Music Dissertation

A music dissertation is composed by a student in the final phase of his or her doctoral study in a music field. Music dissertations are theoretic or analytic texts that address some aspect of musicology, ethnomusicology, music therapy, music theory, music composition, music history, music practice, or music pedagogy. A music dissertation is different from other works of music scholarship in that it must present an original contribution to the field of music study for which it is written. It is not, in other words, simply a research document, but a wholly new interpretation or study. Therefore, music dissertations often take months and sometimes even years to complete.

Music dissertations will vary greatly depending on the specific branch of music that they address. A music therapy dissertation, for instance, will likely have more in common with a psychology dissertation than it will with an ethnomusicology dissertation. For this reason, music dissertations take many different forms. Some, like music therapy dissertations, are written following the standard dissertation format of the social sciences. Others, like music pedagogy dissertations, are written in a similar fashion to other education dissertations. Music theory and composition dissertations, on the other hand, will likely resemble scientific dissertations. As evidenced here, many branches of music are also branches of other disciplines. This means that scholarship in these branches of music is also scholarship in those other branches. Therefore, it is common for music dissertations to accommodate the styles and forms of multiple disciplines.

All music dissertations will include copious score excerpts and technical diagrams. To musicians, music is a language as easily understandable as the spoken word. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a music dissertation in any musical field to have whole pages of score citations. These excerpts are intended to be read just as the text is to be read. They serve the same purpose as text quotations, and should be discussed in the dissertation in a similar way—meaning they should be thoroughly introduced, explained, and analyzed. Many music dissertations will also include some type of theoretical analysis or discussion. These analyses often require illustration through diagrams and other figures. These should also be thoroughly explained and discussed.

Some dissertations may employ the use of sound recordings in addition to score excerpts. These recordings are used to compare and contrast works, to highlight elements of composition and style, or to analyze unpublished music. These recordings should be referenced throughout the dissertation text, where appropriate.

All music dissertations must follow the explicit criteria of the student’s department and university and be completed under the advisement of a dissertation committee. The student will then be required to defend his or her music dissertation before earning his or her Ph.D.

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