Music

MEDIA / MUSIC collections (CDs and DVDs) are found on the library's CONCOURSE (middle) level.

STACKS books with call numbers A - L are found on the CONCOURSE level.

STACKS books with call numbers M - Z are found on the GROUND floor

Most Books having to do with Music will be found in the "M", "ML" and "MT" sections of the STACKS, on the Ground floor of the Library

Many of our scores are to be found in the "M" collection of OVERSIZE, also on the Ground level.

STL does not have a separate sheet music collection.  All of our notated music is in the Stacks and Oversize collections. 

Library of Congress Call Numbers tell you what the book is about.

Library of Congress Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885
More than 47,000 pieces of sheet music registered for copyright during the years 1870 to 1885. Included are popular songs, piano music, sacred and secular choral music, solo instrumental music, method books and instructional materials and music for band and orchestra.

African-American Sheet Music
This collection, selected from the collections of the Brown University Library, consists of 1,305 pieces of African-American sheet music dating from 1850 through 1920.

Historic American Sheet Music: 1850-1920
The Historic American Sheet Music collection presents 3,042 pieces of sheet music drawn from the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University.

The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music
The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music is part of Special Collections at the Milton S. Eisenhower Library of The Johns Hopkins University. It contains more than 29,000 pieces of music and focuses on popular American Music spanning the period 1780 to 1960. An image of the cover and each page of music will be retrievable if the music was published before 1923 and is in the public domain.

Inventions of Note: Sheet Music Collection at the MIT Lewis Music Library
Inventions of Note Sheet Music Collection was established in 1977 by the Lewis Music Library at MIT. This sheet music collection consists of popular songs and piano compositions that portray technologies as revealed through song texts and/or cover art. Most items dates from ~1890 to 1920.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

• The Encyclopedia of Popular Music [Ref ML102.P66 G84 1998] 8 vols.
• The Encyclopedia of Rock Stars [Ref ML102.R6 R44 1996]
• The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music.10 vols. [Ref ML100.G16]
• The New Grove Dictionary of American Music [Ref ML101.U6 N48 1986] 4 v.
• The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz [Ref ML 102.J3 N48 1988] 2 v.
• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. [Ref ML100.N48] 2001.
• The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments [Ref ML102.I5 N48 1993]
• The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music [Ref ML102.P66 G84]
• Tin Pan Alley:An Encyclopedia.... REF ML102 P66 J37 2003
• Library of Congress Performing Arts Encyclopedia

Biographical Information

• Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians. [ REF ML105.B16 1992 ]
• Baker's Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Classical Musicians [Ref ML105.S612 1997]
• The Cambridge dictionary of American biography. [ REF CT213.C36 1995 ]
• Current biography yearbook. [ REF CT100.C8 ]
• Research guide to European historical biography. [REF CT759.R47 1992]
• Research guide to American historical biography. [ REF CT214.R47 1988]
• St. James guide to biography. [ REF CT101.S8 1991 ]
• Women and Music In America Since 1900. 2 vols. [REF ML82.W625 2002]

Guides &Handbooks

• American Musical Traditions.5 vols. REF ML3551.A53 2002
• The New Oxford Companion to Music [Ref ML100.S37 1983] 2 v.
• Operas in English:A Dictionary. REF ML102.O6 G74 1999
• The Oxford Companion to Popular Music [Ref ML102.P66 G35 1991]
• The Virtual Musician: a complete guide....[Ref ML74.7.H55 1996]
• The Viking Opera Guide [Ref ML 102.O6 V55 1993]
• NEA Jazz Masters Program (press releases, recommended recordings)

Bibliographies and Research Guides

• Choral Music:A Research and Information Guide. REF ML128.C48 S53 2002
• Music Reference and Research Materials: an annotated bibliography 5th ed.
• [Ref ML113.D83 1997]

Interdisciplinary tools

• International Encyclopedia of Dance. REF GV1585.I586 1998 [6 v.]
• Guide to United States Popular Culture. REF E169.1 D3999 2001
• St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture [5 v.] REF E169.1 S764 2000

• Reference sources about Music, Jazz, and Opera
• Browse the video collection for Music, musicals, concerts and documentaries about musicians
• Browse the Media/MUSIC collection for Compact discs.