The sum of feminine achievement; a critical and analytical study of woman's contribution to the intellectual progress of the world,

"Table -- The famous women of modern times," (p. 210-237): lists 400 women of achievement in the fields of art, education, geographic exploration, journalism, sociology, philanthropy, religion, suffrage, science, medicine, music, theatre, literature, woman in war, and statesmanship.

World Percussion Bash UW Percussion Ensemble UW Gamelan Ensemble UW Steel Bands May 25, 2016

Concert Program

Orientations in Time: Music and the Construction of Historical Narrative in 20th and 21st Century African-American Literature

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Armenian Orchestral Music

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

"Living So Far From Words" : Intertextuality, Trauma and the Post-Shoah World of Medbh McGuckian’s Blaris Moor

Peer reviewed

The sound of whiteness: early music vocal performance practice in Britain

American Musicological Society annual meeting, San Francisco, 10 Nov. 2011

Music therapy, in tuning at the end of life

In this article music therapy is presented as a helpful tool to support the persons (and their relatives) living at the end of their life and, also, as a non pharmacological and complementary therapy in an integral and holistic medicine. What we report here comes from the direct experience, nourished after many years of interventions and reflections in oncology and palliative care units. We’re talking about silence, music, therapy, models and techniques. We will read and feel therapeutic sessions… but above all, we’re talking about life, conscience and love.

How valuable is web 2.0 to music criticism? An investigation into the role of web 2.0 and social media in the reception of Benjamin Britten's operas

The internet is deeply integrated with many people's day to day lives, including that of musicians and musicologists. In this thesis, the impact of the internet on classical music criticism in the Web 2.0 age is examined. Using the examples of Britten's operas, Gloriana and Peter Grimes, an overview of their critical reception is examined, using printed reviews found in The Times since their premières, internet based reviews of two specific performances, and the reactions to these performances on Twitter. Theories of media behaviour including de Mul's view of the 'ludic self' are used in order to explain the content found in reviews in conjunction with citizen journalism, of which blogging is an extension. While there are some consistencies between the print reviews and those online, there are stylistic differences, and wider repercussions for the world of criticism in the wake of the democratisation of culture, as critics find their previously regarded authority obsolete to some. Music criticism is no longer the reserve of the musicologists

TROMBONE MUSIC OF SCANDINAVIA: A STUDY OF TROMBONE SOLO AND CHAMBER WORKS FROM SWEDEN, NORWAY, AND DENMARK

This dissertation project aims to establish Scandinavian trombone solo and chamber works as a major contribution to the trombone repertoire. From the late 19th century to modern day, Scandinavian composers have produced a steady output of trombone works of substantial musical quality. Deep-rooted in the traditions of strong military wind bands, Scandinavia has also produced an unusual number of trombone virtuosos, ranging from those holding positions in leading orchestras, and internationally renowned pedagogues, to trombonists enjoying careers as soloists. In this study I propose that it is the symbiotic relationship between strong performers and traditionally nationalist composers that created the fertile environment for the large number of popular trombone solo and chamber repertoire not seen in any other region besides the Paris Conservatory and its infamous test pieces. I also interpret the selected repertoire through the prism of nationalism and influence of folk music, and convey that the allure of the mystic Nordic folk influences enhances the appeal of the Scandinavian trombone repertoire to world-wide audiences and performers. The dissertation project was realized over three solo recitals, each showcasing the music of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark respectively. For each program, I looked to choose a standard work from the trombone solo repertoire, a work written for or by a native virtuoso, and a lesser-known work that warrants the attention of other performers for its musical qualities. The recital of Swedish music presented Mandrake in the Corner by Christian Lindberg, Subadobe by Frederik Högberg, A Christian Song by Jan Sandström, and Concertino for trombone and strings by Lars-Erik Larsson. The recital of Norwegian music presented Concerto for Trombone op. 76 by Egil Hovland, Ordner Seg by Øystein Baadsvik, Elegi by Magne Amdahl, and Concerto in F major by Ole Olsen. The recital of Danish music presented Rapsodia Borealis by Søren Hyldgaard, Madrigal by Bo Gunge, Romance for trombone and piano by Axel Jørgensen, Concerto for trombone by Launy Grøndahl, and Three Swedish Tunes by Mogens Andresen. Through the performance of works from these three countries, the dissertation establishes Scandinavia as a rich source of solo trombone repertoire perpetuated by nationalist composers and virtuosos, as well as providing a brief survey of Scandinavian trombone works of various instrumentation and difficulty levels to be enjoyed by student, professional, and amateur performers and their audience.

Nietzsche's orphans: music and the search for unity in revolutionary Russia, 1905-1921

At the dawn of the twentieth century, Imperial Russia was in the throes of immense social, political and cultural upheaval. The effects of rapid industrialization, rising capitalism and urbanization, as well as the trauma wrought by revolution and war, reverberated through all levels of society and every cultural sphere. In the aftermath of the 1905 revolution, amid a growing sense of panic over the chaos and divisions emerging in modern life, a portion of Russian educated society (obshchestvennost’) looked to the transformative and unifying power of music as a means of salvation from the personal, social and intellectual divisions of the contemporary world. Transcending professional divisions, these “orphans of Nietzsche” comprised a distinct aesthetic group within educated Russian society. While lacking a common political, religious or national outlook, these philosophers, poets, musicians and other educated members of the upper and middle strata were bound together by their shared image of music’s unifying power, itself built upon a synthesis of Russian and European ideas. They yearned for a “musical Orpheus,” a composer capable of restoring wholeness to society through his music. My dissertation is a study in what I call “musical metaphysics,” an examination of the creation, development, crisis and ultimate failure of this Orphic worldview. To begin, I examine the institutional foundations of musical life in late Imperial Russia, as well as the explosion of cultural life in the aftermath of the 1905 Revolution, a vibrant social context which nourished the formation of musical metaphysics. From here, I assess the intellectual basis upon which musical metaphysics rested: central concepts (music, life-transformation, theurgy, unity, genius, nation), as well as the philosophical heritage of Nietzsche and the Christian thinkers Vladimir Solov’ev, Aleksei Khomiakov, Ivan Kireevskii and Lev Tolstoi. Nietzsche’s orphans’ struggle to reconcile an amoral view of reality with a deeply felt sense of religious purpose gave rise to neo-Slavophile interpretations of history, in which the Russian nation (narod) was singled out as the savior of humanity from the materialism of modern life. This nationalizing tendency existed uneasily within the framework of the multi-ethnic empire. From broad social and cultural trends, I turn to detailed analysis of three of Moscow’s most admired contemporary composers, whose individual creative voices intersected with broader social concerns. The music of Aleksandr Scriabin (1871-1915) was associated with images of universal historical progress. Nikolai Medtner (1879-1951) embodied an “Imperial” worldview, in which musical style was imbued with an eternal significance which transcended the divisions of nation. The compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) were seen as the expression of a Russian “national” voice. Heightened nationalist sentiment and the impact of the Great War spelled the doom of this musical worldview. Music became an increasingly nationalized sphere within which earlier, Imperial definitions of belonging grew ever more problematic. As the Germanic heritage upon which their vision was partially based came under attack, Nietzsche’s orphans found themselves ever more divided and alienated from society as a whole. Music’s inability to physically transform the world ultimately came to symbolize the failure of Russia’s educated strata to effectively deal with the pressures of a modernizing society. In the aftermath of the 1917 revolutions, music was transformed from a symbol of active, unifying power into a space of memory, a means of commemorating, reinterpreting, and idealizing the lost world of Imperial Russia itself.

Learning English is Fun! Incidental vocabulary acquisition of music and traditional class ninth graders via listening to pop songs

Finnish youth are constantly exposed to music and lyrics in English in their free time. It is likely that this has a positive effect on vocabulary learning. Learning vocabulary while simultaneously accompanied with melodies is likely to result in better learning outcomes. The present thesis covers a study on the vocabulary learning of traditional and music class ninth graders in a south-western upper comprehensive school in Finland, mainly concentrating on vocabulary learning as a by-product of listening to pop music and learning vocabulary through semantic priming. The theoretical background presents viable linguistic arguments and theories, which provide clarity for why it would be possible to learn English vocabulary via listening to pop songs. There is conflicting evidence on the benefits of music on vocabulary learning, and this thesis sets out to shed light on the situation. Additionally, incorporating pop music in English classes could assist in decreasing the gap between real world English and school English. The thesis is a mixed method research study consisting of both quantitative and qualitative research materials. The methodology comprises vocabulary tests both before and after pop music samples and a background questionnaire filled by students. According to the results, all students reported liking listening to music and they clearly listened to English pop music the most. A statistically significant difference was found when analysing the results of the differences in pre- and post-vocabulary tests. However, the traditional class appeared to listen to mainstream pop music more than the students in the music class, and thus it seems likely that the traditional class benefited more from vocabulary learning occurring via listening to pop songs. In conclusion, it can be established that it is possible to learn English vocabulary via listening to pop songs and that students wish their English lectures would involve more music-related vocabulary exercises in the future. Thus, when it comes to school learning, pop songs should be utilised in vocabulary learning, which could also in turn result in more diverse learning and the students could, more easily than before, relate to the themes and topics of the lectures. Furthermore, with the help of pop songs it would be possible to decrease the gap between school English and real-world English.

Museums in a troubled world: renewal, irrelevance or collapse?

In the early 2000s the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), one of Montreal's foremost cultural institutions, underwent two upheavals. First management was thrown into turmoil by the unexpected departure of the OSM's celebrated music director, Charles Dutoit, just as the orchestra and its Swiss conductor were about to mark 25 years of successful partnership with celebrations planned for the 2002-03 season. Then, in May 2005, the orchestra's management and board were faced with a strike by the orchestra's musicians. The authors describe the efforts of the orchestra's general manager, Madeleine Careau, to revive its fortunes, notably through a campaign to restore the OSM's prestige, which had been severely eroded by these two events. With the support of internal and external collaborators, Careau turned her attention to the most pressing issues, namely the choice of a new conductor, the orchestra's planned new concert hall and the creation of a foundation to ensure stable, long-term financing for the OSM. To help bring this recovery plan to fruition, Careau drew on her extensive network of contacts. An all-female leadership team was formed at the OSM, as Careau called on Melanie La Couture (CEO), Helene Desmarais (deputy board chair) and Monique Jérôme-Forget (chair of the Quebec treasury board) to use their talents, expertise and influence to give new lustre to the OSM at home and abroad.

"Music therapy helped me get back doing": perspectives of music therapy participants in mental health services

BACKGROUND: Mental health service development internationally is increasingly informed by the collaborative ethos of recovery. Service user evaluation of experiences within music therapy programs allows new phenomena about participation in services to be revealed that might otherwise remain unnoticed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to demonstrate how asking service users about their experience of music therapy can generate useful information, and to reflect upon the feedback elicited from such processes in order to gain a deeper understanding of how music therapy is received among service users in mental health. METHODS: Six mental health service users described their experiences of music therapy in one or two individual interviews. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using the procedures and techniques of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. RESULTS: Interviews with mental health service users provided rich, in-depth accounts reflecting the complex nature of music therapy participation. Super-ordinate themes refer to the context in which music therapy was offered, the rich sound world of music in music therapy, the humanity of music therapy, and the strengths enhancing opportunities experienced by service users. CONCLUSIONS: Participants indicated that they each experienced music therapy in unique ways. Opinions about the value of music therapy were revealed through an interview process in which the researcher holds an open attitude, welcoming all narrative contributions respectfully. These findings can remind practitioners of the importance of closely tuning into the perspectives and understandings of those who have valuable expertise to share about their experience of music therapy services in mental health.