dungeons, dragons, and opera workshop

79 Pages·2015·2.44 MB·English

DUNGEONS, DRAGONS, AND OPERA WORKSHOP:
AN EXPLORATION OF HOW THE INCORPORATION OF TABLETOP
GAMING CONCEPTS INTO THE OPERA STUDIO CAN ENHANCE STUDENT
ENJOYMENT, ENGAGEMENT, AND ÉLAN

BY

ASHLEY STONE

Submitted to the faculty of the
Jacobs School of Music in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree,
Doctor of Music
Indiana University
May, 2015
Accepted by the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Music.

Doctoral Committee

Mary Ann Hart, Research Director

Costanza Cuccaro, Chairperson

Robert Harrison

Peter Miksza

13 April, 2015
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To my grandmother, Tula Stone, who warmly hosted her nerdly grandchildren that
played Dungeons & Dragons in the back room of her Texas Hill Country home.

iiii
Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the many individuals who aided in
the completion of this document.
To Professor Mary Ann Hart, my research director, who provided clear guidance
and encouragement throughout the duration of my degree and this project.
To my private voice instructor, Professor Costanza Cuccaro, whose years of
guidance and passion for teaching have changed the way I perceived voice instruction and
musicianship.
To Dr. Peter Miksza whose diverse teaching styles and passion for education
expanded my awareness of classroom techniques and laid the foundation for the
development of this concept.
To Dr. Robert Harrison, for his warm encouragement and generous participation
on my committee.
To Dr. Bert Neely, my first voice professor who guided me toward teaching and in
doing so led me to discover my passion for education.
To my father, Dr. William Stone, whose regular advising throughout the course of
my degree kept me focused on what truly mattered.
To my mother, Anne Stone, whose encouragement and support helped bolter my
spirits when I became overwhelmed by life and learning.
To Daniel Pulliam, whose emotional support and careful aid in planning inspired
driven progress toward the completion of this degree and document.
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To my brother and cousin, Matthew and Guy Stone, for introducing me to
Dungeons & Dragons as a child.
To my many dear friends with whom I spent countless gleeful evenings rolling
dice, weaving tales, and having grand living-room adventures.

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Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..........................................................................................................................i v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................. vii
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................. viii
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER I : REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ................................................................. 5
GAMIFICATION ......................................................................................................................................... 5
FILLING A BASIC HUMAN NEED ........................................................................................................... 7
SATISFACTION ..................................................................................................................................... 9
SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY ...................................................................................................................... 10
FUN FAILURE ..................................................................................................................................... 12
FLOW ................................................................................................................................................. 14
MOTIVATION AND GAME THEORY ......................................................................................................... 16
CURRENT ASSESSMENTS OF GAMING IN THE CLASSROOM .................................................................... 17
WHY ADD GAMING ELEMENTS? ........................................................................................................... 20
WHY DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ................................................................................................................ 22
TABLE TOP GAMING MANUALS ............................................................................................................. 24
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 1ST EDITION ................................................................................................. 24
PATHFINDER ....................................................................................................................................... 26
EXALTED ............................................................................................................................................ 29
CHAPTER II : COURSE GOALS ..................................................................................................... 31
COURSE MATERIALS FOR CLASSROOM, INSTRUCTOR, AND STUDENTS .................................................. 31
CONCEPTS COVERED ............................................................................................................................. 32
CLASSROOM CONDUCT CONCERNS ....................................................................................................... 32
EVALUATIVE MEASURES AND PROPOSED ASSIGNMENTS ..................................................................... 33
RESPONSIVE COURSE SYLLABUS ........................................................................................................... 45
CHAPTER III: ASSESSMENT PLAN ...................................................................................................4 8
CHAPTER IV: SYLLABUS FOR SCENES BASED COURSE .........................................................5 1
CHAPTER V: SYLLABUS FOR SHOW BASED COURSE .............................................................5 4
CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................................................5 8
APPENDIX 1: LESSON PLANS ........................................................................................................ 59
CHARACTER SHEET CREATION .............................................................................................................. 59
IMPROVISATIONAL EXERCISE: DIFFUSE THE BOMB ............................................................................... 61
IMPROVISATIONAL EXERCISE: ZOMBIE INVASION ................................................................................. 63
IMPROVISATIONAL EXERCISE: SITUATIONAL SAMBA............................................................................ 65
APPENDIX 2: COURSE HANDOUTS ............................................................................................. 67
STUDENT COURSE SURVEY .................................................................................................................... 67
CLEAN CHARACTER SHEET .................................................................................................................... 69
EXAMPLE SHEETS FOR IMPROVISATION EXERCISES ............................................................................... 70
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................................7 1

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Basic Character Information .............................................................................. 35
Figure 2: Character Abilities ............................................................................................................3 6
Figure 3: Character Skills ...................................................................................................... 37
Figure 4: Character Costuming and Props ............................................................................. 39

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List of Tables

Table 1: Gaming Rule Book Comparisons ........................................................................ 30

Iviii
Introduction

Little did I know that the hushed gaming invitation from a fellow tenor in my
studio would lead to the creation of this curriculum 3 years later. At the time, the group
was like a secret society of graduate singers that were closet gamers, and more scandalous
yet, table-top gamers. It was widely acknowledged during our collective youths that
nothing was nerdier than playing Dungeons & Dragons, with the exception of LARPing
(live action role-playing). I didn’t have the heart to point out that as opera students we
were aiming for a life where we could LARP freely day in and day out.
What I came to discover as I met weekly with my colleagues for dinner and
fantasy gaming was that something phenomenal was taking place. These players, two
tenors, a baritone, one fellow mezzo, and an informatics professional, were passionately
dedicated to the characters they had created. Every action they took and every word they
said was carefully crafted to coincide with their avatar’s nature. Our wizard, Montel le
Beef, would enthusiastically declare his actions with a spectacular lateral lisp while our
gnome Cleric, Rambert, was constantly landing us in the next bit of trouble by nosing
further into the dark and dangerous dungeon. They were odd, mischievous, and beloved
characters, and we would celebrate them to the point of having themed dinners like “Mrs.
le Beef’s Meat Pies.” While all this might sound bit outlandish, I found it to be a glorious
celebration of creativity, community, and resilience that would be magnificent to see in
our academic performance environments.
The correlation between table-top gaming and opera performance dawned on me
when we were given a personal development project for my advanced instrumental
methods course. It was designed to encourage us to create new ways of teaching that will
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help us and our future students find heightened success in the classroom. At that point in
my studies I had become somewhat disenchanted with the classic combination of students
silently scribbling notes for future regurgitation while listening to ponderous professorial
lectures. This isn’t to say that all of my collegiate experiences were this way, but enough
had been so that before entering into the Music Education department at Indiana
University I had difficulty conceiving of a different way. Particularly a different way that
wasn’t too juvenile to utilize in the collegiate classroom.
Through learning about different teaching methods for K-12 as well as
experiencing Indiana University’s summer Kodaly workshop, I came to understand that
these playful activities aren’t just enjoyable for children, but are remarkably fun for adults
as well. Shortly after this realization, I stumbled upon a TED talk by Dr. Jane McGonigal
titled “Gaming Can Make a Better World.” In her lecture she expressed the powerful
potential for good in the field of gaming, and how it can change lives and our world for
the better by building social connection, powerful engagement, resilience, and
empowerment.
The next time I met with my fellow singers to play Pathfinder, a descendent of the
1974 table-top legend Dungeons & Dragons, I reflected on her words. I noticed the
positive sense of community and encouragement, a pride in mentorship, and the sharing of
a cherished game that had played an important role in their childhoods and adult lives. I
found my mind fiercely engaged by the complex rule structure and fast-paced action.
More importantly, I was hyper-aware of the need and social expectation to display a
confident sense of character. This powerfully stimulated my personal creativity as each
new event inspired speculation and situational analysis. Together we battled seemingly
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