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John Mackey: the Composer, His Compositional Style and a Conductor's Analysis of Redline Tango and Turbine Rebecca L

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John Mackey: the Composer, His Compositional Style and a Conductor's Analysis of Redline Tango and Turbine Rebecca L Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2007 John Mackey: the composer, his compositional style and a conductor's analysis of Redline Tango and Turbine Rebecca L. Phillips Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Phillips, Rebecca L., "John Mackey: the composer, his compositional style and a conductor's analysis of Redline Tango and Turbine" (2007). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2749. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2749 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. JOHN MACKEY: THE COMPOSER, HIS COMPOSITIONAL STYLE AND A CONDUCTOR’S ANALYSIS OF REDLINE TANGO AND TURBINE A Monograph Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agriculture and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by Rebecca Leigh Phillips B.M.E., The Florida State University, 1995 M.M., The University of South Florida, 2001 August 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with great appreciation and professional admiration that I thank the subject of this paper, John Mackey. He has been gracious throughout the interview, rehearsal and writing processes and it has been a pleasure to work with such a talented and enthusiastic composer. I look forward to the many wonderful compositions that his future promises to bring. I have been blessed to study with many great teachers over the past three decades. First, I thank those who significantly impacted my early musical development, in particular my high school band director, Sally Wagner. She is the reason that I chose a career in music education and she will always remain my greatest classroom model. Next, many thanks to Dr. James Croft, Dr. Patrick Dunnigan and Dr. William Wiedrich for allowing me to be a part of their collegiate ensembles where I was privileged to witness outstanding rehearsal techniques and special thanks to Dr. James Croft for his continuing words of encouragement and advice throughout the years. Without a doubt, I could not have asked for a better major professor and mentor to guide me through my doctoral degree. Professor Frank Wickes’ leadership and charisma on the podium, in the classroom and in all other aspects of the college band profession has been, and will remain, a model for me throughout my career. He is both an outstanding musician and teacher who showed utmost patience with me throughout my doctoral program. Next, I express my gratitude to my committee members (Dr. James Byo, Dr. Sara Lynn Baird, Dr. Evelyn Orman and Dr. Janice Hinson) for their time and advice during my final project. I appreciate how each one along with other LSU professors have contributed to my educational process. In addition, I thank my close friends and fellow graduate assistants for their support and encouragement. ii Finally, I would like to thank the two most important people in my life, my parents, for their steadfast love, prayers and support. My mother spent many hours proofreading my papers and has been a constant encouragement throughout my schooling. My father is the greatest musician and role model that I will ever know and I will always be appreciative for the wisdom that he has shared throughout the years. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................vi CHAPTER 1. JOHN MACKEY: A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.........................................1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................1 Rationale and Purpose.........................................................................................................1 Collaboration Between Composer and Conductor ...............................................................2 The Interview Process .........................................................................................................3 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION.......................................................................................4 AWARDS AND UPCOMING COMMISSIONS ..................................................................19 CHAPTER 2. MACKEY’S COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS AND LANGUAGE...............21 INFLUENCES ON MACKEY’S COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS ........................................21 Family Influence ...............................................................................................................21 Computer-Based Learning.................................................................................................21 Creation and Distribution of Mackey’s Compositions........................................................23 Computer Technology for Promotion ................................................................................25 Compositional Opportunities for Orchestral, Wind and Choral Genres ..............................26 Compositional Teachers and Influential Composers ..........................................................28 MACKEY’S COMPOSITIONAL LANGUAGE...................................................................31 Formal Design...................................................................................................................31 Melody..............................................................................................................................32 Rhythm .............................................................................................................................33 Harmony...........................................................................................................................36 Texture and Orchestration .................................................................................................37 Mackey’s Thoughts on Conductor’s Interpretation ............................................................38 CHAPTER 3. REDLINE TANGO: CONDUCTOR’S ANALYSIS.......................................40 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................40 Approaches to Conductor’s Analysis.................................................................................40 Process of Analysis for Mackey’s Redline Tango and Turbine ..........................................42 FACTUAL INFORMATION................................................................................................43 Historical Background.......................................................................................................43 Overview ..........................................................................................................................47 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................48 Formal Design...................................................................................................................48 Melody..............................................................................................................................55 Rhythm .............................................................................................................................59 Harmony...........................................................................................................................63 Texture..............................................................................................................................65 Orchestration.....................................................................................................................66 REHEARSAL ANALYSIS...................................................................................................68 CONCLUDING REMARKS ................................................................................................71 iv CHAPTER 4. TURBINE: CONDUCTOR’S ANALYSIS .....................................................73 FACTUAL INFORMATION................................................................................................73 Historical Background.......................................................................................................73 Overview ..........................................................................................................................74 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................76 Formal Design...................................................................................................................76 Melody..............................................................................................................................86 Rhythm .............................................................................................................................90 Harmony...........................................................................................................................93 Texture..............................................................................................................................94
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