Check out the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Music, the result of a project begun in the Spring 2021 Music Theory Seminar!
John Donnell, BM Music Education (2023)
"The Evolution and Impact of Anime Openings"
John Donnell graduated in May 2023 from the JMU School of Music, earning his Bachelors degree in instrumental music education. John created this interactive website in the Fall of 2022, in which he explores how anime openings have evolved through the years and their impact on music and pop culture itself. The website includes written and chordal analysis, notable information for all three songs analyzed, and more. Songs analyzed include "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", "Guren no Yumiya", and "Kick Back".
Elizabeth Ritchie, BM Piano Performance (2022)
"Reconstructing Song in Hugo's Les Miserables"
Elizabeth Ritchie is a senior Piano Performance major at James Madison University. She loves collaborating with other music majors, playing for the JMU Wind Symphony, and teaching piano to her students in the Harrisonburg area. After graduating from JMU, she hopes to pursue a Master's in Collaborative Piano. A longtime lover of Victor Hugo's novel Les Miserables, she created this project to further explore the novel's song references, their connection to French protest song culture, and the meaning of these quotations within the context of the novel and Hugo's world.
Kendall Waters, BM Composition and Piano Performance (2021)
Hailing from Crozier, Virginia, Kendall Waters is studying piano performance and composition with a minor in jazz studies. In 2021, Kendall published her research on semiotics in the music of Billy Joel in the James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ) and worked with other undergraduate students to create the Journal of Undergraduate Research in Music (JURM). After finishing her studies at JMU, she hopes to enter graduate studies in musicology.
Grace Templeton, BM Music Education and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies (2023)
"Analyzing 2020's Top TikTok Songs"
Grace Templeton is currently studying Vocal Music Education and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies at James Madison University. In this interactive web essay, she employs a variety of analytical tools as she considers why certain songs became popular on TikTok in 2020, including "Savage Love (Laxed--Siren Beat," "Savage," and "Lottery (Renegade)." Additionally, Grace interviews others to find out what they think.
Megan Paje, BM Music Education (2023)
"The Shift in One Direction Discography" (paper | playlist)
Megan Paje is from Bristow, Virginia, and is currently studying Vocal Music Education with a Minor in Mathematics at James Madison University. In this paper, she considers how the music of One Direction changes over time as the band matures in age. She discusses multiple songs across each album to show that the band's musical style aged along with its audience.
