Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.

1 4/2012

Thesis Advisor Instructional Packet
1. The Course Schedule Maintenance Form for Thesis Seminar MUS 481 must be filled
out in consultation with the Graduate Advisor, Department Chair, and Student. This is
usually done a semester ahead of the students anticipated enrollment in the course.
The student should not re-register each semester for Thesis Seminar; an incomplete
carries over until the competition of all requirements listed below and the Thesis
Advisor assigns a final grade.
2. A typical student should be in-progress or have completed these core-requirements of
their MA Pedagogy degree: Bibliography and Research, Repertoire Seminars 1 & 2 or
Pedagogy 1 & 2, before enrolling in Thesis Seminar. A typical on-track student will
sign the aforementioned Maintenance Form at the end of his/her first year (2nd
semester) of study.
3. The Thesis Advisor should then ask the student to come up with a list of possible
topics to be investigated. Each topic on the initial list should contain sound
pedagogical content or reflect the ability to be developed into ideas of pedagogical
merit and substance. Keep in mind, a chosen topic will lead to the development of a
Thesis Proposal, Thesis Paper, and Lecture Recital. The student must have enough
time to investigate a particular subject area, find out they may need to switch topics,
and start again. This part of the Thesis project can sometimes be the longest. If the
student cannot come up with any ideas on their own then you can propose a topic(s).
It is important that students find a topic of interest as this stimulates curiosity and
leads to a more productive project.
4. The Performance Venue & Date Request Form must immediately be filled out in
consultation with the Concert Coordinator at the beginning of the first semester of
Thesis Seminar. A first and second choice of Lecture Recital dates must be chosen at
this time (usually for the following semester) by the student and Thesis Advisor. The
last two weeks of each semester are off-limits. Summer recital dates are not
encouraged. The Concert Coordinator will inform the student of available dates and
put the agreed upon date on hold. (Students may want to consider those family
members and friends that might travel to be at the recital.)
5. The Thesis Proposal must then be formed. This should include a Thesis Statement
Paragraph, Outline of the proposed paper, Recital Program (including repertoire,
composers/dates) and an Annotated Bibliography of all sources. (see example 1) A
due date of completion should be set for the mid-term of each semester.
6. The Thesis Committee must then be secured. Along with the Thesis Advisor, the
student must find two additional faculty members willing/able to read and approve
Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012

the Thesis Proposal, suggest edits to the Thesis Paper, attend the Lecture Recital, and
read and approve the Comprehensive Exam.
7. The Thesis Committee must then read the Thesis Proposal and make any suggestions.
The student should make the appropriate adjustments and then present the
committee with the Thesis Committee Approval Form. The Staff Accompanist (if
needed) must also sign this form. This form includes the date and time of the recital
currently on hold so that the committee/accompanist is agreeing to the date of the
proposed Lecture Recital. In the event that a faculty member cannot make the date of
the recital, arrangements to have the recital videoed must be made.
8. The Thesis Committee Approval Form must then be given back to the Concert
Coordinator with the Thesis Proposal attached. The Concert Coordinator will sign the
form, make a copy of the Lecture Recital Program, and take the date off hold and
make it permanent. The Concert Coordinator then gives the form to the Graduate
Advisor to sign and place in the students file.
9. The student can now begin the task of writing the paper. Papers should be around 40
pages or more in length. The student should follow his/her outline to write the paper
making changes to the outline as needed without making significant changes to the
proposal. The manual for writing a Thesis can be found online through the graduate
college website www.neiu.edu/graduate-college and must be consulted for
formatting specifics. Depending on the recital date, a due date for a rough draft of the
paper should be set a month in advance of the recital.
10. The student should submit the rough draft first to the Thesis Advisor for preliminary
corrections and make the necessary adjustments. Then the student should submit the
rough draft to the Thesis Committee for suggestions and edits. This may take time
and it is encouraged that the student makes a copy of the draft for each person on the
committee.
11. The Lecture Recital outline must be developed simultaneously with the rough draft of
the paper. The Lecture Recital can be a mixture of
demonstration/lecture/performance or a straight lecture/intermission/performance.
Format should be in the best interest of content flow, scholarly clarity, and
presentation. Extemporaneous speaking should be used only by gifted speakers to
enhance the presentation and engage the audience. Power Point presentations,
handouts, examples, audience participation where appropriate is greatly encouraged.
12. The Thesis Advisor must present the Graduate Recital Ratings Form and the Final
Thesis Acceptance Form to the Thesis Committee to sign based on Pass/Fail. This must
then be given to the Graduate Advisor who will sign it and confer on an appropriate
action and place in the students file. In the event of an unsatisfactory Lecture Recital
the student may be given the choice to repeat a portion of the committees choosing
Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012

to be redone only for the committee members in private, and/or write a self-critique
evaluation after watching or hearing the video/playback of the performance.
13. The Comprehensive Exams in Pedagogy are given the first Friday in April and
December each semester. Jan LaRues book on the Styles of Analysis is used as a
guideline for analysis. (See outline ex.) The Thesis Advisor (or in consultation with the
applied teacher and/or Rep.Sem. and Ped. Sem. Teachers) must create a pedagogical
essay question and choose 3 excerpts for analysis and identification by the student.
(see example) The Thesis Advisor presents these to the Graduate Advisor who
administers the test. Students are given 3 hours to complete the exam by writing in
Blue Books. The Blue Books are read by the Thesis Advisor, Thesis Committee, and
Graduate Advisor and given a Pass/Fail.
14. All material including the Final Thesis Paper, Video/Audio recording of the Lecture
Recital, Final Thesis Acceptance Form, Copy Permission Form, and Comprehensive
Exams must be turned in to the Graduate Advisor no later than two weeks before the
end of the term.
Hypothetical Timeline:
April Sign Course Schedule Maintenance Form for Thesis Seminar
Student provides you with a list of topics and investigates over summer
Fall Student should be officially registered for Thesis Seminar MUS 481
-September: Along with the student, immediately fill out Performance Venue & Date
Form and turn into the Concert Coordinator who puts a date on hold
-October: Secure Thesis Committee
-October/November: Thesis Proposal Due Mid-Term to Thesis Advisor, copies made and
given immediately to Thesis Committee for review
-November/December: Thesis Committee Approval Form signed and given to Concert
Coordinator and Recital Date becomes permanent.
Spring Student begins work on Thesis Paper (Dec. /Jan. )
-January: Student must fill out the Application for Graduation w/Grad Advisor (this is
obtained through the Graduate College)
-Beginning of March: Rough Draft Due presented to Thesis Committee for
edits, suggestions, Lecture Outline/Script formulated
-Lecture Recital Given, Graduate Recital Ratings Form is filled out
-Comprehensive Exam essay question and excerpts due to Grad. Advisor
April Comprehensive Exams given first Friday of the month
-Final Paper Due by the second Friday of the Month
-Final Thesis Approval and Acceptance Form is filled out
All materials and forms due no later than two weeks before the end of the term to the
Graduate Advisor. Two copies of all final material will be made; one to be retained by the Music
Department and one to be retained by the Graduate College.
Graduate!
Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012


P E R F O R M A N C E V E N U E
R E S E R V A T I O N R E Q U E S T F O R M Music Department
(Junior/Senior/Graduate Recitals]

Student Name: Instrument/Voice Type


E-Mail Address Telephone


Recital Date Request (1
st
choice) Recital Date Request (2
nd
choice)

Important Notes:
Submission of the completed reservation request form to the concert coordinator does not constitute
confirmation of the performance venue. Confirmation of this reservation request will be emailed to the
student and to the members of the Recital Committee within 10 business days of receiving this request.
The student will also be notified if the space is unavailable so that alternative dates can be requested\
Confirmation of the performance venue reservation request is not the final approval for the student to
present a recital. Approval for the recital to be presented is based on a successful hearing of the students
performance for the Faculty Recital Committee or Graduate Thesis Committee and submission of the
Recital Form which must be signed by all members of the Recital Committee and the student.
Beginning in Fall 2009, students preparing for the required Junior or Senior recitals must select a recital
committee of three faculty members including, and in conjunction with, their applied instructor. The
student must pass a hearing presented to the recital committee before the recital is given. Once the recital
is presented, a grade of pass or fail will be determined by the recital committee (2009-2020 NEIU
Catalog, page 170).


Student Signature and Date


Applied Teacher (Applied Pedagogy) or Graduate Advisor (Music Education)

Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012


THESIS COMMITTEE APPROVAL FORM Music Department

Name:_____________________________________NEIU #:_____________________
Address:___________________________________Phone:_______________________
___________________________________________email:_______________________
Instrument/Voice:________________________________________________________
The Thesis Proposal, Recital Date: ____________________and Time:_____________
have been approved by the following:
___________________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Advisor

Committee Member

Committee Member

Staff or approved Accompanist

Concert Coordinator Date:
*This form must be accompanied by the final program order including correct spelling and dates of all composers,
movements, as you intend it to be printed. The Concert Coordinator will not sign or accept this form and your date
may be lost if these materials are not submitted with this form.
Program notes, translations, and handouts are the responsibility of the student to print and provide. Program
notes and translations must be approved by the Thesis Advisor first and will not be printed by the Concert
Coordinator.
Return this form to the Graduate Advisor upon completion!
I verify that __________________________ has completed the necessary and pre-requisite
requirements and coursework needed for scheduling a degree recital. This includes: enrollment in 481
Thesis Seminar, Completion and Approval of the Thesis Proposal, and Securing the Thesis Committee.
_____________________________________________________________
Graduate Advisor
Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012


G R A D U A T E R E C I T A L R A T I N G S F O R M


Student Name: Instrument/Voice Type


E-Mail Address Telephone


Applied Instructor Office and Phone Extension
Students must select a recital committee of three faculty members including, and in conjunction with,
their applied instructor. The student must pass a hearing presented to the recital committee before the
recital is given. Once the recital is presented, a grade of pass or fail will be determined by the recital
committee (20092010 NEIU Catalog, page 170).
has completed the Graduate Recital and received
[Student] following ratings from the committee:

Faculty Recital Committee:


Recital Committee Member Applied Instructor Pass Fail


Recital Committee Member Name Pass Fail


Recital Committee Member Name Pass Fail
Students receiving two ratings of Fail do not pass the Graduate Recital Requirement.

has earned an overall rating of: PASS or FAIL
[Student] (Circle One)










Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012




THESIS ACCEPTANCE AND APPROVAL


This thesis submitted by_____________________________________________________________________________
Name of Student
Entitled________________________________________________________________________________________________
Exact Title of Student Thesis
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
has been reviewed by the Department of___MUSIC________________________________________________
and is found to be in good order with reference to content, style, and mechanical accuracy.
It is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of __ARTS________
in (Exact Title) ____APPLIED MUSIC PEDAGOGY_____________________________________________________

THESIS ADVISOR ___________________________________ GRADE__________ DATE _____________________

Members of the Thesis Committee:

_______________________________________________________________________
Signature of the Thesis Advisor Date

_______________________________________________________________________
Signature Date

_______________________________________________________________________
Signature Date







Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012






COPY PERMISSION

________________
Date
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title of Thesis

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Author

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Degree Department/Program Month, Year of Graduation




Permission is herewith granted to Northeastern Illinois University to make copies of the above
title, at its discretion, upon the request of individuals or institutions and at their expense.
Extensive quotation or further reproduction of this material by persons or agencies other than
Northeastern Illinois University may not be made without the express permission of the writer.



__________________________________
Signature of Writer

















Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012

SAMPLE: TITLE PAGE OF THESIS



TITLE OF THESIS (ALL CAPS)
Sub-Title
(CAPS & Lower Case)






A Thesis Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of Music
Northeastern Illinois University







In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts in Music
Applied Music Pedagogy













Name Date (Month & Year of Grad)
(All lines above centered on page)





Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012

Pedagogy Comprehensive Exam Analysis Outline
Jan LaRue

Rubrics of Style Analysis (1):_The Music Itself
Adapted from Jan La Rue, Guidelines for Style Analysis: A Comprehensive Outline of Basic
Principles for the Analysis of Musical Style (New York: W. W. Norton, 1970).
I. Sound
A. Timbre
i. selection
ii. combination
iii. degree of contrast between instruments/voices
B. Mass/Layering
i. doubling
ii. partial overlap
iii. contrast of components
C. Procedural organization of sounding body
i. texture (homophonic/polyphonic)
ii. mass (monochoral/polychoral)
iii. polarization (melody with explicit/implicit accompaniment)
iv. consistent/alternating (solo-ripieno components)
D. Dynamics
i. terraced
ii. graduated
iii. implied by instrumentation
iv. dynamic range
v. dynamic change within movements
E. Acoustical considerations
i. size of room/hall/outdoors
ii. architectural features (surfaces,etc.)
iii. resonance
iv. nature of instrumentation
v. attack/decay features of instruments
II. Rhythm
A. Surface rhythm
i. patterns of occurrence of mixed durational values
ii. frequency of occurrence of single durational values
iii. patterns of accentuation
B. Meter
i. regular/irregular
ii. additive/compound
iii. syncopated/hemiolic
iv. metrical levels and hierarchies (hypermeter)
C. Tempo/tempo change
i. tempo relationships between movements
Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012

ii. tempo changes within movements
D. Duration of individual notes
i. average duration
ii. rate of change
iii. use of ties
E. Accentuation types
I. agogic (elongation)
ii. acoustic (stress)
iii. accentual hierarchies
F. Large-scale groups
i. phrase rhythm
ii. harmonic rhythm
iii. text rhythm G. Rests and tacets
G. Textual rhythm
ii. accentuation
iii. duration
iv. method of arrival/departure
v. ornamentation
H. Phrasing
i. contour (rising/falling/level/wave
ii. phrase patterns (form)
iii. sound reinforcement (variable/constant)
iv. phrase hierarchies
I. Function i. primary (thematic)
ii. secondary (cantus firmus/ostinato)
iii. higher-level (abstract) dimensions
III. Melody
A. Range
i. tessitura of part
ii. frequency of occurrence of individual notes
B. Motion
i. simple/compound
ii. by steps/skips/leaps
iii. step size (diatonic/chromatic/enharmonic)
iv. continuous/articulated
v. directional change vi. registral change
C. Salience of individual notes
i. pitch height
IV. Harmony
A. Degree of tonality
i. modal
ii. migrant
iii. bifocal
iv. unified
Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012

v. expanded
vi. polycentric
vii. atonal
viii. serial
B. Chord types
i. close/remote
ii. unaltered/altered
iii. consonant/dissonant
C. Progression types
i. tonal passages
ii. tonal cadences
iii. deceptive cadences
iv. modulations
V. Counterpoint
A. Cantus firmus treatment (species/free)
B. Imitation type (strict/free)
C. Imitative procedure (canon/fugue/fugato/stretto)
D. Transformational methods
i. augmentation
ii. diminution
iii. retrograde
VI. Structure and growth
A. Large-scale architecture
i. movement sequences
ii. tempo changes
iii. rhythmic association
iv. cyclic organization
B. Delineation of form
i. harmonic plan
ii. changes in harmonic rhythm
iii. repetition and recapitulation schemes
iv. form templates
v. changes of orchestration
vi. changes of texture
vii. hierarchies of stress
C. Procedural considerations
i. algorithmic realization
ii. algorithmic deviation
iii. elasticity
a. motivic development
b. thematic development
- extension/elision
- introduction of new voices
- scale articulation (diatonic/chromatic)
Master of Arts in Applied Music Pedagogy v.1 4/2012

c. harmonic destabilization
iv. disguise
a. harmonic modulation
b. rhythmic permutation
c. melodic permutation (inversion, etc.)
d. melodic diminution
e. melodic ornamentation
v. motion: rhythmic relaxation/intensification
vi. rhetoric
a. figure usage
b. developmental models (oration, exhortation)
VII. Textual corroboration/contradiction
A. Choice of timbre
B. Chord/key changes
C. Intonation contours
D. Rhythmic correspondence
E. Accommodation of text form
VIII. Improvised elements
A. Ornamentation
B. B. Harmonization
C. Solo concerto episodes
D. Cadenzas
IX. Psychological factors
A. Frustration of expectation: Deceptive cadences
B. Disseminated melodies
C. Deceptive notations
i. Baroque vocal cadences
ii. Augenmusik
D. Harmonic ambiguity
E. Rhytmic ambigiguity