Journal of Undergraduate Research

Shelley Lynn Jones and Professor David A. Day, Harold B. Lee Library The Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris has been a center for the world’s best musicians and composers since it was established centuries ago. It is the school’s tradition to hold a competition for each instrument every year. Every year […]

Tyler Jensen and Professor Ray Smith, Jazz The study of jazz is a relatively new pedagogy in our educational system. Much of what has been established has been the result of applying classical and existing pedagogical practices to the subject of jazz. The majority of this teaching approach is theoretical in nature, using knowledge of chords, […]

Scott Harwood Homer and Dr. Ron Brough, Music The music of Brazil has a rich heritage and great diversity. Its rhythms, developed by street musicians, are sophisticated and challenging. The people I met know well the songs they hear live and on the radio, and the musicians respond to this by constantly performing creative arrangements […]

Daniel A. Henderson and Dr. Steve Call, School of Music; Professor David Day, Music and Dance Library Early one morning in 1966 Billy May stood helpless and devastated on the first floor of the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California. He watched as a group of men swiftly loaded a semi truck to the brim […]

Ryan Thomas Gee and Professor Murray Boren, Music Theory and Composition Four objectives guided the composition Or Gadol. I will discuss the impact each had on the resulting music. 1. Venture into new personal territory by composing for a large ensemble. Orchestras are a more than a little unwieldy. It becomes an overwhelming task to keep […]

Morgan Quigley and Dr. Steven Ricks, School of Music In this project, we sought to create a software system that uses the chaotic output of large cellular automata to create visualizations and sonifications that are aesthetically interesting. Conceptually, a cellular automaton is a group of deterministic cells that are interconnected to form a regular grid. […]

Bryson Mortensen and Dr. Ronald Staheli, Choral Department, BYU School of Music There is nothing worse than singing a boring piece. Often, when conductors decide to perform works from periods such as the Renaissance, Baroque, or even Classical periods, they find that it is difficult to make the piece exciting. The choir is quickly frustrated […]

Stephen Fairbanks and Dr. Andrew Dabczynski, School of Music Classically trained musicians have yet to discover how computing advances can transform the sheet music industry. Through the internet, it is possible to transmit information instantly and inexpensively. By utilizing this, musicians could access the vast stores of music literature for a fraction of the cost. […]

Cari Elizabeth O’Neil and Dr. Stephen D. Lindeman, Music The lives of famous artists in every genre are dissected again and again. What inspires them to create extraordinary works of art such as the Mona Lisa, Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, and the operas of Mozart? Popular psychology commonly links genius with various forms of mental and […]