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Posted by: Amanda Smith
The Music Section’s collection of music scores and audio materials is plentiful. Piano music, yes! Guitar lead sheets, we’ve got them! Vocal librettos, songs, etc. But, what about music written for lesser known instruments? Do you play the penny whistle or know how to yodel? The music collection also contains titles for instrument or voice …
Posted in: Audio, Braille Music, Instrumental Music, Music Instruction, New Acquisitions
Posted by: Katie Rodda
Tomorrow we celebrate the birthday of one of the Twentieth Century’s most well-known composers and music pedagogues, Carl Orff (1895-1982). Although Orff may be best known for his cantata Carmina Burana, he is also quite well-known in the music education field because of “Orff Schulwerk,” an elementary approach to music he co-developed with his colleague Gunild …
Posted in: Audio, Braille, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille Music, Choral, Juvenile Music, Music Education, Music History and Appreciation, Music Instruction, NLS Music Section, NLS Online Catalog, Talking Books
Posted by: Katie Rodda
The NLS Music Section has recently acquired another new title by popular and prolific contributor, Bill Irwin. Patrons of the Music Section, and followers of this blog, may already be aware of Mr. Irwin’s background. If you wish to read more about Bill Irwin, please check out our blog post from June of last year, …
Posted in: Audio, Blues, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Instrumental Music, Jazz, Music History and Appreciation, Performing music, Piano, Popular Music
Posted by: Katie Rodda
A few weeks ago, I published an interview with NLS narrator Laura Giannarelli. In it, she talks about how she became a Talking Book narrator, and some of her favorite parts of the program. Ms. Giannarelli is one of the many narrators who narrate the liner notes of our newly acquired Smithsonian Folkways books. She …
Posted in: Audio, NLS Music Section, NLS Online Catalog, Piano Technicians Guild, Piano Tuning, Recordings, Talking Books
Posted by: Katie Rodda
By now I’m sure most of the readers of this blog have become familiar with the types of materials the music section offers: large print, braille, and audio. And although we have gone into detail about how we acquire and preserve braille and large print, we have yet to talk about what actually goes into …
Posted in: Audio, NLS Music Section, Talking Books, Women in Music
Posted by: Katie Rodda
Although St. Patrick’s Day may remind you of tin whistles, bodhráns, bagpipes (even though bagpipes are, strictly speaking, Scottish–the Irish musical tradition uses Uilleann pipes), or some other such traditional Irish instrument, one may neglect to think of the Celtic harp. The Celtic Harp and O’Carolan The harp is ubiquitous to most musical cultures, but …
Posted in: Audio, Blind Musicians, Braille, Braille and Audio Reading Download BARD, Braille Music, Instrumental Music, NLS Online Catalog
Posted by: Katie Rodda
Since Arcangelo Corelli’s 362nd birthday was just celebrated two days ago, I thought it a perfect time to talk about some of our violin music. Here at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) Music Section, many of our patrons are pianists and vocalists, but many also play other instruments, including …
Posted in: Audio, Bold Note Scores, Braille, Braille Music, Instrumental Music, Large Print, Large Print Music, Music History and Appreciation, Music Instruction, Performing music
Posted by: Mary Dell Jenkins
Many times our patrons practically inhale some of the titles we send them, they are so anxious to learn about a composer, opera, or the latest lesson for their guitar or piano. They have plenty of time; the established borrowing period is for three months, and should they need it longer, they can renew it …
Posted in: Audio, Braille, Braille Music, Circulation, NLS Music Section
Posted by: Katie Rodda
When you think of braille, what first comes into your mind? A series of raised dots, representing printed words? Someone reading a book using only the sense of touch? How about a libretto for Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha in Sanskrit? No? Well I’m here to tell you that it exists and that the NLS Music …
Posted in: Audio, Braille, Braille libretto, Libretto, Music History and Appreciation