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Category: Music Instruction

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I Love a Parade!

Posted by: Mary Dell Jenkins

As this post is published, I hope everyone is preparing for the July 4th celebration. Along with fireworks, grilling at picnics, sunflowers, ice cream and the patriotic significance of this date, I enjoy a parade–any parade. Especially those with floats, clowns, men with funny hats, and of course, marching bands. This most recent Memorial Day …

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From Beginners to Virtuosi: Violin Music in the NLS Collection

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 …

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NLS Music Section Hits the Road–Performing Outreach

Posted by: Mary Dell Jenkins

I have always considered the NLS Music Section’s home base in Washington D.C. as a very fine perk of my job. There are numerous opportunities for concerts with great venues such as Kennedy Center, the Strathmore, our own home at the Library of Congress and (according to me) the jewel in the crown of museums, …

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Folks are Folks; Women in Bluegrass Music and Beyond

Posted by: Mary Dell Jenkins

As we add titles to our collection from the Smithsonian Collection, we are eagerly learning more about different music genres and their development, particularly of American Folk Music. When I was told I would have “other duties as assigned” there was no indication that those duties would be so enjoyable. I grew up listening to …

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We’re Not Always About Long-Haired Music; an Introduction to Popular Music Lead Sheets

Posted by: Mary Dell Jenkins

When you say the word music, people usually agree that they like it. In fact, I’ve never heard anyone say anything else; and if they didn’t like music, that would be a sad day for me.  But, music covers a lot of territory, and people have their reasons for liking or identifying with what appeals to …

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Just Call Him “Doc” : NLS Guitar Materials Featuring Doc Watson

Posted by: Amanda Smith

I grew up in the foothills of North Carolina in an area where music styles and lyrics known to the Southern Appalachians trickled down and nestled in my bones. In writing about the music culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, what would a discussion of NC mountain music be without the mention of legendary guitar …

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“Take Five”…and Check Out Our Jazz Titles

Posted by: Katie Rodda

Although the majority of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) Music Section’s collection deals with classical music, we also have a wide array of materials dedicated to the great American art form–jazz. In this blog post, I will detail some of the special format materials in our collection that jazz …

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Band, Orchestra, and More: When Young Musicians Use Our Music

Posted by: Amanda Smith

Children and youth comprise an important part of the patronage at a public library, and this is certainly true here at the Music Section of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped as well.  Young musicians use NLS music materials in a variety of ways as they learn to play instruments.  Here …