D.M.A. · 2025 The Trumpet and Symbolism
This dissertation critically examines the historical symbolism of the trumpet—its deep associations with war, religion, power, and heroism—and proposes a method for subverting these connotations through performance and multimedia design.
Drawing on critical theory (postmodernism and metamodernism) and interdisciplinary figures like John Cage, Frank Zappa, David Foster Wallace, and Kathy Acker, the document outlines strategies for recontextualizing trumpet sound through collage, irony, sincerity, and narrative disruption. The document culminates in an analysis of the author’s three doctoral recitals as practical demonstrations of the theoretical framework.
Read the dissertation