Vavilov's interpretation shows more segmentation, while Mägi guides the listeners toward one main CP (13'08''). He also "overrides" the crucial CP (10'54''), which is as a composed out caesura (bar 181) clearly shown in the score. Vavilov accentuates this crucial CP (13'16''). But the listener's grasping of the conductors general idea of overall TD depends on the type of analytical or esemplastic perception.

The objective of this work is the discovery and analysis of teleological strategies, i.e. the ways in which music that is not tonal-oriented finds points of orientation, how it is structured around them and directed towards them as formal supports. A modernist composition Octandre by Edgar Varèse which is composed of seven wind instruments and double-bass will serve as an analytical sample. An important element of the composition is the use of sound masses as basic building units, whose expressive meaning is within the general character of the sound, and not in the concrete melodic content. Seemingly, the relevance of individual pitches is minimized, which could indicate the possible statics and absence of goal-oriented movement. However, the analysis has discovered an orientation towards certain goals, as well as the crucial importance of parameters of pitches during the process of their realisation. By tracking these processes, as well as by analyzing the sets from which the sound...

Computational approaches for modeling expressive music performance have produced systems that emulate music expression, but few steps have been taken in the domain of ensemble performance. In this paper, we propose a novel method for building computational models of ensemble expressive performance and show how this method can be applied for deriving new insights about collaboration among musicians. In order to address the problem of interdependence among musicians we propose the introduction of inter-voice contextual attributes. We evaluate the method on data extracted from multi-modal recordings of string quartet performances in two different conditions: solo and ensemble. We used machine-learning algorithms to produce computational models for predicting intensity, timing deviations, vibrato extent, and bowing speed of each note. As a result, the introduced inter-voice contextual attributes generally improved the prediction of the expressive parameters. Furthermore, results on attribute selection show that the models trained on ensemble recordings took more advantage of inter-voice contextual attributes than those trained on solo recordings.

Este capítulo procura fornecer uma panorâmica dos agrupamentos de instrumentistas de sopro e percussão ao serviço da monarquia portuguesa entre o reinado de D. João V e o final do Antigo Regime. Ao longo deste período de grandes transformações combinam-se tradições seculares de forte significado simbólico, ligadas ao poder real, e novas tendências do ponto de vista organológico e estético, música funcional inerente ao cerimonial da corte e a eventos religiosos e políticos, e repertórios ligados a práticas de sociabilidade e a situações de concerto. Novos dados decor- rentes de investigações recentes, e ainda em curso, permitem traçar um quadro multifacetado e questionar ambiguidades relacionadas com a terminologia usada no passado e no presente: “Banda real”, “Charamela Real”, “Música das Reais Cavalariças”, entre outras designações. Abor- dam-se aspectos como a constituição instrumental, os perfis profissionais dos músicos e o papel dos agrupamentos em cerimónias dinásticas e práticas festivas. Em Portugal, a investigação tem dado primazia às ban- das militares e às bandas filarmónicas dos séculos XIX a XXI, mas os antepassados destas possuem forte ligação ao poder monárquico e aos hábitos aristocráticos, constituindo uma componente essencial da sua imagem de esplendor e magnificência. O presente estudo incide, portanto, nos agrupamentos de sopros e percussão sob a alçada da Casa Real, sendo as bandas militares, ainda que regulamentadas por decretos régios, tidas em consideração apenas quando actuavam no contexto da corte ou no caso de intercâmbio de músicos e repertórios.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of wind ensemble seating configurations on college instrumentalists’ ratings of ensemble sound. Members of a university wind ensemble ( N = 40) were recorded while performing a 1-minute excerpt of Only Light by Aaron Perrine in one of four ensemble configurations. At the conclusion of the recording session, the performers wrote free-response comments to “In which of the four configurations did you feel the ensemble sounded their best?” and “Why?” Another set of participants, college ensemble members ( N = 121), listened to the four audio recordings and rated the ensemble tone quality, ensemble balance, and ensemble blend of each performance. Performers mentioned that ensemble balance and ensemble blend were important factors that influenced their decision as to why the ensemble sounded their best in a particular configuration. An analysis of the composite ratings revealed a significant main effect for ensemble configuration. Howev...

People can experience flow whilst taking part in a range of activities such as painting, sport and music and work. A flow state is achieved by balancing high levels of skill and challenge in a cyclical process that involves setting clear self-imposed goals and generating immediate, unambiguous feedback. Originally developed to study the quality of experience in everyday life, the flow model has been applied in this study to investigate young people's experiences in the music classroom. The aim is to contribute to research in educational practice by exploring how school children experience working together during music lessons. Although collaborative musical participation is encouraged in the classroom context, very little empirical research has been conducted to investigate how effective this is and even less by practicing music teachers in UK schools. The research illustrates how flow theory can contribute to reaching a greater understanding of the nature and quality of pupils' experiences in the music classroom. The study was conducted by a music teacher based in a state secondary school near Manchester in the north west of England. A mixed methods approach was used incorporating quantitative analysis of participants' self reports recorded on experience sampling forms and qualitative analysis of verbal interactions. Findings were triangulated with teacher assessments of the finished compositions. The paper reports examples of the results of analysis of the verbal interactions recorded during the composing process. During the interactions, participants were observed in cooperative and competitive discussion, using a range of problem solving strategies and demonstrating their abilities for critical reflection mutual acceptance of each other's ideas. These aspects were found to reflect flow experience in collaborative contexts.

For Gavin, my brilliant and inspiring son. For Mom and Dad, your constant love and support have meant more to me than I can ever express. For my friends and colleagues, your support and encouragement through my academic career have meant so much to me. I could not have achieved this accomplishment without any of you.

iv List of Works in the Portfolio v List of Accompanying Recordings vi Chapter 1. My Main Compositional Concerns 1 Chapter 2. Writing for Voice 7 Chapter 3. Use of Received Materials 27 Individual Commentaries: Chapter 4. Pomes Penyeach 40 Chapter 5. Orb of Earth to Arch of Sky 61

The purpose of this study was to examine student learning in an introductory conducting course in which score study was the primary foundational focus; gesture was viewed as part of a larger conducting process and a secondary learning goal to score study. Research has indicated a need for greater emphasis on score study in introductory conducting courses (Silvey, Springer, & Eubanks, 2016; Stewart, 2011). Student reflection is often used to guide students in understanding the relationship of their gesture to the sound of a live ensemble; however, within the studied course, reflection was expanded to focus on the score study process – developing score study skills, practice habits, and concepts. Researchers analyzed student reflections (N = 25) in order to understand student learning and identify potential improvements to the course. Student reflections were coded using a general inductive approach. In their reflections, students discussed evaluating, revising, refining, and integrat...

This work is dedicated to my partner, Elena, on today, her birthday, April 7 th. I could not do any of this without the patience, kindness, and love you have shown me every day for the last six years. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A great deal of thanks is in order, first to my family. To my parents, Sally and John, thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams no matter the cost. You taught me to believe that anything is possible. To my twin sister, Lindsay, thank you for making me laugh more than anyone. I know I always have your support, just as you have mine. Shannon, Cathy, and Jon, you three keep my feet on the ground and are the best older siblings I could ask for. Elena, I would not have achieved this great milestone, among the others of the last six years, without your love and support. Your strength, wisdom, and patience are admirable, and I am grateful to witness them daily. I love you. To Alex and Steven-my boys. The unconditional love you show me means more than you can know. Here's to many more years, and many more beers. Love you guys. Dr. Shenton, thank you for making this project feel easy. Your professionalism and knowledge are only outdone by your wit and spirit. Thank you to Dr. Goodrich and Dr. Vu as well for your educational insight-I have learned so much thanks to your guidance. Thank you to Mike Roylance for the last three years. You have taught me so much about not only playing the tuba, but about getting my priorities set straight, how to treat others, and the value of friendship. Thank you for always having my back, even when I feel like it was against the wall. vi To David Zerkel, for being such a compassionate teacher. You showed me how living my life outside the practice room can grow my artistry within it. My desire to strive for the highest quality in everything I do is a byproduct of your tutelage, and I am fortunate to call you my friend. To Charles Villarrubia, for helping me find my artistic voice and teaching me to never accept anything less than the best for myself. Your warmth and passion in our lessons will live in my mind forever. To Sam Pilafian, who showed me that anything is possible. Your interest in my life and support after our time together brought out the best in me. You are missed, but we will never forget you. Rest in Peace. To Steve Haddad, thank you for corralling me in my younger years. Your patience and fatherly love shaped me into the musician and person I am today. I still look up to youmetaphorically, of course. And to Jorge Avendaño-thank you for the selflessness you showed in starting me and my sister in music. You were and will always be a part of our family.

Paul Dooley’s composition, Masks and Machines (2015), is a significant new work for wind ensemble and was the winner of the National Band Association’s William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest award and the American Bandmasters Association’s Sousa/ABA/Ostwald Composition Contest. Masks and Machines has received positive critical acclaim and numerous performances, including a performance at the 2015 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois by the North Texas Wind Ensemble under the direction of Eugene Corporon and a performance at the 2016 American Bandmasters Association Conference in Lexington, Kentucky by the United States Marine Corps Band under the direction of Jason K. Fettig. The purposes of this dissertation are 1) to place Masks and Machines in its historical perspective within the history of wind band compositions; 2) to provide an overview of the artistic styles that influenced the composer, such as Stravinsky’s Neoclassical works, Bauhaus Art, an...

This study addresses the lack of a theoretical basis in dance piano accompaniment music geared towards dance. We study which musical features are perceptually most relevant and prompt specific dance movements and gestures, particularly in academic dance.11 ...

We study the influence that image features may have on music tension and liveliness perception. 72 music excerpts from different genres and periods were selected, and 72 still shots were taken from different animation features little known to the subjects. 62 subjects rated ...

A cultura ocidental constituiu diversas relacoes com a morte, diferentes contextos possibilitaram construcoes no campo cultural e social ligados a finitude. O objetivo deste texto e analisar os espacos praticados que os ucranianos no municipio de Prudentopolis-PR estabeleceram com a morte entre 1923 e 2012. Prudentopolis na mesorregiao sudeste do Parana, recebeu no final do seculo XIX um elevado numero de imigrantes ucranianos. Tal caracteristica influenciou nas diversas relacoes com a morte seja na historicidade da constituicao dos espacos, na religiosidade ou em praticas que entre permanencias e transformacoes fizeram-se presentes entre os descendentes desta etnicidade.

Elder Music, Instrumental Music Performance and Affirmative Aging is a Practice-led research project in Community Music performance. A phenomenological, autoethnographic critique of lived musical experience by a senior, former professional musician returning to an accomplished instrumental music performance practice after a playing hiatus of twenty-four years. Research that arose in response to this personal aesthetic process resulted in a performance-led community music investigation, detailing the journey of a musician returning to active performance, without claiming to be either unique or typical. It is both a chronicle articulating the incidence and benefice of later life music making and a report on how this experiential and artistic process involves many mature musicians. Qualitative artistic research revealing a context to the breadth of active involvement and commitment of older musicians, who are not only quantitatively significant and noteworthy in their numbers and music...

Since the beginning of the 1980s, playing in pop ensembles and rock ensembles has been an integrated part of both Swedish music teacher education and the Swedish national curricula for music. However, there is little research on ensemble playing and teaching in Swedish schools, and even less so on the assessment and the criteria for assessment of this practice. The aim of my PhD project is to investigate what values music teachers in focus groups express and what criteria they base their judgements on when they comment on and discuss video excerpts from ensemble classes. This paper, however, focuses on the method of analysis: a discourse analytical method that is informed by a dialogical theory of meaning. In order to create ‘thinking societies in miniature’, focus groups consisting of music teachers were asked to comment on video excerpts from ensemble classes playing music in four different Afro-American genres. The discourses from these focus groups were analysed in a three-step ...

J oshua Little is a junior in the Bachelor of Arts with a Concentration in Music Composition at Kennesaw State University. He is currently studying composition under Composer-in-Residence Dr. Laurence Sherr and has studied classical guitar under Mary Akerman. He intends to continue his composition studies and later write for film and advertising. J eremy Jakari Rush composed several short works for piano and studied with Dr. Ruben Malán throughout high school. Upon graduating in 2008, Jeremy studied at Tallahassee Community College for one academic year and later relocated to Columbus, Georgia, to study piano at the Schwob School of Music under Professor Gila Goldstein. At the Schwob School of Music, Jeremy composed Dolente a Bramosia Op. 13, Vocalise in F-sharp minor Op. 14, Barcarolle in B-flat Op. 15, Hymn No.1 Op.16, and many others. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and studies with Dr. Laurence Sherr at the KSU School of Music. All composers are pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in Composition.

Instrumental music education is a diverse field with equally diverse teaching methods that vary from state-to-state and teacher-to-teacher. Almost every public school music program in the country has a band program, many beginning in middle school. It is within these first few years in which a student's musical development is most crucial and provides the purpose for this research. The goal of this study is to identify specific teaching methods and organizational strategies that are most prevalent in middle school band programs deemed to be successful across the United States. These bands, identified by their selection and participation in the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in the last ten years, are considered exemplary programs at the national and international level. The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic provides an opportunity to showcase the most prestigious ensembles throughout the world. This study will identify any trends between these programs and compare and contrast teaching methods based on the quantitative and qualitative responses of the survey. The information gathered from this study will provide extremely important information to help young directors become more successful early on in their career.

Aaron Mahnken, trumpet Aaron Mahnken began playing the trumpet in 1992. He later studied with Mary Weber and in 1998 began working with Susan Slaughter, principal trumpet of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He came to Lynn University in 2001 to study with artist faculty Marc Reese, member of the Empire Brass Quintet. Previous teachers include Ilya Litvin and Thomas Drake. Aaron has performed with the St. Louis Symphony and the Palm Beach Opera. During the summer of2003 , Aaron attended the Las Vegas Music Festival. In 2002, he organized and performed in a benefit concert for Backstopper's, a charity that provides financial relief to the families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

The City of Melbourne's ArtPlay is open to children and young people aged 3-13 years, and provides a wide range of artist-led programs that serve a broad community within and outside the municipality. Its sister facility, Signal, caters for young people 13-22 years. An Australia Council of the Arts funded Creative Community Partnership Initiative, the ACCESS Program, implemented at ArtPlay and Signal, involved diverse groups of children, families and young people in four artist-led projects. The projects were assessed using a researcher developed creative and community development evaluation framework. This article reports on one of these projects, City Beats, which involved a partnership between the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and ArtPlay.

The purpose of this study is to explore a) the musical and social background of members of seniors ’ amateur en-sembles, b) the functions and rewards of making music in seniors ’ amateur ensembles, and c) age-related restric-tions of musical activities and coping strategies with these restrictions. A total of 550 questionnaires were mailed to 46 seniors ’ ensembles in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, 308 valid questionnaires were returned and evaluated. The age of respondents ranged from 40 to 97 years, the mean was 71 years (s = 7.89). About one third (38.4%) were women. A proportion of 44 % had an aca-demic degree. The vast majority (90%) had no profes-sional education as musician. A majority of 80 % started to play an instrument in the first 20 years of their lives. 70 % of the respondents grew up with their mother and/or father playing an instrument. The paramount reward of making music is an increase in enjoyment of life, quality of life, and happiness, and furthermore the est...

The purpose of this study is to explore a) the musical and social background of members of seniors’ amateur ensembles, b) the functions and rewards of making music in seniors’ amateur ensembles, and c) age-related restrictions of musical activities and coping strategies with these restrictions. A total of 550 questionnaires were mailed to 46 seniors’ ensembles in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, 308 valid questionnaires were returned and evaluated. The age of respondents ranged from 40 to 97 years, the mean was 71 years (s = 7.89). About one third (38.4%) were women. A proportion of 44% had an academic degree. The vast majority (90%) had no professional education as musician. A majority of 80% started to play an instrument in the first 20 years of their lives. 70% of the respondents grew up with their mother and/or father playing an instrument. The paramount reward of making music is an increase in enjoyment of life, quality of life, and happiness, and furthermore the establishment...

Brass bands have most of the features of “low culture”: many of their musicians have a working-class background, the orchestras are a part of community life and they are expected to fulfil social functions rather than to play music for music’s sake. Thus, they are left out the highbrow and legitimate musical spheres and regarded as having little cultural value. Brass bands are also most often considered as obsolete, doomed to disappear because of the old age of their musicians and the lack of interest of the youth.

Visual and Aural Modes of Perception in Choral Performance Evaluations Jeremiah David Selvey Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Geoffrey Boers Associate Professor and Director of Choral Studies School of Music A live musical performance is influenced by both the visual and aural information associated with that performance. A growing body of literature has demonstrated that the experience of a live musical performance is largely dominated by the visual information accompanying and/or associated with that performance, despite the common assumption that music is mostly or completely a sonic experience. This study extended in several ways prior cross-modal research that examined the effects of visual and aural information on aural performances by wind ensembles (Morrison, Price, Smedley, & Meals, 2014) and visual performances by conductors (Bender & Hancock, 2010). First, the study used collegiate choral performances, rather than wind ensembles. Second, the study broadened the target ...

J oshua Little is a junior in the Bachelor of Arts with a Concentration in Music Composition at Kennesaw State University. He is currently studying composition under Composer-in-Residence Dr. Laurence Sherr and has studied classical guitar under Mary Akerman. He intends to continue his composition studies and later write for film and advertising. J eremy Jakari Rush composed several short works for piano and studied with Dr. Ruben Malán throughout high school. Upon graduating in 2008, Jeremy studied at Tallahassee Community College for one academic year and later relocated to Columbus, Georgia, to study piano at the Schwob School of Music under Professor Gila Goldstein. At the Schwob School of Music, Jeremy composed Dolente a Bramosia Op. 13, Vocalise in F-sharp minor Op. 14, Barcarolle in B-flat Op. 15, Hymn No.1 Op.16, and many others. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and studies with Dr. Laurence Sherr at the KSU School of Music. All composers are pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in Composition.