Date of Defense
4-5-2025
Date of Graduation
4-2025
Department
Music
First Advisor
Andrew Rathbun
Second Advisor
Matthew Fries
Abstract
Possibilities of Dreamscapes was a compositional journey that culminated in the presentation of my senior recital on April 5th, 2025. As I dig deeper into jazz and music in general, I have become more and more fascinated with composition and the emotional content that is inherent in its storytelling. So, I set out to compose the music for my final recital with the idea that I wanted to experiment with different compositional techniques to showcase the Possibilities of Dreamscapes. These dreamscapes can be many things, from what you would expect of idyllic versions of landscapes to distorted interpretations of reality. Just like in our own dreams, we never quite know what to expect from what our brain has created.
The six pieces that I composed each have their own identity; their own possibility. The consonance of A Mother’s Lullaby is contrasted by the impressionistic harmony of #1. The free flowing time of Pentacycle goes against the driving rhythm of Unsure. The hard swing of #6 is a change from the cool samba feel of Spoon Fed and Michigan Samba. These differences give each piece their own space to live and grow.
As a connection to my musical influences and a foundation for the recital, I decided to perform a piece by saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, titled The Dreamer. Along with fitting the theme of my recital, this piece demonstrates a different possibility than those shown in my compositions. Wilkins’ piece was written with poetry in mind, something which I didn’t utilize for this recital but have in the past. Having poetry in mind when writing a piece brings a lyrical quality to the music that can’t be found without it.
This performance of my compositions on April 5th, 2025 is just the first of my possibilities for these songs. Each time they are performed will be different. I might compose a new section for one of them. The instrumentation could change. In my mind, a composition is not a finite object; there will always be more Possibilities in the Landscape.
Recommended Citation
Mortensen, Luke, "Possibilities of Dreamscapes" (2025). Honors Theses. 3911.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3911
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Restricted
Restricted to Campus until
6-3-2026