February 26th was the birthday of the late legendary country music artist Johnny Cash known as the Man in Black. Cash was a legend long before Joaquin Phoenix portrayed him in the 2005 film “Walk the Line.” Initially getting into the business with Sun Records in the mid-50s, Cash settled in to a career filled […]
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 […]
The NLS Music Section recently acquired audio materials produced by Smithsonian Folkways. I would like to introduce and expand upon four new audio titles that are now available to our patrons. We are excited about these titles because we have added a new braille element to some of our audio. Read more about our new Smithsonian Folkways acquisitions — and our process […]
What else do you do with music? Well, you can read it and write it, too. Or learn about it, a particular piece or song or genre. Or even analyze it. The Music Section has traditionally not provided music that is strictly for listening. This is because such music is readily available and accessible to […]
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 […]
Recently, on May 4, 2014, musician Happy Traum was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame. Here at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, we are quite familiar with Happy because of his work in establishing the audio music company, Homespun Tapes. As a local New Yorker and musician during […]