Tagged Music
Department Highlights: Music
Since Parkway Central Library opened in 1927, patrons have had free and open access to its rich and unique collections, expanding services, and professionally trained and welcoming staff. The robust programs and collections…
First Fleisher Collection Scholarship Awarded to Philadelphia Composer and Pianist, Rhyuhn Green
The Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music is excited to announce our new partnership with Play on Philly (POP). We are particularly enthusiastic about this alliance as POP echoes Edwin Fleisher’s original concept in…
6th Latin American Book Fair Kickoff: A Celebration of Heritage, Resilience, and Culture
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the 6th Latin American Book Fair Kickoff Party ! Join us at the Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. for an exciting morning where literature,…
Saturdays on Stage: Dance, Sing, and Get Inspired This Fall!
Our fall line up for Sundays on Stage is here, and it’s packed with old favorites and new acts. This season we will again host live, free performances on Saturdays in the Montgomery Auditorium in Parkway Central Library , and we…
Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music Gifts Avshalomov Works to China
The Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music is excited to announce the gift of three complete performance sets for works by Russian-born Chinese national composer Aaron Avshalomov to the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. The three…
Beyond Books: Celebrating Music at the Free Library
June is African American Music Appreciation Month and a celebration of “African American musical influences that comprise an essential part of our nation’s treasured cultural heritage,” according to the Smithsonian…
The Fleisher Collection in LGBTQ+ Cinema
The Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia houses over 22,000 pieces. Works are available for loan to amateur and professional performance groups worldwide, and many motion picture…
Literature Meets Music with Shakespeare Is for Everyone
William Shakespeare is a towering figure in English literature, but his contributions were not limited to written work; he also had a major influence on classical music. A new webinar from the Free Library’s Literature Department…
African American History in the Fleisher Collection
Lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in African Americans' contributions to the classical music genre. Boston Conservatory is set to have a Florence Price Birthday Celebration Concert ; the film Chevalier (released…
Sundays on Stage is Back … on Saturdays this Season!
Spread the word: Sundays on Stage is back this spring! This season we will host live performances on Saturdays in the Montgomery Auditorium at Parkway Central Library . After nearly four years of virtual performances, Sundays on Stage…
Rediscovering Louis Ballard at the Fleisher
The Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music team is thrilled about Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra’s latest album, Louis Wayne Ballard : a stunning compilation of recorded performances of Louis W. Ballard’s…
Nurturing Your Baby in the Womb: The Benefits of Prenatal Education
Pregnancy is an amazing journey filled with excitement, wonder, and the anticipation of meeting your little one for the first time. Even before birth, it’s a time when parents typically start thinking about how they can provide…
Faces of the Free Library: Meet Mark!
As patrons may know, the Free Library has been expanding staffing efforts throughout the library system in recent months. With all the hiring excitement, there’s a mix of both new and familiar faces in all of the branches, and you…
50 Years of Hip Hop: Books Authored by the Artists
In 2023, the Free Library is observing the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a limited-edition library card design commissioned by local artist Akinseye Brown . In honor of this milestone, here are…
Introducing the Free Library's 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Art Card
The Free Library of Philadelphia is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a limited-edition art card available at ALL Free Library locations — while supplies last! This extra-cool card design was commissioned by…
50 Years of Hip Hop: Essential Reading in Genre History
This summer, the Free Library is observing the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a limited-edition library card design commissioned by local artist Akinseye Brown . In honor of this milestone, here are 15 must-reads from the…
Funky Five Plus One Questions with Akinseye Brown
Artist/Illustrator Akinseye Brown (pronounced Ah-KEEN-shay-yay) was selected to design the 50 Years of Hip-Hop commemorative library card for the Free Library of Philadelphia. Akinseye has over 20 years of experience in drawing and…
Picture Book Highlights | 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop
Get ready to party! We are celebrating 50 years since hip hop entered the music scene and changed everything. Learn how it all began and see for yourself how the music, the beat and the rhythm can make storytelling even more fun!…
The Big Send Off of One Book, One Philadelphia
Thursday, June 22 marks the finale of One Book, One Philadelphia and we over here in the One Book office are working up the nerve to say goodbye to this incredible season of events. After nine weeks of community workshops,…
Enjoy a Full Day of Music at Parkway Central Library on June 21
Celebrate the Summer Solstice (Wednesday, June 21) with a full day of free musical programming at the Free Library! A variety of programs for all ages will be happening throughout the day at our Parkway Central Branch . Kick off the…
Music and Movement!
Join Ms Naomi for songs, dance, and fun explorations of rhythm and movement! This program is intended for our friends ages 6 and under and their caregivers. Wednesdays at 10:30am in Shakespeare Park, or in inclement weather, in the…
Sundays on Stage: The Nutcracker with Pages to Pirouettes
Presented by Pages to Pirouettes , The Nutcracker returns to the Free Library stage! Bring the whole family to hear the story of Marie and the Nutcracker Prince, then see the tale come to life to the enchanting music of Tchaikovsky. A…
Music with Ry
Ry will be at the library to present a music program designed to get even the smallest kiddo clapping along! Kiddos and their caregivers are invited to join in.
Music and Movement!
Join Ms Naomi for songs, dance, and fun explorations of rhythm and movement! This program is intended for our friends ages 6 and under and their caregivers. Wednesdays at 10:30am in Shakespeare Park, or in inclement weather, in the…
Music with Ms. Molly!
These sessions are based on music appreciation, learning rhythms, incorporating elements of early childhood education into music, and are most of all, fun! Classes are themed around various children's interests, such as space,…
Holiday Sing Along
Get in the spirit of the winter holidays! Our good friend Jessica Carroll returns to lead us in our favorite holiday songs. Holy Family's Aspiring Educators Club will be with us to hand out holiday craft…
Saturdays on Stage: Kids Tell Tales with Thembi Palmer
At Kids Tell Tales, families will explore all the ways to share stories through movement, drama, read alouds, music, and more. Thembi’s Palmer’s inclusive and engaging event encourages bonds within communities, fosters a…
Music and Movement!
Join Ms Naomi for songs, dance, and fun explorations of rhythm and movement! This program is intended for our friends ages 6 and under and their caregivers. Wednesdays at 10:30am in Shakespeare Park, or in inclement weather, in the…
Teen Tuesdays: Friends. Food. Fun.
Calling all 7th through 12th graders! Dive into new worlds with our exciting new video game collection, unleash your creativity in our DIY craft sessions, and connect with friends over anime/manga, movies, and snacks. Bring a friend and…
Teen Tuesdays: Friends. Food. Fun.
Calling all 7th through 12th graders! Dive into new worlds with our exciting new video game collection, unleash your creativity in our DIY craft sessions, and connect with friends over anime/manga, movies, and snacks. Bring a friend and…
Read on Philly
When you think of Philadelphia – do you think of cheesesteaks and pretzels, the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers? Do you picture the Rocky Statue and Love Park? How about all of this inside our beloved Free Library?…
Saturdays on Stage: Los Bomberos de la Calle
Get ready to dance and move with Philadelphia-based Los Bomberos de la Calle ! This musical group brings a piece of Puerto Rican culture and life everywhere they perform with vibrant, soulful music. This performance will feature bomba,…
Musiquita
Musiquita is a bilingual (English/Spanish) interactive family music experience, appropriate for children of all ages and backgrounds, as well as kids at heart. The wife/husband duo features Blanca Cecilia González…
Music with Ry
Ry will be at the library to present a music program designed to get even the smallest kiddo clapping along! Kiddos and their caregivers are invited to join in.
Music and Movement!
Join Ms Naomi for songs, dance, and fun explorations of rhythm and movement! This program is intended for our friends ages 6 and under and their caregivers. Wednesdays at 10:30am in Shakespeare Park, or in inclement weather, in the…
Teen Tuesdays: Friends. Food. Fun.
Calling all 7th through 12th graders! Dive into new worlds with our exciting new video game collection, unleash your creativity in our DIY craft sessions, and connect with friends over anime/manga, movies, and snacks. Bring a friend and…
Saturdays on Stage: Michael & the Rockness Monsters
A rock ‘n roll show in a library? Right on! Michael and the Rockness Monsters kick off the Saturdays on Stage season with an energetic, interactive concert that will have kids out of their seats to sing, jump, and dance it out!…
Music with Ms. Molly!
These sessions are based on music appreciation, learning rhythms, incorporating elements of early childhood education into music, and are most of all, fun! Classes are themed around various children's interests, such as space,…
BORBS: Improv Musical Performance
What's you favorite bird sound? Ours is a coo (both pigeons and chickens coo when you feed them birdseed ❤). The Music Department hosts BORBS for an improvisational musical performance, followed by a brief Q&A session. Come…
Music and Movement!
Join Ms Naomi for songs, dance, and fun explorations of rhythm and movement! This program is intended for our friends ages 6 and under and their caregivers. Wednesdays at 10:30am in Shakespeare Park, or in inclement weather, in the…
Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries
With an extraordinary array of more than 35,000 individual tracks of streaming music, spoken word, and natural and human-made sounds, users can listen to performances by American folk icons such as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger…
Popular Music Library
Popluar Music Library contains a wide range of popular music from around the world, including hundreds of thousands of tracks from major genres in pop music, including alternative, country, Christian, electronic, hip-hop, metal, punk,…
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
Learn business, creative, and technology skills to achieve your personal and professional goals. When accessing this database via the mobile LinkedIn Learning app, enter freelibrary as the libraryID, then your library card number and…
Jazz Music Library
This resource will be the largest and most comprehensive collection of jazz available online. This release includes 4,933 albums and 59,860 tracks. It and is growing regularly.
Gale in Context | Elementary (formerly Kids InfoBits) *
Elementary students in kindergarten through grade five will find age-appropriate content covering a broad range of educational topics such as animals, arts, geography, health, literature, people, social studies, technology, etc. Kids…
Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library)
Explore over 500 nonfiction, fully searchable reference titles. Access accurate information on science, literature, history, business, and more.
Contemporary World Music
Reggae, worldbeat, neo-traditional, world fusion, Balkanic jazz, African film, Bollywood, Arab swing and jazz, and other genres such as traditional music - Indian classical, fado, flamenco, klezmer, zydeco, gospel, gagaku, and more.
Classical Music Library
A comprehensive database of distinguished classical recordings offered in streaming format. The Classical Music Library also includes anthology playlists linked to the major music history and appreciation textbooks
Paul Alexander | Bitter Crop: The Heartache and Triumph of Billie Holiday’s Last Year
In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Tracey Matisak Paul Alexander ’s bestselling and acclaimed biographies include portraits of James Dean, Sylvia Plath, John McCain, and J. D. Salinger, the last of which…
Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter | The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are
In conversation with Airea D. Matthews The winner of three Grammy Awards and three NAACP Image Awards, Tariq Trotter , aka Black Thought , is the MC and co-founder of The Roots. The Philly-based hip-hop group has produced 11 albums…
Bernie Taupin | Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton and Me
In conversation with novelist and musician Wesley Stace Legendary English song lyricist Bernie Taupin has worked with Elton John since 1967 and has written the lyrics for most of the iconic performer’s hits, including “Rocket Man,”…
Michelle Zauner | Crying in H Mart
In conversation with Homay King The lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist of the indie rock outfit Japanese Breakfast, Michelle Zauner has garnered wide acclaim for her shoegaze-inspired pop earworms. These works include Psychopomp…
Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. | Who Hears Here: On Black Music, Pasts, & Present
In conversation with Marc Lamont Hill Professor emeritus of Music at the University of Pennsylvania, Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr. is a celebrated musicologist, composer, pianist, and music historian. He is the author of Race Music: Black…
Aidan Levy | Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins
In conversation with Nate Chinen The author of Dirty Blvd.: The Life and Music of Lou Reed and editor of Patti Smith on Patti Smith: Interviews and Encounters , Aiden Levy played the baritone saxophone in the Stan Rubin…
Patti Smith | A Book of Days
A couple of songs and stories from a memorable evening with Patti Smith and Tony Shanahan--and a great audience--at the library.
Ross Gay | Inciting Joy: Essays with Major Jackson | A Beat Beyond: Selected Prose of Major Jackson
Ross Gay is the author of The Book of Delights , a life-affirming collection of short lyric essays that reminds readers to appreciate so-called ordinary wonders, even during turbulent times. His several volumes of poetry include Catalog…
Jann Wenner | Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir
In conversation with David Fricke, senior editor for Rolling Stone and SiriusXM host The co-founder, co-editor, and publisher of Rolling Stone , Jann Wenner has influenced the ways in which the world perceives music, politics, and pop…
Margo Jefferson | Constructing A Nervous System: A Memoir
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition “A national treasure” ( Vanity Fair ), Margo Jefferson won the National Book Critics Circle Award for her memoir Negroland , an examination of her upbringing…
One Book, One Philadelphia 2022 Kickoff Celebration
To launch the 20th annual program season of One Book, One Philadelphia, join us for a conversation with Quiara Alegría Hudes, author of My Broken Language--the 2022 One Book featured title--and Lilliam Rivera, author of Never Look Back,…
Jennifer Lin | Beethoven in Beijing: Stories from the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Historic Journey to China
In conversation with Nydia Han, Consumer Investigative Reporter and co-anchor of 6ABC Action News Sunday mornings A reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer for 31 years, Jennifer Lin worked as an international correspondent in China, a…
Jeremy Denk | Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons
In conversation with Peter Dobrin, classical music critic and culture writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer One of classical music’s most celebrated pianists, Jeremy Denk has performed with ensembles such as the National Symphony…
Garrett Hongo | The Perfect Sound: A Memoir in Stereo
In conversation with Major Jackson Garrett Hongo was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for the poetry collection The River of Heaven . His other books of poetry include Yellow Light and Coral Road . The distinguished professor in the…
Brendan Slocumb | The Violin Conspiracy
In conversation with Stanford Thompson, founder and executive director of Play On Philly A public and private school music educator for more than 20 years, Brendan Slocumb has performed on violin with the Washington Metropolitan…
Robby Krieger: | Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar With the Doors
In conversation with David Fricke, senior editor for Rolling Stone and SiriusXM host One of Rolling Stone ’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”, Robby Krieger is best known as a member of the legendary rock band The Doors. He wrote…
Jackie Kay | Bessie Smith: A Poet’s Biography of a Blues Legend
In conversation with Sapphire The National Poet Laureate of Scotland from 2016 to 2021, Jackie Kay is the author of the celebrated poetry collections Life Mask , Off Colour , and The Adoption Papers , winner of the Scottish Arts…
James Lapine | Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created “Sunday in the Park with George”
In conversation with Benj Pasek, Tony Award-winning songwriter and New York Times bestselling author of Dear Evan Hansen A celebrated director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist, James Lapine earned three Tony Awards for “Best…
Bobby Rush | I Ain’t Studdin’ Ya: My American Blues Story
In conversation with Jonny Meister, host of The Blues Show on WXPN In his five decades in blues music, Grammy-winner Bobby Rush has recorded hundreds of his own songs, collaborated with the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, and…
Rickie Lee Jones | Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour
Carole Phillips Memorial Lecture In conversation with singer, songwriter, and novelist Wesley Stace Acclaimed for “her hauntingly beautiful voice and fearless experimentation” (NPR), singer–-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones has remained one…