Afternoons with Hiller

Just thinking....

2011-12-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

I had lunch with my mentor today. We talked a lot about my experience at Gettysburg and how different it is for me to be here now. My main "problems" are gone, I earned two Master's degrees neither of which is in Music Ed, and I'm doing something that I love and I am very good at. I recently accepted a position as the Music Librarian at Belmont University in Nashville, TN - an opportunity for which I am very excited.

Now I'm sitting and watching the "Christmas at St. Olaf" concert and wondering what my life would be like if I had gone there for college. My mom claims she tried to get me to go and I said no, but I definitely do not remember this conversation. Perhaps the pitch wasn't that great. Maybe it wasn't mentioned that I could study Norwegian and music. Either way, I can't help but wonder what my life would be like now had I spent 4 years in Minnesota.

I know I can't have any regrets, but it makes me think...

Mentee Becomes Mentor

2011-12-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday an interesting thing happened: I was helping my student worker put up an exhibit that she created and the library director came out to check it out. The following conversation took place:

Director: "Funny, isn't it?"
Me: "What's that?"
Director: "It doesn't seem like that long ago that you were the student, and now you're the mentor."
Me: "Huh. Yeah, I guess you're right."

In my head I was thinking "man, that's weird." I don't feel old enough to be mentoring someone, especially since I still talk to (and need) my mentor quite a bit. Just today I had lunch with another one of our student assistants, and she and I talked about library school and the plan for her life. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I had that exact same conversation with my mentor, and now look where I am - in my own office, influencing other students, guiding them on their career paths and in their lives.

I knew I would never have the type of influence that classroom teachers or professors have, but I am slowly realizing that my influence reaches far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I think it's also a testament to the legacy set up by my own mentor. He has worked with many students, but I like to consider myself his "protege" (and I think he does too). We have an incredible professional relationship, but also a very strong (almost brother/sister) type friendship. He has supported me for 6 or 7 years, and now I get to be that support for others. That is quite the legacy.

I also gave my student worker her Christmas (yes, Christmas) gift today. It was nothing huge, but she was so appreciative, and I realized that all I want is to bring joy to others. THAT is why I get up every day.

I love my job.

(ETA: Seconds after posting, this came through my Google Reader How to Get and Keep a Mentor. Coincidence? I think not.)

Let's get it started.

2011-08-26T13:43:00.001-07:00

OK, it's been almost a year since I posted, but with the new phase in my life, I wanted to get my blog up and running. Here's a low-down on what's been going on with me:

1) I am no longer in Buffalo, which means that I no longer spend my afternoons with Hiller, but the name of the blog will stay because I like it.

2) I am no longer at the Library of Congress. My time there was short, but amazing, and I learned a lot about a lot of things.

3) I spent the summer digitizing financial records for the Seamen's Church Institute . While this might not sound as glamorous as working with archival collections at LC, it was great and varied experience for my resume, and the people I met were wonderfully nice and so much fun! I also now have a reason and purpose to knit tons of hats and scarves, and I'm going to learn how to knit socks as soon as my Christmas gift backlog is taken care of.

4) I work at Gettysburg College! Yep, I'm back to the ol' Alma Mater, and it actually feels really good. I'm in Technical Services at Musselman Library cataloging CDs, scores, books, and whatever else they throw my way. I will also work at the reference desk once a week, and I have a few other projects in the planning stages (and it's only day 5!).

So there's the low-down on my life. Join me as I move into and decorate my apartment, become a full-fledged cataloger, and enjoy life in the 'Burg!

George N. Parks (1953-2010)

2010-09-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

A band director, a drum major, a father, a leprechaun, an eternal Peter Pan. The man was larger-than-life, animated, caring, respectful, a sage, immortal...

Everything I am right now I am because of what George Parks taught me during my time at the Drum Major Academy. I have taught a handful of drum majors with his methods, and my Senior year of high school I won the coveted "Best Drum Major" trophy at a competition for the first time in my high school's history, and I owe it all to him. I used to be shy - he taught me confidence. I had no idea how to be a leader - he taught me to lead with a firm, fair, fun hand. He taught me to sit up just a little straighter, that "If you fail to plan, plan to fail," and "If you can't change it, don't complain about it." That last one I repeat a lot. He told me that no matter what I do, I need to do it with love. Isn't that something we should all strive for?

This immortal, wonderful man passed away on Thursday night from an apparent heart attack after a performance of his beloved UMASS Marching Band. He died doing what he loved, and I can't think of a better way to go. He was 57 years old.

George Parks left the world too soon, and there are tens of thousands of band people out there who understand exactly how I'm feeling right now. We are all a part of the George N. Parks brotherhood. We understand how he was gipped by the Lucky Charms guy. We feel the urge to conduct when we hear the music from the movie "Hook." We know the sting of a mace bruise while trying to perfect the George Parks mace toss. Most importantly, we know to always keep our chins up, and our eyes "with pride."

I can truly say that the world lost an unsung hero on Thursday, and the best legacy that we can all give him is to continue living our lives under his influence. That is what he would want...

I leave you with a scene from "Hook." You are the Pan, George Parks, and Neverland is lucky to have you...

Testing

2010-07-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

so I downloaded a blogger app to my phone (shh...don't tell my family, which means I can post from the phone. will I? who knows...stay tuned!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.9

How Music can Save the Economy

2009-08-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of http://www.four-thirty-three.net/

This week, as part of my 120 hours of cataloging, my cataloging supervisor gave me a 7 volume set that constituted the History of Music In San Francisco series, originally published from 1939-1942. The writing of these volumes was due in no small part to the efforts of the Works Progress Administration's "Federal Music Project." It was the goal of this project to document the musical history of the United States while putting its citizens to work and (hopefully) repairing the ailing economy. In addition, there were many orchestras across the country (including Buffalo) that had their start thanks to the WPA.

Was the project a success? Some say yes, some say no. However, it did have a significant impact on the world of music librarianship. In American Music Librarianship, Carol June Bradley detailed the collection development and cataloging processes at the New York Public Library ca1933. She writes "[Carleton Sprague Smith] worked to exploit the collections as he inherited them. The first two years he limited acquisitions to filling in the gaps revealed by inventories; he had the collections searched and bibliographic aids devised to provide maximum access to their specializations; and the utilized the 'emergency workers' and later WPA workers to put existing materials in optimum order while he organized his priorities." See, music librarians, always working for a cause.

Speaking of Miss Bradley, her memorial service will take place on Saturday the 22nd. I discover more and more every day how much of an impact she has had on my career, so I think it is (to quote Lincoln!) "all together fitting and proper" that I attend. Hell, I might even learn something, and from what I've heard about Miss Bradley, she would have preferred it that way.

Oh, and I have to just get this out there. I have the best supervisor ever. She and I had a great discussion today about some "issues." It's nice to be working in such an incredibly supportive environment. I've only ever had that once before, and it was in retail. Support in academia is new and refreshing for me.

Hitler Youth Music

2009-08-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of www.holocaustsurvivors.org

One of my responsibilities this summer has been to go through the however many thousands of scores donated to us by Ms. Muriel Wolf and Mr. Albert Steger, both influential musicians in the Buffalo area, and check for duplicates in our online system. Muriel was married once before to Anton Wolf, and as such she, Anton, and Albert accumulated a TON of stuff. The other librarians have been making trips to "Albert's House" to clean out the cartons and cartons of books, scores, posters, etc. Some of it is really interesting, like the "Photos for Art Students" book, which was chock full o'naked ladies, or the "How to Spot a Commie" (not the actual title) pamphlet, which I can only assume circulated during the Cold War.

Today I'm sitting at my desk and I come across a piece for two flutes (or "other melody instruments") by Beethoven. I could not find any sort of collective title on this piece, and I was getting a little frustrated when I noticed that there was a piece of white tape obscuring writing on the top of the piece. Holding the paper up to the light, I was astonished to see that it said "Musikblätter der Hitler=Jugend Nr. 594." On the back of the piece was information in German (my German is a little rusty), but it gave me this crazy sense of being incredibly connected to history. A search in OCLC revealed only 2 other holdings and very little else about this particular piece of music, and although the Library of Congress has a good collection of these pieces, they do not hold ours. This particular piece of history, as it turns out, is rare....very rare. And to think I was about to throw it away....

A Major Blow to Music Librarianship

2009-07-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

I know I'm at work, and I could get in major trouble for this, but I feel like I need to put this out there. Carol June Bradley, noted Music Librarian and a founding director of the UB Music Library, has passed away. Now to me this does not hold as much weight as it does for my co-workers, but I'm still definitely feeling the impact. The air in the library has become heavy, as those who knew her try to process the news and deal with their grief. A notice has been sent out to the MLA listserv, and I'm sure it will be abuzz today with recollections from her students, colleagues and friends. Her presence will be felt in the UB Music Library forever.

All I know if Ms. Bradley is that she was a force to be reckoned with in the classroom, and in the library. Her research into the history of Music Librarianship gave us an identity and a position in the world. Her book American Music Librarianship is unprecedented, nor has it been matched by any publication since. Reading that book gave me a sense of purpose and a historical basis upon which I rest all of my knowledge of the field, and for that I will be eternally grateful to Ms. Carol June Bradley.

Just Getting it Out There

2009-06-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

My friend Molly and I have been tossing around the concept of a "Bucket List" as more of a "To Do" list than something morbid. So here's my Bucket list so far:

1. See Rusted Root in concert (completed 6/26/09)
2. Go to the Spitsbergen Islands
3. Volunteer with Extreme Makeover, Home Edition
4. Go to Oktoberfest in Munich
5. Get to the top of Skogshorn
6. Learn Norwegian
7. Figure out Morfar's role in WWII
8. Take up African drumming
9. Horseback ride again
10. Learn the "Thriller" dance
11. Live in Norway for at least a year

R.I.P. King of Pop

2009-06-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

OK, I need to get this out there. It's not Music Library related at all, but the death of Michael Jackson has rocked me to the core for the past 2 days. I was never really a crazy Michael fan, at least not on the outside. My admiration for him was mostly held on the inside as I watched his life unravel throughout my youth. However, the idea that there will be no one as popular or as famous as him ever again is hard to grasp. He is irreplaceable, and I wonder if future generations will really fully understand his influence.

Summer Reading Time!!!

2009-06-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

So my classes are done, and I (miraculously) have time to sit down and read a book - for fun! So far I'm blowing through them.

Books I Have Read:
Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope
Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux
Dorothy Baden-Powell, Pimpernel Gold: How Norway Foiled the Nazis
Hanna Aasvik Helmersen, War and Innocence: A Young Girl's Life in Occupied Norway (1940-1945)
Robert Fisher, The Knight in Rusty Armor

What I am Reading Now:
Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father

Books I Would Like to Read:
(In no particular order)
Gosselin/Carson, Multiple Bles8ings (I know, I know, but I own it....)
Gunnar Sonsteby, Report from #24
Stephanie Meyer, Twilight (starting with the first, we'll see how far I get)
Elizabeth Kostova, The Historian (It's been on my reading list for a while, but now I own it)
Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure, The Soprano State
Curtis Sittenfeld, American Wife: A Novel (highly recommended by my friend Ellie)
Steve Lopez, The Soloist (Amazing movie, now I have to read the book)

I know that I have tons more to update on, namely MLA and Norway and what's happening in the Music Lib. this summer. I'll get there, I promise.

Because I can't concentrate at work right now...

2009-02-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

I'm currently reading American Music Librarianship by Carol June Bradley (one of the founding librarians of the UB Music Library), and I have come across a few interesting librarian quotes:

"A librarian should not be a fossilized antiquarian, no matter how steadily his gaze may be fixed on 'history' of yesteryears; he should be alive with the trends of today and make ample room on his shelves for the 'new men,' whether or not they have 'arrived.' The librarian is essentially a registrar, not a critic. It remains for posterity to pass final judgement. And posterity must find a complete dossier, conscientiously assembled, not selected in accordance with personal taste or preference." ~Carl Engel (c.1925)

Aside from the constant use of "him/his/he" denoting that all librarians are/should be male, I think this notion has not changed all that much. And then there was this one:

"A librarian ought not to content himself with giving the public what it happens to want, but ought to help create a demand for what the public needs...no self-respecting library can afford to be without certain cultural documents...After all, it is not the frequency of use that counts, but the use to which a book is put." ~Oscar G.T. Sonneck

Well-stated, sir, well-stated.

L-I-B-R-A-R-Y

2009-01-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting watching the snow fall, checking in CDs from a 2004 antitrust settlement
. After I unwrap the CD, I have to write "UB Music Library" on each one, which has become stressful because I'm so afraid that I'm going to spell "Library" wrong by forgetting an r and spelling it L-I-B-A-R-Y or L-I-B-R-A-Y, thus completely destroying my credibility. Or maybe I'm the only one who will notice...

It's been a while!

2008-12-30T07:01:00.001-08:00

It has been a while since I blogged last, so here's an update. Before I left Buffalo for break, I spent a great deal of time in the Treasure Room with my trusty laptop taking an inventory of the Hiller materials, noting their condition and carrying many of the flowcharts to Preservation to be cleaned and encapsulated. Basically, they are going to take all of the remaining glue off, re-glue some labels and then vacuum seal the charts in clear mylar. The ultimate goal is to create a finding aid to attach to the Music Library website. It's slow going, but I'm getting there!

In holiday news, I got Nils Grinde's A History of Norwegian Music! It is a book that I fell in love with in Gettysburg, and checked out of the UB Music Library from about mid-August to mid-December (way past the allowed loan period!) When I unwrapped the book, I literally cried. I'm a loser, I know, but I never, ever thought that I would ever own this book. It's the seminal volume for research in Scandinavian music, and I am thrilled that I now own it! I also received the ornament above, and my mom wrote "Buffalo 2008" on the back.

In musically unrelated library news, I had the chance to see my friend Matt this past week, and he was telling me about his library experiences in Durbin, South Africa. Apparently, he walked into the library looking for a book, which should have been on the shelf, and when he went up to the desk to ask about it, the guy behind the desk basically told him that it could be on the shelf, or it could be in any of the random piles on the tables. Apparently, there is no system in place for reshelving books so they just kind of sit there. Matt said that he said to the guy, "You know, where I come from, books get put on a cart and then someone puts them away so that people can find them later." The guy behind the desk looked at him and said, "Yeah, that is a good idea...." Crazy, just crazy.

One last thing, I promise! Two days ago, I booked a trip to Norway in March! Not only will I spend some time in Oslo, but I'm also going to go North and visit the Ringve Music Museum and Library in Trondheim! I'm so excited!

It's the Biblioburro!!

2008-10-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

NY Times - 10/20/08 - Donkey Library?

Cutter-ing and some news

2008-10-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

An ongoing project that I have to work on as a GA is update and maintain the library's Cutter file. What's a Cutter file, you ask? Well, in its original form, it was a card catalog. Yes, a bonafide wooden cabinet with :gasp: catalog cards in it! On each card is the name of a composer, editor, or compiler that we may (or may not) have in the catalog. It is my job to look for the person's name in the catalog and check to see if we have an authority record for it (basically, what the person prefers to be called in the catalog as prescribed by the Library of Congress). If we don't have the record, I search WorldCat for it and export it into the catalog. If we do have the record, I insert the name and Cutter number for each person into a Word table and then pull the card out of the drawer. Let me tell you, pulling that card is the most cathartic thing because, while card catalogs still have their place in the world, it represents a move forward into the future of librarianship. I know that to most of you this seems like a boring thing to do, but I don't do it all the time, so have no fear!

And now for some news items:
NY Times - Levi Stubbs, Four Tops lead singer, dies
NY Times - Tin Pan Alley? Apparently not so awesome...

We lose another good one

2008-10-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Neal Hefti

Afternoons with Hiller?

2008-10-14T11:50:00.001-07:00

For those of you who were wondering, the title of my blog is sort of an inside joke between me and a couple of my co-workers in the Music Library. It refers to a project that I have taken over from one of the Student Assistants -- I am trying (desperately) to identify a dozen or so flowcharts for computer music composition belonging to the Lejaren Hiller Collection at UB.

Hiller created these flowcharts as ways of composing music with computers, and when he died they were donated to UB by his widow. They apparently sat in storage, rolled up in paper, for about 20 years, the problem being that when you let something sit rolled up for that long, the minute you try to unroll it, it's pretty fatal. When the archivist tried to unroll the flowcharts and preserve them, all of these tiny little glued-on labels popped off. Hence, we are trying to identify the flow charts, glue the teeny-tiny labels back on, and preserve them. They are all labeled with figure numbers, leading us to believe that they are published in an article somewhere. The problem I'm coming up against is that no one, and I mean NO ONE -- except for Hiller and people that wrote with Hiller -- has written about these flowcharts or his computer music composition.

So where does that leave me? Right now, I have about 20 things ordered through ILL, and those books and articles that I have already received from ILL have led me nowhere. I'm hoping that something comes in that can be a beacon that leads me to the proper identification and preservation of the remaining charts.

Welcome to My Blog!

2008-10-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

When I was an undergrad, I started a blog with a different hosting site. Now that I'm nearly a "grown-up," I have decided to jump back on the Web 2.0 bandwagon and continue blogging. I have been learning in my library classes that blogs can be a good professional development-type tool, so here it goes...

However, this time it's going to be a little different. Rather than complain about boys and roommates, I want to highlight my experiences as a Graduate Assistant in the UB Music Library, including projects I am working on and the crazy requests I get while at work. So come, read, and travel on this crazy journey with me!