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Posted by: Katie Rodda
Next week, on October 22, the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) will present a concert by jazz pianist and NLS patron Justin Kauflin in the Coolidge Auditorium at 7:15 p.m. The performance is a celebration of 50 years of the Music Section, which provides braille scores and …
Posted in: Blind Musicians, Instrumental Music, Jazz, Piano
Posted by: Katie Rodda
Today we celebrate the 179th birthday of Camille Saint-Saëns, a famous French composer, most well-known for his works The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, and a number of other pieces. Saint-Saëns began his musical studies at the incredible age of three, while he was living with his mother and aunt in …
Posted in: Audio, Braille, Braille libretto, Braille Music, Instrumental Music, Libretto, Metropolitan Opera, Music History and Appreciation, Piano
Posted by: Katie Rodda
This Saturday, Arnold Schoenberg celebrates his 140th birthday. All those who have studied music have come across Schoenberg’s compositions in one way or another, and whether they love, despise, or are intrigued by his works, it’s undeniable that Schoenberg had an enormous impact on 20th and 21st century art music. I must admit, I have …
Posted in: Arnold Schoenberg, Braille Music, Instrumental Music, Music History and Appreciation, Piano
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 …
Posted in: Braille Music, Jazz, Music Instruction, Piano, Popular Music, Popular Music Lead Sheets
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: 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 …
Posted in: Band, Braille Music, Juvenile Music, Large Print, Music Instruction, Orchestra, Piano, Uncategorized