Mozart and aristocratic women performers in Salzburg : a study of the piano concertos K. 242 and K. 246

Among recent approaches to Classic music, one of the most revealing is the investigation of expression via topoi. Pioneered by Leonard Ratner, and developed by leading musicologists specializing in 18th-century music, this system identifies characteristic figures and styles that conveyed specific meanings to 18th-century audiences via processes of association. These implications resulted from intimate contacts with everyday musical activities in worship, entertainment, dance ceremonies, the military, hunt, and outdoor events. Familiarity with such characteristic topoi and styles enables listeners and performers today to reconstruct the original venues of communication between composers and their audiences. Serving as case studies, this paper explores the expressive content of two concertos intended for aristocratic women performers in Salzburg: the Concerto for three keyboards in F, K. 242 (1776), written for the Countess Antonia Lodron and her two daughters, Aloysia and Josepha, and the keyboard concerto in C, K. 246 (1776) intended for the Countess Antonia Lützow. Indeed, it seems that much as Mozart provided his singers with arias that were tailored to their voices,3 in these cases, he granted the Countesses music that was redolent of their social milieu. In support of this hypothesis, this article opens with a description of several social-musical activities that engaged the Lodron and Lützow families in Salzburg during the 1770s. It then proceeds to discuss references to these concertos found in the Mozart family correspondence. While much of this information is gleaned from well-known Mozart sources, its recall establishes the cultural and sociological context for these specific works, and provides an insight into the manner of performance that Mozart valued for this music. The paper concludes with a semiotic analysis of selected passages, suggesting that the choice of the topical content bears homage to the women dedicatees

How we behave when asked for donations while buying concert tickets online

Maja Adena studies how buyers avoid a negative self-image and what it means for fundraiser

My Body, My Choice: Biblical, Rabbinic, and Contemporary Halakhic Responses to Abortion

Since the Supreme Court grounded the right to an abortion in a constitutional right to privacy, legal and societal debate has continued around the status of a fetus in utero, a woman’s countervailing claims, and the interests of states and society as a whole. As American courts have faced an issue that intertwines legal, moral, and philosophical questions, so too the halakhic process confronts analogous complexities. The main line of Jewish tradition makes a much-needed contribution to the discussion of abortion. Without sharing the view that the fetus is from conception fully a person, it stops short of a complete dismissal of the value problem in destroying a fetus. However, whatever value attaches to “potential life,” the primary concern lies with the woman. She exists. Her voice and her needs must be heard. And her life, (no matter how slim her chances of survival), health, and mental well-being come first

Co-Teaching Strategies for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners in Middle School English Language Arts

The research question addressed in this project is: What are the most effective co-teaching strategies for teaching literacy skills in a middle school English Language Arts class that is culturally and linguistically diverse? It documents one teacher’s creation of an ELA-based curriculum that includes strategies for ELD co-teaching, learning activities to increase middle school literacy skills and supports for culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Designing the curriculum using the Understanding by Design framework, it is for use when teaching Free? Stories Celebrating Human Rights ( Morpurgo et al., 2015) in a co-taught sixth grade classroom. The overall goal of the unit is to strengthen students\u27 literacy skills while exploring issues of human rights, using methods that are scaffolded for ELL students through the utilization of effective ELA/ELD co-teaching strategies. Included with this curriculum are co-planning templates, performance tasks descriptions, differentiated assessments, and graphic organizers

Re-Envisioning Talent Management for the 4th Industrial Revolution: A Systems and Design Thinking Intervention

This dissertation examines the application of interactive planning as an intervention for the purpose of exploring its effectiveness with diverse, cross-organizational stakeholders when considering an issue that transcends individual organizations. The case study offers a practitioner method and approach using systems and design thinking to re-envision talent management in the 4th Industrial Revolution. The first two phases of a three-phase model, entitled Consider, Research, Explore, Associate, Theorize, and Empathize, (C.R.E.A.T.E.) contains aspects of systems and design thinking, and are addressed in this study. Data were gathered from direct observation and facilitation of two stakeholder sessions. The first, in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, included participants employed in a variety of roles from across industries and companies in the Greater Philadelphia area. The second, in Austin, Texas, included external human capital consultants across the United States and Canada who were all partner-members of Career Partners International (CPI). Results indicated that stakeholders representing different organizations, roles and boundaries can enter into generative space regarding a common issue. Results also show designs with emergent themes that have the potential to influence the creation of an effective talent management system, and the C.R.E.A.T.E. model can be applied to accelerate the pace of innovation and creative solution seeking with regard to issues of complexity. Reflections on the facilitation process and a timeline practitioners can use with internal and external clients are provided along with suggestions for future research into this highly collaborative and interactive process

Building a New Frame of Reference: An Adult Transformational Approach

Coaching is a process by which a coach engages with a client to help realize personal or professional development goals. A successful coaching process is holistic; taking into account the individual’s expressed desires, their observable behaviors and relationships, all in the context of their needs. Reflecting on how theory informs a coaching practice is important for the practitioner to move beyond intuition and permit theory to influence interventions while also allowing for the observable data to be grounded in a framework that further informs their practice. This paper presents the case study of an OCEC Coaching Practicum Engagement and subsequent work done after the original contract expired. In addition, an exploration of the ethical values ascribed to by the Coach, the theory that informed the methods used during the coaching engagement, and how the data contributed to the Coach’s theoretical view and methods used will be included. In consideration for the importance of self-awareness during the coaching process this paper will be written in the first person, from the perspective of the Coach, and integrate personal background and reflection throughout the stages of the coaching engagement

A Validation Study of the Colorado Department of Education Response to Intervention Implementation Rubrics

Measuring the effectiveness of the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework has become a more urgent need in the broader context of educational policy and the high stakes associated with school improvement. In order to meet these needs, the systematic development of a series of RtI rubrics was initiated within the state of Colorado to support districts, schools, and educators with the implementation of the RtI framework. Although the staff of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) invested significant time and resources into developing the RtI implementation rubrics, they did not conduct an evaluation of the internal validity of the tools. The purpose of this research is to engage in such as study. This study has the capacity to greatly expand the understanding of systemic RtI implementation as defined in the state of Colorado. Through factor analysis, it was determined what the validity of the CDE School Level RtI Implementation Rubric is in order to identify whether there are six distinct components for RtI implementation, and the relationships between those components. This information can be utilized by the Department\u27s staff to prioritize professional development offerings and to understand the role component plays in the overall implementation of RtI. An additional benefit was to reduce the number of items on the measure to create a more streamlined tool. With the dearth of tools available to measure fidelity of RtI implementation, it is challenging to determine whether the framework has achieved the ultimate goal of improving academic and behavioral outcomes for students. Through this exploratory factor analysis, the CDE RtI Implementation Rubrics have been determined to be a viable option for measuring the systemic implementation of the RtI framework. After future research conducting confirmatory factor analysis has been conducted, and larger sample size is gathered, it should be possible to determine whether the framework has achieved the ultimate goal of improving academic and behavioral outcomes for students