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Category: Braille

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Song Stories: Woody Guthrie’s “Dust Bowl Ballads”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

Born on July 14, 1912, Woody Guthrie earned the nickname "The Dust Bowl Troubadour" with the 1940 release of "Dust Bowl Ballads." In this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, learn more about the most successful album of Guthrie's career and how it influenced a new generation of artists.

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Schumann’s Character Pieces

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes Blog post, our Braille Music Specialist Timothy Jones discusses Robert Schumann and one of his sets of Character Pieces for piano, "Scenes from Childhood."

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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: The Life and Music of Muddy Waters

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, our "Hidden Gems" series takes us to the Mississippi Delta as we learn about the life and music of Muddy Waters.

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It’s National Library Week!

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This week we are celebrating National Library Week! This year's Honorary Chair, Molly Shannon, honors the work of her favorite librarian--her mother. Read on to learn more about the history and importance of National Library Week.

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American Music from A to Z in the NLS Music Collection: I—Charles Ives and the Concord Sonata

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

As we continue our A to Z journey through the NLS Music Collection, we take a closer examination of the Piano Sonata no. 2 "Concord, Mass., 1840-1860" by Charles Ives, otherwise known as the "Concord Sonata."

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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Francis “Frank” Johnson

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, we look at the incredible life of Francis "Frank" Johnson (1792-1844). Celebrate Black History Month with us as we pay tribute to an African American composer, band leader, and pioneer.

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New BARD Additions: December 2021

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

In this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, we bring you the latest offerings that have been added to BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download). Please enjoy this musical feast, and Happy Holidays from the NLS Music Section!

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Progressive Rock, Classical Influences

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

Progressive Rock drew its inspiration from a number of influences. For this week's NLS Music Notes Blog post, learn more about the classical music that inspired Rush, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, and many others!

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American Music from A to Z in the NLS Music Collection: E—Eastman School of Music

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

In our alphabetical journey through the NLS Music Collection, we have arrived this month at the letter E. 2021 is the centennial of the founding of one of the world's leading music schools, the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Composers, educators, performers, and other music pioneers from this prestigious institution are represented far and wide throughout our holdings.