Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Happy New Year!

If you need a refresher on the New Year's Eve song, Auld Lang Syne, click on the image to the right for a prinatable copy.  This copy was scanned from Sixty Patriotic Songs of All Nations, arranged by Granville Bantok (Boston, Oliver Ditson Company, 1913).  Books copyrighted before 1923 in the United States are in the public domain, which means you can make a copy of arrangements in this book without paying a fee to the publisher.

Bracken Library provides scanners in large and small formats.  Ask at the Reference Desk, Music Collection Counter, or Educational Resources Counter for assistance.  You can scan directly to your ilocker account, or save onto a flash drive in many formats, including .pdf.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Holiday Music

After a long semester and seemingly endless Finals Week you may want to kick back with some holiday music.  For compact discs to check out, go to CardCat's advanced search, select "Compact Discs, audio" as the format, and then type the holiday of your choice.  The Music Collection has over 250 CDs of Christmas music and several CDs of music for Hannukah and Solstice celebrations.

If you are already out of town, you can use your Ball State username and password to listen to Naxos playlists:




Thursday, October 20, 2011

National Day on Writing

The National Center of Teachers of English established October 20 as the National Day on Writing.  The organizers encourage everyone to try their hand at writing, whether it be poetry or prose. Remember that songs are poems set to music, and some of the best-remembered poems of our times are actually lyrics from songs.  Anyone can try it!  If you want some help, check out these books from the Music Collection:



Writing Better Lyrics: The Essential Guide to Powerful Songwriting

MT 67 .P383 2009

The Craft of Christian Songwriting
MT 67 .S78 2009

Billboard Guide to Writing and Producing Songs that Sell
MT 67 .B43 2009

Complete Idiot's Guide to Songwriting
MT 67 .H55 2004

How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC
MT 67 .E38 2009

Need help finding a word to rhyme with Bracken?  Check our online and reference rhyming dictionaries

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

October is Italian Heritage Month


Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra
On October 10 we celebrate the legacy of Christopher Columbus, the Italian who changed everything for the Western Hemisphere.  To commemorate the achievements of other Italians in the Americas, a group of Italian Americans has been working to make October National Italian Heritage Month.  Italian-Americans have been some of the most influential and important singers in American popular music.  The most famously Italian are four crooners, silky-throated singers of popular ballads: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Tony Bennett (originally Benedetto).  Many of their recordings are still popular today.


Before them, Italian operatic tenor Enrico Caruso was one of the earliest stars of the recording industry, and is still remembered for the song, Il Sole Mio.  (This song was Americanized as "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley)  Caruso was a regular performer at New York's Metropolitan Opera and a part-time resident of New York City.

Harry Warren
Like other non-English speaking immigrants, many Italian-Americans changed their names to English surnames.   The father of hit songwriter Harry Warren (born as Salvatore Antonio Guaragna) changed the family name to "Warren."  Warren was one of the most prolific songwriters of the twentieth century, publishing over 500 songs including his Academy-Award winning Lullaby of Broadway (for Golddiggers of 1935) and That's Amore (popularized by Dean Martin), We're in the Money and the music for 42nd Street. Original editions of some of his sheet music of individual songs are preserved in the Bracken Library Special Collections.

Throughout the more recent history of popular music, Italian-Americans have made their mark on the music scene, including:

Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi)
Sonny Bono
Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto)
Jim Croce
Madonna
Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosemarie Franconero)
Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone)
Tim McGraw
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi
Joe Satriani
Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna)
Gwen Stefani
Steven Tyler (born Steven Tallarico) of Aerosmith
Steve Vai
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Frank Zappa




Chick Corea

Jazz Musicians

Louie Bellson (born Luigi Ballassoni)
Guy Lombardo
Al Di Meola
Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua)
Louis Prima (also the voice of King Louie of the Apes in The Jungle Book)



And most recently, "Lady Gaga," whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, teamed up with fellow Italian-American Tony Bennett on "The Lady is a Tramp" for his second album of duets (released last month).

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 - October 15

The Music Collection has CDs of music from all around the world, including the many musical traditions of Latin America.  You can find music in CardCat or by using the Libraries' Mediafinder for World Music or the Media Finder for Musical Recordings (Other than Classical). 

The World Music media finder allows you to search for folk and traditional styles by region, country, or language, and you can add a keyword for more specific searches.  The other-than-classical Media Finder searches popular music styles by genre, decade, and country.  One choice there is "Latin Pop," and you can further refine by country.


Thursday, September 1, 2011

New Index for Music Research: Music Index online

The Music Index, previously available to Ball State users only in print form, is now available online!  The interface is from Ebscohost, the same interface used by RILM Abstracts of Music Literature.  This means you can search the two databases simultaneously.  Simply open one, then click on "Choose Databases" and select the other (or more!)

Music Index includes information about music books, periodicals, and selected newspapers.  It began indexing in 1949, though the current database index includes only 1970 to the present.

By using the MultiLink button, users can go to the articles themselves
or to a page that links to the Ball State catalog (CardCat), WorldCat, or the Interlibrary Loan request form.

There is no limit to the number of simultaneous users, so you can be assured of always being able to use this resource.  You can find it on the Music Databases page of the Bracken Libraries' web site.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Welcome / Welcome Back from the Music Collection

It's hard to believe summer is over.  The Music Collection welcomes new and returning students, music majors and the general student body alike.

What's new for 2011-2012
There are new Subject Guides, with tips for specific types of music:
Last year, over 1,000 items were added to each part of the collection (recordings, scores, and books) last year:  recordings, scores, and books.  Compact disc additions include the latest popular music, major label classical stars, and reissues of classic performances.  The Educational Resources Collections also added many music DVDs, including operas and Hollywood musicals.




Naxos Music Library has announced the addition of EMI Classics and Blue Note to the labels it streams.  Currently, there are almost 800,000 tracks available already.  Both of these labels will provide major contributions to the selection.

No matter what your style, there is a CD, DVD, or score for your interests.  Ball State Libraries' Media Finders can help you find your next favorite...

CD or sheet music by instrumentation (Chamber Music)


New CDs are posted on the bulletin board next to the counter.  The Music Collection is open whenever Bracken Library is open.  Stop by and find something new to tickle your ear!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Music of Little House on the Prairie

Laura Ingalls Wilder's autobiographical novels described pioneer life in late Nineteenth Century Wisconsin, Iowa, and Kansas. She never forgot the songs they sang or the music "Pa" played on his violin (fiddle).  Many of the tunes were well-known to fiddlers and are still played today. Ball State Libraries' Music Collection and Educational Resources Collections have all the materials you need to immerse yourself in the stories and music of the books.

Songbook:

Compact Discs:






Books:
Laura Ingalls Wilder's complete autobiographical series.
"Little House in the Big Woods" was the first of these books.

Books about Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series:

The TV Show (DVDs): Little House on the Prairie

The Wilder farmhouse in Missouri

Friday, August 12, 2011

Musicals about Musicals (and musical people)

With the 3D version of "Glee" coming out this summer, it seems like a good time to look at the long tradition of musicals about musicals, or musicals about musical people.   Story lines about musicians add a dose of realism when characters break out in song!  It's also a little easier for musicians who have been thrust into the role of an actor to pull off their "character" when that character is virtually identical to themselves.

 
There have been a few instances of this in opera, most notably Die Meistersinger von Nürmberg, by Richard Wagner.  It's the story of a master singers (Meistersinger) who compete for a grand prize: marriage to Eva, the town goldsmith's daughter. 

The Jazz Singer of 1927 was the first musical film about a musician and also the first film with music.  Based on a Broadway play, it featured Al Jolson as the son of a Jewish cantor who wanted to sing "jazz" instead of following in his father's footsteps.  You can watch it for free at archive.org, a site that archives historic materials in all formats.

42nd Street (1933) A chorus girl takes over for the star of a Broadway show.  Busby Berkeley's stunning choreography adds to the glamor of the story.

The  Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), is another of the early films featuring choreography by Busby Berkeley.  The story combines romance with a plot about staging a Broadway production.  Music by Harry Warren includes  the song, "We're in the Money."


The Gold diggers in Paris (1938) is the third Busby Berkeley film about the ambitious theatrical troupe.  In this installment, they are invited to put on a show in Paris. 

Blues in the Night, 1941, features Jimmy Lunceford's band and a series of musical numbers interwoven throughout the story of a blues band's travels and travails.

The Gang's All Here (1943) is another Busby Berkeley film, this time focusing on a chorus girl and her love interest, a
sargeant shipping out during
World War II.


Toast of New Orleans (1950) is about an opera star and an unlikely talent (Mario Lanza) discovered in the bayou.

Star is Born was a vehicle for Judy Garland in 1954 and the 1976 remake showcased Barbra Streisand.

The Blues Brothers, (1980) featured John Belushi, Dan Akroyd as musicians reuniting their old band for a good cause.  Famous musicians appearing in the film include Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Cab Calloway.

Fame, about fictional characters attending the real-life High School of Performing Arts in New York.

The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), with Michelle Pfeiffer as a singer who enlivens the act of piano-playing brothers (Jeff and Beau Bridges).

Saawariya (2007) is a Bollywood (India) musical about a musician and his new love.

Straight from the Heart (2005) is another Bollywood film about a musician, this time a devoted father.

Dreamgirls, (2006)  Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx & Eddie Murphy star in this story about a 1960s R&B all-girl trio.
Burlesque, with Cher and Christina Aguilera, portrays the showgirl lifestyle.

Many musical films from the earliest days of 'talkies' to today have been profiles of actual musicians.  The "biopic" is a classic film genre now, as is the musical film.  Some famous films based on musicians:

The Great Caruso (1951),with famous singer Mario Lanza portraying Enrico Caruso, one of the first stars of the recording era.

Walk the Line tells the story of Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter.

'Round Midnight:  Real-life jazz saxophone player Dexter Gordon portrays John Coltrane

Ray (2004), based on the life of Ray Charles, starring Jamie Foxx, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the blind musician.
La Vie en Rose (2007) about French singing sensation, Edith Piaf.

The Runaways (2010) is about rocker Joan Jett's early career as a musican.

Burlesque, with Cher and Christina Aguilera, portrays the showgirl lifestyle.

Pirate Radio  is about radio airplay for controversial rock music. 







For more information, go the the Reference collection on the First Floor and take a look at Hollywood Musicals Year by Year.  Click here to see a list of all musical films available on DVD in the Educational Resources Collections.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Codex Calixtinus Stolen!

One of the most priceless manuscripts of music history has been reported missing in Santiago, Spain.  The Codex Calixtinus, a guidebook for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela, a major pilgrimmage destination in the Middle Ages, contains some of the earliest notated music in history. It is one of the first sources of music for more than one simultaneous voice (polyphony).  It is a one-of-a-kind document from the age when books were all hand-copied on parchment (like thin leather) and extremely expensive even then.  This book has been preserved for centuries because from the beginning (around the year 1150), its caretakers understood its importance.  It was kept in the Cathedral Library in a special room... until today.

The book contains sermons and a Mass for Saint James ("Santiago" in Spanish), whose feast day is at the end of July.  Annual pilgrimmages culminated with this Mass.  The music contained in the book would have been sung at the Mass and other Christian observances during this period. 

The Codex Calixtinus is also known for its miniatures, illustrations of the text.  You can see an example in the BBC news article here.

The Music Collection has several compact discs that contain this precious and ethereal-sounding music:
Librarians everywhere carry a dual duty to preserve sources of information as well as share them.  Fortunately, scholars have had access to this wonderful resource and have been able to make its music available to performers and historians.  The Music Collection has a performance edition of the Mass for St. James, a highlight of the annual pilgrimmage.  The edition also has written commentary explaining the music and its significance.

A little vocabulary:
  • "Codex" is Latin for "book"
  • "Manuscript" means hand-written
  • "Performance edition" is sheet music in modern notation (vs. original Gregorian chant notation)
  • "Feast day" is the day set aside in the Catholic Church's calendar to commemorate a special person or event in Church history
  • "miniature" means any painted or drawn illustration in a medieval manuscript.  Even when they take up a full page they are still called "miniatures."

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

New Library Database: Historical Abstracts

Ball State Libraries' database offering now includes Historical Abstracts.  This abstracting service comes via Ebscohost, the same vendor and interface that provides RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, Academic Search Premier, and the ERIC education database.  You can search all of these databases simultaneously by first selecting one of them, and then clicking on "Choose Databases" to add additional databases to your search.
I did a sample search for Beethoven and retrieved fourteen linked full-text articles from such journals as Journal of the History of Ideas, History Today, Journal of Social History, and Journal of Interdisciplinary History.  There were also a few music journals included, but of course not as many as you'll find in RILM.

This database links to full text articles when available, and like other Ebscohost databases, MultiLink will take you to CardCat or Interlibary loan for articles not available online.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Music for July 4

Patriotic music goes with the July 4 celebration.  There are songs and instrumental pieces in all genres, as well as narrated pieces.  Many communities have a town band that performs an annual July 4, pre-fireworks concert.  Muncie's town band performs at Minnetrista.  Larger cities boast of symphony orchestras that perform much of the same repertoire, usually ending with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.  Fireworks begin during the final segment, which was scored for cannon blasts.

I have set up a Naxos Music Library playlist of classic patriotic music for the holiday, which can be found here.  The playlist includes almost two hours of famous marches, the National Anthem, classic songs celebrating the country, and the fireworks portion of the 1812 Overture. (Ball State log-in required from off-campus)  Any Ball State user can create their own playlist on Naxos Music Library for private or shared listening.

If you want to perform some live music rather than listen, but you can't remember the words to The Star Spangled Banner, feel free to print this scan from the Music Collection's copy of National Patriotic and Typical Airs of All Lands, edited by none other than John Philip Sousa, director of , the Marine Corps band, also known as "The President's Own" from 1880 to 1892 and the composer of famous marches such as The Stars and Stripes Forever.  The Music Collection's copy of this collection of songs was published in 1890:



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Music for the Summer Solstice

Stonehenge at Solstice
June 21st is the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer, Litha or St. John's Day in English-speaking countries. It is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and to ancient people the sun seemed to stand still on that day.  "Solstice" comes from the Latin for sun (sol ) and to stand still (sistere ).

In pre-Christian Europe, the solstice was considered the middle of the summer, the time when the sun was at the height of its power before fading back to be reborn at Yule, the Winter Solstice.  The stones of the famous Stonehenge ruins in England line up with the solstice, one of many ancient sites that do.  Later, the Christian Church allowed celebrations during this time in conjunction with the feast (festival) celebrating the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

Prehistoric Germanic and Nordic people believed that during the Summer Solstice fey or fairies were most active. This idea survived into the Christian era and took root in many traditions and works of art. The most famous of these is Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." (DVD Video 61) Composers have also been influenced by the idea that magic and fairies are afoot at the Solstice. 

Two famous composers were inspired by Shakespeare's play.  Felix Mendelssohn composed a set of incidental music for the play (Ein Sommernachtstraum in German), (CD 6693 or CD 17368).  The second is a full opera adaption by Benjamin Britten (CD 5092 and DVD Video 2037).




More recent composers have also been inspired by legends of Midsummer. William Alwyn used the legend that Midsummer's Eve increases passion in the aria "Midsummer's Night" from his only opera, Miss Julie, where the title character whips herself into a sexual frenzy as she begins an illicit affair. This aria can be found in the Music Collection on Kate Royal's CD, Midsummer Night (CD 18622).Sir Michael Tippett combines elements of Shakespeare's play with Welsh legends about Midsummer in his Opera, The Midsummer Marriage (CD 7448).

Musicians from other genres besides classical music have also been inspired by the Summer Solstice. American Jazz saxophonist Paul Winter has released a recording, Celtic Solstice (CD 6335), from his annual Solstice Concert series at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (left) in New York City.

Come to the Music Collection to check out any of these Summer Solstice inspired recordings.  DVDs are available for check-out from the Educational Resources Collections counter.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Music of the U.S. Military


In honor of Memorial Day, here's a brief history of the official songs of the five service branches of the United States military.

Each branch of the military has its own theme song or hymn, and several performing groups that perform within that branch of the service.  These groups attract some of the finest performers in the United States, and many of them consider their membership the crowning achievement of their musical careers.

The Music Collection owns many of the compact discs produced by U.S. military ensembles, which perform all kinds of music, not just military music.  Check out the fine performances by the United States Air Force Band, the United States Marine Band, the United States Navy Band, and the United States Coast Guard Band. Ball State users can also hear a medley of all the offial military songs performed by the Air Force band and chorus here, via Naxos Music Library (Ball State log-in required from off-campus).

"The U.S. Air Force" is, appropriately enough, the title of the official song of The U.S. Air Force. Better known as "Into the Wild Blue Yonder," the song by Robert MacArthur Crawford was originally written in 1939 titled as "The Army Air Corps."

When the Air Corps became the U.S. Air Force, the lyrics were changed accordingly. The Air Force has several bands as well as Air National Guard bands, and vocal groups.  You can hear both vocal and instrumental versions of the Air Force song here.  The main vocal group in the Air Force is the Singing Sargeants.

    Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
    Climbing high into the sun;
    Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
    At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun!)
    Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
    Off with one helluva roar!**
    We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
    Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

The "Marine's Hymn" is the oldest of the service songs.  Legend credits the lyrics to a Marine on duty in Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The two famous opening lines, "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli," refer to the Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican-American War and the Battle of Derne in 1805 during the First Barbary War. The tune is taken from the "Gendarmes' Duet" from Jacques Offenbach's Gedevieve de Brabant. Additional verses commemorate later wars and battles the Marines have fought.

The U.S. Marine Band is nicknamed "The President's Own" because it is the official band for events at the White House.  You can hear the Marines' Hymn as well as former Marine Band conductor John Philip Sousa's Semper Fidelis  here.  The second verse contains the most well-known words (below):
From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean.
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.
"Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and is also used as the Navy ceremonial song, though it is still unofficial. Written in 1906 by Lt. Charles A Zimmerman with lyrics by Midshipman First Class Alfred Hart Miles, "Anchors Aweigh" was first played during the 1906 Army-Navy football game.  The original lyrics were later rewritten to reflect the entire Navy and not just the football team and their fans, including the famous third verse (below):
Anchors Aweigh my boys
Anchors Aweigh
Farewell to foreign shores
We sail at break of day 'ay 'ay 'ay
O'er our last night ashore
Drink to the foam
Until we meet once more
Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!
"The Army Goes Rolling Along" is based on field artillery First Lieutenant (later Brigadier General) Edmond L. Gruber's "The Caisson Song," composed as a morale booster for his field artillery unit while stationed in the Philippines in March, 1908.  A caisson is a two-wheeled, horse-drawn cart used to carry artillery ammunition, but now is used mainly in funerals.  Reworked lyrics, reflecting the whole Army and not just the field artillery, were written by Harold W. Arberg and dedicated on Veterans Day, 1956. 
Verse:
First to fight for the right,
And to build the Nation’s might,
And The Army Goes Rolling Along
Proud of all we have done,
Fighting till the battle’s won,
And the Army Goes Rolling Along.

Refrain:
Then it's Hi! Hi! Hey!
The Army's on its way.
Count off the cadence loud and strong
* "Two! Three!" *
For where e’er we go,
You will always know
That The Army Goes Rolling Along.
"Semper Paratus" ("Always Ready") is both the name of the official Coast Guard song and also their motto. The original music lyrics were written by Captain Francis Saltus van Boskerck in the 1920s. The current lyrics were written by Homer Smith in 1943. In 1969, the first line of each verse was changed.

Verse:
From Aztec Shore to Arctic Zone,
To Europe and Far East,
The Flag is carried by our ships
In times of war and peace;
And never have we struck it yet,
In spite of foemen's might,
Who cheered our crews and cheered again
For showing how to fight.

Chorus:
We're always ready for the call,
We place our trust in Thee.
Through surf and storm and howling gale,
High shall our purpose be,
"Semper Paratus" is our guide,
Our fame, our glory, too.
To fight to save or fight and die!
Aye! Coast Guard, we are for you.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Music for a Stormy Day



If you’ve been glued to The Weather Channel this week, you’ve heard a lot of smooth jazz, but never the whole song! To hear more from Ball State's Music Collection, go to the Media Finder for Music (Non-Classical) and select Jazz from the 1980s or 1990s. For that Weather Channel ambiance, check out Pat Metheny, David Benoit, Hugh Masakela, the Brecker Brothers, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, David Sanborn, Spyro Gyra, Grover Washington, or Lee Ritenour. And the ultimate 1970s-80s jazz group: Weather Report.

You can also search artists as "authors" in CardCat, or songs as keywords.  The Weather Channel posts their playlists here.  The Music Collection has compact discs by many of the artists listed.

If you'd rather ride out the storms with a good movie musical, try Stormy Weather, The Wizard of Oz, or Singin' in the Rain!