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Posted by: Heather Darnell
On June 27, 2024, actor and comedian Jim Belushi visited the Library of Congress, where he received a special tour of the collections of the Music Division, Recorded Sound Division and American Folklife Center. Belushi took part in “Live! At the Library: The House of Blues Moves into the Library of Congress,” an event celebrating …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Heather Darnell
Celebrating the reopening of the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Library of Congress's neighbor just a block away, Dr. Stacey Jocoy provides an overview of music scores related to Shakespeare's drama that are housed in the Library of Congress Music Division.
Posted in: Early Music
Posted by: Heather Darnell
It’s the summer of 2018, and I’ve once again found myself at the Marina in Corpus Christi, TX, sitting with my father on his sailboat. Guitars in hand, we are playing a special concert for the seagulls and pelicans, our only true fans. The vibrations of our strings loft into the air in perfect harmony …
Posted in: Instrumentalists, Jazz, Musical Instruments, Musicians, Uncategorized
Posted by: Heather Darnell
During last Sunday’s Oscars, many were quick to note the parallels between Ryan Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken” and Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” from the 1953 film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. ”The “Ken Dance” took many cues from pop culture and vintage Hollywood to play on gender stereotypes. However, there was …
Posted in: Dance, Film Music, Women in Dance
Posted by: Heather Darnell
Never lacking romance, the musicals of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II are often known for their love songs, such as the soaring “Some Enchanted Evening” from “South Pacific” and the cheeky “People May Say We’re in Love” from “Oklahoma!”. But not everybody wants to be reminded of fairytale romances and star-crossed soulmates—especially on Valentine’s …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Heather Darnell
The following is a guest post by Music Division Reference Librarian Dr. Stacey Jocoy. If you know the tunes to ”Greensleeves,” ”Lillibullero,” or just about any traditional British tune, you should thank John Playford (1623-1687). Known today primarily for the Playford Dances—originally published as ”The English Dancing Master” in 1650/1, Playford was the most important …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Heather Darnell
It’s that time of the year when many Americans gather with their families to cut the turkey, gobble up pumpkin pie, and feel grateful for one another. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let’s look at heartwarming photos our favorite artistic families from the Music Division’s Digital Collections: Sylvia Fine and Danny Kaye Sylvia Fine …
Posted in: Composers, Digital Collections, Holidays, Instrumentalists, Jewish American History, Latin American History, LGBTQ+, Musical Theater, Special Collections, Vocalists, Women in Music