Last revised: July 17, 2002
Articles
How do I find journal articles on music?
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Music Index has references to articles in over 600 international music journals. (on campus
access only)
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RILM indexes journal articles and other types of material such as books, dissertations and
festschriften.
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Education Abstracts and ERIC help in finding scholarly articles and reports that pertain to music education.
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Digital Dissertations (Dissertation Abstracts) index master's theses and doctoral dissertations for North America and Europe since 1861.
Titles published since 1997 are available in PDF digital format and have 24 page previews available.
To learn more about these and other recommended databases, visit the OhioLINK Databases page for the subject of Music.
Biographical Information
How do I find biographical information?
- Baker's Biographical Dictionary (Ref. ML105 .B16 1992)
lists information on many musical figures with an emphasis on the classical music world.
Latest edition is in reference. Older editions are in the General Collection.
*Entries will vary from one edition to another. If the musician you are looking for is not in the
edition we have in reference, check the 5th, 6th and 7th editions in the general collection on
the 5th floor.
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The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (online resource), 2nd edition, also contains many biographies.
The 1980 print edition is available in the reference room (Ref. ML 100.N48 v.1-20).
If the biography is not listed in these sources, or if you want a more detailed article, try a
specialized resource, such as:
- The New Grove Dictionary of American Music (Ref. ML 101.U6 N48 1986 v.1-4).
Many entries have been revised and expanded from the original Grove's. Covers American
folk and rock figures not covered in the parent Grove.
- The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (Ref. ML 102 .J3 N48 1988 v.1-2).
Entries for composers and performers usually include lists of works, discographies, and
bibliographies. Some are illustrated.
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The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (Ref. ML102.O6 N5 1992 v.1-4).
This is the most comprehensive reference work for opera. Articles include biographies of
composers, librettists, singers, dancers, stage designers, critics and other figures from
the opera world. Also includes information on opera companies, descriptions of major opera
houses, and plots. Most articles are entirely new.
If you don't find what you need here, try performing a subject search in MaagNet
- for music--bio-bibliography, or
- for the person's name, last name first.
- Example: Rossini, Gioacchino
To search for references to biographies online, try Biography Index (an OhioLINK resource).
How do I find out if a musician is living or dead?
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The Gaylord Music Library at Washington University maintains an extensive, online
Necrology File.
- Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
provides access to the obituaries from hundreds of national and local newspapers.
For information about this database and for off-campus access,
please see the OhioLINK information page for Lexis Nexis.
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Notes, the journal of the Music Library Association, has an obituary index in each issue. (Per. ML27.U5 M695, v.1 to date--some volumes in storage.
Available online since September 2000 issue through the OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center).
Business aspects of music
How do I learn about the music business?
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Music, Money, and Success: The Insider's Guide to the Music Industry (Ref. ML 3790 .B72 1994)
Covers how to prepare for various careers in the music business.
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Music Business Handbook & Career Guide (Ref. ML 3795 .B33 1995)
Explains how the industry operates, contract negotiations.
For more music business resources, perform a subject search in MaagNet for music trade.
Call numbers
How do I Interpret the call numbers?
The Library of Congress M class puts all musical materials into 3 categories:
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M for printed music
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ML for music literature
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MT for music instruction and study
If you want to see how these categories are subdivided, look at the Library of Congress classification schedule for Music (Class M).
How to read a Library of Congress call number:
-
The first line of the call number is always alphabetical by one, two, or three letters (M, ML, MT, etc.)
- The second line is always numerical (1, 2, 3, etc.)
The third line along with a possible fourth line are alphabetical and decimal (.4 is greater than .37; 8 is greater than .948)
- The final line may be a year distinguishing one edition of an item from other editions.
Sample Call Number:
M (alphabetical)
1029 (numerical)
M94 (alphabetical, decimal)
K.386b (Catalog number — may or may not be present)
Sample Arrangement of Items on a Shelf:
M
1029
.M94
K386b |
M
1029
.M94
K495 |
M
1029
.M94
S3 |
M
1029
.P46 |
See Reading Call Numbers for additional information.
Children's music
How do I find children's music?
If you need to find out which book contains a particular song:
- Children's Song Index; An Index to More Than 22,000 Songs in 189 Collections Comprising
222 Volumes (Ref. ML 128 .S3C9)
OR
- Index to Children's Songs: A Title, First Line, and Subject Index (Ref.ML 128 .S3P48)
To browse Maag library's resources, do a subject search in MaagNet for children's songs, or
a related subject heading such as games with music, kindergarten music, lullabies, nursery
rhymes, nursery school music, or Sunday school hymns.
Collected editions and works
How do I Find Collected Editions and Works?
Items that begin their call numbers with M2 are collections of musical sources that are not
necessarily all composed by the same person.
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Example:
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M 2 .A535 F7 — French Secular Music of the Late Fourteenth Century
Items that begin their call numbers with M3 are the collected works of individual composers.
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Example:
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M 3 .B58 — The Complete Works of William Billings
The collected works will be in alphabetical order according to the composer's last name.
Some sets of collected works have their own indexes, while others do not. To find out
which volume of a composer's collected works contains the piece you want to see, consult
the works list at the end of the composer's article in
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (older edition in Ref. ML 100.N48 v.1-20) or
consult Anna Harriet Heyer's Historical Sets, Collected Editions, and Monuments of Music: A Guide to Their Contents (Ref. ML 113 .H52 1980).
Competitions
How do I find competitions?
The Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts in the Reference Room
(Ref. ML12 .M88 1994) has competition information, or you can look at the ads in journals for
your voice or instrument.
Contact Information for Musicians
How do I Contact someone?
If you are looking for a musician in the Youngstown area and the individual is not listed in the phone book,
you may be able to contact them via the American Federation of Musicians. The local chapter of the American
Federation of Musicians is located at 2520 South Ave. Phone: (330) 788-8451.
To find if someone is represented, or to contact a perfomer via his/her agent, consult the
Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts in the
Reference Room (Ref. ML 12 .M88 1994).
If you are looking for contact information online, try an online directory such as Yahoo’s People Search, Switchboard, or Infospace.
Copyright
How do I learn about music copyright?
Check the Multimedia Center’s list of music copyright sites.
To find resources on this topic in our library, perform a subject search in MaagNet for
copyright—music.
Databases
How do I get to the online databases?
Start by going to the OhioLINK home page.
Scroll down to Explore OhioLINK Databases (left side of the screen).
If you are looking for a specific database, select By Name which will give you an alphabetical list of all databases.
If you would like a listing of databases for Music, select By Subject, then select Music. You may choose a database from the list by clicking on its name.
Most databases have a help feature that will tell you about the database and give you advice
on how to search.
To learn more about the OhioLINK databases, visit the OhioLINK help and hints page, or ask a librarian.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
How do I find music dictionaries and encyclopedias?
The music dictionaries and encyclopedias will have call numbers that start with ML 100-109.
The dictionary or encyclopedia you want may be in the reference area or the multimedia
center, so be sure to check the item's location in MaagNet.
The The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (also in Ref. ML 100.N48 v.1-20) is usually a
good place to begin your research.
If you don't find what you need here, try performing a subject search in MaagNet
for music--encyclopedias or music--dictionaries
Instruments
How do I find information on my instrument?
- Consult either of the following reference works. Both give background information on a variety of musical instruments from around the world.
- The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (Ref. ML 100 .N48)
- The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (Ref. ML102.I5 N48 1984)
- Perform a subject search in MaagNet using your instrument's name.
Music Resources in Maag
How do I find music resources in MaagNet?
- To search by composer:
- Perform an author search in MaagNet. Be sure to type the last name first.
- To search by keyword:
- Perform a word search in MaagNet. This type of search is very useful for browsing the
collection. For example, a keyword search for symphonies and beethoven would retrieve
records for all the scores and recordings we have of Beethoven’s symphonies.
- To search by title:
- In music, we have something called a uniform title. The uniform title gives us a method to
identify works that may be known by more than one name. For example, some people refer to
Beethoven’s sixth symphony as the pastoral symphony.
There are two basic types of uniform titles: generic and distinctive.
- Generic uniform titles are used for specific genres, such as symphonies, and contain the
following elements:
- Form of the piece: the name of the composition in the english plural form, unless the composer only
wrote one piece of this type.
- Medium: the medium of performance, unless it is implied by the title
or not specified.
- The medium will be listed in this order:
- Voices
- Keyboard Instrument—if there is more than one non-keyboard instrument
- Other instruments according to score order
- Continuo
- If there is more than one of an instrument, the number is given after its media in
parentheses.
- Example: Sonatas, Flutes(2)
- An exception to this rule is the standard combination of instruments, such as trios, piano
which always consist of a piano, a viloin and a cello.
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- Numbering in uniform titles consists of three types. More than one of these
may appear in a composition’s uniform title.
- Serial Numbers
- Example: Sonatas, Piano,no.2
- Opus Numbers
Example: Sonatas, Piano, no.2, op.3
- Thematic Index numbers, such as the Kochel numbers used for Mozart
- Example: Concertos, Horn, K.386b
- Key: includes the major or minor mode for most works written prior to the 20th century,
and works from the 20th century if the key is conspicuous on the item.
- Example: Symphonies, no. 6, op. 68, F major
- Collected or Complete works: a composer’s collected or complete works will have the generic uniform title works.
Distinctive uniform titles are indicated when a composer uses a name for a piece that is not
indicative of its form. In that instance, the distinctive title in its original language is used as the uniform title.
If you would like to learn more about uniform titles, you may wish to view a detailed description at Indiana University's Cook Music Library.
- To search only for scores or sound recordings:
- Perform your search.
- When your results appear on the screen, click the Limit this search button.
- To limit to scores:
- Pull down the material type menu
- Select printed music
- Click the limit/sort button
- To limit to sound recordings:
- Pull down the material type menu
- Select either audio CD or audio LP/tape
- Click the limit/sort button
Music Education
How do I find information on music education?
- Perform a subject search in MaagNet using the phrase music instruction and study.
This will retrieve bibliographic (author,title, publisher info) and location information for books and journal subscriptions that pertain to music education.
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Perform a search in an online databases such as
Music Index,
ERIC, or
RILM,
which cover music education.
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The Multimedia Web site has links to selected music education web sites.
Organizations
How do I find musical organizations?
- The Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts
in the Reference Room (Ref. ML 12 .M88 1994) lists professional music organizations, as does the
Encyclopedia of Associations (Ref.AS22 .E52).
-
The Multimedia Web site also has links to many musical organizations.
Repertoire
How do I find repetoire lists for my voice or instrument?
- Perform a subject search in MaagNet for:
the instrument's name music--bibliography
- Example: horn music--bibliography
- for voice repetoire use: vocal music--bibliography
Schools
How do I find information on music schools?
- Consult the Schirmer Guide to Schools of Music and Conservatories Throughout the World
(Ref. ML12 .U8 1988) in the reference room.
- For information on graduate programs in music, try Peterson's Graduate Programs in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (Ready Ref.
L 901 .P443) (located behind the reference desk).
- The Directory of Music Faculties in Colleges and Universities, U. S. and Canada
(Ref. ML13 .D57) in the reference room will tell you where and what music faculty teach.
Songs
How do I find songs or arias?
- To find an aria:
- Perform a WORDS search in MaagNet using the name of the aria in its original language.
- Perform a TITLE search in MaagNet using the name of the opera in the original language.
- If you are not sure which opera your aria is from, check the index in the back of the New Grove Dictionary of Opera Ref. ML102.O6 N5 1992
- To find collections by a single composer:
- Song collections by a single composer begin with the call number M 1620 and are in alphabetical order according to the composer’s last name.
- Finding songs in the collected works:
- To find which volume of a composer's collected works has the piece you are looking for:
- Look at the list of works at the end of the article on the composer in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians Ref. ML 100 .N48 or...
- Consult an index to collected works such as Historical sets, collected editions, and monuments of music : a guide to their contents by Anna Harriet Heyer BMC Ref. ML113 .H52 1980
- Finding songs (folk songs, popular songs) in collections:
- Consult an index to song collections to find out if your song has been printed in a collection:
- Popular song index ML128.S3 H4
- Sears Song Index ML128.S3 S31 1926b
- Songs in collections; an index ML128.S3 D37
Style
How do find music from a style period or genre?
- If you are looking for information on music from a particular style period, perform a SUBJECT
search in MaagNet using the word music followed by the appropriate century.
- Example: If you are looking for baroque music, use music—17th century as your subject.
- However, if you are looking for a certain genre of music, try performing a SUBJECT search in MaagNet
using the genre's name.
- Examples:
- Jazz
- Rock Music
- Folk Music
Technology
How do I learn about music technology?
- For books, perform a SUBJECT search in MaagNet using the terms computer music or electronic music.
- For definitions and other background information, see:
- A Dictionary of Computer Music and Technology Ref. ML 102 .E4 D6 1992 and
- The Dictionary of Music Technology ML 102 .E4 C37 1992
The Multimedia Center also maintains a list of music technology web sites.
Translations
How do I Find Song/Aria Translations?
By Language:
- Multilingual:
- The Ring of Words: An Anthology of Song Texts
ML 54.6.M5 R5 1966;
Has translations from German, French, Italian, Russian, Scandinavian and Spanish.
- French:
- Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias
ML 54.6 .W65 PT.1
- German:
- The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over Seven Hundred and Fifty Songs
PT 1160.E6 F5 1984
- Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias
ML 54.6 .W65 PT.1
- Italian:
-
Word-by-Word Translations of Songs and Arias
ML 54.6 .W65 PT.2
- Latin:
- Wine, Women, and Song; Mediaeval Latin Students' Songs Now First Translated into English
PA 8164 .S9 1966
- Russian:
- Russian Songs & Arias: Phonetic Readings, Word-by-Word Translations, and a Concise Guide to Russian Diction
ML 54.6 .P57 R8 1991
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Serbocroatian Heroic Songs
M 1704 .P3 S4
By Composer:
- Bach
- Texts of the Choral Works of Johann Sebastian Bach in English Translation
ML 49 .B22
- Brahms
- Texts of the Vocal Works of Johannes Brahms in English Translation
ML 49 .B65
- Debussy
- The Poetic Debussy: A Collection of His Song Texts and Selected Letters
ML 54.6 .D42 C62 1982
- Moussorgsky
- English texts for the songs of Modeste Moussorgsky
ML 54.6 .M9 D7 1950
- Schubert
- The Schubert song companion
ML 410 .S3 R265 1985
- Schumann
- Texts of the vocal works of Robert Schumann, in English translation
ML 49 .S38
- Schutz
- English Texts to the Vocal Works of Heinrich Schütz
ML 49 .S358
Web
How do I Find Music Web Sites?
The Multimedia Center site has a selective list of web links for music.
If you do not find what you need there, check Indiana University's
worldwide internet music resources
or try one of the search engines
from Maag Library's site.
Wedding
How do I Find Wedding Music?
Perform a subject search for wedding music in MaagNet to see what our library has.
Additionally, consult the Web site of the University of Virginia's music library, which maintains a page to help people select wedding
music.
Women and Minorities
How do I Find information on Women and Minorities in Music?
There are many good encyclopedias that give biographical information on women and
minorities in music, such as the
- International Encyclopedia of Women Composers Ref.ML 105 .C7 1987, or
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black Music Ref. ML 105 .I39 1982.
To look for more resources, try performing a subject search in MaagNet using the
following LC subject headings:
- Women composers
- Women musicians
- Afro American composers
- Afro American musicians
Didn't find your answer here? Consult the Site Index or Ask a Librarian.
Last revised: July 17, 2002
