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The Composer-Conductor: An Examination of the Relationship between Two Disciplines

Friedland, Zachary Jacob
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1542753869070161

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Musical Arts, Ohio State University, Music.
This dissertation explores the relationship between composing and conducting from the perspectives of individuals who routinely perform both disciplines. Sixteen individuals, varying age, gender, and experience provided responses to a structured interview that explored the relationship between composing and conducting. They responded from various perspectives of college band directors, college composition professors, high school band directors, freelance composers, and graduate students in music. During the interviews we discussed how their involvement in composing and conducting has affected their outlook on numerous parts of their work including score study, rehearsal technique, compositional process, and teaching methods. All 16 noted that the conducting informed composing and vice versa, enhancing overall musicianship. While the interviewees’ noted the challenges of conducting one’s own music, overall, the connection between composing and conducting is an invaluable tool that leads to the creation of special experiences for the performers, the audience, and the conductor him/herself. Additional findings include that the longer one is involved with composing and conducting, the more the individual is able to reinforce the connection between their composing, conducting, and performing and get a more mature sense of their overall musicianship. Finally, a practical study was done with students at The Ohio State University. The goal was to look for observable difference between a conductor who is conducting his/her own music compared to conducting another composer’s work. The results were inconclusive, but I did observe a real need for composers to develop good conducting skills. As a result, I have made several recommendations about the curriculum for undergraduate Bachelor of Music in Composition that I believe will fill in a gap in the young composer’s understanding of the practical side of music making.
Thomas Wells (Advisor)
Anna Marie Gawboy (Committee Member)
Russel Mikkelson (Committee Member)
Jan Radzynski (Committee Member)
320 p.
Music; Music Education
Composing; Conducting; Music; Music Education

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Friedland, Z. J. (2018). The Composer-Conductor: An Examination of the Relationship between Two Disciplines [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1542753869070161

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Friedland, Zachary. The Composer-Conductor: An Examination of the Relationship between Two Disciplines . 2018. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1542753869070161.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Friedland, Zachary. "The Composer-Conductor: An Examination of the Relationship between Two Disciplines ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1542753869070161

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1542753869070161
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.