Arts - Buffalo State College

impetus for my desire to delve deeper into this topic. Music was a
constant presence, both in my home and at family gatherings. I have
strong childhood memories of my uncle’s Ukrainian folk band (my
great-grandmother was raised in Russia), in which the accordion,
or Livenka, would come out and everyone would start dancing. My
presentation will focus on music from the Eastern part of Russia and
the Ukraine. The Ukraine did not achieve independence until 1991;
Ukrainians are now the second largest ethnic-minority in Russia.
The region therefore shares a similar history and culture as well as
musical influences with the Russian folk genre. I will present both
musical score and visual examples to illustrate my musical and
cultural discussion points.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster II
Structure and Indeterminacy: The Musique
Concrète Styles of Edgard Varèse and
John Cage
John Smigielski, MUS 303W: Music History 2
Faculty Mentor: Professor Carolyn Guzski, Music
My paper will explore the similarities and differences in the
compositional styles of Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) and John Cage
(1912-1992). Although both composed in multiple genres, I intend
to focus on the musique concrète works of each composer: Poème
électronique (1958) by Varèse, and Williams Mix (1952) by Cage.
I have used scholarly studies on Cage, Varèse, and the history of
electronic music as source material for my investigation. Musique
Concrète was invented (formally) in 1949 by Pierre Schaffer and
Pierre Henry at the Radiodiffusion-Télévision française (RTF) studio
in Paris. The RTF studio was at the center of pre- and post-World
War II electronic music composition in Europe. The term “Concrète”
refers to the use of abstract sound (derived from natural or electronic
origins) as the primary focus of the composition. My preliminary
research has revealed that Varèse and Cage employed very different
structural approaches in their work with electronic media. In
Poème électronique, Varèse utilized a structured, highly complex
notated score in what he termed a work of “organized sound,” with
subtle details that were carefully executed. Cage, on the other hand,
composed Williams Mix using a technique known as indeterminacy,
derived from Cage’s study of the I-Ching, (the ancient Chinese Book
of Changes), yielding “chance music.” Although the composers had
very different styles, they shared many similar influences and ideas.
In my presentation, I will offer a brief history of both composers and
their influences. I will then examine the two compositions, linking
elements of each to their influences, and to each other. I hope to give
my audience an understanding of this lesser-known musical genre,
as well as insight into the ways in which two seemingly unrelated
works are in fact related on many levels.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Humanities III
Arts
They Have Never Stopped Living Under
My Bed: A Sculptural Interpretation of
Fears
Francesca D’Angelo, HON 400: All College Honors Colloquium
Faculty Mentors: Professor Darien Johnson, Design and Professor
Andrea Guiati, Director, All College Honors Program
I am a basement stairs sprinter, a bed jumper, and an under
the covers hider. The spaces I encounter during the day come to
life when the sun goes down and the lights are off. Lampshades
open their eyes, and coat-racks grow arms with eager hands
waiting to snatch those who pass. Fears manifest themselves into
ankle grabbing, closet peeping, under the bed dwelling monsters
that return night after night, morphing out of familiar objects into
creatures of the dark. Through the manipulation of clay and glaze
I will bring life to these ideas, producing tangibility where only
ambiguity had existed. By doing this I will be better able to grasp
what my fears are made of.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster I
Traditional Drafts Applied To
Contemporary Weavings
Tegan Ford, Fibers
Faculty Mentor: Professor Jozef Bajus, Design
Hand weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to man. Integral
to human survival, cloth was created to shield our bodies from
the natural elements. As our control of environmental conditions
increased, the design of cloth transformed from being a necessity to
an item of luxury. As a hand-weaver, I focus on how the materials,
color and fabric structure are manipulated to create textiles that are
desirable, comfortable and treasured. I am influenced by the graphic
details in traditional weaving patterns as well as my research into
contemporary colors that are used in the world of couture fashion.
Looking at trends in the fashion industry informs me what hues are
considered to be luxurious. How the colors interact within a fabric
dictates which pattern is used for a particular weaving. Natural
fibers, such as wool, silk and cotton, are also prevalent in my work
because I feel that these materials create a fabric that is more alive.
Rather then focus on the technological advancements in textiles
(synthetics), I use natural materials to refer back to the earliest
textiles. The combination of contemporary colors that relate to highend
design and materials that are derived from nature, create a
collection of works that will be cherished for years.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster VI
Traditional Non-Ferrous Alloys
John Harris, Metals/Jewelry and Anthropology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Tara Nahabetian, Design
Alloys, or mixtures of metals, have been used throughout history
and have spanned across the globe. While some alloys such as
sterling silver are commonly used in contemporary jewelry design,
other alloys are used far less. Though these alloys appear less often
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