Did any of your ever do research in music?

Started by PerfectWagnerite, May 03, 2007, 06:51:45 AM

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PerfectWagnerite

Hi, I am wondering whether any members here ever attended graduate school in music. If so what kind of research did you do? Did you write any papers? Where are these papers published? Did you ever get a Masters or Ph.D. in music?

Thanks.

Mark G. Simon

I have a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) degree in composition from Cornell University. My principal composition teacher was Karel Husa, but I also studied with Steven Stucky and Robert Palmer. I wrote a dissertation on "The Modular Technique of Michael Tippett". My doctoral committee thought it was a pretty good dissertation. I am content to let it remain that. I prefer writing music to writing about music. My published writings include hundreds of music reviews for the Ithaca Times, and an interview with Richard Stoltzman that appeared in the Spring 2003 issue of The Clarinet. None of this counts as "scholarly" writing.

Joe Barron

Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on May 03, 2007, 06:51:45 AM
Hi, I am wondering whether any members here ever attended graduate school in music. If so what kind of research did you do? Did you write any papers?

I didn't get a degree in music, but I  a did take ome music courses while attending graduate school in journalism. Since I do write about music, I figured they'd come in handy, which they did. The courses were the history of opera and philosphy of music. For the opera course, I wrote papers on the premiere of Carter's "What Next?" and on the stage effects in the 1876 premiere of Wagner's Ring cycle. I have since sent both to the recyle bin, since I regard school papers as having no worth beyond the earning of the grade.   

karlhenning

I took a Ph.D. in composition (no, I haven't quite figured that out, either) at Buffalo, studying composition there with Charles Wuorinen;  also took seminars at Buffalo with Louis Andriessen and Yvar Mikhashoff.  Since Wuorinen was a visiting professor, he could not serve as my dissertation advisor;  so Bill Kothe graciously agreed to fulfill that role.  None of the musicological or theory papers I wrote through grad school are any fitter for general publication than those of Mark or of Joe.  My doctoral dissertation was a composition, a forty-minute piece in five movements for three soli voices and wind ensemble;  there was never going to be any opportunity to hear the piece in Buffalo.  At this point, I would much sooner write a new piece, than expend any effort in bringing this score out in performance;  though I think there is some decent music in there.