Music Division Research Articles

REVIEWS OF BOOKS

Journal Article REVIEWS OF BOOKS Get access A GUIDE TO LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC. By Gilbert Chase. ( The Library of Congress, Music Division, Washington, 1945. Pp. 274.) CHARLES SEEGER CHARLES SEEGER Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Musical Quarterly, Volume XXXII, Issue 2, April 1946, Pages 303–305, https://doi.org/10.1093/mq/XXXII.2.303 Published: 01 April 1946

REVIEWS OF BOOKS

REVIEWS OF BOOKS Get access A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EARLY SECULAR AMERICAN MUSIC (18th Century). By Oscar George Theodore Sonneck. Revised and enlarged by William Treat Upton. (The Library of Congress, Music Division, 1945. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. Pp. xvi, 617.) JOHN TASKER HOWARD JOHN TASKER HOWARD Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Musical Quarterly, Volume XXXI, Issue 4, October 1945, Pages 536–538, https://doi.org/10.1093/mq/XXXI.4.536 Published: 01 October 1945

Music Education in the Americas

IT IS A PLEASURE to be able to report a general agreement that we have in music education a true community of interest of international, as well as of significance. By common consent there has long existed a basic insistence that the great traditions of European music, transplanted to the new world, must be carried on. This is essentially a task of music education. Equally important has become the emergence of local and regional music-cultural movements throughout the Americas. Cultivation of these, too, is essentially a music education job. And now that we find these emerging movements everywhere becoming identified as national schools, music education has still a bigger job. Walled off geographically, culturally, and politically from each other as have been the various Republics of the Western Hemisphere, it is now our task by every means not further to accentuate this isolation by exaggerated cultivation of music nationalism, but rather to encourage general appreciation of a fact long recognized by scholars-the oneness of the music-community of the Americas. This oneness has existed in spite of the worst kinds of competition and conflict. Its emphasis through co6peration and friendliness in music activity will be one more strand of support for the now almost unanimous adherence to the policies of the good neighbor and hemisphere solidarity. Readers of the JOURNAL will remember that one of the first achievements of organized music exchange among the twenty-one American Republics was a trip around South America in the summer of 1941, by Louis Woodson Curtis and John W. Beattie, under the sponsorship of the Pan American Union.' Even before this event and within the first few months of its official existence, the Inter-American Music Center, which serves also as the Music Division of the Pan American Union, had begun its cooperation with the Music Educators National Conference. In the autumn of 1941 Miss Vanett Lawler, Associate Executive Secretary of the Music Educators National Conference, went to Washington as consultant to the Inter-American Music Center to advise in the organization of the Editorial Project for the publication of Latin American Music in the United States.2 For the following two years Miss Lawler divided her time equally between the Pan American Union and the MENC, developing a program of cooperation which extended, in the course of time, to various agencies of the United States Government, among which may be mentioned the Office of Education, the Library of Congress, and the Departments of the Treasury, of State, and of War and Navy. In addition, the Conference enjoyed for the first time resident representation at the headquarters of the National Education Association, of which the Conference is a department. Through these day-to-day Washington contacts, the Conference, which had already developed its internal relations upon a scale, now began to realize its

Cleveland Western Reserve University. Music Division

The music collection at Western Reserve University has as its nucleus the library of music scores, books and records at the Music House* This building houses the music department and is the center of musical activity for the university. It is only the last seven or eight years that any consistent effort has been made to build up the music library as a separate unit. About 1929, the university became heir to a collection of books and scores from the old Case Library of Cleveland. Most of these were transported to the Music House in 1930, when the Music Department first established its headquarters there. However, the literature about music is still divided among the libraries on campus, aid out of a total of 2,000 volumes Music House shelves about 750. Of scores we have approximately 2500 volumes, including works for piano, organ, voice,. violin and orchestra; also piano-vocal scores and chamber music. The greater portion of these we circulate. Our phonograph records number about 900. These we have not circulated for home use but tave tried to make easily available for listening on the campus. For this purpose we have installed some individual units of turn-tables and ear-phones, which make it possible for different records to be heard in the same room simultaneously. We have begun to accumulate some recordings of our. own, that is, performances by students both individual and ensemble, and also original student compositions. Considering that we serve at present about 200 music students, graduate as well as undergradVate, we are still a long way from possessing adequate materials. Our collection is somewhat uneven

The Music Division as a Factor in Adult Education (Condensed)

Two years ago I gave a talk at the A. L. A. Art Reference Round Table, on the work of a music librarian. I am not now engaged in this work but am a Reader's Adviser and field worker at the Cleveland Public Library. My field work and outside contact work has, however, given me much more in the way of experience and of ideas to be developed in a music division than I should have gained as a music librarian4 The most important thing I have learned from my contacts with individuals and groups is that music libraries have many opportunities of contributing to adult education; the music libraries are least aware of this fact. The library as a factor in adult education has many advantages over the school since it can provide an excellent type of informal education for men and women who would not ordinarily attend organized classes. The work of the Readers' Adviser and of the Adult Education Field Worker are recent library developments. There are many medium and small sized libraries that do not have such service; they may be doing as good work, nevertheless. The Music Division too often exists for the chosen few who have had the privilege of music lessons and a background of concerts and opera. The much greater percentage of individuals who have had little contact with music and no formal musical instruction can be served by the Music Division through carefully planned programs and effective publicity. Because music is a recent addition, musicians have not learned to depend on the library for their needs as have general readers; hence fewer readers, lower circulation, and smaller

The School Music Program in Louisiana

the State Department of Education a department of music with a thoroughly competent person at its head to work under the direction of the superintendent in devising proper courses in music, and in stimulating interest throughout the state in that important subject. Superintendent Harris expressed the opinion that there was great merit in Senator Long's viewpoint. He said that Louisiana is probably excelled by no state in the musical ability of its people, and that the subject had been neglected on account of inadequate funds. He stated that the boards pursued the policy of expending the school funds upon the bread and butter subjects to the neglect of such cultural courses as music, art, He recommended that the Department of Music be authorized. On motion of Dr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Madison, the Division of Music in the State Department of Education was created, and the superintendent was instructed to take the necessary action to put it into operation by the employment of a director, the preparation of courses of study, etc. The above is the official record of the creation of the music division in the State Department of Education. Like all official records it does not tell the whole story. Before the action recorded above, much had been done by music clubs, music teachers and others vitally interested in the development of music education. Through the efforts of these groups, Louisiana's needs in music had been brought to the attention of the State Superintendent of Education and to the attention of the dominant political figure of the State, the late Senator Huey P. Long.

CONCERT A. D. 2025 IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Journal Article CONCERT A. D. 2025 IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHIFE OF THE MUSIC DIVISION Get access The Musical Quarterly, Volume XV, Issue 4, October 1929, Pages 639–642, https://doi.org/10.1093/mq/XV.4.639 Published: 01 October 1929