Preferred Name
KaiPo Lan
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5017-2318
Date of Graduation
8-19-2025
Semester of Graduation
Summer
Degree Name
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
Department
School of Music
First Advisor
Casey Cangelosi
Second Advisor
John Peterson
Third Advisor
Ian Zook
Abstract
In the late twentieth century, the dual role of percussionist-composer became more visible, supported by the growth of percussion ensembles, specialized university training, and musicians who embraced both performance and composition as central to their artistic identity. Bob Becker is such a musician, a world-renowned percussionist and composer notable for the fusion of North Indian classical music and Western music conventions. His chamber pieces are excellent additions to the repertoire and notable for his multicultural music aesthetic, orchestration, range of musical colors, and idiomatic writing for the performers. Moreover, Becker’s ongoing exploration of his interest in poetry has been reflected in his chamber music with voice.
The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a more complete view of Bob Becker’s compositional approach, focusing on the inspirations from Hindustani and Western musical traditions, and the techniques relevant to his overall musical language. The influences of Hindustani music, and their manifestations in his music, will be identified through analyses of his works from 1977 to 1993. This document also provides an examination of Becker’s 1998 chamber work Never in Word to demonstrate his musical treatment to poetic text and the recent compositional techniques. A brief overview of Becker’s life and works as well as a chronological listing of his works are also included.
