NDSU Theses & Dissertations

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Research performed to achieve a formal degree from NDSU. Includes theses, dissertations, master's papers, and videos. The Libraries are currently undertaking a scanning project to include all bound student theses, dissertations, and masters papers.

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Alternative Analyses of Three Multiple Percussion Works
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Woodmansee, Brett Eric
The goal of this research document is to provide a flexible analysis that is directly applicable to multiple percussion performance and will inform a performer about the nature of decisions in specific circumstances without discouraging new explorations or interpretations. These analyses attempt to organize music components into four groups: dynamics, timbre, note density, and articulations and ornaments. Each of these groups can change in levels of importance within a hierarchy for each phrase, which provides information for performance practice. This information can theoretically reveal the most important components of a phrase, including the most significant mistakes of composers and performers. Emphasizing certain groups during a performance can mean the difference between a phrase enhancement and a confusing effect. These analyses ignore complicated mathematics, complex compositional features, metaphysics, historic performance practice, and the intentions of composers in favor of basic repetition patterns, unexpected changes, and deductive reasoning. The multiple percussion works selected for analysis are Cold Pressed (1990, revised 1994) by Dave Hollinden, Rebonds (1987-1989) by Iannis Xenakis, and Bone Alphabet (1991-1992) by Brian Ferneyhough. Results indicate that Cold Pressed utilizes a variety of complementary hierarchy types with a minor number of discrepancies; however, this often deviates with the phrasing indicated in the score. Rebonds utilizes a more consistent set of hierarchies without significant support from dynamics. Bone Alphabet utilizes complex detail with clear phrases that match the analysis in a variety of hierarchies; however, the rhythmic tension lacks the drive found in the other works. Performance suggestions are presented for each work.
American Folk Traditions in Piano Concert Music
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Lopez, Edwin Gerardo Aybar
This paper describes concert music for the piano that is heavily influenced by or entirely based on folk music traditions from the Americas. First, the term folk music and problems arising from its use are explained. The three main groups of people from which most of the folk music of the Americas originated are also briefly described. The main music covered will be by the composers Samuel Barber (United States), Juan Morel Campos (Puerto Rico), Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil), and Louis Moreau Gottschalk (United States). Each composer is represented by one or two pieces. Each piece is analyzed in terms of form and the folk tradition that influenced it. The histories and characteristics of blues, boogie-woogie, cowboy ballads, plena, and banjo music are all considered and related to the pieces discussed.
Art Songs by French Composers on Subjects Related to Venice, with Particular Emphasis on Reynaldo Hahn’s (1874-1947) Venezia (1901)
(North Dakota State University, 2019) Raad, Tyler
Venice, Italy has received a considerable amount of attention throughout the centuries from French poets, painters, and composers. However, little scholarship exists to date that has drawn any definitive connection between Venetian culture and the French humanities and even less regarding art song. In this disquisition, I concentrate on how French art song composers treated cultural themes of Venice in their music. I establish a field of study by selecting art songs for voice and piano written by French composers from Hippolyte Monpou (1804-1841) to Jacques Leguerney (1906-1997). From this selection, I discuss several composers that demonstrate contrasting approaches to using cultural themes in their songs. I then choose to emphasize Reynaldo Hahn’s (1874-1947) Venezia (1901) because of its deep connection with Venetian culture. Hahn’s Venezia exemplifies Venetian culture. This is evident through the composers’ use of the Venetian dialect and Venetian street-song forms. The lighthearted and charming character in Hahn’s six musical settings reflects the composer’s positive outlook on his stay in Venice, and historical documents confirm that he had a deep admiration for the city’s culture. The musical analysis I perform on Venezia, together with the analysis of its respective texts and authors, provides evidence that Venetian culture had significant effects on Hahn. By extending my analysis to other songs from my selection, I establish that there exists a strong connection between Venetian culture and French composers’ art songs.
A Choral Conductor's Analysis and Performance Practice Recommendations for Selected Psalm Settings by German Baroque Composers
(North Dakota State University, 2020) Rolf, Kathryn Anita
Psalm settings by German Baroque composers are comprised of meaningful texts illuminated by expressive music and have much to offer today’s choir. The composers of these settings were inspired by the Old Testament psalm texts and wrote choral works that incorporated both historical techniques adapted from types of psalmody and the expressive techniques of their day. Despite the significance of psalm settings, no detailed study exists on this music as a body of work. Additionally, Baroque music provides challenges to the conductor regarding performance practice choices. Both of these problems are addressed in this study. First, I establish a lineage of compositional development from Medieval chanted psalms to Baroque psalm settings and analyze the techniques composers used to express the text in specific examples. Then, I use the insights gleaned to make performance practice recommendations for each piece. By drawing on primary sources by Michael Praetorius (ca. 1571-1621) and Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) and secondary sources by contemporary scholars Dennis Schrock, Helmuth Rilling, and Robert Donington, I provide an overview of German Baroque performance practices that includes instrumentation, tempo, dynamics, articulation, and ornamentation. Special emphasis is given to performance principles that are applicable to the psalm settings explored in subsequent chapters. I also draw on dissertations, books, and articles by Baroque scholars to provide highlights of the composers’ careers and details about the pieces studied. The six pieces included in this disquisition are “Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen,” SWV 29 from Psalmen Davids (1619) by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), Alleluja! Lobet den Herrn in seinem Heiligtum (1620) by Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630), “Schaffe in mir Gott ein reines Herz” from Fest- und Zeit-Andachten (1671) by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611-1675), Der Herr ist mit mir, BuxWV 15 (ca. 1687) by Dieterich Buxtehude (ca. 1637-1707), Gott, sei mir gnädig (1705) by Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722), and Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (n.d.), BWV 230 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).
The Choral Music of Frederick Delius (1862-1934) and its Influence on the Choral Music of Early Twentieth-Century British Composers
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Strommen Campbell, Jonathan Daniel
The composer Frederick Delius wrote a large body of choral music including choral/orchestral works and part songs. This body of choral music had an important influence on the younger generation of British choral composers, including Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock) (1894-1930), E. J. Moeran (1894-1950), Constant Lambert (1905-1951), and Patrick Hadley (1899-1973). To date, only one dissertation in the United States has been devoted to the choral music of Delius. While several books have been published on Heseltine (Warlock), the others—Moeran, Lambert, and Hadley—are underrepresented in scholarly choral literature. In his book Delius: Portrait of a Cosmopolitan (1976), Christopher Palmer details the extent to which Delius influenced this younger generation of composers. While Palmer examines some of the choral music of Delius and his followers in varying degrees of detail, other important choral works of Delius and his followers are absent from his discussion. Besides Donald Caldwell’s dissertation (1975), there is no recent study of Delius’s complete body of choral music. Moreover, the larger extent to which Delius influenced the next generation of British choral composers has not been satisfactorily researched. This thesis seeks to address this paucity. Some works, such as Moeran’s Nocturne (1935), show an explicit imprint of Delius. Others, such as Hadley’s The Hills (1944) and Lambert’s The Rio Grande (1927), show a more complex convergence of influences, including those of Delius. This study critically examines every choral work of Delius in an effort to make his music better understood and more accessible. In addition to investigating the influence of Delius on the choral music of Moeran, Lambert, and Hadley, this thesis also provides exposure to choral works which merit broader representation in the performing repertoire. By examining the music and composers whom Delius influenced most, it is hoped that more of this choral repertoire will be performed and shared with audiences.
Composer, Conductor, Cornetist: A Biography of Jean-Baptiste Schiltz (fl.1831-1868) and a Survey of his Works for Cornet and Piano
(North Dakota State University, 2016) Jimenez, Kenneth Leroy Jr.
In its heyday, the cornet was a popular instrument and the brass instrument of choice for virtuosi worldwide. Cornet soloists such as Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825–1889) and Herbert Lincoln Clarke (1867–1945) impressed audiences with their technical prowess, and the solos they composed for cornet are in wide use today. However, the story of the cornet did not start with Arban or Clarke; an entire generation of cornetists had come before them, and they too wrote their own solos. This generation of cornetists was crucial in the development of the instrument. As performers, they helped to refine the cornet from a musical experiment to an immensely popular instrument, and as composers, their solos helped to propel the cornet on this popular path and inspired later virtuosi like Arban and Clarke. This disquisition addresses the limited information on early cornetists and their solos by providing new information about composer-cornetist Jean-Baptiste Schiltz (fl.1831-1868). Though Schiltz was an important figure in Paris during the first half of the nineteenth century, little has been written about him or his compositions. By consulting contemporary periodicals and modern scholarship, I am able to provide new biographical information on Schiltz, who was a pioneering performer on cornet, trumpet, and trombone. Additionally, I conduct a survey of Schiltz’s many works for cornet and piano. By thoroughly examining some of the surveyed works I demonstrate that Schiltz had a clear understanding of the capabilities of early cornets and cornetists, and that he chose particular melodies, keys, and even the length of the cornet itself in order to work around limitations. I also describe the historical value of the surveyed works and their possible uses today. Ultimately, this disquisition demonstrates that Schiltz was an important historical figure, and that his works for cornet and piano are valuable additions to the trumpet repertoire and ideal for trumpet instructors to use with students.
The Compositional Style of Horatio Parker as Demonstrated in Selected Cantatas
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Saari, Eric Michael
Few musicians are familiar with the works of American composer, Horatio Parker (1863-1919), and those who know him likely are familiar only with his church music. This dissertation aims to bring attention to Parker and his secular choral output, specifically his cantatas. The author has chosen three representative examples of his dramatic secular works for choir and orchestra in order to examine the development of Parker's compositional style. They are The Ballad of a Knight and His Daughter (1884), Dream-King and His Love (1891), and A Star Song (1901). After a brief biography, the author pays particular attention to Parker's increasing use of thematic elements as well as the harmonic language and formal construction of the selected works. A course of development is demonstrated highlighting Parker's increasingly sophisticated use of themes and more chromatic harmonic language.
Conducting the Coded Message Songs of Slavery: Context, Connotation, and Performance Preparation
(North Dakota State University, 2018) Raber, Rebecca Lynn
The coded message songs of slavery are a mysterious and fascinating entity. Within the lyrics of these seemingly innocuous plantation songs are coded messages for escape, messages that provided secret information to enslaved workers on Antebellum plantations. Over the course of more than 250 years of slavery on American soil, countless enslaved Africans found freedom through the use of coded message songs and the Underground Railroad. What are these songs? Which lyrics provided this secret information? How can a study of this music provide a better musical experience for conductors, singers, and listeners? This disquisition offers answers to these important questions, as well as a presentation of this body of repertoire from the choral conductor’s perspective. First, I provide a brief historical context for the music of slavery. I analyze and interpret important historical collections of spirituals and examine them through the lens of their text. Period accounts (from newly freed slaves and by song collectors) as well as information from modern conductors and scholars provide insight into and support for my method. A discussion of textual interpretation and musical representation follows, including a valuable list of common themes used in coded message songs. In the main body of the document, I present nine spirituals that contain coded message. I focus on the lyrics of the coded songs, introducing the connotations of the messages within the music. I also offer insight to choral conductors considering this repertoire and some interpretive choices that may be made when performing this music. Finally, this study contributes appendices with concrete pedagogical resources to assist conductors in their teaching and presentation of coded message songs to their singers. Successful choral conductors are dynamic storytellers. As a conductor preparing, rehearsing, and performing this choral music, it is critical to both communicate the context and history of coded message songs during the learning process, and also make appropriate stylistic choices in the music. Revealing the historical context and rich textual interpretation of this body of repertoire allows conductors to tell this story more effectively through their informed pedagogy, ultimately enriching and inspiring both singers and listeners.
The Development of Works for Choir and Brass: A Study of Four Representative Works
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Armendarez, Christina Marie
As brass instruments evolved from crude instruments limited to only a few notes into instruments that could play melodic passages within the vocal range, they began to be paired with the voice. The development traced in this paper will focus primarily on the addition of brass instruments with a choral ensemble from the late Renaissance period through the Modern period. Insight into the historical use of brass and the evolution of choral and brass music allows us to better understand the genre and how subject matter, text, and/or the occasion for which the compositions were composed often influenced the composer’s decision to add brass. Four representative pieces will be studied: In Ecclesiis by Giovanni Gabrieli (c.1554-1612); Herr, unser Herscher by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672); Ecce Sacerdos by Anton Bruckner (1824- 1896); and Ode a la Musique by Frank Martin (1890-1974).
Folk Song in the Wind Band Music of Haydn Wood: Mannin Veen and a New Performing Edition of the Seafarer
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Hollingsworth, Adam Charles
Nestled between England and Ireland, one can find a tiny island called the Isle of Man, or more simply, Mann. One of its most famous musical representatives is composer and violinist Haydn Wood. In an effort to preserve and promote the fine music and culture of the Isle of Man in general, and the work of Haydn Wood in particular, the author analyzed two wind band works written by the composer. Mannin Veen draws directly on the musical heritage of Mann. The Seafarer, which has been out of print for many years, does not use Manx musical traditions directly, but is inspired by songs of the sea. It should briefly be noted here that the word “Manx” is a reference to the linguistic and cultural traditions of Mann in the same way that “Welsh” refers to the language and culture of Wales. As an island, the sea is a constant presence and influence in the life of its people. As such, the songs used by sailors in their work form an important element of Manx culture and tradition. Haydn Wood incorporated several traditional sea songs in The Seafarer. Therefore, through these two works, one can see the influence of folk music on Haydn Wood’s body of work. Finally, as part of an effort to bring The Seafarer back to recognition, if not prominence, the author has created a new performing edition in the hopes that it might once again be published and made available to the repertoire of wind bands everywhere.
The Importance of Timpani in Today's Percussion Education and as a Solo Instrument
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Meyers, Nicholaus
This study investigated the attitudes and beliefs of college educators and professional percussionists about the importance of timpani instruction for percussion majors at the undergraduate level. The results of a survey, in addition to other sources, were analyzed and showed a need for more education in properly preparing percussion students in the area of timpani. The particular areas discussed further within this study consist of: timpani in terms of the different types of timpani and their place in percussion education; timpani set up; grips and strokes; the stool, mallet choice, and ear training. Additionally, part of this study was geared around developing a recommended list of timpani solos appropriate for instruction in technique.
The Inception of Trumpet Performance in Brazil and Four Selected Solos for Trumpet and Piano, Including Modern Performance Editions: Fantasia for Trumpet (1854) by Henrique Alves de Mesquita (1830-1906); Vocalise-Etude (1929) by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959); Invocation and Point (1968) by Osvalda
(North Dakota State University, 2016) Miranda, Clayton Juliano Rodrigues
This disquisition provides a modern performance edition of four Brazilian compositions for trumpet and piano by Henrique Alves de Mesquita’ (1830–1906) Fantasia para Piston [Fantasy for trumpet, 1854], Heitor Villa-Lobos’s (1887–1959) Vocalise-Estudo [Vocalise-etude, 1929], Invocação e Ponto [Invocation and point] by Osvaldo Costa de Lacerda (1927-2011), and Edmundo Villani-Cortes’s (b. 1930) Concerto for Trumpet and Piano (2004). I include a biography of all of the composers, a descriptive analysis of the compositions, and tables of critical notes regarding the editions. This study also provides a historical account of trumpet in Brazil to contextualize these four compositions and their composers. By doing so, I make available to the international trumpet community a new and exciting addition to trumpet literature and raise awareness about the existence and quality of Brazilian music that is still largely unknown.
Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Takach: An Introduction to their Choral Music and a Study of their Positions within a Lineage of Minnesota-Based Composers
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Culloton, Michael Patrick
This study serves as an introduction to the choral music of Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Takach. It also examines their positions within a lineage that includes three generations of successful Minnesota-based composers. It begins with Dominick Argento as the key figure in the first generation. The second group includes Stephen Paulus, Libby Larsen, Carol Barnett, and Craig Carnahan. Hagen, Takach, and Abbie Betinis have emerged as leaders of the third generation, and are discussed in that context. Major similarities that link each generation include a high level of compositional craft and advocacy work on behalf of other composers and the artistic community in the Twin Cities. These similarities are explored as part of this thesis. Additionally, this study explores the link between the composers of this lineage and the thriving choral community found in Minnesota, especially in the Twin Cities region. Conductors Dale Warland and Philip Brunelle have been important figures in the musical and personal lives of nearly every composer in this lineage. Their careers and philosophies regarding the commissioning of new music are also studied.
John Field's Piano Concerto No. 1
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Walker, Mary Ermel
While there are recordings of all seven of John Field’s piano concertos, there are no two-piano versions published that include the transcribed orchestra in the second piano part, with the exception of the second concerto. This paper reviews the life and music of John Field with particular attention on his first concerto and on the creation of an orchestral reduction for performance on two pianos.
A Legacy of Hope in the Concert Spirituals of Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882–1943) and William Dawson (1899–1990)
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Stone, Jeffrey Carroll II
When the careers of the composers Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) and William Levi Dawson (1899-1990) began, the United States was a racially-divided society. Despite this division, both composers held a firm belief in the potential of spirituals to bring people together. Racial segregation severely limited the civil rights of people of color; however, Dett and Dawson were fueled by the hope for spirituals to bridge the racial divide in America. Both composers desired to achieve racial equality through their music. I argue that these aspirations are embodied within their concert spirituals. This disquisition examines the legacies of Dett and Dawson for the role of “hope” in their concert spirituals. The phrase “legacy of hope” frames a distinct perspective of Dett’s and Dawson’s aspirations for the function of spirituals in American music. I examined their choral music and provided evidence of their hope for concert spirituals. In addition, I draw on scholarly books, essays, interviews, and dissertations to consider Dett’s and Dawson’s legacy of hope within the context of their social environment. Historically, spirituals share an intimate bond to the social environment of the United States. The capacity of spirituals to provide hope appears frequently in the United States during periods of social change. To further strengthen my arguments for Dett’s and Dawson’s legacy of hope, my study relates the concept of hope to the performance of spirituals. The study is limited to the start of the concert tradition of spiritual in the late nineteenth century. Hope proves to be an inherent trait of spirituals throughout its history. As choral conductors, we can also contribute to the legacy of hope when we further our understanding of the value and meaning of spirituals. The more ways the conductor can foster and integrate a respect for spirituals into rehearsals and performances, the greater is the conductor’s contribution to the legacy of hope. Spirituals provide the choral conductor an avenue to explore meaningful social objectives for choral ensembles. The legacy of hope was significant for the generation of Dett and Dawson and it is still relevant for ours.
Looking Back, Listening Forward: A New Transcription of Leos Janacek's Suite for Strings for Double Wind Quintet in the Harmoniemusik Tradition
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Miedema, Bradley
The Harmoniemusik tradition has provided the wind chamber repertoire with a tremendous wealth of literature. Spanning the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, these transcriptions of large-scale works had a formative influence on the creative activity of subsequent composers. Most notable are the transcriptions of operas. Some include more than twenty movements and capture much of the drama and intensity of the stage versions. While the Viennese wind octet with pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns became the standard instrumentation for the properly defined Harmonie, many pieces were also arranged and composed for ensembles ranging from six to ten players. Composers such as Haydn (1732-1809), Stamitz (1745-1801), Mozart (1756-1791), Krommer (1759-1831), Beethoven (1770-1827) and Mendelssohn (1809-1847) contributed works to the Harmoniemusik genre. In that spirit, Leos Janacek's (1854-1928) Suite for Strings (1877) serves as the basis of this research and transcription project. The project is divided into three parts. First, the background of the Harmoniemusik movement and its central characters, along with the development of the Harmonie ensemble and its repertoire, is examined. Second, an investigation of Janacek's early life and musical training, up to the years surrounding the composition of his Suite for Strings, offers a context for the origin of the work. A detailed analysis of the suite's six movements is provided for a better understanding of the piece. Third, the transcription process of transforming the original Suite for Strings into the author's Suite for Winds (2014) is described. The full score for all six movements is contained in the appendix.
Nathan Richardson and the Editions of the New Method for the Pianoforte
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Prigge, Sarah Kaye
Those studying music during the mid-nineteenth century in the United States began to experience music education through many of the models of pedagogy that are still in use at the present time. The use of a method book for music study was a new concept. A few more serious piano students traveled to Europe to study with the major performing artists of the day. As the number of homes with pianos increased, so did piano method books for home use. Women of the gilded age were encouraged to pursue music, most often for the purpose of playing at home and in salon settings, which gave rise to new methodologies such as Nathan Richardson's New Method for the Pianoforte. The intent of this study is to present a careful examination of Richardson's New Method and the context in which his method and the revisions appeared.
Overlooked but Not Forgotten: A Study of Felix Blumenfeld (1863-1931) and His Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 17 (1892) for Piano
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Mercer, Amy Kay
Although the name of Felix Blumenfeld (1863–1931) is rarely mentioned in musical circles today, there was a time when this was not the case. During his lifetime, Blumenfeld commanded a great deal of respect within the world of music and was in great demand as a piano teacher, pianist, and conductor. As a composer, he wrote many works for solo piano. Despite Blumenfeld’s enormous popularity during his lifetime, theses pieces were quickly forgotten after his death. In this thesis, I will establish the importance of Blumenfeld’s piano compositions as artistic works of quality and present these overlooked pieces as valid repertoire for both teaching and performing. There is very little scholarship focusing on Blumenfeld or his piano music. Therefore, I will sift through and compile information from various existing sources, including biographical works of people connected with Blumenfeld and Inesa Sinkevych's dissertation, “The Piano Teaching Principles of Felix Blumenfeld: Translation with Annotations of a Book by Lev Barenboim" (2010), to present an overview of Blumenfeld's life and piano works. This overview is important as it provides a sense of who Blumenfeld was as a musician and lays a foundation for who he was as a composer. By consulting musical scores and recordings, I will also explore the types of piano works Blumenfeld wrote and discuss the composer’s stylistic features, specifically within his 24 Preludes, Op. 17 (1892). Furthermore, my comparison between the prelude sets of Blumenfeld and Frederic Chopin (1810–1849) will show that Blumenfeld’s works exemplify and expand on Chopin’s style, adapting it to accommodate modern harmonies and Blumenfeld’s own distinct compositional features. In light of their musical and compositional quality, Blumenfeld's works should not be forgotten. As this study strives to create awareness of his works, it will set the stage for a renewed appreciation of Blumenfeld's piano compositions for teaching and performing today.
A Performer's Analysis and Improvisational Guide to Jazz Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano (1994), by Ramon Ricker (b. 1943)
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Hanegan, Brian Scott
In the twentieth century, saxophonists are encountering compositions in the repertoire that contain musical elements from both the classical and the jazz idioms. As a result, saxophonists need more technical and improvisational skills to perform these works. Ramon Ricker’s (b. 1943) Jazz Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano (1994) is an example from this repertoire that draws on both of these traditions. This disquisition presents a comprehensive performer’s analysis and improvisational guide to each of the three movements of Ricker’s Jazz Sonata. In chapters 2, 4, and 6, the analysis chapters, I discuss the specific technically challenging elements within each movement. These elements pertain to altered scales, articulations, accents, and polychord harmonies in the first movement (chapter 2); to tuning, interpretation of the melody, subtone, rapid note passages, and swing style in the second movement (chapter 4); and to pitch, technical passages, accents, syncopated melodies, and interpretation of the melody in the third movement (chapter 6). In addition, musical examples and performance suggestions are provided to elaborate on these specific areas of focus. In chapters 3, 5, and 7, the improvisational guide chapters, I address two improvisational techniques for each chapter that can be used in the solo sections of each movement. These improvisational techniques refer to pentatonic patterns and intervallic or triadpair patterns in the first movement (chapter 3); to the ii–V–I harmonic progression and rhythmicbased method of improvisation in the second movement (chapter 5); and to altered dominant chords and quartal patterns in the third movement (chapter 7). In addition, I have composed a solo for each movement using the two jazz concepts addressed in each chapter. I consulted recent literature by jazz scholars and performers to provide a new perspective on how to develop both the technical prowess and the jazz conceptual prowess needed to perform Ricker’s sonata. This study has also been informed by two interviews I conducted with the composer about this piece. This disquisition is intended as a guide for saxophonists to help them create their own improvised solos in Ricker’s sonata, and, by extension, in other jazzinfluenced works in the saxophone repertoire.
Reaching Arcadia: Rural and Agricultural Themes in Vocal Art Music including Plans to Introduce this Music to a Rural Audience
(North Dakota State University, 2011) Oberlander, Erin Marissa
Throughout the history of Western Music, composers have written works on rural and agricultural subjects. The first half of this dissertation examines a number of important works from the Baroque era through the present day and the composers who have chosen this specialized subject matter. Rural communities are underserved where the arts are concerned. Yet, rural audiences have perhaps the best chance at identifying with the subjects of this particular subset of vocal art music. The second half of this dissertation examines reasons why it is important to reach rural communities with vocal art music. Four sample recital programs appropriate for rural audiences are included.

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