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Category: Music History and Appreciation

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New BARD Additions: September 2025

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This month, the NLS Music Section has added many new audio and braille titles to BARD (Braille Audio Reading Download). Whether it's music by Elton John, Igor Stravinsky or the Muppets, we have something for everyone!

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New BARD Additions: May 2025

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This month, the NLS Music Section has added many new scores and audio programs to BARD (Braille Audio Reading Download). Whether you prefer Bach, Broadway, or Korean folk music, there is something for everyone! Read on to find out about these exciting acquisitions!

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New BARD Additions: December 2024

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This month, the NLS Music Section has added many new titles to BARD (Braille Audio Reading Download). All of these selections are ready to be enjoyed on your computer or smart device, and can downloaded right now on the BARD app! Read on to find out about our latest additions!

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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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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Béla Bartók’s “Allegro Barbaro”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

This week, learn more about how ancient dialects influenced the composition of one of Bela Bartok's most famous works, "Allegro Barbaro."

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Song Stories: Camille Saint-Saëns and “Danse macabre”

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, we take a deep dive into a piece that is often associated with the October tradition of Halloween: "Danse macabre" by Camille Saint-Saëns.

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Hidden Gems of the NLS Collection: Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Flute and Piano

Posted by: Brian McCurdy

For this week's NLS Music Notes blog post, learn more about one of our newest items acquired via the Marrakesh Treaty: Francis Poulenc's Sonata for Flute and Piano. Commissioned by the Library of Congress and dedicated to Jean-Pierre Rampal , the Sonata has become a standard in the repertoire.

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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."