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Posted by: Mary Dell Jenkins
That’s right, it’s December, and no doubt you’re all busy with your holiday shopping and making a list of naughty and nice. As with many libraries, the NLS Music Section is no different than others when it comes to receiving gifts. Frequently, braille music patrons, and sometimes other institutions will contact us and ask if …
Posted in: Braille, Braille Music, New Acquisitions, NLS Music Section
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 …
Posted in: Audio, Banjo, Bluegrass, Folk Music, Guitar instruction, Music Instruction, NLS Music Section, Popular Music
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 …
Posted in: Audio, Braille Music, Instrumental Music, Jazz, Large Print, Music Instruction, NLS Music Section, Piano, Uncategorized
Posted by: Mary Dell Jenkins
While most people associate Louis Braille with the system of reading and writing for the blind, many are not aware he was also an accomplished organist and musician. There is good evidence he created the Braille code for music first and language second. But whichever came first, the literary or the music code, we’re just grateful …
Posted in: Blind Musicians, Braille, Braille Music, Instrumental Music, Jazz, NLS Concerts, NLS Music Section, Performing music, Piano, Uncategorized
Posted by: Katie Rodda
As I detailed in my last blog post, much of the braille music in the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) Music Section collection comes from the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA. Their (now defunct) Howe Press has provided us with many musical treasures that are unique to …
Posted in: Braille, Braille Music, NLS Music Section, Piano
Posted by: Katie Rodda
Co-written with Claire L. Rojstaczer Whether it is a music librarian humming a tune, a recording of a trumpet lesson, or the soothing voice of an instructor detailing the intricacies of a Rossini opera, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped’s Music Section is constantly abuzz with the sounds of music. For …
Posted in: Blind Musicians, Large Print, NLS Music Section, Recordings
Posted by: John Hanson
While reading through a Billboard magazine article that celebrates Quincy Jones’ 80th birthday, a Music Section staff person stumbled on a name that looked very familiar. In the article, from the March 16th issue of Billboard, she found that longtime NLS music patron Justin Kauflin was named one of the “Six Acts to Watch …
Posted in: Blind Musicians, Jazz, NLS Concerts, NLS Music Section
Posted by: John Hanson
This post was a collaboration with Mary Dell Jenkins, Amanda Smith, and Katie Rodda. Welcome to the inaugural post of NLS Music Notes! This blog is designed to share information about the services of the Music Section and its special format music collection: in braille, large print, and audio. We are located in Washington, DC, …
Posted in: Blind Musicians, NLS Concerts, NLS Music Section