Music electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Music. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Asthenia lullaby(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Shirvani, Mahbod; Asuroglu, UtkuInstrumentation: 1 Piccolo 1 Flute 1 Oboe 1 English Horn 1 Clarinet in Bb 1 Bass Clarinet in in Bb 1 Bassoon 1 Contrabassoon 2 Horn in F 2 Trumpet in C 1 Trombone 1 Bass Trombone Timpani (32-30in) 2 Percussionists: 1. Bass Drum Wood block Glockenspiel Triangle 2. Vibraphone Cymbal Tubular bells Tam-tam Harp Violin I Violin II Viola Violoncello Contrabass Transposed Score Duraton: Approx. 7:10Item Descriptions of expert middle school band teachers’ decision-making processes before, during, and after instruction(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Hall, Faith A.; Silvey, Brian A.; Sims, WendyTeacher decision-making is a cognitive activity in which teachers identify problems, extract relevant cues from the environment, and evaluate potential strategies to decide the most appropriate action (Calderhead, 1981; Clark & Peterson, 1978). According to Clark and Peterson (1986), teachers' decisions are informed by thought (e.g., planning, interactive decisions, reflection, and beliefs) and action (e.g., teachers' classroom behavior, students' classroom behavior, student achievement). Teachers make decisions in three stages: before, during, and after instruction (Colton & Sparks-Langer, 1993; Jackson, 1968; Westermann, 1991). These stages are cyclical and reciprocal (i.e., reflection from a lesson can contribute to future planning of instruction) (Hayes, 1996; Yinger, 1977). The study of expert music teachers is of great value to the music education profession as it provides clear models of successful instructional practice. Although research exists about the observed behaviors of expert music educators, there have been few investigations about the decisions behind their behaviors and the connections between them. In an attempt to fill this gap, I utilized a multiple case study approach to gain an in-depth understanding of expert music teachers’ decisions within the real-life context of expert teachers' teaching environments. The purpose of this study was to describe expert instrumental music educators' instructional decision-making processes. Specifically, I sought to describe the thought processes underlying expert middle school band teachers' decisions before, during, and after instruction. Participants were three expert middle school band teachers. I collected data via semi-structured interviews, researcher observation, participant observation through verbal protocols (i.e., think-aloud and stimulated recall,) and physical artifacts (i.e., written lesson plans, copies of music scores with teachers' annotations, photos and/or diagrams of the classroom environment). Data analysis revealed cross-case themes for participants' decision-making processes as they planned, while they taught, and as they reflected on their rehearsals. Findings indicated that these expert middle school band teachers' decision-making processes were consistent with previous research related to expert teachers' decisions. The themes that emerged about expert middle school band teachers' decisions before instruction were (a) Forming Expectations, (b) Learning Goals, and (c) Time. The themes that emerged about expert middle school band teachers' decisions during instruction were (a) Reacting and Responding, (b) Filters, and (c) Emotional Intelligence. The themes that emerged about expert middle school band teachers' decisions after instruction were (a) Self-focus, (b) Short-term vs. Long-Term Goals, and (c) Reflection is Ongoing. Future research into the decision-making processes of both expert and novice teachers in additional contexts (i.e., beginning, high school, and collegiate ensembles) and continued use of verbal protocols to study music teacher cognition is recommended.Item Early-career secondary choral educators' conceptions of and approaches to teaching music literacy(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Kennedy, Kacey Shaul; Adams, KariThe purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to explore early-career secondary choral educators' conceptions of and approaches to teaching music literacy. Additionally, the researcher explored the influences on their conceptions of and approaches to teaching music literacy. The following research questions guided this study: (a) How do early-career secondary choral educators conceive of music literacy? (b) What are the approaches early-career secondary choral educators use to teach music literacy?, and (c) What experiences influence these early-career secondary choral educators' approaches to teaching music literacy? Participants in this study were five early-career secondary choral educators in the state of Missouri who taught at least one choir in the regular school day. Findings indicated that participants considered music literacy instruction to extend beyond that of sight-reading instruction and included other skills and competencies that contributed to the development of musical independence. These teachers valued hands-on, constructivist-oriented instruction that encouraged students to develop deep, meaningful connections to the music. Participants' instructional practices were influenced by their own experiences as social constructivist learners.Item Rap music, philosophy, and the academy : redefining discourses in Medellin(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Celis, Felipe; Mabary, JudithRap music as it exists in Medellin, Colombia is a complex and complete expression of life in the city and, consequently, has the scholarly potential to be incorporated into the university curriculum. As a musician from Medellin myself, I evaluate this music with consideration of the biases of the academy where I was trained, as I believe such institutions must actively and honestly engage in conversation about rap's role in the city's musical context. Through this effort, I aim to challenge the implicit connotations associated with labeling rap as merely "popular" music. Two sources particularly useful in this endeavor were The Cambridge Companion to Hip-hop, an interdisciplinary collection of essays whose authors analyze in depth the four elements of the movement: MC'ing, DJ'ing, break dancing (or breakin'), and graffiti, and philosopher and cultural critic Julius Bailey's Philosophy and HipHop: Ruminations on Postmodern Cultural Form in which the author reveals the levels of philosophical meaning in the textual and graphic elements of hip-hop. To achieve the aim of this thesis, I investigate the rapper's attempts themselves to challenge the popular association of their work with popular music by analyzing multiple lyrics by Alcolirykoz, Ultrajala, Laberinto ELC, and Crudo Means Raw. I direct special attention to Vestigios de la Peste, the group whose members I interviewed personally and whose work provides the main body of evidence for this study. I also examine local "conversations" between hip-hop culture and the Western musical canon as exhibited through combining Western orchestration with performances of Alcolirykoz's rap songs. The results of this study reveal that rap in Medellin represents not only the worldview of its creators through the lens of neighborhood life but is grounded in the unique philosophy presented in its lyrics through which a sincere plea for understanding, acceptance, and change is expressed. Consequently, the genre's contributions to social identity, its performance as a philosophical practice, and the artistic objectives in common with the Western canon, make it viable as a topic of scholarly work and allow for its successful inclusion in Medellin's college classrooms.Item Practicing without playing : a phenomenological study of mental practice(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Barbosa, Johanny Veiga; Silvey, Brian A.; Sims, WendyThe purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to describe the experiences of professional musicians who are practitioners of mental practice (MP) strategies. I aimed to understand and better define the phenomenon of MP, recognizing the individuality of this technique. Twelve participants were interviewed separately in a one-on-one setting using Zoom. Each initial interview was about 45 minutes, and each second interview was approximately 60 minutes. The third interview was a follow-up interview that occurred via email to gain extra information or clarity about their responses during the first two interviews. There was one main research question: What is the lived experience of music professionals using mental practice? And five sub-questions: (1) How do participants define MP? (2) What are the MP strategies experienced by professional musicians? (3) How do participants who use MP describe the benefits/difficulties? (4) How/from whom did the participants learn to use the technique, and how did they teach others? (5) Do the participants also use MP in other aspects of their lives? After my analysis, I found six themes: (1) Personal Realization of MP during School Time, (2) Collective Strategies for MP, (3) Personal Beliefs of MP, (4) The Need for MP, (5) Strategies for Implementing MP, and (6) Benefits Related to MP. These findings suggest that MP is effective and positive in music because it can be easily accessed as, for example, in a hotel room or on an airplane, and it is a transferable skill for other situations in life once learned properly. Participants emphasized the importance of teachers in presenting and teaching the technique, which is essential for student development with MP. They also indicated their beliefs that MP allowed them to feel more calm, confident, less anxious, and with a better provided mental health.