Stevie Wonder’s awards and achievements speak for themselves. He has received 25 Grammy Awards, an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, sold more 100 million records worldwide, and he even earned an Academy Award for best original song for “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (from the 1984 film “The Woman in Red”). Lest we forget, he was also the 2009 recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress. However, these accolades only speak partially to the impact of his incredible career. As we celebrate Black History Month, let us take a closer examination of ..read more

Anyone who has ever heard an authentic Hungarian folk tune, such as one of the many discovered by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) and Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) at the start of the 20th Century, is familiar with the problem that notating such tunes is much like driving without a map. These ancient dialects and foreign languages had no alphabet or any other form of notation. Because of this, one has to become completely absorbed in the language in order to understand it. If any composer was ever capable of capturing the spirit of this ancient Hungarian dialect in the form of organized sounds, it was Bar ..read more

Welcome to the July roundup of the NLS Music Section’s BARD additions. This month we’ve added a large selection of new audio and braille books, including: audio instruction for piano and guitar, instruction on jazz improvisation and counterpoint in braille, and a large set of vocal and piano braille scores. There’s something for everyone in this month’s additions, so read on and find out what else is new! Please note that all materials listed below are also available to borrow by mail, not only through BARD. Please contact the Music Section to borrow talking books on digital car ..read more

Welcome back to our monthly BARD roundup! This month we added a number of instructional audio recordings from Bill Brown for guitar, bass guitar, piano, and banjo. If you are looking to brush up on some of your holiday music in the “off-season,” check out some of the newly added Christmas music titles. We have also added a number of varied titles in our braille collection, including music for piano, voice, flute, organ and violin. Also included are some text-only items that can accompany your music studies! Please note that all materials listed below are also available to borrow by mail, not o ..read more

Welcome to the June roundup of the NLS Music Section’s BARD additions. Summer is in full swing now, so why not check out one of our new braille titles to find that piece you’ve always wanted learn? We’ve added a wide variety of music this month, including many braille pieces for guitar, piano, and even the sitar. Looking to learn about jazz and improvisation? Check out our two new books on just that! There’s something for everyone in this month’s additions, so read on and find out what else is new. Please note that all materials listed below are also available to borrow by mail, not only throu ..read more

The following is a guest post by Timothy Jones. Robert Schumann was born on June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Saxony. Living in a region dominated by prolific literature and music, he received an abundance of inspiration from contemporary composers and authors. Growing up, Schumann possessed an equal desire to pursue both music and poetry. He wrote his first compositions at the age of seven, branched out into large-scale choral and orchestral compositions at eleven, and set some of his own poems to music at seventeen. At first, Schumann’s higher education focus was on law. However, he switched his car ..read more

If you have a pretty good idea about what Hollywood movie music sounds like, you may like to learn about Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), the composer who significantly helped develop film scores. What made Korngold’s Hollywood music so successful? More than any other music used for film before, Korngold’s film scores were precisely tailored to their stories. His music created a deep emotional connection between the pictures, the narrative, and viewers. It provided an almost tangible dimension, because it made viewers not only see and hear, but feel what was going on. The music drew viewer ..read more

There are few musicians whose life’s work could have influenced the likes of Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, and Johnny Winter. While the rich music of the Mississippi Delta has boasted the names of many brilliant musicians over the years, it was McKinley Morganfield (1913-1983)—better known as “Muddy Waters”—who served as the torch bearer of the Delta Blues. As we celebrate African American Music Appreciation Month, let us look at the remarkable life and music of Muddy Waters. How does one get the name “Muddy Waters?” He told Robert Palmer of Rolling Stone, “When I got ..read more

Did you know that this week (April 3-9) is National Library Week? Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the theme of this year’s celebration is “Connect with Your Library.” While libraries connect users to resources, they also offer opportunities to connect with media, programs, and classes. National Library Week is dedicated to highlighting the essential role libraries and library workers play in changing lives and bolstering communities. This year’s Honorary Chair of National Library Week is Molly Shannon, a former cast member of television’s Saturday Night Live, and someone w ..read more

There was a point in time where the theme music for a television show was as iconic as the program itself. Viewers would tune in not just for the running storylines and catch phrases, but also for the theme song. The music would set the tone for the show, and the repetition of the theme each week also added to the connectivity between each episode. One of the most recognizable themes in TV history also has an intriguing story that contains conflict, legal drama, and (an item of great importance to us at the Library of Congress) copyright! The show was “Dragnet”, and as its main character Joe F ..read more