Writer's Corner
Academic Papers
Second Life® and classical music education
This article originally appeared in the Journal of Virtual World Research, Vol. 2. No. 1. April 2009.View Online | Plain HTML version
Since January 2007, Music Academy Online, a web-based business dedicated to generating interest in classical music, has been developing a ‘Disney World for Classical Music’ in the virtual world of Second Life®. The virtual world provides a unique opportunity to teach classical music in an interdisciplinary fashion, the ability to reach out to a population that is hesitant to explore classical music, and a way for reaching out to those who have been disenfranchised by traditional educational paths. This has led to the development of iconography in Second Life that exploits the virtual world’s inherent ability to put seemingly disparate information together in a way that encourages questioning and discussion. But above all, this has led to the conclusion that the importance of human interaction and the Socratic method are the key elements in virtual world education.
The Integrity of Structure or the Structure of Integrity: An Analysis of Charles Ives’ Hallowe’en
A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Music by David Thomas SchwartzView Online | Order a copy at ProQuest.com
“The Integrity of Structure or the Structure of Integrity: An Analysis of Charles Ives’ Hallowe’en” examines the compositional procedures employed by Charles Ives in Hallowe'en. Charles Ives described Hallowe’en as “one of the most carefully worked out (technically speaking), and one of the best pieces (from the standpoint of workmanship)” that he had ever done. First, what is the structure of Hallowe’en? Second, is this structure a thoroughly worked out and closed structure? If an analysis reveals that this is not the case, what could Ives have meant with his assertion about the structural integrity of Hallowe’en?