Award Date
12-15-2025
Degree Type
Doctoral Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
Department
Music
First Committee Member
Alfonse Anderson
Second Committee Member
Stephanie Council
Third Committee Member
Monica Williams
Fourth Committee Member
Spencer Baker
Fifth Committee Member
Joe Bynum
Number of Pages
105
Abstract
This document introduces a structured, classical vocal approach to equip native singers with healthier performance techniques and enable anyone in the music world to perform the art songs derived from the poetry and compositions of Queen Sālote Tupou III. The objective of this project is to provide performers, particularly those with a native proficiency, with classical techniques to perform this music with vigor while circumventing vocal fatigue caused by the linguistic, dialectal, and cultural demands inherent in the repertoire. Queen Sālote Tupou III (1900–1965) reigned for nearly 50 years – the longest of any Tongan monarch – and left an enduring cultural legacy through her poetry and music.
Among her most notable works are Loka Siliva (1917), 'Ikale Oma 'o Pau (1933), 'Oketi (1941), Tu'u kae 'ai hao sei (1942), and Katinia (1949). These compositions have the capacity to preserve and promote Tongan heritage, values, and identity among the population.
In light of the paucity of educational resources and institutions within the Kingdom of Tonga, I have endeavored to furnish comprehensive International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) materials. The utilization of these materials is intended to serve as invaluable instruments in the preservation of the authenticity of Tongan vocal music and the assurance of the sustainable vocal health of performers.
Furthermore, I requested authorization from the publisher of the original scores to transcribe the Tongan notations of the selected songs above into Westernized notations for all singers and musicians.
Keywords
IPA for Tongan songs; Queen Sālote poems and music; Tongan folk songs; Tongan notations to westernized; Tongan vocal music
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Music | Music Performance
File Format
File Size
3500 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Tamale, Pauline 'ofa Vaitāfā, "Integrating Classical Singing Techniques to Aid Natives in Performing Traditional Tongan Folk Songs of the Late Queen Sālote Tupou III" (2025). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5472.
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/5472
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/