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United: a multi-tiered, adaptive composition for concert band
No full textSchool band ensembles can be comprised of a diverse group of individual students, all
with their own strengths and needs; often, provided sheet music parts that make up a concert
band composition are not accessible to all students due to their presentation or content. The
purpose of my creative project was to compose an original piece of concert band music that
could include instrument parts presented at multiple difficulty levels to be more accessible to
all students.
I researched examples of multi-level concert band compositions and analyzed their
structure based on instrumentation, rhythmic reduction, range reduction, additional flourishes
and layers, and percussion instrumentation. I also researched effective accommodations for
helping students with disabilities in the music classroom understand written music, including
instrument choice, repeated musical ideas, simplified presentations, enlarged print, colorcoding,
displayed reference information, alternate notation, rote and aural instruction, and
peer mentorship.
My original composition, United, has four tiers of parts: advanced, basic, adapted, and
ostinato. This piece can be performed with the advanced parts or the basic parts, either
together or independently. The basic parts have limited ranges and simplified rhythms
compared to the advanced parts. The supplemental adapted parts use only one or two pitches
and are further simplified in rhythmic demands; they also feature several common
accommodations. Finally, the supplemental ostinato tier uses alternate notation to present a
simple rhythmic or untimed pattern and instruct students on when to rest and play. This project
demonstrates a variety of different accommodations that can be provided by educators or
composers to help make music more accessible to all students.M. M
Jazz influences on the clarinet in classical compositions: how American classical compsers synthesized jazz and classical elements through the clarinet
No full textAmerican classical composers in the twentieth century were experimenting with sounds that would make their music distinct from their European colleagues. They were looking for ways to achieve the “American sound.” In order to achieve this, many composers turned to jazz music. This research paper explores how American classical composers implemented jazz techniques into their classical works by utilizing the clarinet. Earlier studies include research on how classical composers incorporate jazz, through the clarinet and other means. However, this research paper goes a different route in providing American nationalism and how American composers encountered the jazz style. This paper focuses on the origins of jazz and how this style fit into the lives of all Americans. Included is a discussion on how the clarinet was introduced into the jazz scene and explains how the classical clarinet differs from the jazz clarinet. The history of how American classical composers found ways to fuse jazz elements into their works is included and how they used the clarinet to accomplish this goal. The composers discussed in this paper are George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein. All of these American composers found unique ways to incorporate jazz styles through the clarinet which altered the classical sound.M. M
A study of holonomic knots
No full textA holonomic knot is an embedding C : S1 → R3 which is of the form C(t) = (f(t), f′(t), f′′(t)),
where f : S1 → R is a smooth function. Victor Vassiliev showed in his paper titled “Holonomic
knots and Smale Principles for Multisingularities” that any smooth knot in R3 is
isotopic to a holonomic one. This theorem has two proofs, one using Reidemeister moves
and the other using a braid theoretic framework, in conjunction with contributions by Garside.
We give a detailed exposition of both methods, while also providing a demonstration
with examples. A key ingredient in the proofs is a collection of conditions that are shown to
characterize the knot diagrams of holonomic knots.M. S
Reviving a revival: modernizing colonial revival homes in Williamsburg, Virginia
No full textColonial inspired architecture and design have become one of the most popular residential styles in American history. Historic styles are well documented and well researched, however, the modern Colonial Revival interpretations of the last 75 years are not discussed or researched. Gaps in the literature on studies of vernacular Colonial Revival houses, include both the lack of research on modern Colonial Revival houses and the fact that the Colonial Revival style is constantly evolving. This qualitative study aims to explore the lived experience of residents and the evolution of Colonial Revival architecture and design in the Kingspoint Neighborhood in Williamsburg, Virginia.
This qualitative study explores 17 Colonial Revival houses in the Kingspoint Neighborhood utilizing a synergistic combination of qualitative research methods. The findings reveal the lived experience of residents and their vernacular homes that is guided by questions of how and why residents design and renovate their homes. The Colonial Revival homes are a Colonial palimpsest, which is the layers of history and influences present in Colonial Revival homes. The Colonial Palimpsest is continually created through the layers of styles, architectural and design details, colors, and layout. These layers are being updated through a modern interpretation to fit the function of our modern lives of family, modern conveniences, lifestyle, and pets. The function changes over time as layout and room usages change to better fit the current season of life. Historical vertigo, the sensation of experiencing multiple historical influences simultaneously, is experienced when interacting with the Colonial Palimpsest. The historical vertigo is the experience of witnessing the influence of Colonial and Colonial Revival design, Colonial Williamsburg, the evolution of the neighborhood, and decolonizing Colonial architecture and design, which feeds the modern interpretation of Colonial design and creates a feedback loop of continuous iterations. This process is reviving the revival.M. S
An investigation of the musical characteristics of two brass quintets from the 1990s by Robert Suderburg and an assessment of their validity for inclusion in musical performance
No full textRobert Suderburg is an American-born musical composer who briefly gained popularity with his
two trumpet solo works written for the International Trumpet Guild in the 1980s. He was
commissioned by the New Mexico and Florida State Brass Quintets to compose three separate
original works throughout the 1990s; Entertainment Sets, Strophes of the Night and Dawn, After
Baudelaire, and Concerto Passages. This project focuses on two of Suderburg’s quintets that are
currently published, discussing the various musical traits and pointing out noticeable musical
features and observations for the audience to adhere to during musical performances, which
include extended techniques. The research includes interviewing two individuals who oversaw
the commission process of these works; Dr. Kurt Hinterbichler and Dr. Bryan Goff, a review of
Suderburg’s archives located at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and
analyzing the musical features of the quintets in review. These quintets are then placed in
comparison to Eric Ewazen’s Frostfire, a work that premiered within the same time frame as
Suderburg’s works in the early 1990s. The six comparison points between Suderburg’s quintets
and Ewazen’s Frostfire show how Ewazen’s music is more accessible in musical performance.
The overall assessment of Suderburg’s works shows that his quintets pose considerable musical
challenges for the performers and audiences. However, advanced student-led ensembles would
be able to undertake the challenges and use various movements of Suderburg’s works as
independent pieces.D. A
Advancing inclusivity and accessiblity of crossfit for athletes with intellectual disabilities
No full textExercise is crucial for preventing diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and obesity.
CrossFit offers a unique approach to fitness by combining gymnastics, weightlifting, and cardio
sports into one program. Moreover, all CrossFit movements can be modified to fit anyone’s skill
level. For people in their 70s to teenagers, CrossFit is intended to serve the masses. However, a
major gap still exists: CrossFit spaces are not fully inclusive for athletes with intellectual
disabilities [ID] due to a lack of knowledgeable and experienced coaches. Currently, there are
few resources to help coaches modify workouts for their athletes and even fewer resources to
help them coach ID athletes. I bridge this gap by creating a mobile app designed to help coaches
learn to adapt CrossFit movements and coach the ID population. By using design thinking
methods, I created X-Adapt, an app that helps coaches work with intellectually disabled athletes.M. A
The role of word class and semantic congruency in L2 word associations
No full textWord knowledge is integral to all aspects of second language acquisition (e.g., Nation, 2001). Word association, a cognitively semantic activity, entails the presentation of stimulus words to participants and asks them to respond with the first word that comes to mind upon see-ing a stimulus word. Word association performance is relevant to L2 lexical knowledge as it can provide insights into the vocabulary size (e.g., Fitzpatrick, 2006) and depth (e.g., Wolter, 2001), allowing researchers to assess specific aspects of L2 learners’ lexical structure (e.g., Fitzpatrick, 2020). Research into L2 word association has grown during the past decades due to its ability to provide a window to the L2 learners’ mental lexicons, revealing the cognitive connections formed between the L2 words the learners have acquired.
This study contributes to the L2 lexical research by exploring the knowledge that native Arabic-speaking L2 learners of English have about L2 words, enhancing our understanding of how L2 learners’ mental lexicons are structured. Specifically, this study investigated the effects of word class and semantic congruency on word response behaviors of native Arabic-speaking L2 learners of English in comparison to native English speakers, since the cognitive and word recognition strategies of the former might be influenced by their L1 strategies. Two groups, an
Arabic L1 group (n = 24) and an English L1 group (n = 23), performed a timed online word as-sociation task using Qualtrics, in which they typed the first word that came to mind after seeing each of fifty stimulus words on the screen. The stimulus words were from five different word class categories: verb, noun, adjective, adverb, and preposition, with ten items from each cate-gory, half of which were not semantically identical between Arabic and English.
The results showed that both the word class and semantic congruency in the stimuli sig-nificantly affected the word response behaviors of native Arabic-speaking L2 learners of English and native speakers of English. All participants showed a preference for giving syntagmatic re-sponses for the word class Verb, while showing a preference for providing paradigmatic re-sponses for the other word classes presented. Additionally, the results revealed a statistically sig-nificant difference in response times across the word class categories investigated, with the word class Adjective having faster response times in comparison to the other word classes and more Paradigmatic responses, a type that the participants in both groups showed a preference for. The results also revealed a significant statistical distinction in response times between the two groups, revealing that native speakers (NS) responded faster than their counterparts (NNS).Ph. D
Reshaping resistance: the rhetoric of protest in contemporary South Korean feminist movements
No full textSouth Korea, though one of the most technologically advanced and economically developing
nations in the world, lacks progressive laws and legislation on gender equality. Women in South
Korea face high levels of workplace harassment, domestic abuse, femicide, digital misogyny, and
one of the most prominent gender wage gaps of all developed nations. However, several feminist
movements and causes are persevering in this harsh and patriarchal culture by finding alternative
ways to voice their dissent and enact change. The interrelated nature of feminism across the
country has strengthened feminist attitudes and female solidarity, which is especially important
considering the misogynistic pushback from the government and young men in society. In my
paper, I first analyze the gendered nature of South Korea’s public sphere through the lens of
political rhetoric and historical South Korean Confucianism to explain why feminists approach
activism through alternative methods, like protest, instead of traditional avenues of politics or
local government. Next, I provide an in-depth look at the Escape the Corset Movement as an
example of how feminists are using their bodies and embodiments to protest harmful standards
of South Korea’s beauty industry. Escape the Corset, as a part of South Korea’s network of
interconnected feminist movements, has catalyzed feminist action across the country as women
are making their voices heard throughout all aspects of culture and society via grassroots
activism. By uniting their causes and physically uniting in marches and protests, feminist
activists are fighting back against the patriarchal history, culture, and society of South Korea by
envisioning and enacting a better future of gender equality.M. A
Ariel Ramirez (1921-2010): selected solo piano works
No full textThis dissertation lecture focuses on selected solo piano repertoire by Argentinian composer Ariel Ramírez (1921–2010). Ramírez was one of the most important Argentinian composers of the twentieth century. His compositional style reflects his mastery and synthesis of regional Argentinian folk music traditions with classical European music. The piano music of this deeply cherished composer of Argentina is seldom performed in the United States. This dissertation lecture seeks to share a selection of piano works by Ramírez by highlighting musical and folk elements and performance considerations for the pianist. These pieces, which are available in U.S. libraries, come from throughout his lifetime, especially from the 1940s and 1950s, and are representative of his compositional style and wide knowledge of his country’s folk music. Through studying and performing these works, pianists can discover both Ramírez’s musical language and authentic Argentinian folk music and dance elements.D. A
Effectiveness of semantic mapping in learning uncommon English vocabulary
No full textThis paper explores the effectiveness of the semantic mapping technique in learning
uncommon English words among Benglai L1 speakers (n = 6) attending graduate studies at a
midsized university in the USA. This study draws upon Jiang’s (2018) theorization that semantic
development occurs through establishing a mental representation, incorporating accurate
information about a word’s form and meaning, and developing automatic access to this
knowledge. This study aimed to determine if the depth of engagement in processing the
uncommon word maps can help learners with positive retention.
The study followed an instructional experimental design with three phases: screening test
(pre-test), treatment, and post-test. Participants' individual test scores and think-aloud data were
collected during the post-test, followed by an interview session. A matching exercise test adapted
from Nation's (1983) 10,000-word level test was developed for the post-test to examine the
effectiveness of semantic mapping treatment. The study revealed a positive effect of semantic
mapping treatment, evidenced by the strong overall performances among the participants in the
post-test. The study also found that personalized mnemonic devices and examples helped
learners score higher than relying only on synonyms or examples without context.
As such, the study concludes that semantic mapping helps learners successfully retain the
meaning of uncommon English words, provided that their engagement with the mapping
materials is adequate. The findings emphasize the significance of intentional L2 vocabulary
learning and suggest the need for explicit instruction in academic settings.M. A