Abstract:
Forward is a collection of tunes in the Celtic idiom, comprised mostly of my own original compositions, arranged alongside a number of traditional pieces from the repertoire of folk music from Scotland and Ireland. Many of the original compositions included on the album came from the set of tunes I composed at the end of my Summer 2015 study abroad program; others were written during the recording process. I recorded and produced my debut solo album, Forward, as the primary component of my Clark Honors College Thesis project. I will bring the music of this album to life for friends, fellow students, interested peers, and professors in a Senior Recital in the Spring 2017 term. The final element of my thesis will be, of course, an accompanying paper. The primary objective of my thesis paper component will be to dive into the process of how I produced Forward and to examine why I made specific compositional and sonic/aesthetic decisions throughout the work. Beyond this, the paper will act as a kind of “extended program” to the album itself, with detailed writings on the stories behind each composition. The paper will include recollections of major moments and memorable stories from the recording period. The music of Forward is instrumental, and its stories are usually unheard unless listeners can meet me in person and receive them directly from the source. This paper, then, will be a way for the stories of these tunes and the story of this album to be collected and presented in one place. This project has been an incredibly personal endeavor, and one of great professional importance at the onset of my career. This portion of the thesis will be composed in the style of a facsimile, a collection of short written materials, arranged in synthesis to present a multilayered story. By presenting these materials in such a light, accessible format, I hope to make these documents relevant and meaningful to as wide an interested audience as possible, whether they might be attending a formal defense of my thesis, or discovering my work online.
Description:
67 pages. A thesis presented to the School of Music and Dance and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2017