The following is a guest blog by Music Reference Specialist Morgan Davis. Actress, comedian, author and media personality Whoopi Goldberg visited the Library of Congress on Friday, May 10 to discuss her new autobiography, “Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me.” Prior to her public conversation with Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, …
The following is a guest post by Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford, Curator of Musical Instruments, and Dr. Frederic Kreisler. Over the past few years Dr. Frederic Kreisler, grandson of the cellist Hugo Kreisler (1884-1929) and grand-nephew of the violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), has generously donated Kreisler family materials and musical instruments to the Fritz …
The following is a guest post by Morgan Davis, Music Reference Specialist. As music lovers finally exhale after the highly anticipated release of Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” we are once again reminded of the music mogul’s ability to remind us of cultural histories long overlooked and buried. Like many American pastimes, country music found itself dominated …
The following is a guest blog by Charlotte Stephens, MLS Candidate, University of Kentucky, who spent a week supporting the work of the Library’s Music Division as part of her academic study. As a master’s student of library science, the Library of Congress has always loomed large for me. The size and scope of the …
Drawing from the recently processed Barry Sisters Papers housed in the Library of Congress Music Division, archivist Maya Lerman introduces the Barry Sisters vocal duo and their artistic contribution to the development of "Yiddish Swing."
Stephanie Akau, the music archivist who processed the Shirley Horn Papers for the Library of Congress Music Division, contributes a brief biography of Horn, illustrated with materials from the collection: scrapbook, jazz performance program, and photographs.
Home to the George and Ira Gershwin Collection, the Library of Congress celebrates the 100th birthday of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with a special concert and a look at how the Library's collections tell the story of the work's creation and reception.
The following is a guest post by 2023 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar and 2024 Grammy Nominee Lakecia Benjamin. In many ways, 2023 was a breakout year for me. I was blessed to be able to perform the music I love, meet new people and experience different countries, languages, and cultures. Most people don’t know …