Date of Award
4-2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Music
Department
School of Music
First Advisor
Dr. Stephen Lias
Second Advisor
Dr. Ben Morris
Third Advisor
Dr. Kathryn Fenton
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Gabriela Miranda-Recinos
Abstract
Although the American rock band Fall Out Boy has had a great impact upon the popular music scene since their first album in 2003, little academic literature exists exploring their musical and cultural influences and impact. Through careful transcription and analysis this thesis defines Fall Out Boy’s compositional tendencies and contextualizes their work in the greater Western popular music canon. My composition, AQUA, is a continuation and response to Fall Out Boy’s seminal album, So Much (For) Stardust. Grounded in influences from Fall Out Boy’s music and my personal journey as a musician and queer individual, AQUA represents a deeply personal and thematically rich exploration of identity, resilience, and artistic expression. The central goal of AQUA is to bridge the narrative gap between So Much (For) Stardust and my own work, adapting their musical language with my own compositional practices. Through a multifacited approach that embraces diverse influences and explores complex themes, AQUA represents a significant milestone in my creative output. It intertwines the realms of rock music and contemporary chamber music and offers a unique perspective on the intersection of identity and creativity.
Repository Citation
Buehler, Blake, "So Much (For) Saving Rock and Roll: The Musical DNA of Fall Out Boy" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 530.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/530
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
