| Music the soundtrack of our lives |
Tue, June 30, 2009 |
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Philadelphia is a big music town, and we are home to many musical talents such as opera singer Marian Anderson, pop sensation Frankie Avalon, jazz legends John Coltrane, Grover Washington and Rufus Harley, songwriters G. Love and Amos Lee, R&B groups The Delfonics, Hall and Oates and Boyz II Men as well as hip hop artists Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Roots to name a few.
In Philly, music is in our bones, and the death of pop music icon Michael Jackson was felt throughout the city. I can personally remember my first introduction to Michael Jackson’s music. I was sitting on the floor, five inches away from the television, watching the “world premiere” of the Thriller video. I was a bit too young to fully understand everything going on, but I can distinctly remember the excitement around me and knew he was doing something unique.
On June 25, when the news of Michael Jackson’s death hit the airwaves, journalist and author Farai Chideya was at the Parkway Central Library to discuss her debut novel, Kiss the Sky, which chronicles the ups and downs of a black female rocker attempting to make a musical comeback amidst struggles with love, friendship, and faith. She spent the first part of her talk discussing Michael Jackson and celebrity. You can listen or download the podcast here (or subscribe to our podcasts via iTunes).
The Parkway Central Library's Music Department also provides many resources for music lovers. Here are some quick facts you might not know about our music department:
You can listen to our vast recording collection, including CDs and LPs, on one of our turntables or CD players (bring your head phones or use ours). Each patron can listen for an hour and a half each day using their library card.
You can view more than 350,00 titles in our sheet music collection (which can be used in the department)
You can check out popular songbooks of artists and shows as well as classical scores and instructional method books.
Check out biographies on composers, artists and musicans as well as books on music history, musical instruments and music business.
Our Chamber Music Collection is a unique circulating collection of scores and parts for ensembles available to amateur and professional musicians from all music periods (from Baroque to Modern) that can be borrowed with a refundable deposit.
Our Drinker Choral Music Library is the largest library of choral music scores and song books in the United States available to choirs and choral groups
Our Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music is the world’s largest lending library of orchestral performance materials with over 21,000 titles available to music organizations and orchestras.
Feel free to leave comments about music you love!
Tags: music
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A patron listening to an LP on one of our turntables |
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A couple of Michael Jackson's music sheets in our collection |
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A view inside the Music Department |
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| New Downloadable Titles Available Now! |
Thu, June 19, 2008 |
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The eFreeLibrary, our virtual branch, is constantly adding new titles and new content. In the last month we have added many new music, video, and audiobook titles for you to enjoy at home, work, or on the road!
MUSIC: Our latest acquisitions include over 100 new music titles. We have enriched our classical selection with more Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninov to name only a few. Contemporary music that was added includes musicals (“The Drowsy Chaperone” and “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”) and recordings by Dar Williams and Barenaked Ladies.
VIDEOS: Also exciting is the addition of over 500 new downloadable videos. This collection is part of our “Always Available” collection, which means you will never have to put one of these videos on hold or wait to check it out. From Imax and travel videos to music specials (Ziggy Marley, Tupac, Tanya Tucker…) and classic films, this collection contains a rich variety of entertainment for all interests. Watch these videos on your PC or compatible video player.
AUDIOBOOKS: We add new audiobooks almost every week. Titles added this week include:
| Title |
Creator and/or Reader |
Publication Date |
Subject |
| The Dark Side |
Jane Mayer |
7/29/2008 |
Current Events, History, Nonfiction |
| Death and Honor |
W. E. B. Griffin, Scott Brick |
6/17/2008 |
Fiction, Thriller |
| Descent into Chaos |
Ahmed Rashid, Arthur Morey |
6/3/2008 |
Antiquarian, Nonfiction, Politics |
| The Devil Wears Prada |
Lauren Weisberger, Bernadette Dunne |
10/31/2006 |
Fiction |
| The Garden of Last Days |
Andre Dubus III, Dan John Miller |
6/2/2008 |
Fiction |
| Know Your Power |
Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi |
7/29/2008 |
Nonfiction |
| The Last Campaign |
Thurston Clarke, Pete Larkin |
5/27/2008 |
Biography & Autobiography, History, Nonfiction, Politics |
| Nothing to Lose |
Lee Child |
6/17/2008 |
Fiction, Thriller |
| Plague Ship |
Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul, Scott Brick |
6/17/2008 |
Fiction, Suspense |
| The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder |
Vincent Bugliosi, Vincent Bugliosi, Marc Cashman |
6/10/2008 |
Nonfiction, Politics |
| Sway |
Ori Brafman, Rom Brafman, John Apicella |
6/17/2008 |
Business, Nonfiction |
| Victory of Eagles |
Naomi Novik, Simon Vance |
7/22/2008 |
Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction |
| What Happened |
Scott McClellan, Scott McClellan |
6/2/2008 |
Nonfiction, Politics |
(note that some titles have not yet been published in the audiobook format)
To checkout our downloadable audiobooks, music and videos, click on “Media Downloads” from our main page.
Tags: audiobooks, eFreeLibrary, music, video
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IIMAX Coral Reef Adventures |
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What Happened by Scott McClellan |
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