November 2014

Entries in this single-volume encyclopedia pertain to country music in the United States from 1922 forward, including artists, groups, genres, institutions, and instruments that have exercised the greatest influence in country music. An insert of sixteen color plates shows selected album covers.

One of the most interesting features of this encyclopedia is its thirteen appendixes, with content such as “Full-Time Country Radio Stations in the United States”, “Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Members”, and “Country’s Share of the U.S. Recorded Music Market.” There are also twelve essay-articles that cover various topics in the Country Music scene. This book is published by the Oxford University Press.

Abraham Myler, research assistant

This research guide, currently in its third edition, leads scholars researching the history and use of the recorder to printed materials. Performers can also use it to find information about repertoire and techniques. It has a selection of articles, books, dissertations, and theses that are devoted entirely to the recorder, or that include significant sections that are. The authors include historical teaching material in book form, articles on the topic of transcription and arrangement, reviews of included books, and all relevant articles from a selection of important periodicals. Coverage of English-language materials is more complete than that of materials in other languages. This bibliography excludes modern methods and exercises, most articles from mass-market magazines, writings on specific transcriptions and arrangements, articles on music originally written for instruments other than the recorder, ephemeral articles, and reviews of printed music and sound recordings.

There are 27 chapters organized by topic: (1-2) General Writings; (3) Etymology, Terminology, Symbolism, and Literary References; (4-5) Periods; (6) Size Studies; (7) Art and Iconography; (8) Humor, Fantasy, and Fiction; (9-15) Instruments, Makers, Collections, Construction, and Maintenance; (16-19) Pedagogy, Performance Practice, and Technique; (20-22) Individual and Ensemble Biographies; (23) Bibliographies and Discographies; and (24-27) Repertory. Within chapters, sources are further subdivided by type, then alphabetically by author. Entries contain standard bibliographic information with annotations. There is also an appendix titled “Communications in the FoMRHI Quarterly” and an index.

Abraham Myler, research assistant

This collection of essays provides music librarians with an explanation of the origins of the modern music cataloging system, and considers the future of the system as digitization becomes increasingly prominent. It is dedicated to Arsen Ralph Papakhian, one of the most prominent music catalogers ever and a beloved mentor to many music librarians. Most essays address issues in music cataloging from the 1980s to the present. The nine independent essays are organized in three chronological sections for the past, the present, and the future of cataloging. The volume also includes an epilogue that eulogizes Arsen Ralph Papakhian, and an index.

Abraham Myler, research assistant.

This second edition of this guide, released in 2006, leads scholars researching the history and music of William Byrd to printed materials. Performers can also use it to find information that will inform their interpretations of his music. It includes both a catalogue of Byrd’s works and a bibliography/discography. The term “2nd edition” may be misleading here, as the bibliography portion essentially picks up where the previous edition left off, making this 2006 release more of a second volume.

The catalogue includes all known works accepted as William Byrd’s, with supplementary lists of dubious attributions and known spurious attributions.  The bibliography and discography survey writings that were published between 1987 and 2004 and recordings released between 1995 and 2003. There are five main sections: the catalogue of works, a checklist of Byrd criticism from 1826, the annotated bibliography, the discography (by Michael Greenhalgh) and an index of the Annual Byrd Newsletter 1995-2004.

In 2012, Routledge released a third edition of this research guide.

Abraham Myler, research assistant