Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Department

Music

Committee Chair

Marcin Arendt

Committee Member

Elise Blatchford

Committee Member

Lenny Schranze

Committee Member

Timothy Shiu

Abstract

Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent among professional musicians, with violinists particularly vulnerable due to the instrument’s asymmetry and repetitive demands. Although research in performing arts medicine has expanded in recent decades, preventive strategies are not consistently integrated into violin pedagogy. This dissertation presents a structured set of preparatory exercises for Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane Concert Rhapsody for Violin and Piano, informed by the principles of the Alexander Technique, as a model for integrating a somatic awareness method into advanced violin practice. As an expressive and virtuoso showpiece firmly established in the violin canon, Tzigane presents distinctive technical challenges. Composed in 1924, the piece employs innovative techniques that extend beyond the scope of traditional violin methods, which were largely developed for the Romantic and post-Romantic idioms of the instrument. This study, therefore, investigates how repertoire-specific exercises, designed to address the technical and physical demands, may reduce unnecessary muscular tension while maintaining technical precision and expressive freedom. The methodology unfolds in three stages: analytical identification of technically and physically demanding passages; development of targeted preparatory exercises; and integration of Alexander Technique principles (such as awareness, inhibition, direction, and primary control) through structured pauses and verbal cues embedded within the exercises. The framework includes warm-up activities without the instrument, scale-based preparation, passage-specific studies, and cool-down procedures incorporating constructive rest. Grounded in existing research on musicians’ health, this project proposes a practical and adaptable model for injury prevention and performance sustainability. While centered on Tzigane, the methodology may be extended to other repertoire and performance levels, contributing to ongoing discussions of healthy, long-term musicianship in music education and professional practice.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access

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