Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts

Program

Music

Supervisor

Veblen, Kari

Abstract

Composer Leslie Uyeda and poet Lorna Crozier inspire, create, and collaborate in real time. Uyeda and Crozier have an exceptional creative collaboration as they have collaborated on 9 song cycles in the past 12 years and the subject matter of much of their art can be seen as cultural reflections and critiques. This is evident in the song cycle The First Woman which speaks of the silencing of women’s voices through the tales of Lilith and Eve in the garden of Eden and the rape of Dinah, Jacob's daughter. To successfully collaborate on 9 song cycles is a feat in itself, but to also create art that embraces challenging emotions and topics concerning current gender issues is remarkable. Through a singular case study analysis consisting of in-depth interviews and musical score analysis, this monograph aims to not only provide a performance guide to two Uyeda and Crozier creations, White Cat Blues and The First Woman, but to also uncover what makes their creative collaboration process so unique and special.

Within the performance guide, the poetry is examined discovering theme, tone, structure, language devices, and imagery. The music is analyzed focusing on structure, style, basic harmony, and the relationship between the text and music, highlighting specific areas of word painting. The performance guide concludes with an examination of the vocal technical challenges presented to the singer, with possible solutions. Accompanying the performance guide are recordings of four Uyeda and Crozier art song collaborations.

To date, the researcher has not identified any contemporary research studies of creative collaboration in solo Canadian vocal work. The information about Uyeda and Crozier in combination with the performance guide to the White Cat Blues and The First Woman serve as a great resource for teachers, singers, and pianists.

Summary for Lay Audience

The collaboration between art forms has been an essential component in inspiring creative genius. This monograph looks at the collaboration between a poet and composer who are working together now. Composer Leslie Uyeda and poet Lorna Crozier inspire, collaborate and create together in real time. This research uncovers what makes their creative collaboration special and provides a performance guide to two of their works for singer and piano: White Cat Blues and The First Woman. Within the performance guide, the poetry is analyzed discovering theme, tone, structure, and language devices. The music is analyzed focusing on structure, style, basic harmony, and the relationship between the words and the music. The performance guide con- cludes with suggestions for the singer to navigate the challenging technical requirements of the songs. The performance guide will serve as a great resource for teachers, singers, and pianists.

Uyeda and Crozier’s art is worthy of research because they have not only created 9 song cycles, but their art also discusses current socially debated issues including gender. For art to shed light on the abuse of women and to challenge the listener to ponder these issues is truly remarkable. It is hoped this research will promote the work of Leslie Uyeda and Lorna Crozier and continue the necessary dialogue in support of a world where women’s voices are heard and not silenced.

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