Master of Music (MM), Ohio University, 2016, Music Composition (Fine Arts)

Oh Ewe Mohobelo for Orchestra is an orchestral composition featuring a strong rhythmic pattern suitable for dance. Although Mohobelo is a genre of traditional African folk dance, my piece does not strive to imitate the traditional African music accompanying Mohobelo dancing. Rather, Oh Ewe Mohobelo evokes the spirit of the African dance through multiple musical techniques in the context of a Western orchestra. The opening theme's strong rhythmic profile and tempo are the foundation for developing musical ideas in the remainder of the work. Other sections of the work borrow melodic elements from the main theme, but they also develop new material unrelated to the main motive. The material in the middle sections of the work transcend the influence of the opening motive to develop wildly and freely in the same way a traditional African dance might transport its participants to a wild and ecstatic state as the dance develops. An altered version of the main theme appears at the end of the work as the energy of the developmental sections dissipates.

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Music History

The use of instruments in the liturgy was a controversial issue in the early church and remained at the center of debate during the Reformation. Michael Praetorius (1571-1621), a Lutheran composer under the employment of Duke Heinrich Julius of Braunschweig-Luneburg, made the most significant contribution to this perpetual debate in publishing Syntagma musicum I&minusmore substantial than any Protestant theologian including Martin Luther. Praetorius's theological discussion is based on scripture, the discourse of early church fathers, and Lutheran theology in defending the liturgy, especially the use of instruments in Syntagma musicum I. In light of the political and religious instability throughout Europe it is clear that Syntagma musicum I was also a response−or even a potential solution−to political circumstances, both locally and in the Holy Roman Empire. In the context of the strengthening counter-reformed Catholic Church in the late sixteenth century, Lutheran territories sought support from Reformed church territories (i.e., Calvinists). This led some Lutheran princes to gradually grow more sympathetic to Calvinism or, in some cases, officially shift confessional systems. In Syntagma musicum I Praetorius called on Lutheran leaders−prince-bishops named in the dedication by territory−specifically several North German territories including Brandenburg and the home of his employer in Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel, to maintain Luther's reforms and defend the church they were entrusted to protect, reminding them that their salvation was at stake.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2012, Music

The purpose of this study was to examine and understand the present status of the field of music therapy by investigating important areas that affect the daily experience of music therapists across the United States and impact the development of the profession. The field of music therapy is in a constant state of change, relentlessly setting new goals in order to advance as a profession and to further its acceptance. Six overarching questions guided the study: 1) what experiences affect the professional growth of music therapists? 2) what are the opinions of music therapy faculty and members of the American Music Therapy Association regarding the undergraduate music therapy education requirements? 3) what are the most important achievements of the music therapy profession and what are its current challenges? 4) what are current research trends in music therapy and are there areas that require further research attention? 5) what are the long-term goals of the music therapy profession? and 6) how is music therapy portrayed in the media? Participants for this study were ten music therapy faculty, seven active leaders of the American Music Therapy Association, and one additional individual who had served the field in a leadership capacity for many years but was currently neither a music therapy faculty nor active leader. Hour-long individual interviews were carried out over the telephone with each of the eighteen participants. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and mailed for a member check. Results indicated that music therapists' professional growth is directly influenced by their years of formal education, their mentors, and communities of practice. Participants consider the strength of the undergraduate curriculum is that it is built upon articulated competencies. At the same time, most feel the curriculum is very full, leading to students graduating with underdeveloped skills in certain areas. The unification of the National Association for Music Therapy an (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Musicology

The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of tremendous change in American musical life. It was the early days of the American popular music industry, represented by the moniker “Tin Pan Alley.” One of its leading lights was Charles K. Harris, an American songwriter who wrote “After the Ball” (1892), a song that became synonymous with the industry and Harris himself. However, like the music industry, Harris's story may have begun with a hit song, but it did not stop there; motivating him over the next few decades was a quest—how to keep a popular song popular—that put him on the edge of several transformative moments and technologies in American music. This dissertation explores and interprets Harris's attempts at keeping his music, notably “After the Ball,” popular as representative of the ways in which the music industry transformed in response to shifts in technology along with the new relationships audiences formed with popular music. Building upon the existing literature on Charles K. Harris, in particular that of Charles Hamm, Esther Morgan-Ellis, David Suisman, and Daniel Goldmark, as well as secondary literature on marketing theory, film, cartoon, media, nostalgia, and American cultural history, I shed light not just on a fascinating and influential figure in the early popular music industry, but on the ways in which popular music, media, and advertising interrelated during the era in which mass media and many of the most salient features of modern life were born.

Bachelor of Science of Media Arts and Studies (BSC), Ohio University, 2012, Media Arts and Studies

Examination of the history, development, and future of adaptive, dynamic, and interactive music in video games. Discussions include nonlinear music historical developments, compositional approaches for adaptive music, generative music, testing methods in the compositional and implementation stages, the evolving industry of adaptive music composition, future technological developments in music production and gaming, and adaptive music beyond games. Also included is an appendix of video game case studies, as well as an appendix of professional insight from game industry veterans.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2007, Music Education

The purpose of this study was to describe the teaching and learning strategies demonstrated by middle school band teachers in Northeast Ohio who reported a student-directed teaching style. This study used a two-stage mixed methods design prioritizing quantitative data and statistical analyses, but also employing qualitative data collection methods in a second stage to enrich perspective and discussion on student-directed teaching and learning strategies (Creswell, 2003). In the first stage, quantitative data was gathered using a researcher-designed demographic questionnaire and Gumm's Music Teaching Style Inventory (MTSI) (Gumm, 2004b). These surveys were delivered online to 120 middle school band teachers in Northeast Ohio, with hard copies administered to two participants who requested them (N = 122). Forty-nine respondents returned completed surveys, representing a return rate of 40.2%. In Stage One, data were analyzed to determine participant teaching styles so that the most student-directed middle school band teachers could be identified and observed during Stage Two. Relationships and differences among selected demographics and MTSI scores were also analyzed, yielding several significant results, including a significant, positive, moderate relationship (p = .00; r = .52) between teacher- and student-directed MTSI scores. Stage One results also revealed that teacher-directed instruction was more prevalent than student-directed instruction; middle school band teachers in Northeast Ohio seemed to prioritize a more teacher-directed rehearsal. In the second stage of the study, three of the most student-directed band teachers were observed and videotaped during five rehearsals, and interviewed following observation. Based on the analysis of videotapes, observational field notes, interview transcripts, and interview notes, quantitative computations and qualitative descriptions of student-directed band teachers were possible. The teachers observed and interviewed duri (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Contemporary Music

The use of contemporary music in music teaching is no new topic, with the literature covering it dating back at least to 1950. Two important approaches available to piano teachers who wish to provide their students with a well-rounded education are assigning contemporary pieces to their students and commissioning pieces for them. While there is literature available detailing the benefits of each approach, there is a lack of scholarly works that investigate how the experience of learning commissioned pieces affects students' perception of contemporary music in comparison to that of learning published contemporary works. The purpose of the research conducted for this document was to investigate how learning newly commissioned pieces affects collegiate piano students' perception of contemporary music. To accomplish this, three pieces were commissioned for three undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university. The students participating in this study also learned selections from Lera Auerbach's Twenty-four Preludes for Piano, Op. 41. These are contemporary pieces published in 2006 by Musikverlag Hans Sikorski GmbH and Company, with difficulty levels ranging from easy to difficult. The students and their piano Teacher were interviewed regarding their experiences learning and performing both sets of pieces. The analysis of the interview responses showed that the students' perception of contemporary music changed after learning pieces composed for them. At the beginning of this research, they perceived that all contemporary music is confusing and distant, but after learning the commissioned pieces, they perceived that some of it can be enjoyable and accessible. They also perceived the commissioned contemporary pieces to be more enjoyable than the published ones, resulting in increased enthusiasm for contemporary music. In addition, two of the three students perceived that the benefits of learning commissioned pieces are greater than those of learning published cont (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism

This thesis seeks to understand music marketing from the perspective of past, present, and future; it attempts to identify and explain consumer thoughts and behaviors regarding different music marketing campaigns. Insights from three focus groups combined with what can be drawn from existing research reveal that the future of music marketing will rely on discovery, longevity, and authenticity.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2017, Music

Infant vocalizations have been described mostly from the perspective of language acquisition. There is little systematic research on infant production of music sounds. This study investigated infants' music production by identifying and analyzing vocal imitation of music produced by one infant throughout one day. One 15-month-old infant wore a portable recording device that captured 16 continuous hours of sounds produced within hearing distance of the infant, as well as sounds from the infant's own vocal production. Instances of music imitation were identified through extensive and intensive listening of the audio file. Physical parameters of the imitative vocalizations were collected through acoustic analysis. A selection of imitations was presented to adults in a validation study involving perceptual similarity judgments between the infant's imitation and the model that was imitated. Results from acoustic analyses and the validation study supported the perceptual identification of the imitations. The findings show that the infant imitated music that he had heard that day. The infant imitated music features such as pitches, intervals, and rhythms of songs that were sung to him and of a melody produced by a toy. Some imitations occurred many hours after the infant had heard the melodies that served as models. These results reveal the ability of infants to (a) develop accurate representations of music melodies, (b) recall such representations at will hours later, and more importantly, (c) express these music representations vocally. In summary, the findings show that infants are capable of producing music imitations.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Music

In March 2015, a jury awarded Marvin Gaye's estate nearly $7.4 million, finding that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams infringed on Gaye's 1977 song, “Got to Give It Up,” with their own 2013 hit, “Blurred Lines.” The highly publicized federal copyright lawsuit has raised concerns about the ramifications of this outcome for the legal protection of music and the future of artistic creativity. The question underlying this case, as in much of federal copyright litigation, involves negotiating the putative similarities and differences between expressive works. Although the court system has developed methods designed to assist triers of fact in such legal analysis, the unpredictable outcomes of these cases illuminate the problematics of this task. Triers of fact may hear testimony from expert witnesses, whose specialized knowledge, skill, and experience is intended to inform the decision-making process. The results of such testimony, however, are not only insistently variable, but they also reflect unsettled debates over how, and by whom, musical identity can best be defined. Given this situation, how should we understand the historical and contemporary role of the musical expert witness in American music copyright litigation? Drawing on research methods from musicological and legal scholarship, the present dissertation examines extant court records and judicial opinions of prominent cases chronologically from their origins in the mid-nineteenth century through to recently-decided lawsuits. In situating the role of the musical expert in the context of the legal similarity inquiry and considering their contributions to it, the study reveals the essential role that experts have historically played. It then recasts contemporary problems with case outcomes as a result of the similarity inquiry itself and looks to expert testimony as one potential area of reform. Such study of musical expertise sheds light on the courtroom as a forum for musical experts, particularly co (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2000, Music Education/Comprehensive Music Education

The purpose of this study was to develop a music education methods course component which could serve as an introduction to collaborative and integrative procedures for preservice education and music education majors. The design for the course component was two-fold: to provide preservice teachers with strategies for (a) the development of collaborative partnerships to facilitate the integration process, and (b) the development of interdisciplinary units. Four categories of teacher participants were designated: (a) the methods course instructor, (b) the preservice elementary education major, (c) the preservice music education major, and (d) the inservice elementary general music teacher. Preservice education and music education majors participate in heterogeneous teams. Each team includes one music education major and three elementary education majors from a variety of disciplines. methods course. Visual models and guidelines to facilitate collaboration and critical thinking are included. Implications and suggestions for implementation of this action thesis are discussed in Chapter Four.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2008, American Culture Studies/Popular Culture

Icelandic pop star Bjork has spent her career breaking down boundaries, blurring lines, and complicating binaries between perceived opposites. Examining a variety of both primary and secondary sources, this study looks at the ways that Bjork challenges the binary constructions of "high" and "low" art, nature and technology, and feminism and traditional femininity, and also proposes that her uniquely postmodern approach to blurring boundaries can be a model for a better society in general. This study contends that Bjork serves as a symbol of what might be possible if humans stopped constructing boundaries between everything from musical styles to national borders, and as a model for how people can focus on their commonalities while still respecting the freedom of individual expression. This is particularly important in the United States of America, a place where despite its infinite potential for cultural pluralism and collaboration, there are as many (or more) divisions between people based upon race, class, gender, and religion as anywhere else in the world.

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2025, Music

Essay documenting involvement in creating musical recording (EP): Plant Clones - Plants That Grow (Where People Don't Want Them). Plant Clones is an indie band based in Athens, OH, operating from 2023-2025. The band's members are Michaela Meerschaert, Heath Benton, Christopher Harmison, Jayden Rahmon, and Miles Macdonald. In 2025, the band released an EP through label Brick City Records. This essay documents Christopher Harmison's role in creating and distributing this music.

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Music Education/Instrumental Music Education

In recent years, researchers and music teacher educators have proposed several additions to the undergraduate music education curriculum, including content on social justice (Kindall-Smith, 2012), emotional intelligence (McGinnis, 2018), and educational policy (Aguilar & Dye, 2020). Because of degree program credit constraints, these additions often take the form of lectures integrated into the existing curriculum or optional evening/online training modules. The primary challenge to adding new content is the already overcrowded nature of the current curriculum. Proposed solutions that include reducing or removing elements of the undergraduate curriculum are conspicuously absent from recent research. In this study, a total of 397 music teachers from Ohio completed a 52-item questionnaire in the spring of 2022. Participants used a Likert-type scale to describe their perceptions of the applicability of knowledge and skill areas (KSAs) that are addressed during preservice training. The collection of KSAs was derived from the Ohio Assessment for Educators' assessment framework for the music education licensure exam, as well as curriculum guidelines for institutions accredited by the National Association for Schools of Music. KSAs were sorted into six groupings using a principal components analysis. Group differences in participant responses relating to teaching area specialization (e.g., general music, band, orchestra, choir, and other), current specialization areas taught, years of experience, and teaching level (e.g., elementary, middle, and high school) were examined using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). A single open-ended item captured what participants would like to see added to an undergraduate music education curriculum. These responses were coded and organized thematically. Findings from the KSA inventory suggested that participants' perception of different groupings vary primarily according to their area of specialization. Individual KSAs des (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Music (MM), Ohio University, 0, Music Therapy (Fine Arts)

The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) is seeking to clearly define music therapy as a profession. Currently, AMTA is reexamining the educational requirements for a Music Therapy degree and is reviewing the AMTA Professional and Advanced Competencies. As a result of a recent survey through the AMTA, the organization has determined that a reduction in the performance requirements for primary music instrument training in music therapy education may be necessary. The purpose of this philosophical thesis is to present an argument in favor of primary music instrument training to remain as a part of Music Therapy educational training. The author provides evidence through an in-depth examination of the literature related to the benefits of primary music instrument training. The author's argument is supported by evidence in the literature, her own personal musical experiences, and by discussing the relevance of arguments against and barriers related to the continued inclusion of primary instrument training in music therapy education. Although results of a recent survey of a convenient sample of Music Therapists in the United States indicates that those who responded question the need for primary music instrument training, the research reviewed in this paper point to the opposite, in fact, to an overwhelming support for keeping primary instrument training in the curriculum. Training on a primary music instrument provides essential benefits to music therapy training, which includes helping the student form an identity as a musician, providing opportunities to learn nonverbal communication and improvisation, and creating opportunities to use primary instruments in clinical practice. This research evidence supports the author's argument for primary music instrument training to remain in the educational programs for Music Therapy. Additionally, the author provides recommendations for future research, including that AMTA conduct a survey with a random sample of current mus (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Music Composition

herbstlied or "autumn song" is a composition for two percussionists, two pianos, and fixed media. This work explores how bipolar disorder and subtle, seasonal light fluctuations can affect one's emotional state and sense of stability (or lack thereof). Reconciling ever-fluctuating emotional states with an exploration of timbre and colors, herbstlied formally consists of three modal areas, further subdivided into various textural spaces. The distinctions between these modal areas are obfuscated by assigning each player a partition of the composite and slowly interpolating between the modal areas at different rates. The sound of the ensemble is further augmented through the use of a multitude of implements, including glass bottles, EBows, protractors, and various sticks, mallets, and brushes. Emotional fragility is represented in herbstlied through a limited dynamic range of pppp - p and a slow, nebulous tempo. This nearly constant state of dynamic frailty is punctuated and foiled by two aggressive ff outbursts at the end of the work. By filtering out the central bandwidth of the dynamic range, the ensemble is forced to operate between two dynamic poles, gesturally and literally representing a bipolar relationship. I sincerely hope that herbstlied can be my small contribution toward greater mental health awareness and acceptance in the contemporary music and academic communities. Moreover, it is a sincere expression of gratitude to my wife, Autumn, who acts as my emotional ground in the times that I am most intensely affected by the bipolar phenomena explored in this work.

PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

Music teacher education programs have remained largely unchanged since their development over a century ago, despite the evolving musical and pedagogical needs of preservice teachers and their future students. Scholars have advocated for a shift from traditional models of music teacher preparation to new conceptualizations of these programs that include democratic practices in their structure, curricular content, and modeled pedagogies. Therefore, the purpose of this multicase study was to examine democratic practices from the perspectives of undergraduate general music methods professors. Four participants from universities of varying size and location provided insights into the inclusion of these practices in their general music methods courses and music education degree programs. By investigating the experiences of general music education professors, my goal was to obtain a greater understanding of how democratic teaching practices are understood and implemented in music teacher education. Three research questions guided this study. First, how do four general music professors describe democratic practices in music teacher education? Second, how do these participants implement democratic practices in their undergraduate general music methods classes? Third, what challenges and opportunities do general music methods professors associate with these democratic practices? Data collection methods included directed journaling, artifact collection, interviews, and observations. An interpretive approach to analysis occurred alongside the collection of data, so that each stage of the data collection process could inform the next. A cross-case analysis revealed six characteristics of democratic practices—learner-centered, student agency, facilitator framework, mutual processes, teaching for social justice, and metacognition—and numerous considerations for implementation in general music methods environments. Though music education literature has provided broad (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Music Education/Comprehensive Music Education

This study explored how five elementary general music teachers include world musics in their curriculums, their reasons for inclusion, their resource selection process, and the educational and professional development opportunities in which these teachers have participated. Individual semi-structured interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed for emerging categories and themes. Four broad themes emerged from the data: (a) Rationale for the Inclusion of World Musics/Benefits to Students; (b) Implementation and Teaching Approaches; (c) World Musics Resource Selection Process; and (d) Teacher Learning/Professional Development. Many of the decisions about the presentation and representation of world musics in these teachers' curriculums may have been reflections of their attitudes toward, and experience with, world musics. Because this study investigated five elementary general music teachers, expanding the number of participants may provide a more comprehensive understanding of what influences teachers' inclusion of world musics. Implications for the field of music education in relation to teacher education programs and professional development opportunities are discussed, and suggestions are made for further research.

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2017, Music Composition

Short Opera for Five Voices is a ten-minute music theatre piece for five unaccompanied voices of any gender or voice type. The performers do not sing, but rather phonate in such a way as to give the impression of conversational speech. The score is notated with specific rhythms and pitch contours that emulate the prosodic elements of speech: stress, intonation, cadence, etc. To place greater emphasis on the prosody, the performers' text is limited to a small collection of syllables based on spoken American English. The syllables are distinct enough to differentiate the voices and add variety to the texture yet similar enough to give the text cohesion. While their words will be unintelligible to the audience, the characters' emotions and motivations will come across through the prosody and acting. The plot is an informal gathering of five friends in which the increased tension between two of them results in a verbal altercation. In addition to the theatrical convention to showcase the most dramatic aspects of the human experience, this piece dwells on the pedestrian and mundane qualities of social interaction in an attempt to show audiences the quiet poignancy in everyday life. The notation for this piece was informed by Aperghis's Recitations, Berio's Sequenza III, and Ligeti's Aventures while the textual and conceptual elements were inspired by Glass's Einstein on the Beach, Monk's Atlas, Reich's The Cave, and Sciarrino's Lohengrin. BGSU music students Hillary LaBonte, Nicholas Fox, Mavis MacNeil, Vincent Sauer, and Crystal Lau will perform the piece on Saturday, March 18, 2017.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Music

Based on data from two years of fieldwork in Nigeria, a new methodology for contour analysis is presented with two motivations: 1) extend contour theory into an applied computational approach appropriate for a wide range of symbolic and recorded music; 2) develop a new discretization of pitch, similar to solmization but without an association to a scale or tonal qualia, that can be used to measure pitch prominence (or markedness) in both music and speech. As an alternative to the conventional contour matrix for a segment of cardinality n which compares pitches at all degrees of adjacency up to n-1, a continuous matrix is introduced, with unspecified cardinality and a fixed number of degrees of adjacency. The continuous matrix is a series of contour slices. Each slice compares a pitch to the pitch before and after up to the degrees of adjacency. The elements in each contour slice (a column in the continuous matrix) can be summed creating a measure of relative pitch height, a contour level. The analysis implementation is based on a relationship between contour recursion and segmentation of pitch series. Thematic unity, as provided by contour recursion, is presumed to be intentional on the part of the producer and salient to the receiver. Non-overlapping iterations of a highly recursive contour are both semiotically and structurally important in a wide variety of monophonic signals. The analysis is made more robust by searching for transformations and using reductive processes that make it possible to compare segments of different cardinalities. Contour level analysis is applied to the phenomenon of “tone-and-tune”, wherein a single pitch series carries both linguistic and musical or paralinguistic communication. First the concept of a toneme (a pitch contrast in speech) is explored. Phoneticians and phonologists have described the toneme with paradigmatic (context-independent) and syntagmatic (context-dependent) features, but neither seems to satisfactorily (open full item for complete abstract)