Deanna C. C. Peluso
Encyclopedia
Deanna C. C. Peluso is a Canadian musician, composer, music educator, author and researcher currently residing in Vancouver, B.C.. She has been the Project Coordinator for the RYME - Research For Youth, Music and Education project since 2009, and also does field research
for the SSHRC funded research project. Peluso combines her academic and experiential background in music
, psychology
, performance art
, technology
and education
within her research, publications and artistic practice.
and in Psychology
from Simon Fraser University
, from the Faculty of Contemporary Arts and from the Faculty of Psychology. Peluso also holds a Masters of Education
in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Victoria
(UVIC), where her research on the motivations, benefits and persistence for mature students to pursue their graduate degrees led to her writing a book on her research and findings.
and Media literacy, as seen in her 2010 talks at the Media Literacy Conference in London, UK, as well as her focus at RYME - Research For Youth, Music and Education.
Peluso's recent research has been featured on the Congress 2011 of Humanities and Social Sciences which is organized by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. An article on Peluso's research as a part of RYME discussed how the research group is bringing forth a new outlook on childhood education, the arts and the media. This article also recapped Peluso's and her colleagues' presentations at the Congress, and quoted Peluso as saying that “Teachers facilitate the role of exploring these [technological and artistic] opportunities, learn from kids and offer youth empowerment. Everyone has knowledge of what the next person doesn’t.”
and Music within the Classroom. Peluso also lectures on technology in education and using technology within artistic practice. In her workshops, Peluso uses a multi-sensory approach to teaching, rather than an oral lecture format. Peluso has also been involved in teaching music to adult learners and learners with disabilities, by using various Arts based techniques, such as the exploration of acoustic awareness through photography or painting.
, Burnaby, B.C.
working on a Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) in Arts Education
. In addition to her research in Music Education
and Media literacy, she is the Project Coordinator and a member of the ongoing research project, RYME - Research For Youth, Music and Education, which is a Simon Fraser University
research project that looks at youth participation and enagement in musical activities. Peluso is involved in other music education organizations, such as the Canadian Music Educators Association (CMEA), where she is a blog contributor and web administrator for the CMEA's Research to Practice blog.
, Germany
, which specializes in publishing books in the research industry. The book is a documentation of a qualitative and quantitative study of the motivations, support systems and reasons for students to persist in their graduate studies in Education. The book looks at the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to commence and continue graduate studies, such as the external support systems of family or funding, the psychological barriers and the potential personal and financial benefits of completing a Masters or Doctoral degree in Education. Since a majority of the participants within the study in the book were educators, mainly teachers in the K-12 education system, the study was important in its search to discover the motives of the educators to pursue their post-graduate education, and whether the educators were more interested in personal growth or in financial gain by job advancement due to their additional degree and experience.
Peluso continues to publish articles in various journals and academic publications on music education and the online environment.
. During her Music Composition degree, Peluso collaborated with dancers, filmmakers, actors and with other performing artists to fuel her experience in the field, in music education and to build upon her 14 years of studying and performing Classical period music. Former professors, mentors and teachers included Martin Gotfrit, David McIntyre, and Owen Underhill
. Peluso has composed music for not just sole instrumental performance, but has been involved in composing music for dance, theatre and various other performing art installations within the Vancouver area. It seems that her music, artworks and online presence typically are signed under the pseudonym or nickname — dccp.
being away due to an unknown cause on the day of the reading session, the piece was conducted by Maestro Kenneth Hsieh. The Music Box Circus includes the entire orchestra in its orchestration, and is about 5 minutes 20 seconds in length - It is unknown whether Peluso has revised the piece since the 2006 performance.
The Sonic Boom Festival is an annual composers festival each spring located at the Western Front
in Vancouver, B.C.. Peluso's compositions have had numerous performances at this Performing Arts festival that showcases various composers and musicians from across Canada. Peluso's compositions have varied from a string trio, a saxophone quartet, to eclectic mixes of accordion, cello and percussion.
Peluso has been an active participant in the Arts community, both in solo performance and as a part of musical groups or collaborations with theatre, dance or film. During 2003, Peluso performed for the first time as a participant in the In The House Performing Arts Festival, as a musician for the theatre group "Un/Stuck", which featured actors from the Greater Vancouver Regional District
. In 2003, with the same theatre troupe she performed at Nextfest 2004, the Performing Arts Festival in Edmonton
, Alberta.
In 2005, among her schedule of musical performances as a part of dance and performance art shows, she performed with Gamelan Alligator Joy, a performance group that plays a combination of traditional and contemporary Javanese Gamelan
. Peluso performed with the same performance group at various other events around Vancouver, B.C. throughout 2005 and 2006.
Field research
Field research is the collection of raw data in natural settings. It helps to reveal the habits and habitats of various organisms present in their natural surroundings...
for the SSHRC funded research project. Peluso combines her academic and experiential background in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
within her research, publications and artistic practice.
Academic contributions
Peluso holds bachelors degrees in both MusicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, from the Faculty of Contemporary Arts and from the Faculty of Psychology. Peluso also holds a Masters of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
(UVIC), where her research on the motivations, benefits and persistence for mature students to pursue their graduate degrees led to her writing a book on her research and findings.
Research
Peluso is an active participant in academic conferences in media, music and psychology, and her research focuses on various projects and foundations where an importance is placed on music education and on developing Arts-based education. Peluso's research has also dealt with the fields of Cognitive Psychology and Memory studies. Her most recent research has been focusing on Music EducationMusic education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
and Media literacy, as seen in her 2010 talks at the Media Literacy Conference in London, UK, as well as her focus at RYME - Research For Youth, Music and Education.
Peluso's recent research has been featured on the Congress 2011 of Humanities and Social Sciences which is organized by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. An article on Peluso's research as a part of RYME discussed how the research group is bringing forth a new outlook on childhood education, the arts and the media. This article also recapped Peluso's and her colleagues' presentations at the Congress, and quoted Peluso as saying that “Teachers facilitate the role of exploring these [technological and artistic] opportunities, learn from kids and offer youth empowerment. Everyone has knowledge of what the next person doesn’t.”
Lectures and seminars
Peluso currently conducts educational research seminars and workshops on the Use of Technology within Academia and Educational Settings, Social Networking, IcebreakersIcebreaker (facilitation)
An icebreaker is a facilitation exercise intended to help a group to begin the process of forming themselves into a team. Icebreakers are commonly presented as a game to "warm up" the group by helping the members to get to know each other...
and Music within the Classroom. Peluso also lectures on technology in education and using technology within artistic practice. In her workshops, Peluso uses a multi-sensory approach to teaching, rather than an oral lecture format. Peluso has also been involved in teaching music to adult learners and learners with disabilities, by using various Arts based techniques, such as the exploration of acoustic awareness through photography or painting.
Music education
Peluso is current located in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, Burnaby, B.C.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
working on a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(Ph.D.) in Arts Education
Art education
Art education is the area of learning that is based upon the visual, tangible arts—drawing, painting, sculpture, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and design applied to more practical fields such as commercial graphics and home furnishings...
. In addition to her research in Music Education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
and Media literacy, she is the Project Coordinator and a member of the ongoing research project, RYME - Research For Youth, Music and Education, which is a Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
research project that looks at youth participation and enagement in musical activities. Peluso is involved in other music education organizations, such as the Canadian Music Educators Association (CMEA), where she is a blog contributor and web administrator for the CMEA's Research to Practice blog.
Publications
Peluso is a published author of the book "Motivation, Purpose and Persistence: Pursuing a Leadership Degree: A Study Of Graduate Students' Motivations To Pursue A Degree In Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies". The book is published by Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. located in SaarbrückenSaarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, which specializes in publishing books in the research industry. The book is a documentation of a qualitative and quantitative study of the motivations, support systems and reasons for students to persist in their graduate studies in Education. The book looks at the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to commence and continue graduate studies, such as the external support systems of family or funding, the psychological barriers and the potential personal and financial benefits of completing a Masters or Doctoral degree in Education. Since a majority of the participants within the study in the book were educators, mainly teachers in the K-12 education system, the study was important in its search to discover the motives of the educators to pursue their post-graduate education, and whether the educators were more interested in personal growth or in financial gain by job advancement due to their additional degree and experience.
Peluso continues to publish articles in various journals and academic publications on music education and the online environment.
Music
Peluso has been involved in various musical and performance groups since 2000, though according to her website, due to health problems in late 2008 onward, she does not seem to be active in any particular musical group or organization.Compositions
Peluso has been composing for over 20 years, but is best known for her performed works that occurred between 2000 and 2007 inclusive. Peluso has an eclectic collection of written compositions written during and after the years she studied music composition at Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
. During her Music Composition degree, Peluso collaborated with dancers, filmmakers, actors and with other performing artists to fuel her experience in the field, in music education and to build upon her 14 years of studying and performing Classical period music. Former professors, mentors and teachers included Martin Gotfrit, David McIntyre, and Owen Underhill
Owen Underhill
Owen Underhill is a Canadian composer, flutist and conductor based in Vancouver. He is currently a professor of music at Simon Fraser University...
. Peluso has composed music for not just sole instrumental performance, but has been involved in composing music for dance, theatre and various other performing art installations within the Vancouver area. It seems that her music, artworks and online presence typically are signed under the pseudonym or nickname — dccp.
Performed compositions
Incomplete Selection, 2003-onward- Viaticus Una, Second Movement (Piece for Two Pianos) - February 2008
- Viaticus Seorsum, First Movement (Piece for Two Pianos) - February 2008
- Haunting Melody, (Piece for String Trio) - February 2007
- Cordially Yours, (Piece for Cello and Piano), Victoria, B.C. - January 2007
- From Cairo to Covilhã, (Piece for Solo Piano and Solo Dancer), November 2006
- Cantata for a Cabaret Contortionist, (Piece for Accordion, Tenor and Dancer), October 2006
- The Chill of An Early Morning by the Sea (Piece for Flute) - September 2006
- Una Estudia de Portuguese, (Piece for Tenor Voice, Fiddle, Mandolin, Percussion, and Harmonica) - September 2006
- The Music Box Circus, (Piece for Orchestra) Performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, The Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, B.C. - April 2006
- Sogno Dolce, (Piece for String Trio), Performed by the Infinitus String Quartet, Sonic Boom Festival, The Western Front, Vancouver, B.C. - March 2006
- Tears Idle Tears, (Based on Tears, Idle Tears a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson), (Piece for Men & Women's SATB Choir) Performed by the Phoenix Chamber Choir, Reading Session - 2005
- I Do Not Love Thee, (Piece for Men & Women's SATB Choir) Performed by the Phoenix Chamber Choir, Reading Session - 2005
- Capuchin Myth, (Piece for Clarinet, Trombone, Accordion & Percussion), Performed at the Sonic Boom Festival, The Western Front, Vancouver, B.C. - March 2005
- Requitas Pacis, (Piece for Cello, Clarinet and Trombone) - March 2005
- Requitas Quare, (Piece for Cello, Clarinet and Trombone) - March 2005
- Ut Quaero Verum, (Piece for String Trio and Modern Dancer Improvisation in the style of Katherine DunhamKatherine DunhamKatherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, songwriter, author, educator, and activist...
) - March 2005 - Vida Em Preto e Branco, Performed by Ensemble Symposium, Sonic Boom Festival, The Western Front, Vancouver, B.C. - March 2004
- Tsunami, (Piece for Saxophone Quartet), Performed at the Sonic Boom Festival, The Western Front, Vancouver, B.C. - March 2003
- Shallow Depth, (Piece for Saxophone Quartet), Performed at the Sonic Boom Festival, The Western Front, Vancouver, B.C. - March 2003
Performances of compositions
Peluso composed a piece for the Vancouver Symphony orchestra, The Music Box Circus, which was performed in 2006 during the Jean Coulthard Readings at the Orpheum Theatre. Due to Maestro Bramwell ToveyBramwell Tovey
Bramwell Tovey, OM is an English-born Grammy Award winning conductor and composer. His musical roots are in The Salvation Army. He was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as a pianist and composer...
being away due to an unknown cause on the day of the reading session, the piece was conducted by Maestro Kenneth Hsieh. The Music Box Circus includes the entire orchestra in its orchestration, and is about 5 minutes 20 seconds in length - It is unknown whether Peluso has revised the piece since the 2006 performance.
The Sonic Boom Festival is an annual composers festival each spring located at the Western Front
Western Front Society
The Western Front is an artist-run centre located in Vancouver, Canada. It was founded in 1973 by a multidisciplinary group of artists who purchased the former Knights of Pythias lodge hall in which the centre still resides....
in Vancouver, B.C.. Peluso's compositions have had numerous performances at this Performing Arts festival that showcases various composers and musicians from across Canada. Peluso's compositions have varied from a string trio, a saxophone quartet, to eclectic mixes of accordion, cello and percussion.
Artistic performances and shows
Peluso has been a performer in various Performing Arts festivals and shows. She has performed music for independent film, dance accompaniment, theatre performances and numerous collaboration projects involving the fine and performing arts.Performances
Peluso has been an active participant in the Arts community, both in solo performance and as a part of musical groups or collaborations with theatre, dance or film. During 2003, Peluso performed for the first time as a participant in the In The House Performing Arts Festival, as a musician for the theatre group "Un/Stuck", which featured actors from the Greater Vancouver Regional District
Greater Vancouver Regional District
Metro Vancouver is the brand name of the board of the inter-municipal administrative body known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District , a regional district in British Columbia, Canada...
. In 2003, with the same theatre troupe she performed at Nextfest 2004, the Performing Arts Festival in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta.
In 2005, among her schedule of musical performances as a part of dance and performance art shows, she performed with Gamelan Alligator Joy, a performance group that plays a combination of traditional and contemporary Javanese Gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
. Peluso performed with the same performance group at various other events around Vancouver, B.C. throughout 2005 and 2006.