But perhaps the word biblioarchaeology hasn't been applied to a modern musical score published in 1955? It's like this. We have six copies. Four are annotated to the effect that they have ink markings indicating the composer's intentions, as he explained to one of the first performers. So, they're all the same? No. This is problematical!
The ink markings in each of the annotated copies are NOT identical!
Each of the four annotated copies - and the other two - have copious pencil markings as well.
Three of the annotated copies (in different hands) say the composer dictated these markings to the performer.
One of the annotated copies says the additions were made BY the composer.
One of the annotated copies mentioning dictation, was annotated by a former chief librarian, and is likely to be correct - but it doesn't have the earliest accession number or the earliest previous shelf-mark. To be fair, they've all been reclassified, and there's no way of being certain that the apparently earliest copy really entered the library first. They could have all been bought at the same time, and we wouldn't know.
Of course, today we recognise that the piece is significant, that one of the first performers was significant - and knew the composer - and that those markings are important (once we've worked out which are which). The scores will go into our special collections. In earlier times, perhaps we weren't so aware of the importance of such contemporary commentary. As for the pencil notes by however many subsequent students and their teachers? Well, it again goes to demonstrate that although some annotations are crucially important, scribbles in library copies aren't necessarily a good thing!
Since women's role in music is a topic that quite often crops up these days, we thought it was appropriate to add this new title to our book collection. The author looks at the importance of the piano in her own life, compares it with her grandmother's experience, and widens it out into a general discussion of girls' experience as pianists and as piano students.
You'll find the book at ML417 L in our music book collection. (Catalogue entry here, and publisher's book description here.)
You may also be interested to read an earlier blogpost that we wrote about women in music - here.
Two of our Performing Arts Librarians attended our professional association's Annual Study Weekend recently. IAML (UK and Ireland) is the local branch of the International Association of Music Libraries.
A lot of different topics were covered, but one that might particularly interest some of our staff and students was a reminder about a very special archive of sound recordings - the David Fanshawe World Music Archive. They have 3,200 stereo master tapes; 40,000 colour slides and 70 of Fanshawe's hand-written journals.
Of course, most people remember him for his epic piece, African Sanctus. But he was an ethnomusicologist through and through, and this archive represents a lifetime's work collecting tunes from all over the world. Scholars are warmly invited to visit the collections, which are curated by a sound engineer, a librarian and arts manager, and Jane Fanshawe herself, the manager of Fanshawe One World Music.
A brief report on a recent project, looking at ways of helping our distance learners. This project was part of a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Arts Education, a course taught here at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Libraries Reaching Out to Distance Learners / by Karen McAulay
Here's an interesting article about the pedagogy (educational theory) behind effective PowerPoint presentations. If you ever use PowerPoint in your teaching and learning, this might be helpful:-
It's by Andy Tharby, of Durrington Research School, West Sussex - part of the Research Schools Network. It'll take 5-10 minutes to read, maximum, and will warn you off ever showing large screeds of text on powerpoint!
So you've got an essay deadline fast approaching? Are you cool, calm and collected? Or does your head feel as though it's about to explode?! These suggestions might help you:-
If you can't make it in to the library, then electronic resources are your friend. Your best friend.
To use CataloguePlus, remember to click the Search Catalogue Plus button first.
To use e-resources offsite, remember you need to identify RCS from a list of institutions before you enter your own login.
For more assistance please email library@rcs.ac.uk and your enquiry will be forwarded to the most appropriate team-member.
Have you got a good introduction and conclusion? Have you answered the question? Do your paragraphs follow on logically?
A quick 15 minute break away from your computer or a walk round the block won't find you more information, but it will enable you to take a deep breath and think more calmly.
If you're really stuck, take a notebook and write a diary entry to yourself: "I'm stuck because ...", "I still need to address the question of ....", "I need to make sure I link x to y ...." Writing down what the problem is, will help you clarify it.
Anyone involved in research, particularly if they're applying for funding, will be concerned about research impact. A good place to start is FastTrackImpact.com, run by Professor Mark Reed of the University of Newcastle. Plenty of great ideas, suggestions, even free training. One of the big academic publishers, Emerald, has recently produced a Real World Impact manifesto, which is also worth reading, with case studies demonstrating good practice.
We've been advised of an interesting conference run by the Historical Harp Society of Ireland on 15-21 August in Kilkenny.
More information:
SCOIL na gCLÁIRSEACH -Festival of Early Irish Harp 2018
The Society is now taking bookings for the 2018 Scoil na gClairseach—Festival of Early Irish Harp, 15–21 August 2018 at Coláiste Pobail Osraí in the medieval city of Kilkenny, Ireland.
Book before 15 May 2018 for an Early Bird discount of €25 on the week rate and / or sign up with a friend who is new to the festival and you will each get a Bring a Friend discount of €25 on the week rate.
Players: Join for the complete festival programme, from 8.45 a.m. to 6.45 p.m. each day. Listeners: Join for part – or all – of any day to listen in on Players' sessions, workshops, lectures, masterclasses and concerts. Field trippers: Join for a day in Dublin, inspecting historic harps close-up, guided by world experts, on Tues. 21 August.
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What's it all about? Informational video HERE Read about the 2017 festival HERE and see the 2017 timetable HERE Booking information HERE
Have you come across bibliotherapy? Maybe better known as self-help? A couple of years ago, we bought a few books that came under the category of bibliotherapy, self-help or student support, and indexed them so they'd be easy to find. We knew at the time that these weren't the first self-help books we'd bought, but we didn't try to identify all the others that we'd already got in stock. Today, we can offer students and staff quite a range of materials to help with the kind of personal challenges that crop up surprisingly often, whether it's anxiety, depression, dependency or other types of problem. No replacement for a professional consultation, obviously, but sometimes a good book is a worthwhile thing in itself. Do take a look. There are probably more in the library, but this is more than a good start! Bibliotherapy in the Whittaker Library
Students at RCS are urged to contact our Student Counsellor, Jane Balmforth, or seek other professional help, for any concern that's making things difficult.
We've just heard of a brand new publication by Australian Virginia Lloyd, taking a historical AND contemporary look at girls and their relationship with the piano. Are we going to buy it? Of course we are! Read the publishers' blurb here.
