Yeah, it’s a bit of a bummer that summer is drawing to a close, but there are a few upsides: in addition to it not being a million degrees every day, we’re getting closer to the fall season of Free Library Author Events . And what a line-up! Let’s take a brisk autumn stroll (use your imagination) through a few talks… continue reading Fall 2019 Author Events Preview: Musical Memoirs
By written by Author Events August 29, 2019
Naquawna Letman is a Library Assistant at Parkway Central Library and a participant in Cohort 3 of the Skills for Community-Centered Libraries trainings. Exploring Music and Food through the Senses is a program that introduces participants to various cultures and traditions, creates bridges between neighborhood libraries and their customers,… continue reading Music Department and Culinary Literacy Center Collaborate on Programming
By written by Community-Centered Libraries August 26, 2019 1
August is here and Philadelphia City Institute Library will be featuring free summer jazz concerts ! We are pleased to continue this tradition for the fifth year in a row with performances by Hidden Treasure Jazz Group , the James Corum Trio , the Brian Hayman Trio , and the Dayen Hall Quartet . Our jazz concerts are well attended by people of… continue reading Check Out Free Summer Jazz Concerts at Philadephia City Institute Library Throughout August!
By written by Margaret T. August 5, 2019
(note: play these songs in the background while reading this blog post : ) In honor of this week’s very special Lunar Landing anniversary , I’ve been thinking a lot about how our gorgeous, mysterious, predictable, and still mesmerizing moon has figured so large in our imaginative arts, but especially in science fiction stories and… continue reading Imagining the Moon
By written by Joel N. July 19, 2019 1
This month is African-American Music Appreciation Month , a commemoration first started by former President Jimmy Carter, on June 7, 1979. The national recognition began as Black Music Month, but President Barack Obama changed the name in 2016 with a presidential proclamation . However, the city of Philadelphia is where the birth of Black Music… continue reading Celebrate African-American Music Appreciation Month!
By written by Administrator June 5, 2019 2
In a recent CNN article titled, "Why touching art is so tempting — and exciting," Fiona Candlin, a professor of museology at Birkbeck College in London and author of Art, Museums, and Touch , argues that touching is fundamental to the way we learn and connect with artifacts from within special collections.… continue reading Learning Through Touch: Connecting with Objects in Our Special Collections
By written by Joe S. May 28, 2019
I celebrate myself — When lilacs last — I contain multitudes — O Captain! my Captain! What other U.S. poet’s work can be recognized by so few words—and by so many people—as that of the self-proclaimed "American bard"? Two hundred years after the birth of Walt Whitman , his verse still rings,… continue reading We Celebrate Him: Walt Whitman at 200
By written by Clare F. May 22, 2019
The winners of the 2019 Pulitzer Prizes were announced at Columbia University in New York City on Monday, April 15. The Pulitzers recognize achievements in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, literature, and musical composition, and are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories. Pulitzers awarded in journalism are regarded as the highest… continue reading The 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winners Are...
By written by Peter SM April 18, 2019
A Voice for Peace, Concord, and Harmony: XIII International Poetry Festival in Philadelphia will congregate poets from Latin America, Spain, and the United States in an evening of verse and music on May 1. Each poet will read one piece, and at the end of each poetry round, a short musical performance by the Matt Ford Trio will delight the… continue reading Poetry Reading Circle: Celebremos Global Peace!
By written by Mary Marques April 12, 2019 2
by Kile Smith The National Museum of Women in the Arts asked, "Can you name five women artists?" March is Women’s History Month , and Fleisher Discoveries is answering that question with five women composers – not just historical, but current as well. Lili Boulanger , Elinor Remick Warren , Joelle Wallach , Gloria… continue reading Fleisher Discoveries | #5WomenArtists (+1)
By written by Fleisher Collection March 4, 2019 1
Like lots of ‘80s kids, I grew up with repeats of The Monkees on television and couldn’t wait for my weekly Saturday morning dose of their hijinks and bubble gum pop. Unlike lots of ‘80s kids, I never quite grew out of my Pre-Fab Four obsession. I very much WOULD like to take the Last Train to Clarkesville , thankyouverymuch.… continue reading A Daydream Believer’s Tribute to Peter Tork
By written by Alix G. February 25, 2019 4
The Mysterious Travelers are back, and something special is brewing! For the past four years, the Free Library has teamed up with the Philadelphia Jazz Project for a concert series showcasing the work of young and not-so-young Philadelphia jazz artists, and now, the gang is getting back to together for an all-star performance featuring a… continue reading Join Us For The Mysterious Travelers All-Stars Winter Concert!
By written by Kate C. February 19, 2019
Julius Bittner was born in Vienna in 1874, growed up just outside of his hometown, and died in that same town in January 1939. He was pretty much immediately forgotten after his death. Well, in 1939, Austria, Europe, and the world at large did have some other things on their minds, as World War II began that September. But it's remarkable… continue reading Fleisher Discoveries | Mahler's Friend, Julius Bittner
By written by Fleisher Collection February 1, 2019
The Free Library of Philadelphia is proud to celebrate Black History Month throughout the month of February, with extensive programming set to take place in neighborhood libraries across the city including craft workshops, performances, film screenings, discussions, and so much more! Many of these important programs will be offered in tandem… continue reading The Free Library Celebrates Black History Month!
By written by Kate C. January 29, 2019 5
The Free Library’s Musical Instrument Collection (MIC) celebrated its second birthday back in September 2018 and our collection keeps rolling on! It’s been a big 2 years for the MIC, culminating in a Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly Award for "Best Reason to Go to the Library" , coverage from WHYY's … continue reading The Free Library’s Music Department Celebrates Two Years of Instrument Lending!
By written by Perry G. January 24, 2019 7
I have a confession to make—I am that friend who always wants to get a trivia team together on a Tuesday night. I’m also that kid who read Trivial Pursuit cards for fun to see if I could guess the answers. And I ask Santa for those one-a-day calendars of random facts every year. I love learning about something new, especially in… continue reading Celebrating the Trivia Nerd in All of Us
By written by Christine M. January 4, 2019 3
As we go to air it’s the beginning of January, which means we’re still in the Christmas season, which also means I have no compunction about playing some Christmas music for you—especially since this is Christmas music I’m pretty sure you’ve never heard before. Not unless you’re an American music history… continue reading Fleisher Discoveries | William Henry Fry (1813-1864) - Santa Claus: Christmas Symphony
By written by Fleisher Collection January 4, 2019 1
by Kile Smith While this is our first-ever podcast, Discoveries is actually entering its 17th year of broadcasts. In the fall of 2002, the Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia launched Discoveries from the Fleisher Collection as a monthly program to "uncover the unknown, rediscover the little-known,… continue reading The Fleisher Collection Debuts a New Music Podcast!
By written by Fleisher Collection November 27, 2018
The Recording Academy will hold the 61st Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019. First round voting in October placed two CDs of particular note one step closer to official nominations in two categories: Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Orchestral Performance. Respectively and notably, American Romantics II and American… continue reading The Fleisher Collection: From Page to Stage to Grammys?
By written by Fleisher Collection November 15, 2018 3
Howllo Boils and Ghouls!, Welcome back to the Free Library of Phrightadelphia's blog, on this most haunted of holidays— Halloween ! Besides the usual seasonal scares that arise from the grave this time of year, 2018 marks two historical milestones of the macabre: the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the return… continue reading This Is Halloween 2018!
By written by Peter SM October 31, 2018 1
