It’s summer! What could be better than filling your hot days with cool music? The NLS Music Section has added new awesome talking books and braille scores to BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) this month! Thanks to NLS’s participation in the Marrakesh Treaty, we have added several braille scores of popular songs. They include Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and songs by Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber.

To borrow these and other items, feel free to download them directly to your smart device from BARD. If you prefer to borrow hard copies of braille music or talking books on digital cartridge, give us a call us at 1-800-424-8567 extension 2, or e-mail us at [email protected]. Should you be new to BARD or need a refresher, you may find the following links helpful: Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) and BARD Access.

Talking Books

Music Appreciation and History

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Country Songs, Old and New: Waller, Charlie; Adcock, Eddie; Cox, Jim; Duffey, John; Country Gentlemen (Musical group). Read by Brit Herring. A production of Smithsonian Folkways. (DBM04061)

Music and Performing Arts at the Library of Congress

A Brief History of Video Game Music. Bryan Mosley and Gene Dreyband of the video game music podcast “Pixelated Audio” discuss the history of video game music, providing context for a video game score by Austin Wintory newly commissioned by the Library of Congress. (DBM04365)

Americans’ Forgotten Love Affair with Opera. Scholar Katherine Preston looks at the prevalence of English-language opera productions in the United States in the 19th century (and the women who were the managers of many companies), and debunks the myth that only the elite attended operatic productions. (DBM04364)

Celebration of Machito: Mario Grillo. In an interview with Library of Congress music reference specialist Larry Appelbaum, Grillo discusses his father’s contributions to American music. (DBM04283)

Making Show Boat: Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II & the Power of Performers. Part of the American Musicological Society-Library of Congress lecture series, musicologist Todd Decker discusses his research into the creation of the hit Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical “Show Boat.” (DBM04358)

Mozart, Shostakovich & Dvorák. Trios of Trial and Triumph. David Plylar discusses Mozart’s B-flat major piano trio, K.502, Shostakovich’s second piano trio in E minor, op. 67, and Dvořák’s third piano trio in F minor, op. 65. (DBM04363)

Stockhausen’s “Mantra.”  Musicologist Paul Miller discusses Karlheinz Stockhausen’s landmark work “Mantra”, in conjunction with a performance given at the Library of Congress by Katherine Chi and Aleksandar Madzar. (DBM04359)

String Quartet Traditions in Russia. In this lecture prior to a performance by the Borodin Quartet, Kevin Bartig discusses string quartet traditions in Russia from Borodin to Shostakovich. (DBM04362)

The Ongoing Composition of “Rhapsody in Blue.” Musicologist Ryan Banagale reconsidered the compositional history of George Gershwin’s most famous work from its moment of inception through the present day, using a variety of source manuscripts housed in the Music Division at the Library of Congress. (DBM04360)

Bill Brown’s Piano Instruction by Ear

Dream Chaser. Bill Brown teaches an intermediate version of Kyle Landry’s “Dream Chaser.” (DBM04372)

Fugue in C: BWV 846. Bill Brown teaches an early advanced version of this Fugue by J. S Bach. (DBM04373)

Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken. Bill Brown teaches a late beginner version of the classic hymn. (DBM04374)

Glory Be to the Father. Bill Brown teaches a beginner version of the classic hymn. (DBM04375)

God of Our Fathers. Bill Brown teaches a late beginner version of the classic hymn. (DBM04376)

Great is Thy Faithfulness.  Bill Brown teaches an early intermediate version of the classic hymn. (DBM04377)

Ice Dance. Bill Brown teaches an intermediate version of “Ice Dance” from the movie “Edward Scissorhands” on piano without music notation. (DBM04378)

In the Sweet By and By. Bill Brown teaches an early intermediate version of “In the Sweet by and by” in two keys with three different left hand accompaniments on piano without music notation. (DBM04379)

Invention No. 8, BWV 779. Bill Brown teaches a late intermediate version of J.S. Bach’s Invention. (DBM04380)

It is Well with My Soul. Bill Brown teaches an early intermediate version. (DBM04381)

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee. Bill Brown teaches a beginner version. (DBM04382)

Maple Leaf Rag. Bill Brown teaches an early advanced version of Scott Joplin’s work. (DBM04383)

Braille Music Scores and Books

Popular Songs/Vocal

Bieber, Justin, and others. Baby. By Terius Nash as recorded by Justin Bieber in line by line and bar over bar format. (BRT37151)

Burt, Alfred S; Hutson, Wihla. Some Children See Him. (BRT37150)

Carey, Mariah. Fantasy. From the album “Daydream.” (BRT37157)

Cash, Johnny. After the Ball. (BRT37162)

Cash, Johnny. All Over Again. (BRT37163)

Cash, Johnny. Bad News. (BRT37164)

Cash, Johnny. Big River. (BRT37178)

Cash, Johnny. Busted, by Harlan Howard, as performed by Johnny Cash and the Carter Family. (BRT37179)

Cash, Johnny. Come In, Stranger. (BRT37180)

Cash, Johnny. Cry, Cry, Cry. (BRT37181)

Cash, Johnny. Don’t Take Your Guns to Town. (BRT37183)

Cash, Johnny. Five Feet High and Rising. (BRT37184)

Cash, Johnny. Flesh and Blood. (BRT37185)

Cash, Johnny. Folsom Prison Blues. (BRT37186)

Cash, Johnny. I Walk the Line. (BRT37192)

Cash, Johnny. I Will Rock and Roll with You. (BRT37193)

Cash, Johnny. Jackson. (BRT37194)

Cash, Johnny. Luther’s Boogie. (BRT37196)

Cash, Johnny. The Big Battle. (BRT37177)

Cash, Johnny. The Last Time. (BRT37195)

Cash, Johnny/Merle Travis. Dark as a Dungeon by Merle Travis. (BRT37182)

Cohen, Leonard. Hallelujah. (BRT37149)

Loree, Anne. Insensitive. (BRT37152)

Martin, Max; Crichlow, Herbert. Quit Playing Games (with My Heart), the 1996 hit song from the boy band Backstreet Boys. (BRT37158)

McLachlan, Sarah. Angel. (BRT37148)

Swift, Taylor. Love Story. (BRT37153)

Twain, Shania; Lange, R. J. Man! I Feel Like a Woman!. As published in “100 years of popular music: 90s” (BRT37156)

Warren, Diane. How do I Live. From the Touchstone motion picture “Con Air.” (BRT37154)

Warren, Diane/Celine Dion. Because You Loved Me. As published in “100 years of popular music: 90s” and as performed by Celine Dion. This was the theme song for the 1996 film Up Close & Personal. (BRT37159)