Scholar Has Theory on Mozart the Debtor

"The documents of Mozart’s life — letters, memoirs of friends, portraits, bureaucratic files — have long been scrutinized at a microscopic level. So when his name was discovered two decades ago in a Viennese archive from 1791, it caused a stir."

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For the full story, please see the New York Times.

Building from the bottom up

"The notes flow like water, each musical idea complementing the one that precedes it. Each performer listens intently to their peers, taking one simple motif and expanding upon it, evolving the composition into something even they hadn’t expected. This is the nature of improvised music: each member contributing a novel musical concept until something cohesive is achieved — all guided by a passion for creativity in music."

For the full story, please see The Daily.

Loft and found: have you got a Vivaldi lurking in your attic?

"Vivaldi. The world's most forgetful composer? Why on earth have so many of his manuscripts been turning up in obscure collections across the British Isles in the last couple of months? In October, it was a flute concerto called Il Gran Mogol ("The Great Mogul", if my Italian's up to snuff) discovered in the Marquesses of Lothian's family papers in Edinburgh, and this month, it's a couple of violin sonatas in a 180-page portfolio donated to the Foundling Museum in London, pieces that were probably originally written for amateurs, which could be heard for the first time in 270 years, played by La Serenissima in Liverpool on Sunday."

For the full story, please see The Guardian.

The Brave New World of Today’s Music Professional

"In 1995, Zoe Keating quit her day job so she could practice her cello for six solid months for her audition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She loved playing in orchestras, and thought that a master’s degree would get her a step closer to a coveted seat in a cello section."

For the full story, please see San Francisco Classical Voice.

The Story Behind 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'

"Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine wrote the classic song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for Judy Garland's 1944 movie, Meet Me in St. Louis, along with dozens of other songs for MGM and Broadway musicals."

For the full story, please see npr.org.

Before the Performance

"For audiences, the concert experience may seem magical, with performers demonstrating effortless mastery of challenging music. In reality, performances require months—or years—of intense preparation and planning. Here, three UW School of Music professors share what’s involved before they ever set foot on the stage."

For the full story, please see A&S Perspectives.

Research Commons Study Spaces

Looking for a space to study? The Research Commons in the Allen South Library has open complete with spaces that can be reserved for your convenience. Check out the array of study spaces and reserve them online today!

Gender and Opera (Muhst 497 A) – New Time!

New schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays 11:30-1:20


The course covers three operas in depth: Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and Britten’s Peter Grimes. In these operas, we will discuss class, race, and homosexuality, examining the dance forms, affect, tonality, and dramaturgy. In addition, we will discuss the various forms of gender transgressions, from castrati to trouser roles, in Handel’s Giulio Cesare and Verdi and Pacini’s two versions of Il Corsaro, among others. You will have a chance to analyze operas in groups. There will be a short midterm paper and a longer final paper and presentation. Contact Judy Tsou (jstsou@uw.edu) if you have questions.

Buglers, Veterans And The Lonely Yet Comforting Sound Of Taps

"Today we know taps as the solemn melody played by buglers at our military funerals. But that's not how the simple, 24-note tune got its start."

For the full story, please see npr.org.

L.A. Phil to transmit performances to HD-equipped movie theaters

"In a bold venture that the Los Angeles Philharmonic hopes will boost its "national brand" recognition and help raise the profile of classical music from Manhattan to Orange County, the orchestra next year will transmit live performances of three of its concerts to more than 450 high-definition-equipped movie theaters throughout the United States and Canada."

For the full story, please see the LA Times.

Five Reasons to use the ResearchWorks Archive Service

* Quickly archive work and share with colleagues
* Software provides persistent URL
* Increase citation impact and visibility
* Meets some grant requirements for public access
* Relieve yourself and staff of maintenance chores

For more information on ResearchWorks, see ResearchWorks.

James M. BEALE January 20, 1924 - November 4, 2010

James M. BEALE January 20, 1924 ~ November 4, 2010, composer and long time professor of music at the University of Washington, has died at the age of 86.
For the full story, please see the Seattle Times or the School of Music website. Explore James Beale's compositions at the Music Library.

We need a few good students...

We need a few good students to join the Music Library Student Advisory Committee! Time commitment is low with one meeting per quarter. Be part of the guiding force behind new library workshops, web presence, communications and more. For more information or to join the committee email vkern@uw.edu.

Seattle Symphony Names New Executive Director

"The Seattle Symphony, suffering from a momentary leadership vacuum, has settled on a British orchestra official, Simon Woods, as its next executive director."

For the full story, please see New York Times.

Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowships 2010-2011

Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowships 2010-2011
The Fellowship program's purpose is to encourage scholarly use of Berea's non-commercial audio collections that document Appalachian history and culture, especially the areas of traditional music, religious expression, spoken lore, and radio programs. Awards in support of such research projects are =
made for a period of one to three months.

The fellowships must be taken up between July 2010 and June 2011. All Fellowship supported work must be finished by June 30, 2011. Fellows are expected to be in residence during the term of the fellowship and are encouraged to participate in campus and community activities. Stipend: $3,000/month.
The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2010 for January through June 2011.

Berea's recordings collections are especially strong in the areas of traditional music, religious expression, spoken lore and radio programs. They include extensive documentation of fiddle and banjo tunes; ballads and songs; Old Regular Baptist singing and preaching; folktales and legends; and related interviews with musicians, preachers, and storytellers, 1950 to the present. Radio material heard in the region for the years 1936 to the mid 1950s, documents a wide range of Kentucky, national, and world political figures and events. Entertainment programs include country music, soap operas, musical variety shows and sporting events.

Proposal Guidelines 2010-2011
There is no application form. Applicants are asked to submit a proposal that includes:

1. Identifying and contact information, applicant's background and interest in the particular subject area.
2. A summary of the proposed project.
3. Detailed description of the anticipated use of Berea collections. Please discuss specific collection material and their relevance to the project.
4. Anticipated research outcomes (e.g., print publications, audio / video documentaries, tune transcriptions, lesson plans, public performances, web-based resources).
5. The length of time needed for the project (one month minimum, three months maximum), and preferred dates of residence. The duration of award is requested by the candidate, but the final decision is made by the Fellowship Committee.
6. Three letters of recommendation from colleagues familiar with the applicant's work and who are qualified to judge the proposal. For graduate degree candidates, the recommendations must include those of the professor directing the applicant's research and the department chair. Applicants are responsible for contacting all persons providing recommendations.

For information about Berea's Sound Archives and other traditional music collections, see www.berea.edu/hutchinslibrary/specialcollections/specialsound.asp

For additional information about Berea's Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowships, see http://www.berea.edu/hutchinslibrary/specialcollections/amfp/amfp.asp

Proposals or inquires should be sent to

Harry Rice
Special Collections & Archives
Berea College, Berea, KY 40404
harry_rice@berea.edu

How badly do YOU beat up your ears?

That's right -- your ears. They're the most valuable asset you have as a musician, and yet you just might be accidentally abusing them every time you practice, perform, or rehearse!

Come meet with experts for the Department of Speech & Hearing Services for a special event devoted to your musical ears! They'll discuss ear anatomy, dangers of high decibel levels for musicians, and steps you can take to protect your hearing. They'll even test of your instrument with their equipment just so you can see exactly how damaging it can be!

Wednesday, November 10
5:30pm
Room 114

Take care of your ears -- be there!

Hearing the Music, Honing the Mind

"Studies have shown that assiduous instrument training from an early age can help the brain to process sounds better, making it easier to stay focused when absorbing other subjects, from literature to tensor calculus. The musically adept are better able to concentrate on a biology lesson despite the racket in the classroom or, a few years later, to finish a call with a client when a colleague in the next cubicle starts screaming at an underling. They can attend to several things at once in the mental scratch pad called working memory, an essential skill in this era of multitasking."

For the full story, please see Scientic American.