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Category: Music Education

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New BARD Additions: June 2024

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This month, the NLS Music Section has added many new titles to BARD (Braille Audio reading Download). Read on to find out about the latest offerings that include guitar and piano lessons by Bill Brown, "Never Grow Up" by Taylor Swift in lead sheet format, and Preludes for piano by Olivier Messiaen.

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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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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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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.

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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op. 18 by Alberto Ginastera

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month. It is a time when we celebrate the generations of Hispanic and Latino Americans that have contributed to our society in positive and meaningful ways. On our journey through the treasures of the NLS Music collection, we recently came across a wonderful work written for organ by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983), the Toccata, Villancico y Fuga, Op. 18. While this work is performed by organists on a regular basis, the rest of us would benefit from learning more about both the composer and the composition.

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New BARD Additions: August 2021

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This month, the NLS Music Section has added many new materials to BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download), including songs by Adele, Johnny Cash, and Broadway's Robert Lopez! There are also new piano lessons from Bill Brown and new transcriptions of the Tradition of Excellence concert band method. Read on to learn more about our latest digital offerings!

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American Composers and Musicians from A to Z: W (Part 2 – Whitaker, Matthew)

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's feature on American Composers and Musicians, we will look at the remarkable life and work of jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker. He will perform a free virtual concert, which will begin streaming on the Library's YouTube page on Wednesday, March 3, at 8:00 p.m.