I have always aspired to compose a large-scale orchestral piece which would be more than 5 minutes in length, rich in harmony and colorfully orchestrated. Impressionism and music for Hollywood films have influenced my music style. I have tried to emulate the harmony, textures and melody development. In preparation for this project, and I analyzed La Mer, and the orchestral arrangement of Image by Debussy, The Planets by Gustav Holst, and a number of works by John Williams. Carnival Chaos by my advisor, Dr. Christopher Norby, in particular, inspired me. The culmination of my own efforts is Final Journey, a 9-minute work for full orchestra. I endeavored to mimic Debussy’s colors. The main theme mm. 1-5, is built on a non-functional major-minor seventh chord that creates tension through raised and lowered pitches. The treble woodwind sections follow with dramatic dynamic changes that contrast with the earlier melody. Echoes of this tune can be found throughout the piece, for instance in mm. 61-77 and 169-176. The whole tone scale perfectly creates a mysterious and vague soundscape. The interaction between parts in the woodwind sections at mm. 43-60 and 107-121 are reminiscent of Hollywood-style orchestral techniques. The process of creation is also a process of learning. I believe I finally achieved my original goals. These valuable experiences will be the basis as I continue my career.

This study examines the impact of international youth exchange on past participants’ global engagement through the lens of their academic, professional, and personal development post-exchange. Through a quantitative survey, as well as interviews conducted with alumni, this research explores the ways in which international exchange alumni felt as though their exchange impacted - or did not impact - their future academic, career, and personal choices. Furthermore, this study investigates the dynamics and practices of the specific organization of study, Tempe Sister Cities, and provides information regarding strengths and areas for improvement based upon feedback from study participants. This research builds upon existing literature on international exchange outcomes through its long-term perspective and evaluation of a Sister Cities affiliate, which is an organization previously omitted from international exchange impact evaluations. The study finds that while international exchange experiences may not contribute to overt, direct influences on the fields and industries in which alumni choose to study and work, the exchange produces long-lasting impacts through the skills alumni acquire in intellectual curiosity, job readiness, and other areas of personal and professional development.

Until the second half of the 20th century, publications on breathing techniques for woodwinds have been scarce and often failed to adequately address this aspect of performance and pedagogy. It is through various sensory experiences and because of recent technological advances that academics recognize a gap in the existing literature and have since included studies using various methods, as well as modern technical devices and experiments into the woodwind literature and teaching. These studies have proven to be of great importance to confirm ideas and hypotheses on the matter.

The aim of this project is to collect woodwind journal publications into a meta-analysis, focusing specifically on the breathing techniques for woodwind instruments and provide a comprehensive annotated bibliography on the topic and its application. The project is limited to journal articles on breathing techniques applied for woodwinds only, and will not review literature discussing breathing from other perspectives or in a broader sense.

Major findings show that misconceptions and contradictions on the subject still exist. At the same time, they also highlight unique approaches used to help the learner overcome general and specific challenges while mastering the art of breathing.

The project highlights areas where future research on breathing would be encouraged and should be complemented by measured data. Such studies might include a woodwind specific examination of the relationship between the tongue and the soft palate, or analysis of how tension in the torso muscles influences the movement of the diaphragm, or how rhythmical breathing affects breath control and capacity, and finally a discussion on how larynx influences the air stream.

The bereaved and those who have experienced trauma have received support through music therapy. However, there has been no research on the effectiveness of music therapy as a therapeutic intervention for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one by suicide. While every loss presents its own challenges, those who experience a suicide loss may need extra support to process the traumatic nature of the death. This study aims to explore the current research on grief and trauma to determine what information can be applied to the care of those who have experienced a suicide loss. The present study is a group case study of survivors of suicide who have experienced a loss within the last 3 years. Participants received weekly music therapy sessions for four weeks. All participants completed the Inventory of Traumatic Grief, prior to and at the conclusion of the music therapy sessions, and the pre and post test scores were compared. Additionally qualitative data was collected throughout the sessions, indicating any common themes that emerged throughout the sessions and the participants’ reactions to the interventions, as well as in a short questionnaire following the four sessions.

This paper contains a cultural history of the band movement in territorial Phoenix, Arizona, from about 1885-1915. I discuss how bands formed, performed, and fundraised; and how their audiences supported them. Cultural historians have conducted studies of the band movement on a national scale or within a specific context, such as music in the Indian Schools. Music historians have published studies of the structure of band music, their repertoire, and the conductors who composed that music and led professional bands of the day. My study looks at the role of bands in supporting the development of nationalism in a particular region. Phoenix, between 1885 and 1915 was the capital city of a region transitioning from a dusty, relatively isolated western territory to an economically profitable state, connected to the greater nation by railroads and canals. The activities of bands in Phoenix illustrate Arizonans’ drive to be included in the American national community.

I utilize the theories of several cultural historians and one economic historian. Jürgen Habermas, Benedict Anderson, and Maurice Halbwachs all look at how people see themselves as part of a nation, and the manners in which they communicate and socialize with each other. I assert that the development of the band movement in Phoenix parallels the stages of musical development that Jacques Attali, a French economist and historian, has established. Attali writes that music is tied to the mode of production of a society; as Arizona strengthened its economic, political, and social forms of production, bands reflected, and often heralded, those changes.

Despite their remote location and lack of professional musicians, Phoenicians were enthusiastic supporters of the band movement. They were eager to jump on the bandwagon, not because they viewed brass and wind band music as an elite, virtuosic art form, but because bands allowed them a public forum in which to collectively celebrate their American nationalism and advocate their case for statehood on a national level.

ABSTRACT

This study was an investigation of the effectiveness of curriculum-based measures (CBMs) on the math achievement of first and second grade English Language Learners (ELL). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 led to a new educational reform, which identifies and provides services to students in need of academic support based on English language proficiency. Students are from certain demographics: minorities, low-income families, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency. NCLB intended to lead as to improvement in the quality of the United States educational system.

Four classes from the community of Kayenta, Arizona in the Navajo Nation were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups, one each per grade. All four classes used the state-approved, core math curriculum, but one class in each grade was provided with weekly CBMs for an entire school year that included sample questions developed from the Arizona Department of Education performance standards. The CBMs contained at least one question from each of the five math strands: number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data and probability.

The NorthWest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) served as the pretest and posttest for all four groups. The SAT 10 (RIT scores) math test, administered near the time of the pretest, served as the covariate in the analysis. Two analysis of covariance tests revealed no statistically significant treatment effects, subject gender effects, or interactions for either Grade 1 or Grade 2. Achievement levels were relatively constant across both genders and the two grade levels.

Despite increasing emphasis on assessment and accountability, the achievement gaps between these subpopulations and the general population of students continues to widen. It appears that other variables are responsible for the different achievement levels found among students. Researchers have found that teachers with math certification, degrees related to math, and advanced course work in math leads to improved math performance over students of teachers who lack those qualifications. The design of the current study did not permit analyses of teacher or school effects.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918 into the Madiba clan in Mvezo, Transkei, South Africa. Mandela was a lawyer by trade and a freedom fighter who envisioned freedom and equality for all South Africans regardless of race. In 1965, Mandela was imprisoned at Robben Island for twenty-seven years for treason and terrorist activities against the South African apartheid regime: he was assigned prison numbers 46664. In 1992, Mandela was released from prison and two years later not only became the first democratically elected president of South Africa, but also its first black president. "Madiba 46664" is an eight-minute chamber work scored for flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, and bassoon; vibraphone, and two percussionists; piano; violins, violas, and celli. The work blends traditional South African rhythms of the drumming culture with elements of Western harmony and form in contrasting textures of homophony, polyphony and antiphony. "Madiba 46664" utilizes Mandela's prison number, birthdate and age (at the time the composition process began in 2013) for the initial generation of meter, rhythm, harmony, melody, and form. The work also shares intercultural concepts that can be seen in the works of three contemporary African composers, South Africans Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph and Andile Khumalo, and Nigerian Ayo Oluranti. Each section represents a period of Mandela's life as a freedom fighter, a prisoner, and a president. The inspiration stems from the composer's discussions with Mandela soon after his release from prison and prior to his presidency. These lively discussions pertained to the state of traditional music in then apartheid South Africa and led to this creation. The conversations also played a role in the creative process.

The purpose of this project was to: (1) describe a brief history of Salvation Army works for euphonium and piano that are relevant to the larger euphonium repertoire, and (2) produce a professional-quality compact disc recording of these works for study and reference. Part I of this project is an annotated bibliography discussing selected works for euphonium and piano written exclusively by Salvation Army composers. Each bibliographic entry is accompanied by a brief annotation, including information on each composer, hymn tunes used in each work, and difficulties encountered in performance. Part II of this project consists of a professional-level recording of these works. The recording and bibliography is intended to serve as a reference guide for students and teachers of Salvation Army euphonium literature, and is also intended to serve as a pedagogical tool utilized in the development of high school and university-level euphonium students. Five solos and one duet with piano accompaniment were selected for this project, works that represent a wide variety of Salvation Army compositional styles. The works also cover a wide range of technical and musical challenges, and are appropriate for study by both undergraduate and graduate students of music. All of the works are currently in publication as of this writing. The following works are included in this project: "The Song of the Brother" by Erik Leidzén, "Ransomed" by George Marshall, "Ochills" by Ernest Rance, "The Better World" by Norman Bearcroft, "Symphonic Rhapsody for Euphonium" by Edward Gregson, and "Timepiece" by Norman Bearcroft.

Musical Impressionism has been most significantly reflected through the works of Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). These two key figures exhibit the essence of this art and their piano music remains substantial, influential, and frequently assigned and played today. Nevertheless, from a pedagogical perspective, important factors required in achieving a successful performance of Debussy and Ravel's piano music--delicate tone production, independent voicing, complicated rhythm, sensitive pedaling, and a knowledgeable view of Impressionism--are musically and technically beyond the limit of early advanced students. This study provides a collection of short piano pieces by nine lesser-known European and American composers--Edward MacDowell (1861-1908), Charles Griffes (1884-1920), Marion Bauer (1887-1955), Cyril Scott (1879-1970), Arnold Bax (1883-1953), Selim Palmgren (1878-1951), Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936), Jacques Ibert (1890-1962) and Federico Mompou (1893-1987). They were influenced by impressionistic aesthetics or composed at one time in an impressionistic manner over a span of their lifetimes and their music provides a bridge to the more advanced impressionistic pieces of Debussy and Ravel for early advanced students. These composers' selected short piano pieces display richly colored sonority through the use of impressionistic techniques such as non-functional harmony (parallel chords and free modulation), exotic setting (e.g. modality, pentatonic and whole-tone scales), ostinato figures, bell-sound imitation, and extended texture. Moreover, personal interpretive elements, such as poetic and folklore references, were incorporated in some piano works of MacDowell, Griffes, Bauer, Scott, and Bax; among them MacDowell and Bax were particularly inspired by Celtic and Nordic materials. Mompou infused Spanish folklores in his individual naïve style. Most importantly, these selected short piano pieces are approachable and attractive to early advanced pianists. These works, as well as other largely undiscovered impressionistic piano character pieces, ought to be a great source of preliminary repertoire as preparation for the music of Debussy and Ravel.