Award Date

August 2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Department

Music

First Committee Member

Alfonse Anderson

Second Committee Member

Monica Williams

Third Committee Member

Andre Chiang

Fourth Committee Member

Spencer Baker

Fifth Committee Member

Richard Miller

Sixth Committee Member

Joe Bynum

Number of Pages

64

Abstract

This doctoral project aims to comprehensively study Damien Sneed's life, work, and legacy by examining his musical career, the themes and inspirations that inform his art, and the impact he has had on classical music. Through a detailed analysis of compositions “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” “Deep River,” and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” from Damien Sneed's "Spiritual Sketches," this study will shed light on how Sneed incorporates this important cultural and musical tradition into his compositions in an innovative way. This dissertation will explore the roots of the traditional spiritual, examine its significance during the Black Renaissance, and analyze the compositional styles of both H.T. Burleigh and Damien Sneed. By comparing their approaches, it seeks to highlight the importance of preserving the traditional spiritual and its continued relevance in contemporary classical music.

Keywords

African American Spirituals; Damien Sneed; H.T. Burleigh; Traditional Spirituals

Disciplines

Music

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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