Ben Moore’s So Free Am I is a fascinating, yet little known song cycle addressing feminist concerns. This work consists of seven settings of poems by women, namely Amy Lowell, Katherine Philips, Anna Wickham, Dorothy Parker, and Muriel Rukeyser. It also features settings of texts by two anonymous 6th-century Buddhist nuns, which are translated into English by Uma Chakravarti and Kumkum Roy. The texts are diverse and all speak to the courage and dignity of women in the face of oppression. In this case study and performance guide, one of the primary purposes is to show how the poets’ lives and adversities inform their texts, and thus offers engagement for musical interpretation. After a brief introduction of composer Ben Moore and his song cycle, each poet and text is discussed, providing biographical summaries and general interpretations of each poet’s text. What follows is a detailed reading of the text, illuminated by the poet’s particular life experiences. In the case of every text setting, the compositional interpretation was decidedly enhanced by the perspective of the poet, which could not be ascertained without the research into that particular poet’s life. I also offer a performance guide for selected songs, numbers I, III, and VII, which Moore recommends as an effective small set for performance. Finally, I hope that this study of Moore’s song cycle and the biographical sketches of each poet will be of help in the advancement women’s rights and to combat the oppression of women. It is further hoped that this study will encourage the performance of these songs and therefore lend these otherwise marginalized women a voice.

This research aims to identify ways in which student live-in Musician-in-Residence programs help meet the social needs of older adults through university partnerships. Independent Living retirement communities face a gap in music programming. Student live-in Musician-in-Residence programs like the one at Mirabella at Arizona State University (Mirabella at ASU) were used to help determine how music impacted the quality of life of retirees and how it affected their relationships with a younger generation. Only residents in Independent Living were included in the study. Prior research has shown that when an older adult relocates to senior living, it can be viewed stereotypically as a sign that they are diminishing their capacity to live independently and are preparing to live the rest of their lives detached from society. Additionally, research shows that some retirement communities are unaware of how music programs can encourage the fostering of meaningful relationships for independent retired adults. As adults are retiring earlier, they are living healthier lives and require quality programming that reflects their active lifestyle. In this research, the questions asked provided qualitative responses and residents shared anecdotal reports of their experiences. Questions were divided into two categories, 1). Residential history and prior music experience, 2). Sense of belonging and retention. The results of this study suggest that intergenerational music programs contribute to maintaining older adults' social and emotional health by providing opportunities to engage in music through observation and participation. They also show that music programs serve as conduits for fostering relationships between seemingly disparate groups, in this case, the older and younger populations.

This paper explores the representations of suicide among three titular heroines in Giacomo Puccini’s operas: Tosca, Suor Angelica, and Cio-Cio-San. As women in highly rigid patriarchal societies, these characters are relegated to lives dictated by oppressive outside forces of anti-feminine culture. I argue that the suicides of these characters are not a representation of intrinsic weakness but are an exhibition of independence and agency to control their own fates. This research combines the specific disciplines of suicidology, feminism, opera criticism and the soprano voice. While there are plentiful resources covering Puccini’s biographical information and theoretical analyses of each opera, this paper fills an existing gap in its performance-centered research approach. Interviews with celebrated interpreters of these heroines present a personal perspective behind the vocal, physical, and emotional demands of performing these roles. A detailed look at the words of the libretti and letters from Puccini himself provide insight into his desire to infuse these characters with strength and intelligence. The significance behind the composer’s preference for large, powerful voices known as the lirico-spinto soprano is also explored. The operatic suicides of Tosca, Suor Angelica, and Cio-Cio-San each exhibit autonomy and strength, debunking the stereotype of the “tragic soprano.” A holistic and detailed survey of these heroines reveals that their suicides transform them into women who are no longer passive—the acted upon become the actor.

The notion that a singer’s voice is an expression of their personality serves as the catalyst for an examination of the relationship between the continuum of introversion and extraversion, and the pathologies of muscle tension dysphonia, vocal nodules, and performance anxiety. This paper begins with a brief introduction defining extraversion and introversion, followed by a review of personality studies identifying opera singers as primarily extraverted. Definitions of vocal nodules and muscle tension dysphonia are then given along with a list of recommended therapies. These elements tie in with two studies in speech pathology that suggest that behaviors of extraversion contribute to the development of vocal nodules, and behaviors of introversion contribute to muscle tension dysphonia and a higher laryngeal placement. Performance anxiety is shown to compound the behaviors that lead to vocal pathologies in singers. Additional therapies are recommended to address anxiety management in vocal lessons. Finally, since personality factors that contribute to vocal pathology are psychological, it is recommended that voice teachers refer their students to a psychotherapist for proper treatment.

This paper explores the relationship of text and music in Dies Natalis by Gerald Finzi. Many of Gerald Finzi’s compositions have been researched and analyzed, but Dies Natalis, a work for high voice and string quartet, has received limited attention. The text is by Thomas Traherne, a lesser-known English poet and theologian. The research investigates textual interpretation and an explanation or a discussion of the religious mysticism of Traherne. After a biographical discussion of the composer and the poet, this paper provides a musical analysis, including a study of thematic and harmonic relationships in the work, and an examination of word painting and text setting. To facilitate my analysis, I used the piano reduction and not the string score for this project.