{"id":12588,"date":"2016-01-15T21:45:17","date_gmt":"2016-01-15T20:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.nmz.de\/badblog\/?p=12588"},"modified":"2016-10-23T22:47:40","modified_gmt":"2016-10-23T20:47:40","slug":"the-importance-of-ucsbs-cylindrical-record-library-by-jake-bellissimo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nmz.de\/badblog\/2016\/01\/15\/the-importance-of-ucsbs-cylindrical-record-library-by-jake-bellissimo\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of UCSB\u2019s Cylindrical Record Library (by Jake Bellissimo)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Edison\"<\/a>The Importance of UCSB\u2019s Cylindrical Record Library<\/strong><\/p>\n

(by Jake Bellissimo)<\/p>\n

The University of California at Santa Barbara library has done something truly incredible. Boasting an outstanding collection of cylindrical recordings from the late 19th and early 20th century, the library has uploaded said collection to their digital catalogue (a remarkable 10,000+ digitized cylindrical records) for free download.<\/p>\n

This is kind of a big deal. To be able to sift through and listen to recordings from over 100 years ago at your own leisure is pretty extraordinary.<\/p>\n

As classical musicians\/composers it is easy to take documentation for granted. The art form, the history, and the music still exist because the main distribution method is through sheet music. Add in the societal, class-based reason for preserving classical music (read: \u201chigh art\u201d, aristocracy) and you have a pretty reliable system. This differs a lot from non-classical traditions, as precise documentation wasn\u2019t available until recordings were popularized, and\u2014even then\u2014recording and distribution still aren\u2019t the most accessible markets.<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s important to be consistently cautious about how we document music (see my first post on this blog<\/a> ). But right behind those ethics is my love to listen to recordings of music that only existed in a certain place and time. Music is a force that influences and is influenced by culture, so simply passing it down aurally might eliminate certain nuances of the time.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s not much more I can say about this, though\u2014it really speaks for itself. Keep in mind that there are still over 2,000 cylindrical recordings left to be digitized, and you can \u201cadopt\u201d (donate $60 for) one to be digitized here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are a few highlights from the collection:<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cYou will never miss your mother until she\u2019s gone\u201d<\/a>
\no \u201cwas her head that touched my brow\/I can almost feel it now\/You\u2019ll never miss your mother \u2018til she\u2019s gone\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cThere\u2019s a mother always waiting you, at home, sweet home\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cUnder the bamboo tree\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 [Animal noises–cat, chicken, rooster, cow bird, followed by announcement by unidentified male voice<\/a>].<\/p>\n

\u2022 Selected Tahitian field recordings<\/a><\/p>\n

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