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    Creativity in Jazz : a thesis submitted to Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy [in Music]
    (Massey University, 2014) Meehan, Norman Lawrence
    Common discourses around jazz generally acknowledge the centrality of creativity to the music, but scholarship on what precisely creativity is in jazz, and how it might best be enhanced isn't well developed. While the work of some scholars, for example Ed Sarath and R. Keith Sawyer, does critically address these questions to some extent, they are in the minority. In this thesis, I first investigate the extensive scholarly literature on creativity, drawing predominantly from social science and education contexts, and then apply some of the most relevant frameworks to jazz. These frameworks draw several key aspects of jazz practice into sharp relief, in particular the respective roles of individuals and ensembles and the ways they work in common, and the provenance of musical materials in creative jazz practice. With these key ideas acting as a theoretical lens, I view the historical practice of three unquestionably creative jazz musicians: Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. The choice of these musicians in particular is important because their example, when understood through the lens of creativity, reveals creative practice to be attributable to understandable procedures that are available to all accomplished musicians. My conclusions call into question more traditional modes of jazz history and criticism, which while acknowledging the music’s collective nature, tend to emphasise the roles of individuals as primary in jazz. Instead, my research suggests that creativity is best achieved in group contexts where diversely gifted participants work collaboratively in egalitarian, interactive, improvised settings. Individuals do make significant contributions to this mix, and in terms of creative advances in jazz – and in terms of achieving meaningful self-expression – the most important quality individual musicians can pursue is the development and expression of unique musical voices. In addition to improvised interactivity among unique individual voices, the adoption of musical materials from outside of jazz and their transformations (along with similar transformations of musical materials already common currency among jazz musicians) can be shown to serve both the expressive goals of musicians and propel jazz in creative and potentially fruitful directions. It is the improvised colloquy of such individual voices, transforming received and newly acquired musical materials in the service of self-expression that contributed to the lasting allure of the music attributed to Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. Saxophonist Jan Garbarek is proposed as a contemporary musician who has made use of all of these strategies in forging jazz music that demonstrates fidelity to the core processes of jazz while only provisionally embracing some of the style features of earlier forms of the music – style features that common jazz discourses have tended to emphasise at the expense of the processes that gave rise to them.
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    An analysis of the bass playing of Scott LaFaro as part of the Bill Evans Trio, 1959-1961 : a thesis submitted to Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the Master of Music (Peformance), New Zealand School of Music, 2014
    (Massey University, 2014) Clark, Rowan
    Scott LaFaro is widely regarded as a highly interactive bass player, and within the context of the Bill Evans Trio it is commonly believed he was able to cast aside the traditional time keeping role of the jazz bassist. His considerable reputation seems to rest on this understanding, but as this exegesis aims to show, the general understanding of his legacy within jazz history is open to question More broadly, this exegesis highlights the fact that any claims about his legacy are supported by very limited analysis of his techniques and approaches, rendering any absolute portrayal of LaFaro misleading. This exegesis aims to provide a thorough analysis of LaFaro’s performances within the Bill Evans Trio. By analysing a representative sample of his work in that context, I hope to discover common techniques and traits that LaFaro employed on a regular basis and which characterise his unique approach to bass playing within a small jazz ensemble. With the identification of these characteristics, a clearer picture of Scott LaFaro can begin to emerge, as can a more accurate understanding of his legacy.
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    The effect of outside genres on techniques and devices in modern jazz composition (1988-2008) : a thesis submitted to Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington in fulfillment of the degree Master of Music (Performance), New Zealand School of Music, 2009
    (Massey University, 2014) Botting, Thomas
    This is a study involving research, analysis and performance of music composed by jazz artists in the last twenty years. The focus of this discussion will be on the influence of several outside genres on the music of these jazz composers. In particular it will examine transcriptions of works by composers including Dave Holland, John Scofield, Hiromi Uehara, Nils Wogram, Christian McBride, Bill Frisell, Kenny Garrett and Pat Metheny. The analysis of these transcriptions will examine the devices the composers have used such as counterpoint, harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, melody, time signatures, form et al. and assess how any outside genres may have affected these devices. Furthermore the analysed compositions will be performed in a recital setting, as well as a portfolio of compositions written by myself using the techniques gathered from my analysis.
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    The application of the teaching methods of Opher Brayer in the compositions of jazz pianist Yaron Herman : developing a portfolio of original compositions based upon these concepts : a thesis submitted to Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Performance, New Zealand School of Music
    (Massey University, 2013) Brown, Alan
    Yaron Herman is a talented and influential Israeli-born jazz musician, currently residing in Paris. At the age of 31, he has released six albums, the first when he was 21. What is more remarkable is that he only started learning the piano at the age of 16 (following a sports injury that curtailed his basketball career dreams), under the tutelage of Opher Brayer, who used a combination of philosophy, mathematics and psychology. The intent of this research is to firstly, identify and understand the key concepts of Brayer’s methods as applied by Yaron Herman, and secondly, develop a portfolio of compositions utilising these principles. A recital of these tunes will then be presented.
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    Anguish and accolades: a psychological therapy for music performance anxiety : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2003) Tarrant, Ruth Annette Cobham
    Music performance anxiety (MPA) is widespread among professional, amateur, and student-musicians and -singers. While a certain level of anxiety is necessary for optimal performance, in some instances anxiety can reach levels where the performance is impaired and the performer's enjoyment reduced. Despite the negative effects of MPA, there has been relatively little research in the area, and studies to date have focussed almost exclusively on classical musicians, with little known about jazz musicians. Particular problems within the MPA research include the absence of a clear definition of MPA, the absence of an established measurement tool, and an incomplete set of agreed influences on MPA. Various studies typically limit their investigation to only one or a few possible influential factors. Treatment studies have investigated a range of approaches based on varying understandings of factors that define and influence MPA. Assessment of treatment outcomes has also varied, due to a lack of equivalence among measurement tools. The present research comprises two studies. Study One, an exploratory survey of a group of Conservatorium musicians, aimed to gain an understanding of MPA as a construct, to investigate the prevalence of MPA, to develop an appropriate measure for MPA, and to clarify a set of factors that can influence MPA. Comparisons were made for gender and music genre. Participants comprised 39 musicians from the Conservatorium of Music at Massey University. Study One differed from most previous studies, by investigating a broad range of factors associated with MPA. Results of Study One indicate that MPA can be defined as a four-part construct comprising physiological, cognitive, affective, and behavioural components. While the four components interact, they can also operate independently, feeding back into the arousal. Factors influencing MPA can be categorised into three broad groups: personality factors, experience (including preparation and performing history), and situational variables. Factors from these three broad groups of influences appear to be present in different combinations and intensities for individual performers, varying at different stages of their careers, and variously influencing MPA, depending also on the type of performing situation. A defining feature of participants in Study One was that the widespread, marked level of MPA experienced prior to performing, was generally maintained into the performance itself. While females tended to report more MPA than males, and classical participants reported more than jazz participants, there were few significant differences between gender, and music genre. The findings of Study One informed the development of Study Two. Study Two aimed to develop, trial, and evaluate a psychological intervention for MPA in a group of conservatorium musicians. This study used a quasi-experimental approach to investigate the efficacy of the intervention. The intervention was conducted over six 1-11/4 hour sessions. Twenty-five participants began the intervention, and 14 completed. Participants who did not complete the intervention, but who provided pre-test data only, provided a comparison group for participants who completed the intervention. On the basis that different individuals will experience MPA according to their own particular combination of influential factors, the intervention targeted the four components of MPA and the three broad groups of influential factors of MPA, identified in Study One. The intervention included a particular focus on the role of preparation and the role of attention during performance. M-PAS scores reduced significantly between pretest and follow-up. Results suggest the intervention had a positive effect on the functioning of most participants, assisting them to modify or manage some aspects of MPA that had personal relevance for them. The present study has contributed to the understanding of MPA and its treatment. The particular therapeutic approach of the present study appeared to benefit most completers. The group therapy situation may not have been appropriate for some participants, particularly those who may have perceived the group context as another demanding performance situation. Suggestions for future research include the need for an appropriate diagnostic instrument for MPA, and clarification of the results of the present study with a larger sample. Finally, there is a need to extend the investigation of music performance anxiety by referring to the literature in other performance domains, particularly the domain of sports performance, which is relevant to music and which has a rapidly developing performance literature.