In response to not-so-popular demand, here are the term papers I wrote in grad school at San Jose State University from Fall 2010 - Fall 2011.

Movement Through Color; A Study of Orchestration in Maria Schneider’s Evanescence

Image: Overview of Elements of Motion in Evanescence

This was written for the music theory seminar, the goal of which was to create a means of analysis for music that cannot be analyzed using traditional methods. From my abstract: “. . . harmony [meaning chord changes] is typically the driving force behind many jazz compositions. In Maria Schneider’s Evanescence, she clearly uses color – not harmony - as the primary device to create interest and to move the chart along. Harmony is in fact among the least important aspects of the chart, as is reflected by the sparse chord changes. My paper will use Maria Schneider’s piece Evanescence as a study on jazz orchestration, specifically on how her orchestration and use of dissonances within the wind/brass voicings are the driving force behind the composition. Elements to be examined are instrumentation, orchestration, and dynamics within the winds/brass.”

A Hipper Bach- Examining the “Jazz” Elements in the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach

Here I explore the “jazz” inherent to Bach’s music, and how analysis techniques taught in jazz theory classes are the best tools to analyze moments in Bach’s music that defy a traditional roman numeral analysis. It includes a lead sheet transcription of pianist Jacques Loussier’s Fugue No. 5 in D Major, BVW 850. Also includes excerpts from Donald Tweedy’s book Manual of Harmonic Technic: Based on the Practice of J.S. Bach in which he devised a system of fractions to analyze tricky spots in Bach’s music.   

How the Music of Halo 1-3 Cemented Video Games as the New Great Medium for Composers

This paper uses the music of the Halo franchise to demonstrate that video game music is on-par with or even bigger than film music. There is some commentary/analysis on the Halo scores composed by Marty O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori. It also goes into some depth about how game music evolved, the business of game music, and career prospects for composers.

The Life, Music, and Legacy of Lenny Breau

This paper focuses on the historical and descriptive rather than nuts and bolts of Breau’s technique. I draw heavily from the only comprehensive text on the life of the legendary Canadian guitarist, One Long Tune: The Life and Music of Lenny Breau by author/guitarist Ron Forbes-Roberts. The paper mostly summarizes Breau’s life as presented in that book, and also includes a basic overview of some of the techniques that made Lenny Breau so special. Other sources include technique books written about Breau’s style, and YouTube videos of his masterclasses in the 80s.