Musicology Project
RESOURCES FOR ALL GENRES AND PERIODS OF MUSIC:
We have a school subscription. Log in with the username: fremont, password: student, and search for your genre.
Music in American Life, University of Virginia
This website is the companion to an exhibit about music in U.S. history. Click on the links on the left sidebar.
American Music 1880s - 1950s (UCLA)
Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History
See links--this site has some great, in-depth info on: 1940s, 1950s rock, 1960s protest music, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s.
Biography In Context database through Alameda County Library
This is awesome for looking up individual musicians. You need a library card to access this resource. You can get one here.
Music database through Alameda County Library
This is primarily good for finding specific songs from different periods and genres. You need a library card to access this resource. You can get one here.
Summary of Western Classical Music History
This page is by a guy who is currently a music professor at Columbia University, but was written when he was a student there. It has a paragraph about each type of music as well as links to hear a sample.
MUSIC BY TIME PERIOD:
Medieval:
Medieval and Renaissance Instruments
Medieval Studies, Georgetown University
Renaissance:
Medieval and Renaissance Instruments
Music in the Renaissance (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Baroque:
This performing ensemble out of Chicago has some good pages explaining this type of music.
From the United Kingdom's only 100% classical radio station.
From a Chicago-based Baroque music performing group.
Classical:
University of Kansas: Classical period
Romantic:
Beginner's Guide to Romantic Period Music
Jazz and The Blues:
From the National Park Service
PBS "The Devil's Music: 1920s Jazz"
Contemporary Art Music:
From Western Michigan University's music dept.
Gospel:
ProjectMusicWorks History of Gospel
African Music:
This public radio project that showcases contemporary African music started as a weekly NPR show. You'll find articles, interviews, album reviews, music videos and audio here.
Indian Classical Music:
By a UCLA History professor
Indian Music, University of Redlands
Library of Congress, a video of South Indian Classical Music
Polynesian Music:
Musical Culture in French Polynesia
This is from the website of a study abroad program that studies the ocean and oceangoing/island cultures
Click on the play button to listen to some samples of Polynesian music from the Smithsonian Folkways program, Washington D.C.
1900-1910:
Music of 1900-1909, Library of Congress
Tons of audio recordings in this one!
African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (Library of Congress)
1920s:
University of Michigan--music of the 1920s
This interesting project from ESPN explores the history of the time period from the perspective of a pitcher on the Yankees. This is their page about the music of the time; contains a playlist.
1930s:
"Brother Can You Spare A Dime"?
In this interesting NPR interview, a composer analyzes why the most famous song of the Great Depression was important, musically and historically.
Library of Congress--Songs of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl Migrants
This source includes original audio recordings from the 1930s.
Art and culture in the Great Depression--scroll down to music
Smithsonian Magazine--Playlist of the Great Depression
Using Music to Teach About the Great Depression
This document for teachers from the largest professional association for Social Studies teachers in the U.S. makes a lot of good connections between historical events of the time, and that period's music.
1940s:
