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open access

Straw Phonation in the Private Voice Studio: The Effects of a Straw Phonation Protocol on Student Perceptions of Voice over Time

Description: Straw phonation is a semi-occluded vocal tract exercise (SOVTE) that has long been used as a therapeutic device for the voice. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes following voice lessons that included a straw phonation protocol to those that did not include a protocol. The primary outcome measures were the shortened version of the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI-10), which is a validated health status instrument for singers, and Perceived Vocal Efficiency (PVE). Ten student sin… more
Date: August 2022
Creator: Gamble, Ryan De Boer
Partner: UNT Libraries

Il bel canto russo: Incorporating Principles from the Old Italian School of Singing to Russian Lyric Diction Utilizing the Songs of Mikhail Glinka (1804 -1857)

Description: Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) is widely recognized as a founding father of Russian classical music, but in fact, his music represents a bridge: it establishes a distinctive Slavic sound built on the Italian roots of Glinka's musical inspiration. As a young man, Glinka traveled abroad, which included three years spent in Italy, where he gained extensive exposure to and familiarity with what modern scholarship refers to as the Old Italian School of Singing. This influence makes his songs an ideal in… more
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Date: August 2022
Creator: McGee, Michael Anthony
Partner: UNT Libraries

"I Love This Land": A Performance Guide for Six Chinese Art Songs by Zaiyi Lu

Description: English, Italian, French, German, and Russian songs often appear in the repertoire of Western singers, but only a few singers try to sing Chinese songs. Chinese songs have a wealth of musical material uninterrupted for nearly 10,000 years. However, the lack of clear and correct International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) makes non-Chinese singers confused and unable to pronounce Chinese accurately. In this study, I have used the IPA that singers are familiar with to change the old version of Chinese … more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Han, Yixuan
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

"Pieces of 9/11: Memories from Houston" by Jake Heggie: A Performance Guide

Description: Jack Heggie's 2011 song cycle Pieces of 9/11: Memories from Houston is a collection of six songs with texts by Gene Scheer. Commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera, it was premiered on September 11, 2011 at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, TX. Based on interviews with people from Houston by Gene Scheer, this cycle tells stories and experiences by those affected by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Washington DC, and those aboard Un… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Liston, Julie
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Association between Sleep Patterns and Singing Voice Quality during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Description: This study investigated the associations between sleep patterns and singing voice quality in 231 adult singers of various skill levels across the United States. The four-part survey using a general questionnaire on demographics, musical background, vocal health, and three established survey instruments: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Singing Voice Handicap Index-10 (SVHI-10), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) found that while scores were worse than normative values for the … more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Simmons, Erica Vernice
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Korean Diction for Non-Korean-Speaking Singers: A Study for Singing Korean Art Songs

Description: Korean art songs are valuable cultural assets that exhibit their own cultural spirit and ethnicity, however, they are not introduced to Western singers because of the language barrier. As there are European-language diction books for singers used in pedagogy, this dissertation introduces Korean diction for non-Korean-speaking singers by using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to pronounce Korean ‘Hangeul'. Moreover, this document aims to help singers enter into a new world of Korean art… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Nho, Ji Yoon
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

"Doce Canciones Mexicanas": A Singer's Guide to Manuel M. Ponce's (1882-1948) Romantic Mexican Art Song as Described in His Essay "La Canción Mexicana"

Description: The underrepresentation of Mexican art song has left classical singers with few Spanish-language repertoire options. Currently, the music of Spain dominates this scene and Mexican art song has yet to earn a place in academic curricula and concert halls. Manuel María Ponce (1882-1948) retains an important position in Mexican music. However, Ponce's vocal repertoire—consisting of over 150 songs—remained dormant for many decades after his death due to its misclassification by music aristocrats in … more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Rosas Posada, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Training the Hybrid Singer: Mixed Voice for the Bel Canto and Musical Theatre Singer

Description: Voice teachers can train versatile singers by infusing musical theatre technique within bel canto evidence-based pedagogy. Seeing these two genres as possessing similarities instead of as unrelated fields allows teachers to not only match academic knowledge with the current entertainment job market, but most importantly, possess a versatile technique allowing them to train singers to perform fluently in multiple styles: the hybrid singer. An area of confusion in both bel canto and musical the… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Vala, Matthew
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Così fan tutte? A Study of Character Development through Key Characteristics in the Prima Donna and Soubrette Roles from Four of W.A. Mozart's Late Italian Operas

Description: This dissertation investigates how W. A. Mozart applies the concept of key characteristics—the affective properties of each tonality—as discussed by three of his contemporaries, Johann Mattheson, C.F.D. Schubart and G.J. Vogler, to four soubrette and four prima donna characters from four of his late Italian operas: La Contessa and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro; Donna Anna and Zerlina in Don Giovanni; Fiordiligi and Despina in Così fan tutte; Vitellia and Servilia in La clemenza di Tito. The ana… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Tsai, Meng-Jung
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An Analysis of the Representation of Queen Elizabeth I of England in the Operas by Rossini, Donizetti, and Thomas in the Context of Nineteenth-Century Vocal Style and Historical Influence

Description: The purpose of this research is to analyze representations of Queen Elizabeth I of England in nineteenth-century Franco-Italian opera, and the relationship of these representations to contemporaneous singing style and the historical background. The basis for this analysis is three arias: "Quant'é grato all'alma mia" from Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra (1815) by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), "Sì, vuol di Francia il rege...Ah! quando all'ara scorgemi...Ah! dal ciel discenda un raggio" from Mar… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Hsiao, Han
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Early Music Audiences: A Survey and Analysis of Early Music Consumers in Texas

Description: Texas has a rich tradition of Early Music ensembles that dates back to 1969. However, there is little reliable information based on statistical data collection and analysis concerning Texas Early Music consumers. Little is known about why they attend Early Music performances or other important factors that affect the Early Music industry. Through the use of an extensive survey and accompanying statistical analysis, this study answers many questions regarding Early Music consumers in the State o… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Emanski, Julianna
Partner: UNT Libraries

John La Montaine's "Songs of the Rose of Sharon" and "Fragments from the Song of Songs": A Socio-Historical Analysis and Performer's Guide

Description: The purpose of this research is to examine John La Montaine's only two song cycles for soprano and orchestra, Songs of the Rose of Sharon, opus 6 (1947) and Fragments from the Song of Songs, opus 29 (1959). In this investigation-the first ever specific to these works-I examine the works and cultural context in which they were created. I then evaluate the reasonable possibility that La Montaine used his public platform as a composer and performer to subtly celebrate taboo themes of feminism, sex… more
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Date: August 2019
Creator: Dapcic, Samantha
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Countertenor Aria Collection Continuum for Studio Training and Performance

Description: An assessment of the standard voice instructor or performer collection of printed music would likely reveal numerous operatic repertoire volumes in anthology format appropriated to the primary four voice categories. However, thorough investigation divulges little in comparable printed material accessible to the countertenor. This scarcity of systemized collections is especially evident in the territory of comprehensive countertenor operatic repertoire. This project fills that present void by cr… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Stanley, David Thomas
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Guide to Suitable Bass Solo Vocal Repertoire by J. S. Bach for Collegiate Baritone

Description: In the Baroque period, the baritone voice was not yet well-defined, but many composers wrote vocal pieces with a range appropriate for the modern baritone voice. Composers used the general categories of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass for solo voice in their compositions. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was no different from other Baroque composers in writing solo works to be performed by one of the four main voice types. The various ranges and tessituras of J. S. Bach's vocal works for bass s… more
Date: August 2017
Creator: Chang, Chul Woong
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Understanding the Lirico-Spinto Soprano Voice through the Repertoire of Giovane Scuola Composers

Description: As lirico-spinto soprano commonly indicates a soprano with a heavier voice than lyric soprano and a lighter voice than dramatic soprano, there are many problems in the assessment of the voice type. Lirico-spinto soprano is characterized differently by various scholars and sources offer contrasting and insufficient definitions. It is commonly understood as a pushed voice, as many interpret spingere as ‘to push.' This dissertation shows that the meaning of spingere does not mean pushed in this co… more
Date: August 2017
Creator: Hartgraves, Youna Jang
Partner: UNT Libraries
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