Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
DMA
College
College of Creative Arts
Department
School of Music
Committee Chair
Nina Assimakopoulous
Committee Member
Matthew Heap
Committee Member
Cynthia Anderson
Committee Member
Erin Ellis
Committee Member
Joshua Williamson
Abstract
The purpose of this research document is to examine elements of musical hybridity and cultural influences in renowned African-American flutist-composer Valerie Coleman’s Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn for solo flute and piano. Prominently known for her chamber music works, Coleman describes her compositional style as “urban-classical,” which infuses elements of popular American styles into modern Western art music traditions to highlight and encapsulate the cultural experiences of various diasporas of our time.
The most significant elements of hybridity and cultural influences examined in Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn are programmatic imagery and compositional motifs. The programmatic imagery is represented through Coleman’s creation of narrative tone poems by transforming poems by Fred D’Aguiar and Maya Angelou into music. This creates a specific storyline and mood in the listener’s mind. The melodic motifs serve as a compositional tool to create melody, rhythm, and harmonies that encompass influences from both inside and outside of the traditional realms of classical music. This study uses the hybridity inherent in Coleman’s style to create an analytical framework to explore her works for flute and piano.
Recommended Citation
Trotter, Brittany Marie, "Examining Musical Hybridity and Cultural Influences in Valerie Coleman’s Wish Sonatine and Fanmi Imèn" (2019). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7411.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/7411