Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Music
Department
School of Music
First Advisor
Samantha Inman
Abstract
While the American march is a staple of wind band repertoire, it has been underrepresented in the field of advanced music theory. This thesis examines marches through the lens of Schenkerian analysis, which uncovers deep levels of structural cohesion and brings a fresh perspective to the American march genre. Specifically, this study uses Schenkerian methods to study the music of Karl L. King (1891-1971) across the span of his half-century career. King’s extensive output established an enduring blueprint for the genre. By applying an analytical framework derived from the work of Harald Krebs, this research demonstrates how the march can be viewed as two constituent pieces, each governed by its own Ursatz. Through examination of representative works from each of King’s three style periods—his Trouping Days, Early Fort Dodge Years, and Final Years—this thesis highlights structural phenomena, evolution of style, and King’s lasting influence on music education. Ultimately, this study offers an alternative lens through which the American march can be studied with the hopes of renewing analytical interest by uncovering deep-level phenomena previously unseen by traditional analytical means.
Repository Citation
Custer, Dylan J., "A Schenkerian Approach to the Marches of Karl L. King" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 712.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/712
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
