ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the members of

my committee: Dr. Keith Salley, for his significant editorial and musicological insights,

Dr. Laurie McManus for her tutelage throughout this degree, Professor Jonathan

Newman for providing his invaluable perspective on composition and orchestration, and

to Professor Julian Gray, whose mentorship, encouragement, guidance, and support over

the past decade has had a profoundly positive impact on the person I am today.

I would be remiss if I did not thank the many teachers and mentors that have

guided me throughout my many years of study, including: Dr. Andrew Zohn, Joseph

Ikner, Dr. Elliot Frank, Dr. Nicholas Ciraldo, Joseph Williams II, Dr. Sam Dorsey, Dr.

Michael Murphy, Dr. Glenn Caluda, and the late Harold Protsman.

Most of all, I would like to thank my family for their unwavering support. My

mother Bonnie has been a perpetual source of both inspiration and encouragement. She

has gone far and beyond what anyone would expect of another person, and for that I am

eternally grateful and privileged to call her my mother.

Lastly, my wife Cathy has been my pillar throughout this degree. Whenever I may

have been overwhelmed by this project and countless other engagements, she has

centered and motivated me through her unconditional love. Without her, this document

would not have been possible. There are hardly powerful enough words to express my

love and adoration for her.