“Weed Crumbles into Glitter”: Representing a Marijuana High in Frank Ocean’s Blonde

Musico-analytical examination of Frank Ocean's album Blonde and the lyrical references and musical allusions to a marijuana high

‘Hand in Glove’ and the Development of The Smiths’ Sound

The Smiths are one of the most commercially successful and in uential bands to emerge from the British post-punk movement in the 1980s. Along with elements such as lyrics, harmony, and musical form, a key component of The Smiths’ distinctive musical style involves their sound and, in particular, their sound as represented on studio recordings. Drawing upon the work and insights of scholars such as Albin Zak, Allan F. Moore and Ruth Dockwray, this paper details the complex recording history of the band’s rst single ‘Hand in Glove’ in an attempt to trace the development of The Smiths’ unique recorded sound

Some Notes on John Zorn’s Cobra

Historical, analytical, and critical overview of John Zorn's celebrated file-card composition, Cobra

Examining Rhythmic and Metric Practices in Led Zeppelin's Musical Style

In this essay, I examine how aspects of rhythm and metre play a fundamental role in shaping and defining Led Zeppelin’s musical style. At the same time, I will show how Led Zeppelin was able to modify, manipulate, and develop pre-existing musical models and forms through various rhythmic and metric strategies. Comparative analyses will be used in an effort to show how Led Zeppelin’s flexible conception of rhythm and metre enabled the band to put their own stylistic ‘stamp’ on (i) specific musical genres (‘The Crunge’ and the song’s relation to James Brown-style funk), (ii) their riff constructions (‘Black Dog’ in relation to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’), and (iii) their cover versions (‘Dazed and Confused’). Drawing upon my analytical points, I re-visit the complex issues that persist regarding the possibility that Led Zeppelin even has an ‘original’ or ‘unique’ style given their often overt reliance upon earlier musical models and forms. Therefore, in my conclusion, I argue that the development of any artist or group’s individual style necessarily involves the ability to assimilate and transform pre-existing musical features – features such as rhythm and metre – in novel ways and where issues relating to musical style intersect with influence

Schoenberg, Unfolding, and ‘Composing With Twelve Tones’: A Case Study (Op. 25/I)

For Arnold Schoenberg, presentation (Darstellung) is an act of conscien- tious composition by which the formal/functional properties of motives and Gestalten, along with any possible development or variation, are real- ized in the creation of a coherent musical artwork. Presentation, then, is the manner by which a musical idea (Gedanke) is made comprehensible. Like the “musical idea,” the concept of presentation assumes a variety of forms and functions in Schoenberg’s theories. In its most general sense, presentation describes abstract musico-compositional practices deduced from a wide range of composers and works from a variety of musical styles and historical periods. Schoenberg distinguishes three forms of presenta- tion in his theoretical writings: “stringing-together” or “juxtaposition” in popular musical forms, developing variation in homophonic music gen- erally associated with the “Viennese Classicist” period, and “unfolding” or “envelopment” (Abwicklung), a form used to describe the polyphon- ic/contrapuntal practices of the Baroque as exemplified by the music of J.S. Bach. In the present essay, I will focus on unfolding by examining this particular method of presentation within the context of Schoenberg’s twelve-tone compositional practices using the Prelude from the Suite for Piano, Op. 25 as a case study. As I hope to show, principles associated with unfolding can, with some slight modifications, serve as a viable method of presenting musical ideas in a twelve-tone context

The Role of Leadership on Corporate Governance

Corporate governance and internal controls over the accounting and financial reporting processes are critical to timely and accurate financial data reporting. Sheikh (2019) concluded that internal controls establish accepted practices, manage risk choices in decision-making, and improve ongoing monitoring activities to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and company policy. Wang and Zhou (2016) identified leadership as a critical component of corporate governance and concluded that a company’s accounting process and related controls were interdependent with enterprise management and directly correlated to the sustainability of operations and business success. The Board of Directors and the Chief Audit Executives are responsible for assessing, influencing, and monitoring these controls. Essen et al. (2013) concluded that leadership establishes good corporate governance through proper leadership roles, including an effective Board of Directors, and alignment of operational processes to employees and stakeholders. The researcher completed an extensive review of leadership styles and analyzed the Board of Directors\u27 and the CAE’s role to complete this study. The researcher also analyzed leadership’s involvement in corporate governance oversight, including strategy development, risk assessment, and operational improvements. This study\u27s recommendations provide insight into the role leadership plays in corporate governance over the accounting and financial reporting processes and provide guidance to the Board of Directors and Chief Audit Executives to enhance and maintain a strong corporate governance program

Wrongful Defeat: The 1934 Florida Senatorial Democratic Primary between Claude Pepper and Park Trammell

In 1934, the state of Florida faced a midterm election in which one of its two U.S. senators came up for reelection. The campaign began with five candidates, but Claude Pepper and incumbent Park Trammell stood out as the most viable contenders to win the Democratic nomination. As in other southern states, the Democratic Party dominated Florida\u27s elections, and the winner of the party primary won the office. As the campaign between Pepper and Trammell progressed, it became a bitter fight marred by widespread smear tactics. When neither candidate won a majority in the June 5 primary, Pepper and Trammell continued their vigorous statewide campaign until June 26 when election results returned the incumbent to the senate. Soon after the second primary, allegations emerged claiming voter fraud in Hillsborough County. While the claims were legitimate, Claude Pepper refused to challenge the election. Due to the extremely close results of the June 5 primary and the almost even number of supporters for both candidates, corruption in just a handful of precincts in West Tampa and Ybor City apparently deprived Pepper of the Democratic nomination

John Zorn: Tradition and Transgression

Book-length examination of the musical, artistic, and aesthetic practices of the American experimental composer and saxophonist, John Zorn

Satan, Subliminals, and Suicide: The Formation and Development of an Antirock Discourse in the United States During the 1980s

For anti-rock activists in the 1980s, lyrical descriptions and visual depictions that glorified and promoted violence, sex, drug and alcohol abuse, Satanism, and related forms of occult activity were symptomatic not only of the declining moral standards of many forms of popular entertainment but also of the overall moral decay of America. Many of the claims advanced by anti-rock activists were informed by a moral panic that swept across the nation beginning in the 1980s. Paralleling the growing influence of fundamentalist conservatism on American culture and politics during this time, the so-called “Satanic Panic” (or “Satanism Scare”) was fueled by an increasing number of news reports that suggested that an underground network of Satanists were active throughout all parts of American society. After briefly outlining some of the religious, political, and socio-cultural conditions that helped the anti-rock movement flourish in the 1980s, I will discuss the background and content of one of the earliest reports linking popular music with Satanism: AB3741, a bill proposed before the California legislature in 1982. Drawing upon documents and testimony related to AB 3741, I will describe how supporters of the bill exploited contemporary fears regarding Satanism and behavioral modification by characterizing backward (or “backmasked”) messages as a form of subliminal stimulation that had the ability to modify the behavior and beliefs of unsuspecting listeners. The arguments and claims presented in support of AB 3741 influenced much of the anti-rock discourse that dominated the 1980s, including the campaign for a record labelling system advanced by the Parents’ Music Resource Center (PMRC) as well as civil suits debated in courtrooms across the country as part of multiple wrongful death suits filed against heavy metal acts by parents of teenagers who had committed suicide

Emotional Intelligence Predicts Adolescent Mental Health Beyond Personality and Cognitive Ability

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been reliably linked to better mental health (Martins, Ramalho, & Morin, 2010). However, critics have argued that EI may be conceptually redundant and unable to offer anything new to the prediction of key adaptational outcomes beyond known correlates of performance, i.e., personality and cognitive ability (Brody, 2004). Although sparse, extant evidence points to differential incremental contributions from ability and trait EI in the prediction of internalising vs. externalising symptomotology in adults (e.g., Gardner & Qualter, 2010; Rossen & Kranzler, 2009). However, there is a dearth of research addressing these associations in adolescents. The current study explored the incremental validity of ability and trait EI to predict depression and disruptive behaviour beyond the ‘Big Five’ personality dimensions and general cognitive ability in a sample of 499 adolescents (mean age 13.02 years). Regression analyses found that collectively, EI made a significant, incremental contribution to the prediction of disorder in youth. However, of the two, trait EI appears the stronger predictor. Findings are discussed with reference to EI theory and directions for future research