Thank You for the Music

The following is a guest post by Jay Stringer-Vaught, MSLS, University of Kentucky. Stringer-Vaught spent a week learning about the work of the Music Division through University of Kentucky’s Alternative Spring Break Program prior to graduating with a master’s degree in library science. Jay currently serves as director of library services at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

I knew going into my internship at the Music Division in the Library of Congress this spring that I would be walking the halls of a legendary space and, therefore, would likely be introduced to some of the United States’ most precious artifacts; however, I had no way of anticipating the possibility of seeing so many exclusive items in one day! 

My first day at the Library I was overcome with excitement getting the chance to see everything from locks of Beethoven’s hair (yes, you heard me right), Irving Berlin’s handwritten “God Bless America” manuscript—a love letter to the United States for his 1918 show, “Yip Yip Yaphank,”  and, my personal favorite, the complete collection of Marvin Hamlisch’s PEGOT awards (Pulitzer, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). The latter was especially surreal for me as a die-hard fan of Barbra Streisand, whose creative collaborations with Hamlisch have received national and international acclaim. I even had the opportunity to visit the Library’s flute vault that houses the piccolo used to premiere the famous piccolo solo in Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” There, I spotted the poster where Lizzo had drawn hearts next to the flutes she tried on her visit—an act that shows the Library is a living, breathing thing and the its lore continues to grow. Some of the most knowledgeable people in the world have introduced me to enough stories and songs from the past to fill my lifetime. Yet, the marvelous thing about it all, is that I had only seen a minute fraction of the offerings held by the Music Division. 

The Library of Congress has generously hosted several University of Kentucky (UK) graduate students through UK’s Alternative Spring Break program throughout recent years. This was the second year that the Music Division hosted a UK student (see Charlotte Stephens’ blog from 2024). My week aligned with a particularly incredible moment as the Music Division had just received the papers of composer and songwriter Stephen Sondheim. This collection is extraordinary—not just because of what is in it, but because of the fact it still exists at all. A fire broke out in Sondheim’s home in 1995 and, though some of the boxes that originally contained manuscript scores were scorched by the flames, by some absolute miracle this music survived. I saw original manuscripts for my favorite Sondheim musical, “Sweeney Todd,” with original lyrics that never made it into the final versions of his shows. The best part for me was seeing his writing process. On a humble legal pad there are scribblings of rhyming words in the margins where he drafted his unforgettable songs. This was not some grand, polished piece of history—it was a simple, deeply transformative insight into the human experience we all share with those we consider as the greats.    

I wrote in my application that spending my spring break at the Library of Congress would be more than a mere work opportunity for me, but a sort of pilgrimage as a proud, American librarian. For me, obtaining my Library of Congress reading card was a right-of-passage. Sure, history is preserved here–in folders, behind glass, sometimes in temperature-controlled vaults–but it is also held in people’s hands, regularly shared with visitors such as me, and made to come alive. It was an honor to be part of that, even for a short time. I am leaving this experience with deep gratitude, a renewed sense of purpose, and an even stronger belief that libraries are not just about books or music or artifacts—they are about keeping history alive.