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Dr. Dotan Nitzberg (PhD’24) set a precedent with his doctoral dissertation in education at the University of New Brunswick (UNB).

Rather than rely solely on a written dissertation, at his dissertation defence in August he played an original piano composition and animated visuals complemented by a written component.

This novel approach, suggested and supported by his supervisor Dr. Andrea Garner of the faculty of education, represented a significant departure from traditional academic norms.

“In the past, at the PhD level, we have accepted theses which centre the traditional written format with the arts-component as a part of the work,” said Garner. “The difference here is that this is an arts-based thesis.

“The ‘arts’ is the research here. It is the body of work.”

Nitzberg, who identifies as twice-gifted autistic (2GA), has struggled since childhood against what he describes as “neurotypical conventionalism,” particularly in his early musical training.

“It was extremely discouraging, and even humiliating, to say the least,” he said of his experiences with some past music teachers who failed to recognize how he approaches music.

“Those were tendencies of blind obedience, over-formality and over-uniformity without considering unique ways of learning and applying information from the student,” he said.

Garner, who describes herself as a “strengths-based practitioner,” recognized the limitations of traditional academic formats in fully capturing Nitzberg’s voice and experiences.

“This was a way for [Nitzberg] to communicate his thoughts and feelings and achieve one of the goals in his research which was to refute stereotypes about autism,” she said.

“I knew from conversations that he has composition capabilities. The difference in expression between having conversations about music and other topics was like night and day.”

Garner had to seek approval for Nitzberg’s proposed approach to the dissertation and found “incredible support” from Dr. Dave Wagner, associate dean of graduate programs at the faculty of education.

The School of Graduate Studies also accepted the idea.

“The combination of formal research presentation with the performance of an original musical score relevant to the work reinforced the quality of the scholarly work, lending depth to the overall impact and adding a deeply affective quality to the event,” said Dr. Sasha Mullally, associate dean, School of Graduate Studies.

The musical suite, which Nitzberg describes as a theatrical suite inspired by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, features ten movements that explore his personal experiences and encounters as a 2GA individual.

He called his dissertation Theatrical Suite op.1 for Piano Solo an Arts-Based Auto-Ethnographic Study of Teaching, Learning, and Life Within the Fields of Music and Education: Perspectives of a Twice-Gifted Autistic (2GA) Adult.

“I decided to call it a theatrical suite. Why? To an extent, I see my life as a show or theatre.”

He conducted interviews as part of his research, and Nitzberg’s composition and animated visuals served as the central components.

“The exclusive use of words alone is a bit dry and only reflects a small part of the whole picture. Music and visualia create the experiences and ideas I wish to convey, backed up by words.

“It makes it more accessible and livelier so that people can savour it. They can connect, relate to what I have done, and hone their awareness of a different cohort like 2GA.”

At the dissertation defence, Nitzberg explained the emotions and concepts behind the content. For example, the march that starts the suite reflects the rigid regimentation to which teachers subjected him early in his musical journey without consideration of his neurodivergence.

“I am being forced to march, but I am also trying to trace my path through the crowd within the parade.”

Another part is reminiscent of Chopin, a composer admired by a mentor, Adi Rosenkranz, at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Israel.

Nitzberg described Rosenkranz as an “erudite person and like a father figure to me, musically speaking.”

Garner said Nitzberg’s art, which combines musical composition and visualia, was central to his achievement.

“The art is the research, it is the body of work, and then the exegesis is to help bridge the conventional understanding between the research and the production of the piece,” Garner said.

“We have forged an exciting path in the faculty of education. From my perspective as a supervisor, I wanted to maintain his voice, and I felt that wasn’t happening in the traditional ‘academic manuscript’ kind of way.

“It wasn’t possible to hear him through that medium. Because it is now an arts-based thesis, there is much more freedom to fully express himself in his unique way,” she said.

“It is autoethnographic. To have him try to adhere in a neuroconventional way would disqualify the very thing he was trying to portray.

“His work has modelled and demonstrated in real time what good teaching practices are and what they can do. He applied the teaching techniques he was talking about to teach himself how to play the challenging parts.”

Garner said Nitzberg’s work has opened the way for greater acceptance of diverse research methodologies at UNB.

“Word got around quickly that UNB is an institution that can value all people,” she said.

“I have two other prospective students who are also 2GA and want to undertake an education doctoral thesis in a way that is authentic to their own arts-based expression,” she said.

For Nitzberg, the journey was deeply personal.

He seeks to challenge stereotypes and advocate for a greater understanding of 2GA and neurodiversity. He said those who teach 2GA and other neurodiverse students must still insist on technical fundamentals but must also learn to encourage their students’ unique strengths, and their approach must not be “restrict, restrict, restrict.”

Nitzberg said he hopes to impart the knowledge and perspectives he has gained through this process.

“The musical performance part will always be with me.

“That’s the main axis of my life. I am not certain if I would like to teach directly at this time of my life. Still, I would like to take my performance, cognitive and verbal abilities and harness them to an explanatory, informative and educational package for whoever finds it applicable or engaging, especially in a post-secondary setting,” he said.

“I think people with 2GA can assist society with the faculties, capabilities and supply of knowledge they possess.”