Welcome Back, Huskies!

Sarah Holmes and I have been busy this past semester, and we are excited to share a few updates that have taken place inside the Music Library. We had the pleasure of working with Sophia Varcados from the Office of Marketing and Creative Services. Together we were able to print and install new signage on our entrance windows, a new “hours” sign outside of our entrance and a couple of nice signs to display when welcoming our students and faculty to the Music Library. Sophia was huge help in the design process and even during installation. We are very happy to have these simple, yet crucial updates to our space.

In addition, Sarah, Dean Barnhart, Joe Thomas and I have been working alongside School of Music Director, Andrew Glendening to move the School of Music DoIT Computer Lab into the Music Library. We have obtained 10 computers equipped with music notation software and midi piano keyboards, newer desks and chairs to be used with these machines, as well as a phone and laptop charging station. We are excited for the new to us items in the Music Library and even more excited for the student patrons that this will draw in. With the addition of these computers, we were able to relocate one of our catalog computers to the second floor, allowing our patrons to search the online catalog without having to go up and down stairs repetitively. We have also opened up some space on the main floor we like to call our Reading Nook. It allows for individual or small group study.

Also, in collaboration with the School of Music Faculty, our 2^nd floor classroom has been updated with matching chairs(!) and outdated equipment has been removed. This space will now be used as the primary conference room for the faculty and staff of CVPA, while still being available for faculty and student use.

We hope that our Music Library Patrons will enjoy these new 2020 updates. Happy New Year!

- Kate Swope, SMLS

Research and Artistry Lecture Series: Tuba Christmas, 2019 – Applied Artist, Scott Tegge

On December 3, 2019, the University Libraries’ Programming and Promotions Committee held its inaugural “Research and Artistry Series” event with a musical performance and lecture by Applied Artist, Scott Tegge and his NIU Tuba and Euphonium Studio. The event was a great success, with over 90 people in attendance, among them, President Freeman and Provost Ingram. There were students, faculty, staff and community members in attendance. Cookies and Cocoa were provided, and the ensemble performed holiday music for an hour, in Founders Memorial Gallery. There was a short lecture given by Graduate Student Dennis Meacham covering tuba history, and Prof. Tegge entertained us with interesting anecdotes about the tuba, what it’s like to be music major at NIU, and informed us about a worldwide event called Tuba Christmas (which this event was a part of).

Tuba Christmas was conceived in 1974 by Harvey Phillips, American Tuba Player and Professor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, as a tribute to his teacher and mentor William J. Bell, born on Christmas Day, 1902. Through the legendary William J. Bell, tuba players all over the world reflect on their heritage and honor all great artists/teachers whose legacies have given them high performance standards, well-structured pedagogy, professional integrity, personal values and a camaraderie envied by all other instrumentalists.

The Programming and Promotions Committee was very proud to host Prof. Tegge and his studio for what we hope to become a yearly tradition of holiday brass music in Founders Memorial Library. The “Research and Artistry Series” is open to all disciplines with the goal of sharing and exploring research and artistry occurring on the NIU Campus. Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged apply.

- Kate Swope, Senior Music Library Specialist

Good Luck with Finals!

Dear Students,

The end of the semester is already upon us and I know you are working diligently to write exam papers, finish projects and practice for juries. Keep your heads up and know that YOU CAN DO IT! 

The Music Library will be open our regular hours this week and next. If you have any questions at all about research, citations, writing help, grammar, or if you just need someone to talk to, do not hesitate to come in and chat with us. Sarah and I are always happy to help in any way we can. 

Good luck with finals, everyone!

-Kate

New Improvements to the Music Library

New Improvements to the Music Library

Hi Friends! If you’ve been in recently, you will notice a few changes in the Music Library this semester. One big one that just happened last week, was our new signage on the front doors. Look at these! How awesome is it that we can now be identified!

Thank you SO MUCH to Sophia Varcados, Graphic Design Supervisor from University Marketing and Creative Services. She did excellent work getting these window clings made and put up. We couldn't have done this without you!

In addition to the new signage, we are looking forward to receiving TEN student worker stations all equipped with music notation software. Some of these stations will be housed upstairs in the 2nd floor small study rooms, while others will be on the back wall of the main floor. We are very excited to be able to offer this new equipment to our students, faculty, and staff. The computer equipment move is planned for early December, and will hopefully be completed by the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester. Go Huskies!

New Music Librarian at NIU!

Hello Huskies! My name is Abbey Thompson and I'm thrilled and honored to be your new Music Librarian. My first day of work was June 1st, and after a peaceful summer to get acclimated to DeKalb and NIU, I'm ready to get this party started!

A bit about my background...

I have a Master of Arts in Musicology and a Master of Science Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2006 and 2008, respectively). I also have a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance (Vocal) from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2000).
Prior to taking the position here at NIU, I served as the Collection Services Manager for the Music Library at Princeton University. I have also worked at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as a cataloger of rare childrens books, and for Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (Rochester, MN) as a Project Manager and music cataloger for the Chatfield Brass Band Music Lending Library. While in graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill I worked in the Metadata Research Center, Rare Books & Special Collections, and for the Southern Folklife Collection.

My scholarly interests include early music (particularly vocal music) and the early music revival of the 20th century, as well as performance practice, music reception, pop music studies, and video game music. On the library side of things, I am interested in taxonomies/folksonomies, music user services, and music reference. In my spare time, I enjoy singing, cooking/baking, and I'm an avid player of video games and board games.


My role here at NIU is to help you with your music research needs. As well as being your librarian, I'm a member of the tenure-track faculty, performing research and publishing in my own right. You can count on me to be a professional ally! Feel free to stop by and chat with me in the music library - right now I even have some homemade chocolate chip cookies to tempt you in.

New Music Library Hours

The Music Library will maintain regular hours during the entire Final Examination period... See http://www.ulib.niu.edu/aboutus/musiclib.cfm for the regular schedule.
After finals are over, the Music Library will be closed on Sunday, December 14th, the reopen on Monday, December 15th with the Intersession Schedule (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - noon and 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.) until we close for the Winter Break. We hope your Final Examination period goes well!

Voice Majors - New Subscription to Classical Singer!

NIU's Music Library now has a subscription to Classical Singer magazine, and you may access it here: http://vufind.carli.illinois.edu/vf-niu/Record/niu_2635076 .