The MP3: A History Of Innovation And Betrayal

""I don't like the title 'The Father of MP3,'" says Karlheinz Brandenburg. But he kinda is. "Certainly I was involved all the time from basic research [to] getting it into the market.""

For the full story, please see npr.org.

Feel Locked Out? Nothing to Tackle? Well, Try Opera

"Lawrence Harris, an opera singer, poked the ballroom’s faded carpet with the toe of his black alligator boot and said it reminded him of another arena he once performed in."

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

Streaming Reserves Centralization Pilot

Beginning Spring Quarter 2011 the Music Library will partner with the Media Center in Odegaard Library to centralize streaming audio and video reserves services. The goal of the pilot is to offer the same high quality streaming service you are familiar with while reducing duplication of efforts within the Libraries.

What does this mean for you?

• Streaming reserves: The Music Library will continue to accept streaming reserve request forms and audio materials to stream. Audio materials with forms will be delivered by student courier to the Media Center at 10:30 and 2:30 daily. Audio materials with forms may also be dropped off directly to the Media Center. NOTE: In order to allow for your streaming audio requests to be processed, we request that you drop off materials one week prior to the date that you need them made available online. Materials will be processed in the order they are received.

• Print and electronic reserves: The pilot will not effect print reserves, electronic document reserves, and media materials on reserve in the Listening Center. They will continue to be processed and available in the Music Library.
  
  
• Streaming videos: If you are interested in having videos streamed for your class, please email medialib@uw.edu or visit this page: http://tinyurl.com/uwvideoreserves
  

Music Library staff member Heather Spence will move to the Media Center to assist with this pilot. The pilot will run through the Spring Quarter and will be re-evaluated during the summer. Please contact musiclib@uw.edu or Music Library staff with any questions you have regarding the pilot.

Women composers: Notes from the musical margins

"Try this test. Write down all the women composers you know of. No, don't run away. Given the nature of this column, stick to contemporary classical. Too hard? OK, include anyone, past or present, who has written religious, symphonic, chamber, vocal, choral, operatic, electro-acoustic works. To make it simple, film and TV scores are allowed too. Still zero? You're in distinguished company. The Guardian's 100 Most Inspiring Women this week, marking the 100th International Women's Day, featured not one."

For the full story, please see The Guardian.

Research Award

On behalf of UW Libraries, I am pleased to announce the eighth annual Library Research Award for Undergraduates program.

The Research Award recognizes undergraduate students for excellent research and scholarship that demonstrates creative use of scholarly materials.

Please encourage your students to participate. Most of our student applicants say they submitted because they were encouraged to by their instructors or advisers.

Students may submit any research project they've completed between Spring 2010 and Spring 2011. In addition, they are asked to submit a short reflective essay about the research process.


- *Deadline*: Monday, May 16, 2011.
- Winners receive $1,000.
- Categories: Senior Thesis/Honors Thesis, Senior Non-Thesis, and Non-Senior
- Any media (project format) accepted.

Application information, previous winners, FAQ, and selection criteria are available at:

http://guides.lib.washington.edu/researchaward

The award jury is comprised of librarians and faculty evaluators, crossing disciplines and the three UW campuses.

Questions? Email: libaward@uw.edu

Early Music Is Enjoying Its Moment

"ARTISTIC revolutions rarely happen overnight, and if they do happen quickly, they do not necessarily spread uniformly. In recent decades the early-music movement has provoked a radical shift in performance styles throughout much of the music world. As an eccentric, irrelevant outsider in cultural life, the movement has managed to transform attitudes toward tradition and has wrought major changes in orchestral practice. A movement that started in powerful opposition to modern conventions has become increasingly integrated with mainstream performance."

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

Faculty Senate will consider endorsing Faculty Fund for Library Excellence

"If approved by the Faculty Senate, a new donation fund could help compensate for budget losses at the UW Libraries, and return the Libraries to their previous ranking.

The Faculty Fund for Library Excellence would accept donations from current and emeritus faculty starting in the next several months. On March 10, the Faculty Senate will consider endorsing the fund."

For the full story, please see UW Today.

Be happy: Bobby McFerrin to perform with local students

"Vocal improviser extraordinaire Bobby McFerrin will perform March 8th at The Paramount Theatre for one evening only. He’s coming at the behest of Giant Magnet (you may remember them better as Seattle International Children’s Festival, though they recently rebranded). The ten-time Grammy winner is still widely known for his wonderful and wonderfully simple hit single, Don’t Worry Be Happy. His concert performances are one-of-a-kind events that can open the world of music to an audience.

For the full story, please see KOMO News.

A Way to Move Forward

"A few weeks ago I wrote a piece about the DSO’s stalemate and many people have since asked me to share my ideas about a possible new model that might reverse current trends and create sustainability. But before I do this we need to turn our attention to the result of the Detroit Symphony strike. This should give us pause for thought. There has been a long and protracted battle. Total internecine warfare. At the end of which neither side has won. Crazy, really. But the worst of it is that the community has lost-big time. It is being deprived of its orchestra, the musicians’ work, their involvement in helping the city face up to a new economic reality and a new position in the world. Which is exactly what the orchestra needed to understand but didn’t."

For the full story, please see Tony's blog.