THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JODIE BLACKSHAW, JENNIFER JOLLEY, AND ERIKA SVANOE TO THE WIND BAND REPERTOIRE—COMPOSITIONAL STYLE, ANALYSIS OF SELECTED WORKS, AND IMPACT AS UNDERREPRESENTED COMPOSERS

Abstract

This document presents biographical sketches, outlines compositional styles, and analyzes a major work written for advanced ensembles by Jodie Blackshaw, Jennifer Jolley, and Erika Svanoe, highlighting their impact in the wind band as underrepresented contemporary composers. The principal focus of this research is to examine each composer and their contributions to the repertoire. A comprehensive biographical portrait is made of each to include formative experiences, educational backgrounds, career trajectories, personal beliefs, and philosophies. Through analysis of their music, this research provides a thorough examination of how each composer’s unique compositional influences manifest in their individual works. The second purpose of this study is to investigate the role of gender biases in music, with special attention given to how women composers have been viewed and treated throughout music’s history. A brief history of women in music is presented to contextualize each composer’s experience within a broader narrative of the marginalization of women in music. The final purpose of this document is to provide musicians, educators, and conductors with a resource for studying each composer's music. A detailed analytical guide—outlining form, harmony, melodic and rhythmic content, orchestration decisions of tone color and timbre, and stylistic choices—is provided for Jodie Blackshaw’s Soulström, Jennifer Jolley’s MARCH!, and Erika Svanoe’s Symphony in Blue and Gold. This work serves to amplify and promote the voices of each composer and to inspire a more inclusive, equitable, and representative future in music.