Graduation Term
Spring 2026
Degree Name
Master of Music (MM)
Department
School of Music
Committee Chair
Roy Magnuson
Committee Member
Alex Stephenson
Committee Member
Anthony Marinello III
Abstract
During my time as an undergrad at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, I loved to read graphic novels, and their library had quite the collection. I lost track of how many times I made my way down to the third sub-level of the Undergraduate Library to go to the graphic novel section. In my last year at UIUC (2021-2), preparations were made to close the UGL in order for it to be renovated for their Special Collections. Essentially, they would be swapping the contents of the UGL and the Main Stacks. One time, while looking for graphic novels in their new home, I stumbled across Tyler’s book and decided to check it out on a whim. That fateful decision would forever change my life.
Raised on Ritalin is a graphic novel by Tyler Page. It incorporates the author’s personal experience with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder alongside an extensively researched history on said topic. Sections on the book alternate between personal anecdotes and real-world developments in psychiatry and psychology, with the author coming to terms of how to deal with his own ADHD.
To say this book is important to me is an understatement. I saw numerous parallels between Tyler’s story and my own life, and had an “aha” moment where I became more conscious of my own behavior. From that point forward, I was more cognizant of my behavior, and looked through numerous past experiences through a new lens.
My own composition, titled Raised on Ritalin after Tyler’s graphic novel, captures these experiences and how they mirrored Tyler’s. I draw from a wealth of various musical influences, which include set theory, post-minimalism, percussion writing, Brazilian Samba, and EDM. From the acronym “ADHD,” I have derived a pitch set of A D Bb (H in German), which when put into Best Normal Order, gives us the Pitch-Class Set (0 1 4). This pitch set serves as the basis for which tonal material is constructed, and it is used and transformed in different contexts.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Prado, Ethan, "Raised on Ritalin - A Work for Concert Band Based on My Personal Experiences With ADHD Alongside a Graphic Novel by Tyler Page" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 2314.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2314
11x17 Score
Raised on Ritalin 3-23-26 1012.wav (70764 kB)
"MIDI" mockup audio