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Music Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Comprehensive Method for Clarinet Latin American Music Heritage Case Study – Venezuela , Carmen Teresa Borregales

A Pedagogical and Analytical Study of the Carnatic Saxophone Performance Tradition of Kadri Gopalnath , Caleb James Carpenter

Symphony No. V: Elements (Julie Giroux, 2018); An Overview Of Programmatic Elements and Performance Devices , Zackery Augustus Deininger

A Conductor’s Guide to Lucrecia Roces Kasilag’s Misang Pilipino (1965) , Denise Ysabel Ellis

The Theory of Intonation: Boris Asafiev and the Russian Piano School Tradition , Polina Golubkova

A Comparative Analysis of Samuel Barber’s Third Essay for Orchestra, Op. 47 , David Abrams Gordon

Injury Prevention Exercise Guidelines for Flutists , Ziqing Guan

Luis Abraham Delgadillo: A Rediscovery of His Piano Music , Fanarelia Auxiliadora Guerrero López

A Holistic Approach for Neurodivergent Learners In the High School Choral Classroom , Peter Allen Haley

An Analysis of Selected Vocal Works by George Walker , Ginger Sharnell Jones-Robinson

An Investigative Analysis of Fernando Sor’s Introduction and Variations on “O Cara Armonia” From Mozart’s The Magic Flute , Luke James Nolan

The Film Score Music of John Williams: A Guide to Selected Works for the Principal Percussionist , Andrew Charles Crozier Patzig

Appalachian Dreams: Traditional Folk Songs in Concert Literature for Classical Guitar , Jackson Douglas Roberson

“Everything Old Is New Again”: The Rise of Interpolation in Popular Music , Grayson M. Saylor

How Do They Do It: A Narrative of Disabled Public School Instrumental Ensemble Conductors and Their Positive Working Relationships With Their Administrators , Lia Alexandria Patterson Snead

The Post-Tonal Evolution of David Diamond: A Theoretic-Analytical Perspective , William John Ton

Fourth-Grade and Fifth-Grade Cover-Band Classes: An Action-Research Project Inspired By Popular Music Education and Music Learning Theory , Julia Turner

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Social Music Interactions and Vocal Music Improvisations in a Serve and Return Music Community , Kathleen Kaye Arrasmith

Comfort Food for the Ears: Exploring Nostalgic Trends in Popular Music of the Twenty-First Century , April K. Balay

A Performance Guide to “Four Piano Pieces, Opus 1” By Evgeny Kissin , Andrew Choi

Timeless Light: A Singer’s Compendium of Art Songs for Tenor By Black Composers , Johnnie J. Felder

Negotiating Nationalism: Camille Saint-Saëns, Neoclassicism, and the Early Music Renaissance in France , Joshua Arin Harton

An Analysis of the Compositional Technique and Structures Of Nikolai Kapustin’s Piano Sonata No. 6, Opus 62 , Hyun Jung Im

Adapting North American Fiddle Bow Technique to the Double Bass , Spencer Jensen

Approaches to Teaching Music Counting to Piano Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Sunghun Kim

Redefining Ornamentation as Formal Functions in 21 st -Century Popular Music , Matthew Kolar

Lost in Translation: The Largely Unknown Life and Contributions of Johann Joachim Quantz , Kayla Ann Low

Broadway Quodlibets as Hybrid Music , Spencer Ann Martin

Redistributing Cultural Capital: Graduate Programs In Wind Conducting at Historically Black Universities; Toward an Alternate Future , Jamaal William Nicholas

Analysis of Selected Pieces Influenced by Taiwanese Aboriginal Music for Solo Violin and String Quartet , Isabel Hsin-Yi Ong

Margaret Rowell: Pedagogical Approach and Teaching Style , Robert-Christian Sanchez

A Performance Guide to Hyo-Geun Kim’s Art Pop for Korean Art Songs , Taeyoung Seon

Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency Through Rhythm Composition , Robert Zagaroli Spearman

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Pedagogical Solo Piano Nocturnes: A Progressive Leveling With Annotations on Stylistic, Technical, and Musical Challenges and Benefits , Michaela Anne Boros

Disparities in Programming African American Solo Vocal Music On College Campuses Across the United States , Ramelle Brooks

Quantitative Data Collection on the Fundamental Components Of Saxophone Tone Production , Matthew Troy Castner

Music as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Therapy: An Exploratory Literature Review , Amy Arlene Clary

The Music Festival: A Case Study on the Establishment, Development, and Long-Term Success of an Instrumental Music Education Event From a Logistical Perspective , Dakota Corbliss

An Orchestral Conductor’s Guide to the James/Daehler Edition Of The Hinrichs and Winkler Compilation Score to the 1925 Silent Film The Phantom of the Opera , Hayden Richard Denesha

An Annotated Bibliography of Flute Repertoire by Iranian Female Composers , Roya Farzaneh

Composers and Publishers of Parlor Songs and Spirituals from Civil War Richmond: 1861 – 1867 , Michael Gray

A Comparison of Approaches to Pianoforte Technique in the Treatises of Lhevinne, Leimer, and Neuhaus , Louis S. Hehman

The History and Influence of Tim Zimmerman and The King’s Brass , Eric Tyler Henson

A Stylistic Analysis of Edvard Grieg’s Slåtter , Norwegian Peasant Dances, Op. 72 , Zhiyuan He

Transcribing Baroque Lute to Marimba: Viability, Techniques, and Pedagogical Possibilities , Cory James High

One Elementary General Music Teacher’s Uses of and Experiences With Gordon’s Music Learning Theory: A Case Study , Allison Elizabeth Johnson

Cancion Y Danza, Fetes Lointaines, Paisajes By Federico Mompou: A Stylistic Analysis , Qiaoni Liu

The Apprenticeship Structure and the Applied Pedagogical Methods Of the Holy Roman Empire Imperial Trumpeters’ Guild During The 17 th and 18 th Centuries , Noa Miller

Survey of Four North American and Malaysian Theory Methods for Young Pianists , Wen Bin Ong

A Conductor’s Guide to J. N. Hummel’s Forgotten Oratorio: Der Durchzug Durchs Rote Meer , Rebecca J. Ostermann

A Practical Approach for the Applied Voice Instructor Utilizing Limited Piano Skills in the Studio Setting , Lee Whittington Ousley

Adele Aus Der Ohe: Pioneering Through Recital Programming At Carnegie Hall, 1895 , Grace Shepard

Ten Years of Japanese Piano Pedagogy (2009-2018) Through a Survey of Educational Resources , Natsumi Takai

A Comparative Analysis of Selected Works by Chen Qigang: Wu Xing, L’éLoignement, and Luan Tan , Isaac Ormaza Vera

A Pedagogical Analysis of Henglu Yao’s Microkosmos From Chinese Nationalities , Yanting Wang

A Stylistic and Pedagogical Analysis of Select Classical Pieces In Alicia’s Piano Books by Ananda Sukarlan , Karen Kai Yuan Yong

Co-Constructive Music Improvisers: An Ethnographic Case Study , Emma Elizabeth Young

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Performance History of Mahler’s Das Lied Von Der Erde Focusing on Bruno Walter and Leonard Bernstein , Nisan Ak

The Mathematics of Rubato: Analyzing Expressivetiming in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Performances of Hisown Music , Meilun An

Electronic Learning: An Educator’s Guide to Navigating Online Learning in a Collegiate Horn Studio , Michelle Beck

The Clarinet Music of Dr. Austin Jaquith: A Performance Guide , Zachary Aaron Bond

Young Children’s Behaviors During Favorite-Music Repertoire And Other-Music Repertoire , Vanessa Caswell

Five Pieces for Piano by Isang Yun and Piano Etude No.1 by Unsuk Chin: An Analysis , Inhye Cho

Natural Reed Enhancement: Establishing the First Universal Reed Break-In Process Through Hydro-Stabilization , Steven Isaac Christ

Performance Edition of Franz Simandl’s 30 Etudes for the String Bass With Critical Commentary , Austin Gaboriau

A Legacy Preserved: A Comparison of the Careers and Recordings of Stanley Drucker and Karl Leister , Peter M. Geldrich

An Index of Choral Music Performed During the National Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (1991-2019) , Jonathan Randall Hall

A Stylistic Analysis of Reinhold Glière’s 25 Preludes for Piano, Op. 30 , Sunjoo Lee

The Singing Voice Specialist: An Essential Bridge Between Two Worlds , Rebecca Holbrook Loar

A Pedagogical Analysis of DvořáK’s Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85 , Nathan MacAvoy

Focal Dystonia Causes and Treatments: A Guide for Pianists , Juan Nicolás Morales Espitia

Cultivating Socially Just Concert Programming Perspectives through Preservice Music Teachers' Band Experiences: A Multiple Case Study , Christian Matthew Noon

The Clarinet Repertoire of Puerto Rico: An Annotated Bibliography of Compositions Written for the Clarinet During the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries , María Ivelisse Ortiz-Laboy

A Stylistic Analysis of Alexander Tcherepnin's Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 78, With an Emphasis on Eurasian Influences , Qin Ouyang

Time’s Up: How Opera Is Facing Its Own Me Too Reckoning , Craig Price

A Trumpet Player’s Performance Guide of Three Selected Works for Trumpet, Cello, and Piano , Justin Wayne Robinson

The Early Piano Music of Richard Wagner , Annie Rose Tindall-Gibson

A Conductor’s Guide to the Da Vinci Requiem by Cecilia McDowall , Jantsen Blake Touchstone

Composition of Musical and Visual Devices to Create Moments of Resolution in Marching Arts Production Design , Ryan John Williams

Romanticism in Nineteenth-Century Russian Nationalistic Music: Case Studies of Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila and Cui’s Mystic Chorus , Jeffrey Crayton Yelverton Jr.

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Communicative Language in the Compositional Output of Kirke Mechem , Kirstina Rasmussen Collins

Vladimir Pleshakov: A Historiography And Analysis of his Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom , Andrew Cameron Pittman

An Analysis of the Compositional Technique and Structures of Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 22 “Nordic” , Eunseok Seo

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Serial Techniques in Works for Unaccompanied Trumpet , William Anonie

Examining Professional Music Teacher Identity: A Mixed Methods Approach with Stringed Instrument Teachers , Elizabeth A. Reed

Guided Music Play Between 2-Year-Old Children and a Music Play Facilitator: A Case Study , Kathleen Kaye Arrasmith

Parents’ Observations Of Their Young Children’s Music Behaviors During Music Classes After Completing The Children’s Music Behavior Inventory , Julia Beck

A Theoretical and Stylistic Analysis of Paul Ben-Haim’s Five Pieces for Piano, Op. 34 and Piano Sonata, Op. 49 , Rachel Bletstein

The Influence Of Mindful Movement On Elementary Students’ Music Listening Enjoyment And Comprehension , Jean Louise Boiteau

Delphine Ugalde: Defying Gender Norms Both On And Off The Stage In 19th Century Paris , Michael T. Brown

A Guide for Playing the Viola Without a Shoulder Rest , Chin Wei Chang

Tertian Relationships In Three Choral Selections By Dan Forrest: A Conductor’s Analysis , Lindsey Cope

Translucent Voices: Creating Sound Pedagogy And Safe Spaces For Transgender Singers In The Choral Rehearsal , Gerald Dorsey Gurss

Seventeen Waltzes For Piano By Leo Ornstein: A Stylistic Analysis , Jared Jones

The Kingma System Flute: Redesigning The Nineteenth-Century Flute For The Twenty-First Century , Diane Elise Kessel

The Effects Of Learning By Rote With La-Based Minor Solmization On Memory Retention For Pre-College Piano Students , Duong Khuc

Diction For Mandarin/Chinese Singers: A Methodology To Achieve Resonant Tone And Vowel Unification In Western Choral Music , Chien-Yi Li

Attitudes And Thoughts On Tone Quality In Historic Piano Teaching Treatises , Jeongsun Lim

A Conductor’s Guide to Camille Saint-Saëns’s Messe de Requiem Op. 54 , Thomas R. Matrone

The Tie That Binds: The History, Conductors, And Music Of The Mystic Area Ecumenical Choir Festival , Mark Daniel Merritt

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Graduate Program in Composition

Previous handbook for those entering in 2023 or earlier

The composition program at Cornell combines private lessons and group seminars, with an emphasis on the development of the student’s personal approach to composition. The DMA blends scholarship with artistic work. We require a foreign language and a thesis analyzing the dissertation piece and contextualizing the student’s work, and we expect that all composers will take some seminars in scholarly subjects. One strength of the program is that, like all Cornell doctorates in the humanities, the DMA program in composition offers the adventurous student the opportunity to study many subjects, including topics outside the field of music, and to meld these into a highly individual course of study.

All DMA students are admitted with four full years of funding in the form of two years of fellowships and two years of teaching assistantships. Students who do not already have a master’s degree in music earn the Master of Fine Arts in the course of their study; but the MFA is not normally viewed as a terminal degree at Cornell, and those wishing to earn only the master’s degree are not admitted.

In addition to seminar work and lessons, students will be required to present a public concert of their work comprising a substantial amount of music in various media composed during their study at Cornell. As part of the DMA dissertation, students are required to complete a significant work, the scope of which will be determined in consultation with the Special Committee.

Works by doctoral composers are performed by the student-managed Experimental Sound Series (ESS), typically once per year, and at other events in collaboration with DMA performance practice students. They are also presented by groups invited under the aegis of the Steven Stucky Memorial Residency for New Music. Finally, the Festival Chamber Orchestra (FCO)—a large ensemble modeled on a standard sinfonietta configuration (with or without electronic media)—presents an annual concert of doctoral students’ scores.

Composition Admissions

Academic Requirements:

Students wishing to enroll in the D.M.A. Composition program must have a B.A., B.Mus., M.A. or an equivalent academic background.

Application Deadline:

January 15th for Fall admissions.  (The Fall semester begins at the end of August)

Application Materials:

The following materials must be submitted online via the Cornell University Graduate School  online application system :

Cornell Graduate School Online Application form

Application Fee

• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Personal Statement

Transcripts (and English translations if required)

TOEFL scores (see  Graduate School TOEFL requirements  for further details)

Three letters of recommendation from faculty members acquainted with your work

• An essay, term paper, or honors paper dealing with music composition
• Scores of two or three recent compositions, with audio/video links (no Google drive, please) or MP3 recording

Every student accepted into the DMA program in composition at Cornell receives four years of guaranteed funding, including financial support for three summers. Every student is given a Sage fellowship for the first and fourth years; the latter Sage fellowship may be deferred if outside funding is procured by the student. The remaining two years of funding are in the form of teaching assistantships. Student Health Insurance is provided under fellowship and teaching assistantships. Partners, spouses, and dependents can be included for additional charges.

Ordinarily the DMA program may be completed within four years, though some students may require more time. When possible the department may offer additional semesters of teaching, but such support is not guaranteed. Many students seek outside fellowships beginning in their third year. There are also a few dissertation fellowships available through various Cornell programs. Entering students are encouraged to apply for Javits, Mellon, or other outside fellowships as another means of extending their graduate support. For a list of external and internal graduate fellowships (searchable by keyword, program name, or deadline) see the  Graduate School Fellowship Database.

The Department of Music offers a wide variety of teaching experiences, and the faculty makes every effort to match interest and skill to course offerings.  Click here to learn more  about teaching assistantships.

Program History

The DMA program in composition is uniquely flexible and is developed in close consultation with the student’s Special Committee. Students may combine their study in the Field of Music (music and sound studies, performance) with work in other Fields at Cornell.

“Field of Music,” or “Field” for short, is the official Graduate School designation for the graduate programs and the Graduate Faculty in music. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), coordinates the activities of the Field, including such concerns as admissions, financial aid, advising, and job hunting, and represents the Field vis-à-vis the Graduate School. Even though it will not have much effect on your program, it is useful to know that the Department of Music and the Field of Music are not coterminous; some faculty members of the Department are not members of the Field, and most graduate Fields, like ours, include faculty members from several departments.

The nature and history of Cornell’s D.M.A. degree.

The current composition faculty includes Kevin Ernste, Elizabeth Ogonek, and Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri, who together offer instruction in an unusually wide range of contemporary musical practices: electroacoustic and computer music, sound art, installation, new media, improvisation, instrument building, and scored composition for traditional instruments, chamber groups, and large ensembles.

The first bona fide appointment in music at Cornell went to a composer, Arthur Farwell, who served from 1899 to 1901. The proper history of the composition program really begins in 1941, though, with the appointment of Roy Harris as Composer-in-Residence under a grant from the Carnegie Corporation. It was Harris who established the first graduate seminar in composition, and Harris who guided John Vincent to the first Cornell PhD in composition in 1942. He was succeeded in 1943 by his own student, Robert Palmer, under whose leadership for the next thirty-seven years the program came to national prominence. In 1954 Karel Husa left Paris for Cornell, replacing Hunter Johnson (1948-54), and Husa’s growing reputation in the 1970s and ’80s further secured Cornell’s prominent role in the training of American composers. Palmer retired in 1980, to be succeeded by his own student Steven Stucky, who was the Given Foundation Professor of Music until 2014; Husa retired in 1992, to be succeeded by Roberto Sierra, who was the Old Dominion Professor of Humanities, Music, until 2022. For many years, electronic music pioneer David Borden (an associate of Robert Moog and founder of the world’s first live synthesizer ensemble, Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company) taught electronic music, mostly to undergraduate non-majors, but in 2005 Kevin Ernste came to Cornell as Director of the Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center, bringing computer and electronic music to graduate composition. In 2016, composer, performer, and sound artist Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri joined the composition faculty, and the program welcomed Elizabeth Ogonek in 2021.

Cornell instituted a separate doctorate in composition in 1957. At that time the faculty in music argued for the establishment of the professional degree Doctor of Musical Arts instead of the more scholarly Doctor of Philosophy. In technical terms, the DMA, being a professional degree like JD or DVM, is subject to certain requirements of the State of New York as well as to the jurisdiction of the Graduate School and the Field of Music. In practical terms, the DMA is widely looked upon as emphasizing professional and artistic skills more than scholarship or research, and during the latter part of the twentieth century it became the terminal degree for most composers in US graduate programs.

The situation at Cornell is somewhat different. Here the DMA, while still fundamentally a professional degree in composing, aims at a balanced combination of professional training and scholarly endeavor. This dual emphasis exists in part in response to Cornell’s distinguished tradition of musical scholarship, its eminent faculty in music and sound studies, and its outstanding library system, and in part to a realistic assessment of the state of the profession: composers who hope to enter college-level teaching must be competent not only at composing but also at a broad range of academic musical subjects. Thus it is in the nature of the Cornell DMA that, although each candidate will follow a different course, each will be expected to pursue excellence in both spheres, the professional and the scholarly.

The Master of Fine Arts degree.

Applicants who wish to earn only the master’s degree in composition are not admitted, but those who enter the doctoral program without having already earned a master’s do receive the MFA in the course of their study toward the DMA. The master’s degree requires a thesis consisting of a significant new work.1 The final exam for the MFA, at which the thesis is presented and defended, is combined with the doctoral Admission-to-Candidacy Examination, described below. The Cornell MFA cannot be granted to a student who has already earned any master’s degree in music at another institution.

1 In this respect, it differs from the MA awarded to PhD candidates in musicology upon the successful completion of their A exams. The latter is what the Graduate School calls a “Special Master’s” (i.e., one for which no thesis is required). The MFA awarded to composers, since it does require a thesis, is not “special.”

Program Requirements

The programs and activities in music at Cornell are rich and varied. Only certain aspects of the formal requirements are described here. For other details, and for information about anything else, you should ask your Special Committee Chair, the DGS, other professors, and fellow students. The flexible, decentralized Special Committee system means that, ultimately, the shape of your program and what you get out of it depend primarily on you. The more questions you ask of the greater number of people, the better will be your chances of formulating your own best answers.

The Special Committee.

The Special Committee of a doctoral candidate comprises three or four professors who are members of the Graduate Field. Each of the three regular members of your Committee must represent a particular “concentration,” as defined in the legislation of the Graduate School. In music, these are composition, performance practice, and music and sound studies.

Every Committee includes a chair and two or three “minor members.” The chair always represents the major subject — composition, for our purposes. Two minor members also represent official subjects or concentrations. The minors available to you include composition (again), music and sound studies, and performance practice within the Field of Music, and, of course, countless possibilities in other Fields. One minor fairly often lies outside the Field of Music; you may even elect two outside minors, but only with prior approval of the Field as a whole. (No more than three subjects are ever represented on a Special Committee. If you include a fourth professor, officially they “do not represent a minor subject.”) Retired professors with the status of Graduate School Professor may co-chair a committee if they remain in the Ithaca area.

Your Special Committee, then, will assume the following form:

Chair: composition

Minor member: composition, performance practice, or music and sound studies

Minor member: one of the above, or an outside minor

[Fourth member: Not representing a subject (optional); often used for an “extra” composer]

Other arrangements are possible. For example, you may petition the Field for permission to include as a minor member other members of the Music Department faculty who are not on the Graduate Field.

If you wish formal supervision in a discipline that is not adequately represented at Cornell, you can, with the approval of your Special Committee, petition the Graduate School to permit the appointment of an authority from outside Cornell. You must have three Cornell members on your Special Committee in any case; an outside member would thus become a fourth. All decisions regarding the composition of your Committee are subject to the approval of the entire Committee.

Note: There is understandable confusion about the difference between a “subject” and a “concentration.” As a DMA student, your major subject is “music,” your concentration “composition.” The Special Committee form that you will fill out asks for a faculty member’s “concentration.” This is a category that is recognized and tracked by New York State legislation and that represents our degree programs.

The formation of your Special Committee is an important step, not to be rushed into pro forma. During the transition period in your first year, the DGS, acting as your temporary chair, can sign the necessary forms and can offer advice about forming your Committee. You must have chosen at least a chair by the beginning of your second year; ideally, you will have formulated your entire Committee by then, since to delay this step much further would seriously jeopardize your progress toward the degree. It is important to work with all three faculty composers, if at all possible, during your first year, since before the beginning of classes in the fall of your second year you will have to invite one of them to chair your Committee. You will want to be sure that you are going to be comfortable doing the bulk of your composition study with that person for the remaining three years.

At first, almost nobody will have a clear idea about minor members and minor subjects. The most natural and effective way to get to know the professors in the Field is to take courses with them or work with them independently, and this is a powerful reason to take as heavy a load of courses and other work in your first year as you can manage. When setting up your Committee, do not take a professor’s participation for granted. Any professor may refuse to serve on any Committee. A request to serve should be preceded by extended acquaintance and prior consultation.

You may change your Committee on your own initiative. Although this is not something to be done lightly or frequently, it is a normal procedure and should be considered whenever a substantial benefit seems probable. Unless you have already passed the A exam, no special permission is required except that of the remaining and new members of the reformulated Committee. (The retiring members and the DGS must also sign the form — they may not decline to do so — so that each professor concerned and the Field as a whole understand the reasons for the change.)

From one Committee to another, the substance and style of a chair’s supervision, the relationships among the various subjects, and the extent to which the minor members take an active role, all vary widely. In these as in many aspects of your study at Cornell, it is up to you to formulate your own goals and to suggest ways of achieving them. Moreover, only you can take the initiative necessary to explore the potential connections among your subjects and to stimulate the active interest of your Committee members. You must ensure, among other things, that your Committee formally meet with you as a group at least once every semester. (This is a policy of the Field as a whole.)

The normal minimum residence requirement for the DMA is eight “residence units.” A residence unit is defined as satisfactory full-time study for one semester, with appropriate progress toward the degree. (The Special Committee is required to certify to the Graduate School at the end of each term whether your progress has been satisfactory and your work “full-time,” and to recommend whether you should receive a full residence unit for that term.) The minimum requirement is thus equivalent to eight semesters of full-time study. It is possible to earn credit “in absentia,” while studying away from Ithaca, and to earn partial credit even if you must work more than 15 hours a week. A student who comes with a master’s from another institution may petition for reduction of the minimum requirement, usually to six units. (In practice, however, it is very rare for any DMA candidate to do fewer than eight units, with or without a prior master’s degree.) At least two of the minimum eight units must be spent in consecutive semesters of full-time study in Ithaca. At least two of the eight must follow the passing of the A exam (although this requirement, too, can be waived upon petition).

The minimum Field requirement for composers is reading knowledge of one foreign language. In consultation with your Special Committee, you should settle as early as possible the question of which language or languages you are expected to know. Native speakers of other languages are a special case. Sometimes their native language is appropriate for their dissertation research, and that’s fine; if not, though, the Field or the Special Committee might insist on yet a third language more closely connected to the work at hand. The Field considers computer coding languages to be equivalent to other languages. 

The requirement should be satisfied as soon as possible, preferably during the first year of residence. (In any case, the language requirement must have been completed before you will be permitted to attempt “A’s.”) Both the usual undergraduate language courses and special courses meant for graduate students preparing for exams are available to you. The Field administers its own exams in French, German, and Spanish at the beginning of each semester, and in other languages as needed. At the end of your first year, certification that you have made satisfactory progress toward the degree will hinge in part on your having passed the language requirement by then, or at least having demonstrated that you are close to doing so.

Courses and independent work.

You and your Committee decide on your courses and other activities each term. Ideally, each semester’s decisions fit into your long-range program, whose goals become increasingly clear from term to term. Although every composition student is encouraged to take all available composition seminars, you must take at least one seminar with each composition faculty member.

You will also be expected to take Composition (Music 7111) every semester, and to attend the composers forum and all rehearsals, workshops, and conferences related to the ESS, FCO, and Stucky Residency. Whatever your stated minors, most Special Committees will expect you to do some work in music and sound studies and computer and electroacoustic music. In the Composition program, Committees often expect students to take a minimum of six to eight 4000 (or higher)-level courses outside of 7111, ensembles, and performance lessons; these might also include courses in a minor subject outside the Field of Music.

In addition to formal work in composition and analysis, Committees expect at least two formal seminars in music and sound studies, for several reasons: to create opportunities to explore the interconnections among subjects and the relationships between scholarship and creative work; to strengthen academic credentials with a view to winning a college teaching position; and to provide practice in academic thinking and writing. One of these two seminars may be taken outside of Music, with the prior permission of the Special Committee.

PhD students in music and sound studies are generally considered to carry a full-time load if they take three seminars for credit and do a modest amount of independent work. For composers, the notion of full-time load is sometimes treated more flexibly, owing chiefly to the demands of composing. Indeed, the general expectation is that you will present new work on the concerts of the Experimental Sound Series and the Stucky Residency ensemble at least twice a year, and that you will write a work for the FCO at least once during your four-year residence, and taken together these expectations already represent a formidable commitment of time and energy even before formal courses are added to your load. In general, formal participation in courses will be greatest during the first two years, when students usually sample widely within the Field, satisfy the language requirement, and explore minor subjects within the Field or outside. In later years, less and less time is spent in seminars, as students prepare for exams and write theses. Moreover, the Field feels strongly that all candidates in music, DMA and PhD alike, should have teaching experience. Other things being equal, every graduate student in music will be offered teaching assistantships beginning in the second year. A good rule of thumb for composers is to take about three courses each term in year 1, two courses each term in years 2 and 3 (always including Composition as one course every term). This pace would produce a total of eight courses besides Music 7111, and the faculty considers that to be about right.

The Field as a whole offers about three to five graduate seminars each term. Composition is offered every term. In general, Music 6201 (Introduction to Bibliography and Research) is offered every fall for first-year students. An attempt is made to offer every other “active” course at least once every second or third year. But there is no guarantee that any particular course will be offered within any given period of time, or that any particular pattern of courses will be maintained without change. At the beginning of each year, the graduate courses to be offered that year and, where possible, in succeeding years are described in a general meeting of graduate students and Graduate Faculty.

Many important topics, and even whole areas of study, are not covered by formal courses. The faculty believe that this price is worth paying for the benefits of a small, intimate program, including high-level research seminars and a great deal of individual attention. The chief responsibility for filling in the gaps lies with you. The techniques you learn in formal courses should carry over to your independent work. Your professors will expect you, on your own, to keep up with recent acquisitions in the Music Library, to read articles and reviews in current journals, to study and listen to music, to attend meetings, conferences, and festivals when feasible, and so on.

As for composing, it is impossible to generalize about what constitutes an acceptable level of productivity; this is a matter for you and your Special Committee, and it depends on many variables. But it is important that, at a minimum, you be represented (preferably by new work) on the concerts of the Experimental Sound Series and the Stucky Residency ensemble at least twice a year. Much depends on these concerts, since they provide the only opportunity for the Field as a whole to assess your progress. In your first or second year (determined by your Special Committee), you will be expected to present a new work for the Festival Chamber Orchestra (instrumentation: 1111 - 1110 - 1 percussionist - keyboard - string quintet, with the option of electronics and mixed media).

The Admission-to-Candidacy Examination

Every DMA candidate must pass a general examination in composition, analysis, and twentieth- and twenty-first-century music, called the Admission-to-Candidacy Examination, or “A exam” for short. (The term candidacy refers to acceptance into doctoral status.) The A exam may not be attempted earlier than the beginning of the third semester, nor later than the beginning of the seventh semester of full-time study. Most students take them during the fifth and sixth semesters. The date is jointly agreed between you and your Committee. For composers, the A exam comes in two stages. Stage I comprises analysis of an assigned work and the composition of a new piece, followed by an oral exam in which the student presents their analysis to the committee and the committee discusses the composition. Stage II comprises written questions in recent music history and analysis, followed by an oral exam on these questions, as well as on the student’s dissertation proposal.

Stage I of the A Exam is typically taken over 72 hours (Friday to Sunday) during the 5th semester and Stage II over 72 hours (Friday to Sunday) in the 6th semester, but there is no reason they cannot be taken closer together. You will find the dates that make the most sense with your Special Committee.

Before you can prepare for Stage II, you and your Committee must first agree in advance on a subject list, typically by the end of the 4th semester. The subject list usually consists of ten twentieth- and twenty-first-century composers distributed into three tiers:

Tier I. One composer, about whom you will become as thorough an expert as possible.

Tier II. Three composers, whose works you know in considerable detail and about whom you know the scholarly and analytical literature well.

Tier III. An additional six composers, for each of whom you know a handful of important works well and about whose work you have a good working knowledge, both of the works and the analytical and historical issues associated with them.

In consultation with your Special Committee, composer slots may be substituted by up to five general topics within the overall list.

The oral exam for Stage I will typically take 90 minutes. You will present your analysis of the assigned work for 30 minutes, then answer questions from the Committee. The second half of the oral exam will be devoted to discussion of the composition assignment.

The oral exam for Stage II will typically take two hours, and will cover your responses to the essay questions about your composer list, as well as a dissertation plan for a significant work, which is due along with the essays for Stage II. 

In principle, your subject list merely gives a framework around which you organize your study; your Committee can ask you anything it considers necessary for your professional credentials. Only the oral exam of Stage II is scheduled formally through the Graduate School, and this must be done at least one week in advance, on a form signed by your Committee and by the DGS. Any member of the Graduate Faculty is entitled to attend the orals and to ask questions, but only your Special Committee votes on your performance. A unanimous vote is required to pass; you will be informed of the result immediately. Should you fail, your Committee may choose to give you a second chance after another semester or two. Most students who prepare conscientiously pass the first time.

For students earning an MFA (i.e., any DMA candidate who does not already hold a master’s degree in music from another institution), the final exam for that degree is held concurrently with the A exam, and the student presents a master’s thesis consisting of a substantial new work.

The D.M.A. recital

At some time during your study, usually after the A exam but always before the B exam, you must present a public concert comprising a substantial amount of music (in consultation with your Special Committee) in various media composed during your study at Cornell. Selecting the program, procuring performers, and rehearsing are your responsibility.

The Department of Music provides financial support toward the cost of hiring performers. This amount must include performance fees, housing, transportation, meals, instrument rentals, and any other cost associated with the concert.

The performers must be contracted in advance of the performance using Cornell’s official artist contract. Housing is often available on campus. Receipts must be submitted for all expenses, and certain requirements must be followed for items like truck rental and travel reimbursement. The Events Manager can assist in administering these details.

The date and time of the recital and any rehearsal time should be scheduled with the Events Manager as early as possible to avoid departmental conflicts. The candidate is responsible for moving any needed instruments and equipment to and from the performance space and should coordinate those moves with the Events Manager. The Events Manager will set deadlines for the candidate to provide their program content, including any program notes, etc.

The D.M.A. presentation

In your final semester, you will deliver a public presentation on your compositional work and its intellectual and artistic context. The presentation should last between 75 and 90 minutes, and should include recordings, score excerpts, and/or other documentation as supporting material. Your talk will be followed by questions from the Committee and the audience, and should be scheduled within a week before the DMA defense (colloquially known as the “B Exam”), which is only attended by you and your Special Committee. You should coordinate the scheduling of your DMA presentation with your Committee and the Events Manager of the Department.

The D.M.A. thesis and defense

Part I of the thesis is a significant work, the scope of which will be determined in consultation with the Special Committee. Like all aspects of your thesis, the DMA composition should be discussed with your Committee well in advance.

Part II consists of a written analysis and explication of the Part I dissertation work, with historical and cultural contextualization as necessary; this document should be no longer than 10,000 words, and must be submitted to your Committee and accepted as finished before you will be allowed to schedule the final oral defense (often referred to as the “B Exam”).

On matters of general style, follow the latest edition of the University of Chicago Press Manual of Style (also available online) for Part II. Follow, too, the published instructions distributed online by the Graduate School, and consult the Thesis Secretary frequently. 4 It would be reasonable to spend a whole year doing little else but writing the thesis essay, completing and polishing the composition portfolio, presenting the DMA recital, and preparing the B Exam presentation. Thus a student who succeeds in finishing within four years will usually have followed approximately the following timetable:

• Take about four seminars (in addition to 7111 Composers Forum, for a total of about six)
• Pass the language requirement
• Compose works for the ESS, Stucky Residency ensemble, and/or FCO 5
• Take about two seminars (in addition to 7111 Composers Forum, for a total of about four)
• Propose the A exam composer list
• Compose works for the ESS, Stucky Residency ensemble, and/or FCO
• Take about two seminars (in addition to 7111 Composers Forum, for a total of about four).
• Complete the A exams
• If eligible, submit the MFA thesis composition
• Complete Parts I and II of the thesis
• Deliver the DMA presentation
• Present the DMA recital
• Complete the B exam

It is important to finish on time, because the days when an ABD (“all but dissertation”) could get a teaching job seem to be over, as do the days when additional financial aid was sometimes available for extra years of residence beyond the four-year guarantee.

4 Rules and standards change; do not simply model your format on old theses in the library.

5 Students typically compose for the FCO in their second and fourth years, but with other expectations, such as writing for the Experimental Sound Series and the Stucky Residency ensemble, available opportunities will surely continue to evolve. The basic principle is this: you are expected to write a substantial amount of music in each of your four years, covering a wide range of performing forces and formal types. The Department of Music and Field will endeavor to provide performance opportunities for many but probably not all of these projects.

The final examination (dissertation defense)

This examination is oral, based on complete and polished versions of your DMA composition (Part I) and written analysis and explication (Part II), in their final form save for minor corrections arising during the exam itself. It focuses primarily on the thesis itself, but broader issues may arise out of the thesis topic or the DMA composition(s). The examination must be passed and the thesis accepted by unanimous vote of your Committee. (The provisions for visitors are the same as for A’s: any member of the Graduate Faculty may attend and ask questions, but only your Special Committee will vote.)

The final examination must be passed within seven calendar years of the date of your matriculation. (You need not be in residence at the time, however.) If your thesis is submitted after this deadline, the B’s may not be scheduled until a petition, endorsed by your Committee and by the DGS, is approved by the Graduate School.

Composers' Forum

The Composers’ Forum is part of the 7111 composition seminar and is curated by the composition faculty. It is also often combined with masterclasses and studio critique sessions led by the guest composer. Students are expected to attend all sessions and actively participate in the forum conversations.

Forum meetings take place on select Fridays at 1:25 PM in the Alfred E. Kahn Seminar Room, room 316, within the  Sidney Cox Library of Music and Dance  (main entrance at 220 Lincoln Hall), except where noted. All meetings are open to the public.

General Program Calendar

Week before classes

• Orientation
• Language exams
• Diagnostic conversation with DGS and Department Chair
• Choose courses for the fall

Fall semester

• Seminars/composing/performances
• Language study, as necessary
• Choose courses for the spring
• Meet with the DGS at least once

Spring semester

• Begin thinking about Special Committee Chair
• Participate in prospective student visits

Second year

• Special Committee Chair must be selected by the beginning of the semester, and the rest of the committee by the end
• Complete language exams
• Meet with Special Committee at least once
• Seminars/composing/performances (double check seminar distribution requirements: one with each composer, two with other Music Field faculty)
• A Exam planning
• Choose course(s) for the fall
• A Exam preparation
• Seminar(s)/composing/performances (double check seminar distribution requirements: one with each composer, two with other Dept faculty)
• Thesis research and preparation of proposal
• Choose course(s) for spring
• A Exam; Phase II oral exam must be scheduled at least seven days in advance, and the final report must be filed within three days of completion – check with the grad field assistant for help (see  http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/forms  for required schedule and reporting forms)
• Seminar(s)/composing/performances

Fourth year

• Possible seminar/composing/performances
• DMA recital (or Spring)
• Thesis research and writing
• Possible Randel fellowship
• DMA recital (or previous Fall)
• Possible seminar/composing/performances 
• Thesis defense; defense (B Exam) must be scheduled at least seven days in advance and the final report must be filed within three days following the defense– consult the grad field assistant for help (see http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/forms for required scheduling and reporting forms)

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of The Arts > School of Music > Theses and Dissertations

Music Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

A Novel Jazz Music Curriculum for Young Children: Results of A Pilot Study , Jazmin D. Ghent

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Where We Live and Learn to Know: An Oral History of the Rochelle High School Music Program , John Sargeant

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

School Music Administration During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Trauma, Loss, Meaning, Change, and Innovation , Christopher Burns

Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Songwriting Self-Efficacy (SSES) with Secondary Music Students , Patrick K. Cooper

Measuring Parental Involvement as Parental Actions in Children’s Private Music Lessons in China , Cancan Cui

Instrumental Music Instruction and Executive Functions: A Cross-Sectional Study of Romanian Children (10-12 Years) , Adrian Sorin Iordache

Racial and Ethnic Difference in Music Performance Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Students , George W. Shannon Ii

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Vocal Health of Choral Singers from Kenya and the United States: Dysphonia and Vocal Fatigue in Relation to Musical Genres , Morgan Jolley Burburan

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Two Phenomena in Contemporary Music Education: Mental Toughness and the Law , Jason R. Sivill

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Making of a Nationally Recognized Band in a Small, Private Liberal Arts University: The Historical Significance of the Bobby L. Adams Years, 1987-2012 , Joshua David Blair

The Effects of a Self-Regulated Learning Music Practice Strategy Curriculum on Music Performance, Self-Regulation, Self-Efficacy, and Cognition , Kimberly N. Mieder

Music Software in the Compositional Learning Process , Daniel L. Nevels

Behavioral, Affective, and Cognitive Engagement of High School Music Students: Relation to Academic Achievement and Ensemble Performance Ratings , Joel E. Pagán

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Re-envisioning Music Teacher Education: A Comparison of Two Undergraduate Music Education Programs in the U.S. , Jonathan Ross Kladder

Music Ensemble Participation: Personality Traits and Music Experience , Tracy A. Torrance

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Influence of Musical Engagement on Symptoms of Tourette’s Disorder , William Christopher Brown

Motivation of Adult, Auditioned Community Choirs: Implications toward Lifelong Learning , David James Redman

The Effects of Technical and Imagery-based Instruction on Aspiring Performing Artists’ Acquisition of Learning Newly Composed Pieces and Improvisation and on Listeners’ Perceived Expressivity , José Valentino Ruiz-Resto

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Preference of Chinese Undergraduate Music Majors for Chinese Xi-Qu and Western Opera , Hong Chen

Secondary Band Participation and Executive Function , Dakeyan Cha' Dre' Graham

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

An Examination of Cooperating Teachers' Observations of Their Student Teachers in the Areas of Personal, Teaching, and Musical Skills in the Elementary Classroom , Mark Remsen Cole

I Did That Wrong and It Sounded Good: An Ethnographic Study of Vernacular Music Making in Higher Education , Victor Ezquerra

Creativity-Based Music Learning: Modeling the Process and Learning Outcomes in a Massive Open Online Course , Nicholas Michael Stefanic

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

The Relationship between Death Depression and Death Anxiety among Cancer Patients in Saudi Arabia , Doaa A. Almostadi

World Percussion Approaches in Collegiate Percussion Programs: A Mixed-methods Study , Patrick Michael Hernly

The Impact of Arranging Music for the Large Ensemble on the Teacher: A Phenomenological Exploration , James Teodor Lindroth

Listening in Action: Students' Mobile Music Experiences in the Digital Age , Rebecca Marie Rinsema

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Performance Production Process of an Outstanding High School Choir , Kathy K. Rolsten

Transitioning from Student to Teacher in the Master-Apprentice Model of Piano Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study of Challenges, Solutions, Resources, Reflections, and Suggestions for the Future , Melissa Maccarelli Slawsky

Self-Efficacy in Music Performance: Measuring the Sources Among Secondary School Music Students , Michael S. Zelenak

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Analytical Perspectives of Thematic Unity: Applications of Reductive Analysis to Selected Fugues by J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel , Adam C. Perciballi

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Expanded Tonality: The Treatment of Upper and Lower Leading Tones As Evidenced in Sonata "Undine,” IV by Carl Reinecke , Joshua Blizzard

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

The Compositional Style of Francesco Geminiani: a Reflection of Theory and Practice in His Music and Guida Armonica Treatise , Valerie R. Weber

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

An Application of the Grundgestalt Concept to the First and Second Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120, No. 1 & No. 2, by Johannes Brahms , Devon Burts

The French Art Song Style in Selected Songs by Charles Ives , Christy Jo Talbott

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

Music Programs that Engage Our Communities: Making a Stronger Connection , La Gretta Snowden

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School of Music

Master of arts in composition, master of arts in composition studies, earn your ma in composition studies.

The composition faculty teach individual composition lessons at two levels: undergraduate composition for students working toward the Bachelor of Music degree  and graduate composition for composers in the MA and PhD programs.

The  Center for New Music , directed by Professor David Gompper , presents a number of concerts of contemporary music each semester, often including thesis compositions by student composers. Review more composition resources .

Professor Jean-Francois Charles  directs the  Electronic Music Studios , and teaches a two-course sequence in composition with electronic media (MUS:4250 and MUS:4251). All composition students participate in a weekly composition seminar (MUS:3230), a forum for occasional guest speakers and for student presentations. Both the student-run Composers Workshop and the Electronic Music Studios present concerts of works by composition students. Composition students and faculty also participate in the Midwest Composers Symposium, which meets annually at one of several member institutions for two days of concerts of music by student composers.

How to apply to the program

Specific admission requirements.

• A minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0, documented by official copies of transcripts.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A current resumé including a list of compositions with instrumentation, performances of compositions, and a summary of composition study listing composition teachers.
• In addition to the UI Graduate College application.
• Applicants must submit three scores along with recordings (mp3/wav/aiff) of original compositions; materials should be sent directly to  David Gompper .

Admission to the composition degree program requires a favorable evaluation of the portfolio by the composition faculty, and approval by the Head of the Composition/Theory Area and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students applying for fall admission must submit a complete application by the application deadline; later applications will be considered if openings remain.

View full requirements and apply

Requirements and program planning

download course checklist

This information is intended to assist in your course planning but is not intended to serve as an official guide to graduation requirements. To confirm progress toward graduation, you should consult your advisor.

General requirements

• Introduction to Graduate Study in Music (MUS:5300), 2 semester hours

Music theory requirements

Students exempt from MUS:5200 through the advisory examination in music theory must complete 6 semester hours from the following:

• Counterpoint Before 1600 (MUS:4200), 3 semester hours
• Counterpoint After 1600 (MUS:4201), 3 semester hours
• Jazz Theory (MUS:4730), 3 semester hours
• Tonal Analysis (MUS:5235), 3 semester hours
• Non-Tonal Analysis (MUS:5236), 3 semester hours
• Analysis of Popular Music (MUS:5237), 3 semester hours
• Special Topics in Theory and Analysis (MUS:5240), 3 semester hours
• History of Ideas in Music (MUS:6210), 3 semester hours
• Theoretical Approaches to Music (MUS:6211), 3 semester hours
• Theory Pedagogy (MUS:6215), 3 semester hours
• Advanced Tonal Theory and Analysis (MUS:6250), 3 semester hours
• Advanced Non-Tonal Theory and Analysis (MUS:6251), 3 semester hours
• Advanced Theory and Analysis of Popular Music (MUS:6252), 3 semester hours

Music history requirements

Select from the music history courses in the following list. Only one 4000-level course (taken at the University of Iowa or equivalent transferred in from another institution) may count toward the 6 semester hours required:

• Music and Gender (MUS:4320), 3 semester hours
• Medieval and Renaissance Music (MUS:4325), 3 semester hours
• Baroque Music (MUS:4330), 3 semester hours
• 18th-Century Music (MUS:4335), 3 semester hours
• 19th-Century Music (MUS:4340), 3 semester hours
• 20th-Century Music (MUS:4345), 3 semester hours
• Advanced Jazz History (MUS:4350), 3 semester hours
• American Music (MUS:4355), 3 semester hours
• Jazz Matters (MUS:4360), 3 semester hours
• Studies in Film and Music (MUS:4610), 3 semester hours
• Teaching Music, History, and Culture (MUS:6305), 3 semester hours
• Topics in Musicology (MUS:6310), 3 semester hours
• Historical Approaches to Music (MUS:6312), 3 semester hours
• Topics in Ethnomusicology (MUS:6314), 3 semester hours
• Foundations of Ethnomusicology (MUS:6315), 3 semester hours
• Renaissance Music Notations (MUS:6326), 3 semester hours
• Music Editing (MUS:6375), 3 semester hours

Composition area requirements

• Note:  Four semesters required
• Composition: Electronic Media I (MUS:4250), 3 semester hours
• Note: Completed during final semester in residence.

Choose 9 semester hours from the following:

• Note: Repeatable course
• The Spectral Nature of Sound (MUS:3280), 3 semester hours
• Creating New Musical Instruments (MUS:3285), 3 semester hours
• Orchestration (MUS:4220), 3 semester hours
• Composition: Electronic Media II (MUS:4251), 3 semester hours
• Advanced Post-Tonal Theory and Analysis (MUS:6251), 3 semester hours

Area keyboard examination

Demonstrate basic keyboard ability in one of two ways:

• Take and pass Keyboard Harmony (MUS:4210) with a B or better
• Take and pass the final examination for MUS:4210, by arrangement with the organ faculty

Thesis composition

• The thesis composition must be at least ten minutes in duration and for a medium which demonstrates technical mastery, without exceeding the possibilities of actual performance by School of Music forces. Whenever possible the thesis composition should be tested in a reading session or performance prior to the final examination.
• Describe the planned composition.
• Nominate a member of the composition faculty holding a regular (tenured/tenure-track) faculty position in the School of Music as the thesis advisor and chair of the thesis committee.
• Nominate two additional composition faculty (regular or visiting) as members of the thesis committee. Approval of the thesis proposal and the nominations of the advisor and thesis committee requires a vote of the composition faculty. The committee membership must be endorsed by the Composition/Theory Area Head, and forwarded to the Associate Director for Graduate Studies.

MA final examination

A written examination, administered in three four-hour sessions, evaluating the student’s mastery of:

• Music history and literature of all periods
• Music analysis
• Practical skills in harmony, counterpoint and composition

The final examination committee is distinct from but may have the same members as the thesis committee. The final examination committee consists of three faculty members; at least two, including the committee chair, must be from the composition faculty. A visiting faculty member may serve on but may not chair the committee.

The final examination committee is nominated by the student in consultation with the thesis advisor, and approval of its membership requires a vote by the composition faculty. The committee membership must be endorsed by the Composition/Theory Area Head, and forwarded to the Associate Director for Graduate Studies.

Create your academic path

You'll find degree overviews, requirements, course lists, academic plans, and more to help you plan your education and explore your possibilities.

Current course list

The MyUI Schedule displays registered courses for a particular session and is available to enrolled students. The list view includes course instructors, time and location, and features to drop courses or change sections.

Composition resources

Midwest composers symposium.

The University of Iowa School of Music's Composition Area participates in the Midwest Composers Symposium, a consortium comprising the University of Illinois, the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Oberlin Conservatory, and Iowa. Each year a symposium takes place at one of the member campuses and works from each are presented.

The school offers the Henry and Parker Pelzer Award in Composition, major cash prize awarded each spring to an outstanding composer. Details of eligibility can be obtained from the area head.

The Composers Workshop

The Composers Workshop offers typically four programs of new works composed on campus each semester. One of the assistantships offered in composition includes the management of this series.

Center for New Music

A major feature of the composition program is its intimate connection with the School's  Center for New Music . The center offers typically four concerts per academic year, and all rehearsals are open.

Electronic media

The area offers instruction in analog and digital electronic media, and encourages the formation of improvisational and experimental ensembles. The school's many students of performance frequently take part in the creation of new works by Iowa's graduate composers.

Academic music

Please visit  Music Studies @IOWA  to learn more about our recent scholarly activities, our current students and alumni, colloquium series, and other events.

Add a minor

Any student admitted to a graduate degree program in the School of Music may add a theory pedagogy minor by completing the required courses.

Composition faculty

Joshua Albrecht

Matthew Arndt

Jean-François Charles

David Gompper

Practice and perform

Need to book a music room, request an accompanist, check out audition information, rent a locker, or use a recording studio? Visit the Music Callboard for all scheduling and policy information.

Home > FACULTIES > Music Research and Composition > MUSICETD

Music Theses and Dissertations

This collection contains theses and dissertations from the Department of Music, collected from the Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

Concerto for Piano Duet , Edgar R. Suski

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Musical Behaviours, Dispositions, and Tendencies: Exploring Church Music-Making Through a Theory of Practice , Laura E. Benjamins

A Comparative Analysis of the Early Twentieth-Century Music Appreciation and Community Music Movements in the United States , Andrew J. Blimke

Moments of meeting: 'Intersubjective encounters' and ‘emancipatory’ experiences of individuals with (intellectual) disabilities in inclusive musical contexts , Caroline Blumer

"That's the Way I Am, Heaven Help Me": The Role of Pronunciation in Billy Bragg's Music , Mary Blake Bonn

Singing Our Stories: Building Community and Developing Self-Empowerment in the Childless Voices Choir , Laura Curtis

Non-Directed Time , Danial Derakhshan

Soundcurrents: Exploring sound’s potential to catalyze creative critical consciousness in adolescent music students and undergraduate music education majors , Jashen i. Edwards

The Effect of Coping Verses Mastery Models on the Level of Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Music Learning, Self-Efficacy for Classical Guitar Playing and Guitar Achievement for Undergraduate Non-Music Majors , Patrick K. Feely Mr

A Study of Art Song Composition and Interpretation by Three Female German Composers in the Mid-Nineteenth Century , Churan Feng

Music Making in Elderly Community Program for Korean Immigrants in Canada , H. Elisha Jo

The Maker - A Multi-Media Opera in Two Acts , Aaron Lee

Vibes at the Village Vanguard: Hauntings, History, and the Construction of Jazz Place , Mark McCorkle

Transference Music: For Electric Guitar Soloist and Amplified Orchestra , Andrew Noseworthy

Prokofiev and the Soviet Dilemma: Censorship, Autonomy, and the Piano Transcriptions , Connor O'Kane

Changing Minds And Changing Practice: Barriers And Facilitators To The Use Of Methods Associated With Popular Musicianship, And Strategies Music Teachers Use To Navigate Them , Rhiannon Simpson

The Collective Unconscious , Yixuan Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Seeing Thro the Musical Eye: Santo Daime, Fuke-shū, 1960s Psychedelia, and the Antipodes of Musical Experience , Forest Anthony-Muran

The Contrabass Tuned in Fifths: Towards an Understanding of Past and Present Applications. , Stephen T. Bright

Sound Judgements: Music Education Framework for Guiding Digital Mixing Practice , Artur Kapron

Musical Signification in Biber's Rosary Sonatas , Frangel Lopez Cesena

The Classical Sonata Forms of Franz Schubert’s Great C-Major Symphony: Exploring Tonal Structure in the New Romantic Style , Liam J. McDermott

Secondary Instrumental Ensemble: A Shift Towards Non-Normative Learning Practices , Kristine Musgrove

Gesture in Steve Reich's Music and its Signification: A Referential Approach to His Process, Stylistic, and Postminimalist Works , Martin Ross

Voice Image: developing a new construct for vocal identity , Bethany R. Turpin

The Tale of Rowan O'Shera (A Musical Drama) , Emma T.L. Verdonk

The Ghosts of Madwomen Past: Historical and Psychiatric Madness on the Late Twentieth-Century Opera Stage , Diana Wu

Exploring Musical Knowledge Within One Canadian School Of Music: Ideology, Pedagogy, And Identity , Kyle Zavitz

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Re-imagining Brazilian Portuguese IPA: A practical guide utilizing Paulo Maron’s new opera Lampião , Jorge Luiz Alves Trabanco Filho

Music Sounds Better With You , M Gillian Carrabre

Coloquio entre dos Perros, Comic Chamber Opera in Nine Scenes , Sandra Rocio Fuya-Duenas

Waves of Lament , Kennedy Kimber-Johnson

Mood, Music Choices, and the Emotional Outcomes of Music Listening: An Examination of the Moderating Role of Rumination using Experience-Sampling Methodology , Elizabeth E. Kinghorn

Speaking Songs: Music-Analytical Approaches to Spoken Word , Chantal D. Lemire

Music for Self-Attention , Jeffrey A T Lupker

Music of Peace and Protest: U.S. Composers and Musical Activism during the Vietnam War (1965-1971) , April P. Morris

A Thematic Analysis Of Nicolas Martynciow’s "Impressions Pour Caisse Claire Et Deux Toms" And A Dissection of the Extended Techniques Required For Performance , Joe Moscheck

A Narrative Approach to the Barcarolles for Solo Piano by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) , Matthew T. Pope

Motivic Metamorphosis: Modelling Intervallic Transformations in Schoenberg’s Early Works , Adam Roy

The Integration of the Style Hongrois into Brahms’s Musical Language in His Chamber Works , Raymond D. Truong

Ann Southam's Solo Piano Music: A Performance Guide , Amelia G. Yates

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Critical Border Crossing: Exploring Positionalities Through Soundscape Composition and Critical Reflection , Kelly Bylica

See It and Believe It: An Investigation into Singers' Imagery Use , Brianna DeSantis

Domenico Dragonetti: A case study of the 12 unaccompanied waltzes , Jury T. Kobayashi

Understanding Viktor Ullmann Through His Liederbuch des Hafis , Chad G. Louwerse

Dreamvision Songbook: Five Songs for Mixed Ensemble , Maxwell R. Lucas Mr.

The Alia musica and the Carolingian Conception of Mode , Matthew R J Nace

Music Education in a Liquid Social World: The Nuances of Teaching with Students of Immigrant and Refugee Backgrounds , Gabriela Ocádiz Velázquez

Exploring Being Queer and Performing Queerness in Popular Music , Rosheeka Parahoo

Music in the Moment of "Cyber Culture:" An Outward Spiral , Brandon Sked

The Search for Canadian Art Song: Developing the Framework for a Database of Art Song by Canadian Composers , Leanne Vida

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Contexts for Musical Modernism in Post-1945 Mexico: Federico Ibarra - A Case Study , Francisco Eduardo Barradas Galván

"It's Obvious Who Plays an Instrument and Who Doesn't": Using Doxa and Illusio to Explore Inequities in English School Music Education , Alison Butler

Creative Collaborations: The Songs/Poems of Canadian Artists Leslie Uyeda and Lorna Crozier , Jennifer Cyr

James Rolfe's Vocal Chamber Music: A Performance Analysis and Interpretation , Laura Duffy

Understanding Game Scoring: Software Programming, Aleatoric Composition and Mimetic Music Technology , Mack Enns

Prufrock: a Monodrama for Baritone and Electronics , Daniel Gardner

The Impact of Expanded, Multimodal Applications during a German Lied Performance , Adam Domenico Iannetta

Forward and Up: An Exploration of Implementations of the Alexander Technique in Post-Secondary Music Institutions , Mei Lee

No Space to Sing: A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Classical Singers with Primary Muscle Tension Dysphonia , Elizabeth Lepock

Playscapes for Piano Trio , James Lowrie

Exploring Stretto: An Investigation into the Use of Stretto in J. S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier , Kathryn McDonald

Performing Identities, Performing Possibilities: A Music-Centered and Relational Perspective on Performance in Community Music Therapy and Music Education , Elizabeth Mitchell

The Lieder of Joseph Marx and the Italienisches Liederbuch , Caleb Mora

Musical Ekphrasis in Concert: Case Study of Alexey Khevelev’s Chagall Vitraux , Natalia Skomorokhova

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

...and the songs of another... for Six Voices & Live Electronics , Matthew David Becker

The Art Songs of Kyrylo Stetsenko: Ukrainian Lyric Diction Guide , Olena Bratishko

The Effects of Infertility on Female Vocalist Identity , Laura Curtis

The Significance of Aram Khachaturian and His Piano Concerto , Sarah M. Dardarian

Job: An Oratorio for Voices and Chamber Ensemble , Kevin Gibson

Rachmaninoff's Piano Works and Diasporic Identity 1890-1945: Compositional Revision and Discourse , Renee MacKenzie

Capriccio for Mixed Ensemble and Piano , André McEvenue

Toward A Pedagogical Guide To Argentine Art Song , Matthew B. Pauls

Teaching Prospective Verdi Baritones: A Repertoire-Based Approach , Andrew Rethazi

The Donnelly Opera , Joshua L. Richardson

The Old House , Eric Swiatoschik

The Political Power of Carlos Chávez and His Influence Upon Silvestre Revueltas and Blas Galindo , Yolanda Tapia

Six Blake Songs , Willyn Whiting

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Effects of Video Recording on the Level of Expertise and Self-Regulated Learning Ability of Adults in a Beginner Classical Guitar Class , Patrick K. Feely

Teleology in César Franck's Prélude, Choral et Fugue , Stephanie Gouin

Antoinette, an Opera in One Act , Colin McMahon

Audio Mastering as a Musical Competency , Matthew T. Shelvock

Fuzzy Family Ties: Familial Similarity Between Melodic Contours of Different Cardinalities , Kristen Wallentinsen

Felix Mendelssohn and Sonata Form in the Nineteenth Century , Katharine G. Walshaw

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Requiem , Wendell Glick

Namazu , Sean Kim

Two Movements for Orchestra , Jeff Lupker

Musical Forces in Claude Vivier’s Wo bist du Licht! and Trois airs pour un opéra imaginaire , Emilie L. Marshall

Ethos , William T. Nicolaou

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

A Study of Form and Structure in Pierre Boulez's Pli selon Pli , Emily J. Adamowicz

Family Music Listening Legacies: A Case Study-based Investigation of the Intergenerational Transmission of Music Listenership Values in Five Families , Jillian Bracken

J. S. Bach's Modal Compositional Practice in the Chorale Preludes for Solo Organ: A Schenkerian Perspective , Michael Fitzpatrick

A cross-generational examination of learner engagement and agency in non-traditional music education programs , Jennifer M. J. Lang

Amor Fati , Aaron Lee

In Search Of Transformative Music Learning Experiences: Voices From The Margins In Northeastern Brazil , Nan Qi

Heteroglossia: Novella For Orchestra , Andrzej J. Tereszkowski

Sophie, A Music Drama for Solo Soprano and Chamber Ochestra , Alondra Vega-Zaldivar

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

A Comparative Analysis of Neoliberal Education Reform and Music Education in England and Ontario, Canada , Stephanie Horsley

Functional Transformations and Octatonality in Selected Works by George Crumb , Peter Lea

Interpretive Reproduction and Informal Music Learning in the Grade One Classroom , Leslie S. Linton

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Home > CCA > School of Music > School of Music Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School of Music Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

A Case Study Analysis of the Experiences and Perceived Learning Outcomes of Former Non-Music Majors in Applied Horn Lessons , Jordan Bennett

Unconventional Wisdom in Resonating Echoes of the Past: A Memoir on the Life and Music of royal hartigan , Joseph Elias Boulos

Composers at War: A Study of Composers Who Fought in World War I and World War II , Jason T. Hoffmann

Adventures in Flute Playing: A Literature Survey and Anticipated Beginning Flute Method , Sammy Holloman

American Art Songs in the 21st Century: A Catalogue of Selected Works , Islei Mariano Correa Hammer

Pedagogical Piano Works by Four Contemporary Composers: Emma Lou Diemer, Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee, Karen Tanaka and Chee-Hwa Tan , Manuel Alejandro Molina Flores

A Selective Guide to Solo Bass Trombone Repertoire from 1961 to Present , Andrew Amadeus Ortega

Analysis and Performance of Osvaldo Golijov’s Hebreische Milonga , Gerardo Sanchez Pastrana

Challenges and Solutions for Native Mandarin-Chinese Speakers in Singing German Lieder , Fei Xia

Developing Collaborative Skills in Piano Students , Linxi Yang

A Guide to Chinese Art Songs from 1970 to 2010 , Tingyu Yan

A Study of Six Selected Piano Variations by Czerny , Hao Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Investigating the Marketing Language among Online Retailers of Violin Strings to Determine the Implied Aesthetic , Kira Kay Browning

Stylistic Changes in the Music of Ruth Crawford Seeger , Xinlei Chu

The Most Common Vocal Fault in the Baritone Voice , Matthew Derek Cyphert

Diversifying Piano Literature: East Asian Music for Piano Study and Performance in the United States , Akina Kondoh

Playing-Related Medical Injuries and Health Conditions in Collegiate Saxophonists: A Survey of Saxophonists in North American Universities , Michael Anne Tolan

The Purpose and Process of Commissioning New Music for Low Brass Instruments: A Guide , Michael Kennard Waddell

Evocations of Nature in Selected Piano Works by Debussy , Heah Zi-Ling

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

A Survey of Musical Expectations in the Marine Forces Reserve Band stationed in New Orleans, Louisiana , Brandon Paul Carbonari

A Selected Analytical Bibliography of Works for Saxophone by Composers Associated with the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music: 1946-2021 , Christopher Mark DeLouis

"A Long Life in Music:" The Career and Legacy of Ann Schein , Anthony William Gray

Jerome Franke’s “Architectural Practice” Exercises for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 62 and Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole in D minor, Op. 21 , Yaniv Gutman

Fostering Music Performers in the 21st Century: A Contemporary Professional Perspective toward a New Curricular Agenda for Graduate Study in Music , Andre Januario

Francis Poulenc: The Compositional Influences of Les Six and Sergei Prokofiev on the Poulenc Oboe Sonata (1962) , Evan Klein

The Three Piano Sonatas by José de Almeida Penalva , Heron Alvim Moreira

Chamber Music Fundamentals and Rehearsal Techniques for Advancing String Students , Gabrielle Padilla

Touching Light: A Framework for the Facilitation of Music-Making in Mixed Reality , Ian Thomas Riley

The Joyful Path of Lifelong Mastery of the Piano , John Alan Rose

Hearing Ourselves Speak: Finding the Trans Sound in the Ohio River Valley , Gwendolyn Patricia Saporito-Emler

#Canceled: Positionality and Authenticity in Country Music’s Cancel Culture , Gabriella Saporito

The Memorization, Preparation, and Performance of Piano Music: Cognitive Foundations and Current Neuro-Music Research , Amy M. Simpson

Selected Principles of Practicing for Security in Performance , Hsing-Yi Tsai

An Analysis of Amy Beach's Variations on Balkan Themes, Op. 60 , Yiwen Zhang

A Foundation for Collaboration: An Analysis of Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48 , Kailang Zhan

A Selective Study on Chinese Art Songs after 1950 , Gehui Zhu

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

It’s Just Muzak: Music, Activism, and Advertising. , Avery Brzobohaty

A Survey of Selected Classical Chinese Art Songs for Solo Voice and Piano from 1920 to 1950 , Tingting Chang

A Multifaceted Performance Model for the Multiple Percussion Performance Practice: Performance Analysis of Select Works toward Developing a Graduate Curriculum , Mitchell Joseph Greco

The Roman Catholic Ordinary Mass from circa 1750 to circa 1820: A Selected Bibliography , Letícia Gabriele Grützmann Januario

An Appraisal of the Evolution of Western Art Music in Nigeria , Agatha Onyinye Holland

Types and Causes of Physiological Injury in Piano Playing, with Emphasis on Piano Pedagogy in China , Ruixi Niu

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Contemporary Music Notation for the Flute: A Unified Guide to Notational Symbols for Composers and Performers , Ms. Eftihia Victoria Arkoudis

Core Curriculum for Orchestra , Andrew Thomas Aycoth

Hyperscales: Analysis, Historical Uses, and Possible Applications in Contemporary Music Composition , Douglas Wayne Brown

Johannes Brahms’s Fünf Ophelia-Lieder Performance history, cultural context, and character study as it pertains to Johannes Brahms’s Fünf Ophelia-Lieder: A Performer’s Perspective , Caryn Alexis Crozier

The Hard Bop Trombone: An exploration of the improvisational styles of the four trombonist who defined the genre (1955-1964) , Emmett Curtis Goods

A Pedagogical Guide to Kapustin’s Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 , Yanjing Gu

Prizes, Winning, and Identity: Narrative Vocal Music of the Pulitzer Prize, 2008–2018 , Julia K. Kuhlman

Folk-song to formal performance: Interpreting the songs of Jean Ritchie for voice recital , Julianne E. Laird

Contemporary Collaborative Piano Practices in Korea: Five Case Studies , Jiyeon Lee

Music Technology, Gender, and Sexuality: Case Studies of Women and Queer Electroacoustic Music Composers , Justin Thomas Massey

The Inclusion of Organ Within the Concert Band Instrumentation with an Annotated Listing of Original Works for Concert Band and Organ , Matthew Justin McCurry

The "organ-accompanied solo motet" in in La Maîtrise, 1857–1861 , John David O'Donnell

Musical and Cultural Perspectives of Héctor Campos Parsi: An examination of his influences and analysis of selected vocal works , Cynthia Ortiz-Bartley

Latin American Influences on Selected Piano Pieces by Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Darius Milhaud , Hyejeong Seong

A Compendium of Opera in Spain and Latin America , Michelle S. Smith

Pedagogical Thoughts on Album des Six: a piano set by Les Six to represent French Nationalism , Dipendra Sunam

Examining Musical Hybridity and Cultural Influences in Valerie Coleman’s Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn , Brittany Marie Trotter

Discovering the "Finnish Chopin"—Selim Palmgren's 24 Preludes, op. 17, and Tres Piezas para Piano, op. 54 , Sijia Wang

Mindfulness for Musicians: Bringing sport psychology and mindfulness-based therapies to the practice room and the concert stage , Lauretta M. Werner

Listening for the Cosmic Other: Postcolonial Approaches to Music in the Space Age , Paige Zalman

How does the pronunciation of native languages affect beginning singers? A research focusing on native Mandarin Chinese and American English speaking singers , Ruobing Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

An Exploration of Paul Bowles' Piano-Solo Pieces , Juan Carlos Rios Betancur

The Life And Work Of Barbara Nissman , Giuliana Paola Contreras Ampuero

Lynne Ramsey, Violist: Biography, Pedagogical Background, Teaching Techniques, and Career Advice , Ignacio Cuello

Listening for Yes: Consent in the Contemporary Country Love Song , Phoebe E. Hughes

Form in the Music of John Adams , Michael Ridderbusch

Study of the Resonance Spectrums of the Flute and the Effect of Different Stable Vowels on Formant Tuning with Violin and Clarinet , Alyssa M. Schwartz

It Takes a Village: Collaborative Social Justice Through Choral Musicking , Natalie Shaffer

Staying Original: A Case study for Film Composers Working with Temp Tracks , Kyle Maurits Simpson

Chinese Elements and Influence in Tan Dun's Eight Memories in Watercolor , Qian Xu

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

A Study in Songs: Comparative Analyses of 20th century settings of William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and of Experience": Selections from Vaughan Williams's "Ten Blake Songs", Britten's "Songs and Proverbs of William Blake", and Rochberg's "Blake Songs: For Soprano and Chamber Ensemble" , Jennifer Berkebile

The Treatment of the Piano in Six Selected Chamber Works by Colombian Composers in the Twenty-First Century , Javier Camacho

The Paganini Variations: A Study of Selected Works by Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Lutoslawski, and Muczynski , Youna Choi

A Survey of Selected Piano Concerti for Elementary, Intermediate, and Early-Advanced Levels , Achareeya Fukiat

Jesus de Monasterio (1836-1903): An Essential Figure in the Artistic and Technical Development of Violin Playing in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century at the Madrid Royal Conservatory , Diego Gabete-Rodriguez

A Transcription for the Viola of Three Violin Works by Amy Beach: A Historical, Theoretical, and Pedagogical Analysis , Courtney Erin Grant

The Piccolo in the 21st Century: History, Construction, and Modern Pedagogical Resources , Keith D. Hanlon

Tear Down the Wall: Long-Form Analytical Techniques and the Music of Pink Floyd , Christopher Everett Jones

Revolutionary Pedagogy: A Historical Perspective on Improvising in Beethoven , Julia Kinderknecht

Philosophical Approaches to Compositional Technique in Isang Yun's Works for Solo Flute , Mirim Lee

Taiwanese Composer Tyzen Hsiao: Pedagogical Aspects of Selected Piano Solo Works , Tzu-Nung Lin

Researching History and Performance Practice Regarding Improvisation and Ornamentation in Mozart's Keyboard Works, with Special Attention to Cadenzas , Josiane Merlino

A Study of Nikolai Kapustin's Sonata No. 12, Op. 102: A Contemporary Jazz Sonata In Two Movements , Mark Peters

Selected Manufacturer's Professional Trumpet Component Specifications: A Compendium of Measurements, Materials, and Playing Characteristics , Kenneth H. Piatt

A Conductor's Perspective on Stravinsky's "Danse sacrale" from "Le Sacre du printemps": Evaluation of Revisions, Analysis and Considerations for Conducting , Hanjin Sa

Hungarian Elements in Selected Piano Compositions of Liszt, Dohnanyi, Bartok, and Kodaly , Helga Scheibert

A Pedagogical Study of Selected Piano Music of Miguel del Aguila , Sornsuang Tangsinmonkong

Performance Practice and Overview of Selected Piano Works of Barbara Kolb , Chiao Su Joyce Wang

A Transcription for Soprano Saxophone and Piano of Chen Yi's "Chinese Folk Dance Suite", Originally for Violin and Orchestra , Tak Chiu Wong

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Listening To Their Voices: An Ethnographic Study of Children's Values and Meaning Ascribed to Learning World Music in Elementary School General Music , Juliana Cantarelli Vita

Pedagogical and Performance Aspects of Three American Compositions for Solo Piano: John Corigliano's Fantasia on an Ostinato, Miguel del Aguila's Conga for Piano, and William Bolcom's Nine New Bagatelles , Tse Wei Chai

Encounters with the Avant-Garde: Four Case Studies in the Reception History of Contemporary Flute Works (1971 to present) , Amanda Cook

Beyond High and Lonesome: A Comparative Analysis of Early Male and Contemporary Female Bluegrass Vocal Styles , Hillary C. Kay

The life and legacy of MieczysLaw Munz , Sora Lee

An Analysis of Narong Prangcharoen's "Three Minds" for Solo Piano , Pawatchai Suwankangka

MIDI Electronic Wind Instrument: A Study of the Instrument and Selected Works , Matthew J. Swallow

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Keyboard Works of Alex Shapiro , Elizabeth Mary Etnoyer

Halim El-Dabh's Derabucca Notation and its Implication on Performance Practice , Ryan Joseph Frost

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Main Resources

Main utility, degree requirements, phd in music: composition and music technology, diagnostic evaluation and initial advisement.

An initial interview with the Composition and Music Technology faculty will review the student’s background to determine the best course of study, based on the student’s interests and previous coursework. Students should regard all members of the faculty as advisors throughout the period of their degree studies.

Academic Advisement

The faculty member with whom the student is currently taking MUS_COMP 512 is considered as their primary advisor. By the beginning of a student’s third year, the chair of their doctoral committee serves as primary advisor for the remainder of their degree.

Program of Study

18 units for students who matriculate with a master’s degree 27 units for students who matriculate with a bachelor’s degree

Applied Composition – 6-9 units

Students must enroll for applied composition in each quarter of coursework.

MUS COMP 512 Applied Composition

Core Coursework – 8 units

MUSIC 540 Doctoral Music Research MUSICOL 400 Graduate Review of Music History MUS COMP 439: Materials of Music 1900-1947 MUS COMP 439: Materials of Music Since 1945 MUS TECH, 300 level and above – 2 units MUS COMP 437 or 439 or 440 – 2 units

Cognate Area – 3 units

Students enroll in three courses in a non-music field relevant to their main interest. For example, a student may enroll in three courses in Screen Cultures or Environmental Sciences. Another possibility is to take courses within one of the many existing interdisciplinary Clusters (such as African Studies or Critical Theory) organized by The Graduate School. Additionally, a student may devise their own interdisciplinary cognate area under the supervision of their primary advisor, if their non-musical interests direct them towards research in an area without a preexisting Cluster. (See TGS website: Clusters and Certificates )

Electives – 0-6 units

Courses in music theory and cognition, musicology, music education, conducting (with approval of conducting faculty), humanities and social sciences, or science and engineering.

Students who wish to register for elective classes at other universities may do so via two programs:

• The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), a consortium of the Big Ten schools and the University of Chicago
• The Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Program (CMEP) in collaboration with the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago

Questions about these programs should be directed to Bienen Graduate Services with prior consent of the student’s primary advisor.

Composition Colloquium – 0 units, 6-9 registrations required

MUS COMP 490

All students are required to register for and attend the weekly Composer’s Colloquium each quarter during residency. Each student is expected to regularly pursue additional performances on the student composer’s concert, performance study student recitals, and local/national conferences, etc. Student composers are expected to demonstrate active involvement in the aforementioned activities, and to maintain a productive composition level throughout the program. A high level of achievement must be present in the following areas: composition, 20th and 21st century music, use of music technology tools, theory, orchestration, harmony, counterpoint, analysis, aural skills, and keyboard skills.

Recital – 0 units, 1 registration

MUS COMP 580 Doctoral Recital

PhD students are expected to teach a variety of courses, and teaching assignments are made in consultation with a student’s primary advisor. Composition students typically teach at least one quarter of MUS COMP 211 Class Composition during their fourth year. Students who desire to gain experience in aural skills may teach three consecutive quarters of MUSIC 126 or 226 in fall, winter, and spring to undergraduate music majors.

Doctoral Committee

Students must assemble a doctoral committee by the spring quarter of their second year. The committee must be comprised of three current faculty members at Northwestern University, two of whom must be part of the Composition and Music Technology program. The committee must be chaired by the proposed dissertation advisor, who must be a member of the Graduate School faculty. The chair serves as the primary advisor from that point on, and as first reader of the dissertation.

The Doctoral Committee has four functions:

• To administer the comprehensive PhD qualifying exams;
• To approve the dissertation prospectus;
• To supervise and approve both parts of the dissertation – the doctoral composition and the scholarly written essay when both have been completed to the satisfaction of the committee.
• To supervise and attend the Doctoral Recital.

Qualifying Examinations

Students begin the qualifying exams in their third year and must complete them by the end of the spring quarter of the third year. The exams are administered by the doctoral committee and consist of a written and oral portion. For the written part, each member of the committee, in conjunction with the student, selects a specific research and/or analysis topic. Students may write an article-length essay (20-30 pages) submitted to the faculty member by an agreed upon date, or take an exam given by the faculty member during an agreed upon three-day period. The oral portion of the composition qualifying exams may address topics including, but not limited to, those items covered in the written exams.

Students should submit the PhD Qualifying Exam form in GSTS after successful completion of the exams.

Dissertation Prospectus

Students must complete their prospectus as soon as possible after passing the qualifying examinations, but no later than the end of their fourth year. The prospectus consists of a proposal for the dissertation which outlines the topic, its significance, its methodologies, and includes a survey of the current scholarly literature and primary sources necessary for successful completion of the dissertation and a comprehensive bibliography. The prospectus is evaluated by the doctoral committee and is formally accepted after a brief defense.

Students should submit the PhD Prospectus form in GSTS after successful defense and acceptance of the prospectus.

Dissertation Requirement

The requirements consist of:

a composition of substantially ambitious scope, to be determined with the approval of the members of the committee, and

a scholarly analytical essay on a topic agreed upon by the candidate and their committee. The essay should be aimed at the same readership as that of an established professional journal (e.g., Contemporary Music Review, Perspectives of New Music, Tempo, et al.), with a target length of 5,000 words.

The two documents represent the culmination of intensive and original research, and must make a meaningful contribution to knowledge in the field. Students must consult with their committee before undertaking any writing. Both the composition and the scholarly analytical essay must be completed and approved by the committee before the dissertation requirement is considered fulfilled.

Dissertation Completion

Students are encouraged to apply for funding for dissertation research through TGS and the Office of Fellowships. Dissertations must be formatted according to TGS Dissertation Formatting Guidelines . Students should submit the PhD Final Exam form in GSTS once the composition and the scholarly essay are completed and approved by the committee.

Doctoral Recital

One full recital of works is required. Students are responsible for arranging all aspects of the recital. The recital program must be approximately 60 minutes of music, and may consist of any combination of works written after the registration in the PhD program. All music to be presented on the recital, approximate date/alternate dates, and the location and program information must be approved by the committee chair prior to the recital.

Contact Graduate Services:  [email protected]   847-491-5740

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Master of Music in Composition—Thesis

Master of music in composition and computer music composition—thesis.

MM students in Composition and Computer Music Composition write an original composition as a thesis.  Students should submit the Program Completion Application no later than the beginning of the semester in which they plan to graduate. ( Graduation information )

Step 1: Compose the Thesis

Write the thesis and program notes in consultation with your teacher and in accordance with these formatting guidelines .

For computer music composition majors - if your thesis is a fixed-media piece that is not possible to score on paper, consult with the Music Graduate Office for instructions on submitting a zip file for the score component.  You will still need to submit the thesis front matter, so the zip file will include the media file and front matter.  More details are on the formatting guidelines page.

Step 2: Teacher Approval

Once the thesis is completed to the satisfaction of your teacher, prepare the signature page and have it signed by your teacher.

If you will be submitting a bound printed copy, print the signature page on the same paper as used for final submission and include the signed signature page where indicated in the formatting guidelines .

If submitting electronically, ask your major field teacher to email the Music Graduate Office with his approval of the final version of the thesis.

Step 3: Final Submission

Prepare the final copy and submit it as outlined below:

• Preparing and submitting the final copy

The thesis must be completed to the satisfaction of your teacher at least two weeks before the end of the term in which you wish to graduate.  Submission during the summer is possible, but only with approval of your thesis director.  

Master of Music in Music Scoring for Visual Media—Thesis

MM students in Music Scoring for Visual Media write original music for a film as a thesis.  Students should submit the Program Completion Application no later than the beginning of the semester in which they plan to graduate. ( Graduation information )

Once the thesis is completed to the satisfaction of your teacher, ask your major field teacher to email the Music Graduate Office with their approval of the final version of the thesis.

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Master of Music in Composition

Two year degree (45-27).

The following guide serves as a typical program of study (assuming no remedial work is necessary) upon which the Supervisory Committee develops each graduate student's particular program of study. It is the responsibility of the Supervisory Committee to assure an appropriate program of study for each student. It is within the Committee's purview to require additional courses that are not listed below, to substitute particular courses for others listed below, and to tailor the program to the needs of the student in anyway that it deems educationally mandated. The student needs to be certain that he/she is working directly with the Committee, and choosing courses that reflect the Committee's suggestions and requirements, at all times. For entrance requirements, please see our website: ( http://music.washington.edu/advising ). A minimum of 45 credits is required for the degree (at least 30 of these credits must be taken at the University of Washington). The distribution of credits is given below.

Total Credits: 45

• Pass a graduate foreign language competency examination in German, French, or Italian
• Master’s examination:
• Thesis : Students must write a thesis composition approved by a supervisory committee and pass a comprehensive oral examination plus a thesis defense. The thesis must be formatted according to the Graduate School Style & Policy Manual.

Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better. Only grades of 2.7 and above may be counted toward fulfilling graduate requirements. Complete all requirements for the master's degree within six years of entering the program. All graduate students must be familiar with the content of The University of Washington General Catalog Graduate Degree Policies. A student must satisfy the requirements for the degree that are in force at the time the degree is to be awarded.

*MUSIC 400, 401, 402, 403, 410, 470, 471, 472, 487, 490, 526, 527, 528, 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 576, 577

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Master of Music in Music Composition Unit: School of Music (GU) Program: Music Composition   Academic Plan Code(s): COMPMM

Program Information

The  Master of Music Composition (MM) degree  is a two-year program of study designed to further the expertise and experience of students who have already completed an undergraduate degree in music composition (or its equivalent). While most students who are admitted into the MM Composition program have received undergraduate degrees in music composition, students without an undergraduate degree in music composition may be accepted in the MM composition program if they 1) demonstrate compositional skills and experience approximately equivalent to an undergraduate degree in composition, and 2) hold a Bachelor of Music degree or its equivalent. 

General Information Regarding Academic Policies

• Detailed curricular and program offerings, including specific requirements and provisions for degree programs, are published in the university catalog. Students will be provided with copies of the "Handbook for Graduate Studies in Music", the "Guidelines for Preparation for the Graduate Music History Entrance Examination," and "Guidelines for Preparation for the Graduate Music Theory Entrance Examination." These documents are also available on the School of Music website .
• Students will be required to address any deficiencies revealed by entrance examinations in courses taken within the first two semesters of study. Credit toward the degree is not granted for review coursework.
• All students are required to complete Bibliography and Research Methods ( MUS 607 ) by the end of the second semester of study (part-time students by the completion of 15 credit hours of graduate study). Upon satisfactory completion of requirements stated in Handbook sections B.2 and B.3, students will be considered in good standing.
• Students will complete a project appropriate to the field of study as defined by the faculty of their program. The completion of this project (public recital, thesis, professional paper) normally takes place in the last semester of graduate study. Preparation and presentation of a recital must follow the guidelines in the "Handbook for Graduate Studies in Music" and the preparation of a thesis must follow the " Guidelines for the Preparation and Processing of Theses " issued by the Graduate School. The preparation of a thesis in music composition must also follow the " School of Music Thesis Formatting Guidelines for MM in Composition ".
• In order to graduate, a student must be in good standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. No more than six (6) credit hours with any C or C+ grade will be accepted toward a degree, and no grade below a B-minus will be accepted for a course in the student's major subject area. Hours earned beyond the minimum in any curricular areas apply only to that area and cannot be assigned to another area in order to satisfy required credit. At least one-half of the total hours in graduate courses must be at the 600 level. Any exceptions to the program of study must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, or who fails to satisfy the published performance criteria, will be placed on probation. Students are ordinarily not permitted to continue on probation for more than one semester.
• When all coursework and projects have been satisfactorily completed, the student becomes a candidate for the degree and is approved to take the graduate oral examination. A candidate who fails the oral examination at the end of one semester may not be given a second one before the end of the following semester. A candidate who fails the second oral examination will not be granted the degree of MM or MME from the University of Louisville.
• Upon request, a maximum of six (6) credit hours of earned graduate credit with a minimum grade of B may be transferred from accredited institutions that offer advanced degrees. Credit for applied music will not be transferred, but advanced standing may be awarded at a jury. Ensemble credits appropriate to the student's degree program may be considered for transfer, but not to exceed one (1) credit hour per semester. Music history and music theory credits will be evaluated for transfer by the Director of Graduate Studies and the respective faculty. Transfer of more than six (6) credit hours may be requested provided that they are not earned by extension, or as thesis or practicum hours, and that the residency requirement of 24 credit hours is maintained by the addition of the University of Louisville credits to the total program. Transfer of graduate credit hours within the University of Louisville toward a graduate degree in music may be requested provided that the minimum residence requirement of 24 credit hours is maintained.
• Students receiving a graduate assistantship (teaching, research, or service) will be provided with adequate training and will be required to adhere to university policies. Performance of duties in research and service by graduate assistants will be periodically evaluated. Students with teaching assistantships will be evaluated each semester.
• Part-time students (with the exception of those in the MME degree program) must participate in one ensemble for every 18 credit hours of completed coursework. If part-time study precludes completing ensemble degree requirements, other coursework may be substituted.

Admission Requirements 

• Completed graduate application and application fee
• Official transcripts for all previous post-secondary course work (all transcripts not in English must be certified as authentic and translated verbatim into English)
• At least two letters of recommendation
• In performance, an acceptable audition
• In academic specializations (music composition, music history, music theory), a portfolio of work appropriate to the field of study
• In music education, evidence of classroom teaching experience
• Minimum TOEFL examination score of 213 on the computer-based test, or 79-80 on the internet based test, IELTS scores of at least 6.5 overall band score from the academic module exam or official Duolingo overall score of 105.
• Documentation of the award of a degree from a recognized English language institution.
• Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the area to be pursued in advanced studies, or they must present evidence of equivalent preparation.
• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4-point scale.

Applicants who meet the requirements listed in items 1-5 will be considered for conditional admission for graduate study at the School of Music. For additional entrance requirements specific to the degree of interest, consult the section relevant to the degree program below. Entrance examinations in music history, theory and, if appropriate, jazz, will be administered before the first term of study. The School of Music provides guidelines to assist in preparing for the entrance examinations.

Any exception to the above expectations will be evaluated individually and will require a statement indicating criteria to be met in a specified time frame with provisions for monitoring progress and performance. Justification must be provided in writing and must be accepted by the faculty of the student's proposed program, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Dean of the School of Music. Students who fail to meet performance standards or who do not meet other requirements as outlined in the letter of admission, program of study, or the catalog of the University of Louisville are subject to dismissal from their programs.

Prerequisites

• Bachelor of Music degree or equivalent.
• Written, aural, and keyboard harmony
• Melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic dictation
• Elementary counterpoint
• History and literature of music, and analytic understanding of musical forms and genres
• Applicants for the track in Music Composition must submit original works to indicate ability and technical facility in the field of composition.
• Students should have a thorough and practical knowledge of piano, as well as a thorough knowledge in the areas of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.

Program Requirements

Other requirements.

All students must pass an oral examination after all coursework is completed.

These courses may be satisfied by passing the entrance examinations in these areas

Students should take  MUS 667 Introduction to Electronic and Computer Music  and  MUS 668 Advanced Topics in Computer Music .

Students in Electronic Music Composition Track should take AUDI 606 offered by Heuser Hearing Institute and Audiology Department in lieu of an additional Theory or History Seminar.

Three semesters of major ensemble or   MUS 551 Studies in Improvisation (two (2) credit hours) and one (1) elective credit hour, which can be satisfied by a major ensemble or two semesters of minor ensemble, but may also be satisfied by an academic or applied elective at the 500 or 600 level.

Music Composition Concentration

Electronic music composition concentration.

Concentration Requirements

Graduate composition majors are required to present public performances of their works within at least two semesters of their enrollment, for a total of at least 20 minutes of music. The graduate thesis will not be granted final approval until this requirement is met.

Four semesters required (Co-requisite for  MUS 643 ,  MUS 644 ,  MUS 645 , or  MUS 646 ).

500 level or above; minimum of two semesters; may include Conducting or Seminar in Conducting  MUS 659 / MUS 660  (sections designated for students who are not conducting majors);may include Composition for Digital Media ( MUS 683 ); but excludes additional semesters of Applied Composition.

Co-requisite for MUS 643 .

500 level or above; minimum of two semesters; may include Conducting or Seminar in Conducting MUS 659 / MUS 660 (sections designated for students who are not conducting majors); may include additional semester of Applied Composition.

Must be approved by the Director of Computer Music Studies.

The University of Louisville is committed to and will provide equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, pregnancy or veteran status.

Every effort has been made to make the catalog accurate as of the date of publication. However, the University of Louisville reserves the right to change programs of study, academic policies, academic requirements, fees, course information, procedures for the confirmation of degrees, or the announced academic calendar and related deadlines without prior notice. Copyright © 2023-2024, University of Louisville. All rights reserved.

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Music Composition Portfolio and Commentary

Wagner, Alessio (2022) Music Composition Portfolio and Commentary. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

This practice-based research project explores the development of a compositional approach that begins with an interest in sonifying biological patterns. It utilises an emergent, exploratory methodology that draws on a variety of contexts—including acousmatic music, metaphor, psychedelics and electronica—which are combined through a portfolio consisting of six musical works. More specifically, the emergence of a sonic typology that involves experimentation, prior musical experience(s), and a revitalising process originating in reflections of biological patterns plays a central role in the development of the portfolio. It culminates in a multiscale approach to musical composition where strands of materials, ideas and techniques coalesce.

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The University of Glasgow is a registered Scottish charity: Registration Number SC004401

Graduate Students

Stephen Tian-You Ai

Theory [email protected]

Fabian Almazan

Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry [email protected]

Victor Anand Arul

Composition [email protected]

Nina Baratti

Ethnomusicology [email protected]

Christopher Benham

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Jordan R. Brown

Ethnomusicology [email protected]

Samuel Budnyk

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Lee Cannon-Brown

Theory [email protected]

Thesis : Musical Thought and Global Ultramodernism, 1910-1950

Darcy Copeland

Composition [email protected]

Alyssa Cottle

Historical Musicology [email protected] Thesis: From the Local to the Transnational: Music, Sound, and Politics in Chile (1960s-1973)

Ganavya Doraiswamy

Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry [email protected]

Elaine Fitz Gibbon

Historical Musicology [email protected]

David Forrest

Theory [email protected]

Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry [email protected]

Sharri Hall

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Xavier Hadley

Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry [email protected]

Jonah Haven

Composition [email protected]

Haley Heinricks

Theory [email protected]

Micah Huang

Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry [email protected]

Seiyoung Jang

Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry

Kabasomi Kakoma

Sarah Koval

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Felipe Ledesma-Nuñez

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Michelle Lin

Composition [email protected] lock-music.com

Siriana Lundgren

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Thesis: Boomtown: Music as Power in the 19th Century Mining West

Kate Mancey

Theory [email protected]

Thesis: The Technophonic Everyday

Cana F. McGhee

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Thesis: Instruments of Silence: Botanical Musicalities and Performing Natural Science

Sonja Mutić

Composition [email protected]

Christina Nikitin

Ethnomusicology [email protected]

Luis Pabón Rico

Historical Musicology

Samora Pinderhughes

Creative Practice/Critical Inquiry [email protected]

Maria Privado

Shiva Ramkumar

Ethnomusicology [email protected]

Eloy Ramirez

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Lucas Reccitelli

Rachel Rosenman

Theory [email protected]

Thesis: Towards an Intermedial Poetics of Song: Case Studies in 20 th -Century French Mélodie

Gaia Saetermoe-Howard

Leo Sarbanes

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Uri Schreter

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Thesis : “A New Thing for Israel”: Yiddish Music and the Politics of Postwar Jewish Culture

Golnaz Shariatzadeh

Composition [email protected]

Kelley Sheehan

Composition [email protected] KelleySheehan.com

Davindar Singh

Ethnomusicology [email protected]

Thesis : Cultures of Cargo: Trucking, Musical Media, and the Logistics of Punjabi Mobility

Sara Speller

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Jacob Sunshine

Ethnomusicology [email protected]

Jelani Surpris

Composition [email protected]

Sunday Ukaewen

Theory [email protected]

Clara Viloria Hernandez

Historical Musicology [email protected]

Julien Vincenot

Composition [email protected] http://julienvincenot.com https://soundcloud.com/julienvincenot https://soundcloud.com/unmapped

Audrey Wozniak

Ethnomusicology [email protected] www.audreywoz.com/

Payam Yousefi

Ethnomusicology [email protected] https://payamyousefimusic.com/

Sophia Zervas

Ethnomusicology [email protected]

Jingyi Zhang

Historical Musicology [email protected] https://jingyizhangpiano.com Thesis : The Hypermobility Turn: Opera of the Future, The Future of Opera

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Master's Thesis

Graduate students in the Master of Music degree program with a specialization in Music History are required to write Theses. Those with a specialization in Music Education and students in the Master of Arts degree program may choose the Thesis option, only if future doctoral study is contemplated. For procedures, policies, and regulations regarding written Theses, students must consult the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual available from the Graduate College.

The Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with each student, will assign a Thesis Committee during the semester prior to the graduation semester. The Committee will consist of three members of the Graduate Faculty in Music and will be chaired by a faculty member in the student's primary area of study (music education, piano pedagogy, etc.) Faculty who do not hold Graduate Faculty status may be additional members of committees if appropriate or necessary.

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‌Criteria for the School of Music theses:

• Discuss proposed project with major professor.  
• Develop Thesis Proposal in consultation with major professor and submit in written form to Graduate Coordinator. This should be done as soon as possible, but no later than the semester preceding the semester of graduation. (PLEASE NOTE: With the exception of some faculty in the Music Education Division, committee members are NOT normally available during summer months. Therefore students who wish to graduate in the summer should plan to have all the requirements for the Thesis completed by the end of the spring semester.)  
• Submit Thesis committee member approval form to the Graduate College.  
• After approval is granted, the student should begin collection of data pertinent to the project. If data will be collected from human subjects, permission must be obtained from the Graduate College by submitting the Human Subjects Review Form available from the Graduate College. Students are advised to remain in frequent contact with all members of the committee throughout this process. The Thesis should conform in scope and content to the original proposal. Deviations from the approved Thesis format must be approved by the Thesis committee.  
• When the Thesis is completed, the document must be approved by the student's Thesis Committee.  
• Each student shall meet with an appropriate person in the Graduate College for purposes of determining adherence of Thesis to written policies of the Graduate College. Students are advised to be in contact with the Graduate College soon after approval of the Thesis proposal.  
• Copies of the Thesis in final form must be filed with the Graduate College according to regulations specified in the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual

‌Criteria for the Music Education emphasis thesis:

• The function of the Thesis is to systematically investigate a research problem, with outcomes that generate insights or answers related to that problem. These outcomes may or may not yield new knowledge, but they are expected to investigate a new problem or to replicate a published study in a different setting in order to verify or dispute previous findings.  
• The Thesis is expected to demonstrate a practical understanding of scholarly process. It will contain all of the elements of a research document, including data collecting and analysis, and will use a recognized or logically structured research design.  
• The degree candidate must possess the necessary data collection and analysis skills that address the needs of the study. Examples of these skills may be statistics, narrative analysis, foreign languages, computer programming, or music analysis.  
• The topic of the Thesis will be based on a problem that can be systematically investigated.  
• The Thesis will be developed from a formal written proposal that has been approved by the graduate student's Thesis Committee. This proposal will include an explicit problem statement, study parameters, and selected literature review. It will contain a description of research method, data collection, and data analysis. There will also be data presented from a pilot study or other preliminary investigative process that is consistent with the purposes of the study and its design.  
• The Thesis must follow the form and content of the accepted Thesis proposal and can only be changed upon approval of the Graduate College, Graudate Coordinator, Chair of Music Education, and all members of the student's Thesis Committee.  
• The Thesis will adhere to the guidelines indicated in the style manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) and Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual available from the Graduate College.

All Thesis proposals and/or Thesis drafts must be submitted to the Chair of the respective graduate student's Thesis Committee according to the dates listed on the last page of this handbook, including proposals from those individuals seeking to continue or complete Thesis work during the summer. Failure to meet these deadlines could affect timely review of submitted materials. Student supervision of Thesis work during the summer is dependent on availability of committee members. (PLEASE NOTE: With the exception of some faculty in the Music Education Division, committee members are NOT normally available during summer months. Therefore students who wish to graduate in the summer should plan to have all the requirements for the Thesis completed by the end of the spring semester.)

For all matters of writing style, consult one of the approved style manuals and the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual . A preview meeting must be scheduled during the first eight weeks of the semester in which the student wishes to graduate (exact dates will be posted). The preview meeting is scheduled with the Graduate College Thesis reader who will check for appropriate formatting. All formatting MUST adhere to the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual .

The final form of the document shall be filed with ScholarWorks one week prior to the final day of class during the semester the student wishes to graduate. Papers submitted to  [email protected]  will be retained in a backend repository unless the student provides permission to publicly preserve the work. 

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Nationalizing Music Composition

Indian culture and music as a source of inspiration for french opera composers.

"The current paper strives to discover and reveal the influences of Indian culture and classical Indian music in French operas. At first, the evocation of India was obtained through the subjects of the operas and stunning scenic designs, fulfilling the requirements of exoticism. Gradually, the composers attempted to include in their musical discourses exotic rhythmic and melodic elements, in some instances inspired by Indian classical music, thus aiming to evoke a genuine image of India. At the same time, the use of elements pertaining to Indian music (rāgas, rhythmic patterns, timbres) offered the musicians the possibility to create novel sound discourses. The analysis focuses on several operas, composed between the eighteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, following the evolution of Indian representations in several dimensions: dramatic (libretto), visual (scenic representations, dance), and musical (melody, rhythm, timbre). The present paper investigates the way Indian themes influenced the conception of the libretto, and at the same time the visual dimension of the works (setting, costumes), observing how these visual elements were gradually absorbed into the musical discourse (analysis of the melodic structures), through the incorporation of Indian rāgas in works conceived according to the rules of Western music composition. Keywords: exoticism, orientalism, India, French opera, rāga "

Music Composition and Emotion Recognition Using Big Data Technology and Neural Network Algorithm

To implement a mature music composition model for Chinese users, this paper analyzes the music composition and emotion recognition of composition content through big data technology and Neural Network (NN) algorithm. First, through a brief analysis of the current music composition style, a new Music Composition Neural Network (MCNN) structure is proposed, which adjusts the probability distribution of the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) generation network by constructing a reasonable Reward function. Meanwhile, the rules of music theory are used to restrict the generation of music style and realize the intelligent generation of specific style music. Afterward, the generated music composition signal is analyzed from the time-frequency domain, frequency domain, nonlinearity, and time domain. Finally, the emotion feature recognition and extraction of music composition content are realized. Experiments show that: when the iteration times of the function increase, the number of weight parameter adjustments and learning ability will increase, and thus the accuracy of the model for music composition can be greatly improved. Meanwhile, when the iteration times increases, the loss function will decrease slowly. Moreover, the music composition generated through the proposed model includes the following four aspects: sadness, joy, loneliness, and relaxation. The research results can promote music composition intellectualization and impacts traditional music composition mode.

A Mathematical, Graphical and Visual Approach to Granular Synthesis Composition

We show a method for Granular Synthesis Composition based on a mathematical modeling for the musical gesture. Each gesture is drawn as a curve generated from a particular mathematical model (or function) and coded as a MATLAB script. The gestures can be deterministic through defining mathematical time functions, hand free drawn, or even randomly generated. This parametric information of gestures is interpreted through OSC messages by a granular synthesizer (Granular Streamer). The musical composition is then realized with the models (scripts) written in MATLAB and exported to a graphical score (Granular Score). The method is amenable to allow statistical analysis of the granular sound streams and the final music composition. We also offer a way to create granular streams based on correlated pair of grains parameters.

Samoan identity through music composition: The agony of asking

<p>In this thesis, Samoan music and identity are woven together and expressed simultaneously through new composition, critical reflection, and performance. This thesis explores creative practice in both Samoa and New Zealand, and it engages with critical insights in order to produce a body of new creative work in music. Through these efforts, this thesis contributes a new original understanding for how to articulate Samoan identity in current musical composition.  In Samoa, cultural practices exist alongside global influences. These are found in song, language, contemporary music and dance in a variety of social contexts, and it is in this space of crossing boundaries where I explore my own identity as a Samoan-born, New Zealand composer, and a broader Samoan communal identity. The two contexts of my journey in Samoa and New Zealand offer sustained influences on my compositions both as a professional musician and educator. They provide very different expectations and cultures that I have negotiated, and have formed the basis of my creative work in this thesis. Adapting the Pasifika-centred framework of Epeli Hau’ofa in “Our Sea of Islands” (1993), in this thesis I provide a personal blueprint for a Samoan interpretation of creative practice in music, based on close readings and interpretations of concepts in new music composition.  Through this work I deconstruct my own colonial past to rise above cultural stereotypes, and instead move towards finding connections with local-based styles and values of music. In doing so, my creative output offers an original voice as a composer that is firmly based in Samoan realities, just as it extends to experiences and with a diversity of musical practices. Through my creative work I offer unique musical spaces and mediums that expresses my Samoan identity, in both music and culture. In this way, new composition is a means of navigating and negotiating musical creativity.  As I have discovered, I am not the only one moving in and out of these contexts as a Samoan musician and composer. I have worked together, alongside other Samoan composers such as Natalia Mann (based in Queensland, Australia), Metitilani Alo (based in Dunedin, New Zealand), Igelese Ete (based in Fiji) and Maori artists such as Riqi Harawira (based in Kaitaia, New Zealand) and artist BJ Natanahira (based in Kaitaia) sharing ideas and engaging in discussions around process of creativity and identity.  In creating our own musical voices, we also take control of the forms and shapes used to express our identities musically and culturally. As Thomas Turino points out in Music as Social Life (2008) this is about navigating and negotiating our identity according to the spaces we move within, and the music we associate with through composition and performance.  This is that journey.</p>

ANALISIS STRUKTUR MUSIKOLOGIS ARANSEMEN LAGU O INA NI KEKE UNTUK ORKESTRA

AbstrakIndonesia memiliki kekayaan lagu rakyat yang beragam sesuai keberadaan suku-suku yang tersebar dari Sabang sampai Merauke. Warisan budaya yang tak ternilai ini tidak hanya perlu dilestarikan, tapi juga diberi langkah strategis agar dapat berkembang dan dikenal lebih jauh. Dalam konteks ini, O Ina Ni Keke, sebuah lagu rakyat dari Sulawesi Utara, telah menjadi repertoar standar orkestra yang mendunia. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui bagaimana komposisi struktur musikal yang diciptakan oleh Joko suprayitno untuk lagu sederhana khas lagu rakyat seperti O Ina Ni Keke mengubah lagu tersebut menjadi kelindan melodi, harmoni, tekstur, dan struktur elemen musikal lainnya dan pada akhirnya menjadi sebuah karya yang pernah dimainkan oleh Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dengan paparan deskriptif. Proses analisis menggunakan analisis teoretis musikologis atas bentukan struktur elemen musikal dalam aransemen lagu O Ina Ni Keke. Pendalaman proses analisis akan ditunjang oleh sumber-sumber tertulis seperti buku-buku komposisi musik dan juga notasi atau score hasil aransemen sebagai data pokok dalam proses analisis. Penelitian ini menemukan penggunaan variasi melodi kontrapungtal, penempatan melodi pokok di hampir semua instrumen musik yang memunculkan karakter bunyi yang berbeda-beda, dan penggunaan teknik pedal point.AbstractIndonesia has a wealth of folk songs that vary according to the existence of tribes that spread from Sabang to Merauke. This valueless cultural heritage should not only be preserved but also need strategic steps to strive for it to develop and be known further. From a folk song from North Sulawesi to a global standard orchestra repertoire. This study aims to find out how to composed the musical structure of simple songs typical of folk songs such as the song O Ina Ni Keke by Joko Suprayitno into a combination of melodies, harmonies, textures and other musical elements into a masterpiece that was once played by the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra during a concert at the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Simfonia Hall Jakarta in the framework of the Fundraising Concert for Palu & Donggala Tsunami Victims. This research uses qualitative research with descriptive exposure. The analysis process uses musicological theoretical analysis of the formation of musical elements in the arrangement of the song O Ina Ni Keke. The deepening of the analysis process will be supported by written sources such as music composition books and of course the notation or score of the arrangement as the main data in the analysis process. The results of the study found that the use of contrapuntal melody variations, the placement of the main melody in almost all instruments gave rise to different characters, and the use of the pedal point technique

Good Reverberations? Teacher Influence in Music Composition since 1450

Real-time evolutionary music composition using jfugue and genetic algorithm, composeinstyle: music composition with and without style transfer, export citation format, share document.

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Composition

About LCME Composition Exams

There are four LCME Composition grades (2, 4, 6 and 8) and three diplomas.

Candidates must submit original compositions, settings and arrangements for the standard graded exams.

Please see the syllabus for full details of the requirements for each grade or diploma. 

Syllabus Validity

Please note the current  Syllabus for Composition Grades, Composition Diplomas and Diplomas by Thesis  2016-2021 has been extended until further notice.

Enter your Composition exam now

Please click the button below to book your exam and submit your work.

What’s in the exam

Exam content.

• Original composition
• Arrangement

Grades 4, 6 and 8: See the syllabus for full content.

Download Syllabus