Dr Melissa Cain
Supervisors: Huib Schippers and Scott Harrison
Melissa Cain is a flautist and educator with a passion for Asian and Pacific musics. She has qualifications in music, education, Indonesian and ethnomusicology and studied Javanese and Sundanese gamelan while resident in Singapore for the past 20 years. As Music Coordinator of Singapore American School, Melissa witnessed changes which effected practice at the school, leading to the teaching of more culturally diverse musics.
A curiosity about the development of music education programs in Singapore and her home town of Brisbane lead Melissa to her begin PhD which explored the ways that philosophy, policy, teacher training and curriculum documents effect practice in the music classroom. Knowing that students form life-long attitudes to musics in their primary years, Melissa gained insight into the factors which have led to some music programs being modified and expanded to better reflect the cultural diversity of student bodies, but seem to have barely affected others. Melissa's study reveals that a lack of knowledge about teaching non-western musics, prevailing stereotypes and attitudes to musics of 'the other', and a lack of assistance at the level of teacher training have prevented this from occurring in most situations.
Melissa returned to live in Brisbane in June and is fortunate to be working on a QCGU/ALTC research project which examines assessment practices of music students at the tertiary level. She hopes to be involved in other such projects at the Conservatory in the future and also to be involved in preparing the next generation of music educators in Brisbane.
Dr Karen Lonsdale
Supervisors: Vanessa Tomlinson and Liisa Laakso
Karen Lonsdale is a professional flutist and educator, Australian Music Examinations Board examiner, adjudicator, and presenter. As a freelance orchestral musician, Karen has performed with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, X-Collective Cabaret Ensemble, Queensland Pops Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Munich Symphony, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and the Tasmanian Symphony, among others.
She is currently on the sessional teaching staff at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and was formerly Lecturer in Flute at the University of Southern Queensland. Many of Karen's former students are now studying flute at university, music graduates working in the industry as professional musicians, studio, multi-instrumental, or classroom music teachers, and as arts administrators for professional orchestras, ensembles, or government arts funding bodies.
Her research focuses on "Understanding contributing factors and optimizing prevention and management of flute playing-related musculoskeletal disorders." Central to this research are two components: a large survey providing insight into how practice, education, lifestyle, and background impact on the prevalence of pain; and an electromyography study assessing upper body muscle responses during playing. Karen's research reveals that through a better understanding of the physical characteristics of playing and applying principles from ergonomics, performing arts medicine, physiotherapy and exercise science to practice, technique and positioning, flute players can better prevent and manage playing-related musculoskeletal disorders. Karen has presented her research at conferences such as the Performing Arts Medicine Association Symposium (USA), Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare Conference, National Flute Association Convention (USA) and the Australian Flute Festival. For more see Karen Lonsdale's website.
Dr Yuyan Wang
Supervisors: Huib Schippers and Nicholas Ng
Wang Yan studied timpani and percussion at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and upon graduation joined the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra for three seasons. After briefly holding the principal timpani and percussion position in the Lanzhou Symphony Orchestra, she moved to Australia and was offered a place in the Doctor of Musical Arts.
Since coming to Brisbane, Wang Yan has played timpani and percussion with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, gave performances and masterclasses with her Sonamus duo, performed as a solo recitalist and soloist, and was invited as guest performer with the Guangzhou Symphony and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestras. Wang Yan is also part of an international percussion ensemble with upcoming performance engagements in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The winner of numerous Australian performance competitions and prizes, Wang Yan was also a prize winner in the 2009 International Percussion Competition in Fermo, Italy.
Wang Yan's research focuses on Chaozhou daluogu, a traditional Chinese art form that revolves around the leading drum and conductor of the ensemble. Her thesis examines the dynamic history and current practice of Chaozhou daluogu, exploring its origins and development over time, introducing the instruments and performance setups as well as playing techniques, considering both traditional and contemporary repertoire, surveying transmission and learning experiences of major exponents, and trying to provide some insight into the sustainability of the genre into the future.
Her research has earned Wang Yan multiple awards and scholarships for academic excellence, as well as the honour of being named of the Outstanding Overseas Chinese Doctoral Students by the government of the People's Republic of China for her efforts in disseminating Chinese culture to an international audience.
Dr Armin Terzer
Supervisors: Stephen Emmerson, Matt Hitchcock, and Peter Luff
Armin studied horn in his native Italy and Royal College of Music in London, after which he played principal horn in China's Guangzhou, Lanzhou and Beijing Symphony Orchestras. While in China he also performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and toured Europe and Africa with GSO. In 2007, Armin moved to Brisbane and has since worked with the Queensland, West Australian and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, Queensland Pops Orchestra and Darwin Symphony Orchestra. He is also a member of the Opera in the Paddock ensemble, and appears regularly at the Bangalow Music Festival as well as soloist with local orchestras. In 2009, Armin was one of the members of the original Youtube Symphony Orchestra, performing in New York's Carnegie Hall. He is also the founder of BoB (Best of Brass) Quintet, currently Ensemble in Residence at the Conservatorium and a designated Musica Viva in Schools Ensemble.
A published arranger of works for horn ensembles and brass quintet, Armin's research centres on an in-depth analysis of the practice of transcribing symphonic repertoire for eight horns. The main areas examined are the use of the horn and its extended techniques, the treatment of the horn octet as a chamber ensemble, and the various ways in which techniques specific to other instruments can be adapted for horns. This is an extension of Armin's general interest in transcribing and performing works for chamber groups. For more see BoB Quintet.
Dr Peter Knight
Supervisors: Erik Griswold and Brydie-Leigh Bartleet
Peter Knight, is a multidisciplinary musician who has gained wide recognition for his eclectic approach, which integrates jazz, world music, and experimental traditions. Peter leads and composes for several ensembles including the acclaimed cross-cultural sextet, Way Out West. He also performs solo, processing the trumpet through various electronic media. He has composed chamber music, short-film scores, created sound installations and theatre/ dance scores, most recently for Tamara Saulwick's award winning hybrid work, Pin Drop.
Peter's doctoral research traces the development and recording of a series of works for solo trumpet/laptop electronics, and medium sized ensemble integrating improvisation and live electronic processing. Through a reflective and intersubjective account of the creative process it develops a cultural context for this activity while also taking account of broad movements in contemporary music particularly in improvised forms. In addition, it 'zooms in' on Peter's personal biography focussing on aspects of his development as a musician and sheds light on specific aspects of Australian music culture while offering a rich backdrop for listening to the works created during the course of this research.
Peter's exegesis also describes and reflects upon the use of electronic processing and sampling in his improvisational and compositional language as he outlines the broadening of his practice through the integration of this media. For more see Peter Knight's website.
Dr Irene Bartlett
Supervisors: Gregg Howard and Brydie-Leigh Bartleet
Irene Bartlett is Head of Jazz/Contemporary Vocal Studies and Lecturer in Vocal Pedagogy at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. Her teaching centres on reliable vocal health and the development of technique, and performance styles for undergraduate and postgraduate singer students. Irene's doctoral research investigated the work-lives of Professional Contemporary Gig Singers. Globally and nationally, the vast majority of professional singers work in the contemporary commercial music industry, yet little is known about them as a population. This research project sought to create an accurate profile of professional contemporary gig singers (PCGS) as a population in the Australian context by giving voice to the lived-experience of PCGS. Importantly, the knowledge gained from the self-reports of 102 PCGS participants highlights the complexities of their performance working lives and challenges the widely asserted view in the literature that there is an 'inevitability of vocal damage' resulting from the performance of contemporary music styles. In so doing, it provides an important context for the development of an effective and appropriate pedagogy for PCGS and all singers of Contemporary Commercial Music styles. Irene has an enduring career as a professional contemporary commercial vocalist.
Dr Daniel Robinson
Supervisors: Scott Harrison and Paul Draper
Daniel is a freelance artist and educator, predominantly teaching in his private studio Djarts. Daniel regularly presents for conferences as a singing voice specialist, providing workshops and practical learning activities to church singers across Australia and abroad. In 2011 Daniel completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. Daniel's thesis, Contemporary Worship Singers: Construct, Culture, Environment and Voice, reveals that the role and the vocal task of the Contemporary Worship Singer lacks general understanding by key stakeholders: church music directors, professional singing teachers and the Contemporary Worship Singers themselves. The study draws conclusions from the four structural pillars of enquiry (construct, culture, environment and voice) and delivers nineteen distinctive features that distinguish the Contemporary Worship Singer as a unique vocalist in the wider community of singers. The implications of the study find their climax in the 'Contemporary Worship Singer Assessment Tool'. Daniel provides ongoing research, thoughts and views into the Contemporary Worship Singer via his blog Voice in Worship.
Dr Colin Webber
Supervisors: Huib Schippers and Brydie-Leigh Bartleet
"Creating a Virtual Heart" uses an interdisciplinary lens to explore music making from the point of view of a person with Asperger's Syndrome, a pervasive developmental disorder on the Autism Spectrum, and conversely provides a musician's view of Asperger's Syndrome, through new forms of methodology for conducting and presenting research in the creative arts. Autoethnography, systematic self-observation, surveys and interviews are used to explore the ways in which the heightened autistic traits of the condition impact upon the author's practice, in musical and social terms.
Autistic traits that impact on creative practice include impairments in empathy, Theory of Mind and emotional response to music, sensory anomalies and increased local coherence. These traits affect the author’s creative process in composition through an enhanced interest in detail versus gestalt, the inclusion of unusual auditory experiences and the means of embedding affect within the music. Collaborative work is examined in terms of communication and understanding between members of creative teams, including verbal and non-verbal language and empathic responses.
The study documents an internal perspective on two very personal, and almost inseparable themes. By their very nature these themes are strongly loaded with subjectivity, bias and very personal experience. The resulting analysis of this affects first, foremost and strongest, the researcher himself and offers a window through which the reader may glimpse another reality. The full thesis is online at Colin Webber.
Dr Michael Knopf
Supervisors: Gerardo Dirie and Stephen Cronin
Michael is a classical and jazz concert guitarist and composer who has pursued an eclectic ideal in cross-genre music making. As a guitarist, Michael has seven extant recordings which demonstrate his interest in multi-style and poly genre performances. Most of these CDs feature only original compositions. Michael performs on a 7 string classical guitar, on 12 string and 6 string acoustic and jazz electric archtop guitars. Michael's doctoral study was titled "Style and Genre Synthesis in Music Composition: Revealing and Examining the Craft and Creative Processes in Composing Poly-Genre Music". Michael's conviction is that, although being ubiquitous in today's music making, style and genre synthesis still offers a powerful path for novelty and for conceptual and practical development, as seen by Boulez who stated that such musical exploration would be "concerned quite as much with synthesis as with discovery" (1986).
Michael's compositions, particularly those produced for his Doctorate of Musical Arts display a genuine approach to poly genre influences in his music. These include the music for the Zafron Road Project, an ensemble of Persian, Jazz and Classical musicians. The piece Esfahan was awarded first prize in the Zavod Classical Jazz Fusion Performer's Award in September 2010 by Monash University. Michael's concerto for guitar and orchestra The New Earth subsequently received the Zavod Classical Jazz Composer's Award from the University of Melbourne in August 2011.
Michael continues composing new music blurs boundaries and enriches musical content and processes with a cosmopolitan attitude toward composition and performance. He is currently preparing further recordings.
Dr Jean Penny
Supervisors: Vanessa Tomlinson and Paul Draper
Jean is a Melbourne based flautist who has worked extensively with many of Australia’s major orchestras, made numerous recordings, and regularly appears as soloist in concerts in Australia and Europe. In 2009 she completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. Her thesis, The Extended Flautist: Techniques, Technologies and Performer Perceptions in Music for Flute and Electronics, explored the impact of electronics on the performer through the model of the performative journey. The investigation was based around two recitals of music for flute with electronics, incorporating ideas of spatialisation and interactive live electronics. Tracing this journey through a discursive musicology of narrative, analysis and performance, revealed an enactive performance practice, a transformative musicality teeming with renewed approaches to sonority, physicality, performance space, partnerships, self-perception and expression. The emphasis on performance gave this research project a unique and powerful stance, as the nexus of electric and acoustic elements defined and articulated the inside story of performance, specific performance environments and experiential performative writing and discourse. Download Jean's thesis (PDF 6.2MB).
Dr Jodie Taylor
Supervisors: Paul Draper and Huib Schippers
Drawing on theoretical, historical and local knowledges, Jodie Taylor's PhD Playing It Queer: Understanding Queer Gender, Sexual and Musical Praxis in a 'New' Musicological Context (2008) investigates a range of queer musical episodes including, drag, queercore and queer feminist musical forms asking how and why music is used by queer musicians and musical performers to express non-normative gender and sexual identities. Recognising that queer theory offers a useful theoretical discourse for understanding the complexities and flexibility of gender and sexual identities, this project also asks how musicology can make use of queer theory in order to produce queer readings and new, anti-oppressive knowledge regarding musical performance, composition and participation. View Jodie's thesis at the Australian Digital Thesis Program website.
On completion of her thesis, Jodie took a postdoctoral fellowship with the Centre for Public Culture and Ideas at Griffith University in 2009. In this role she continues to work and publish on themes relating to queer identity and cultural practices in addition to contributing to the centre’s Creativity and Social Inclusion initiative.
Dr David Carter
Supervisors: Paul Draper and Stephen Emmerson
David Carter is a musician, composer, music technologist and researcher who has worked on both sides of the studio glass. David's thesis Clever Children: The Sons and Daughters of Experimental Music explored the relationships between late 90's Electronica and the work of 20th Century experimental and avant-garde composers such as John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Steve Reich. Download David's thesis (PDF 3.3MB).
While completing his PhD David split his time between recording, touring and promoting his own music as well as working on recording projects ranging from pop, classical and jazz music to Indonesian Gamelan and Senegalese Drumming. Building on these experiences, David recently spent a year as an Australian Youth Ambassador working with an independent record label in the Lao PDR to help expand their business and access the online marketplace.