What are Reference Sources?
Reference sources include books like dictionaries and encyclopedias which contain relatively brief entries on a wide variety of topics. There are a number of reference works that cover the people, institutions, and ideas that make up the history of dance. Reference sources are a great place to start your research, and many of them are available online.
General Music Reference Sources
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Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Music research gateway that includes Grove Music, Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford Companion to Music. Authoritative online music dictionary/encyclopedia. Articles include biographies of composers and performers; definitions of terms, styles, and concepts; essays on world music, popular music, and jazz; descriptions of musical instruments and their makers, etc. Gives music examples and links to related web sites (some of which display images and play sounds).
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Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 4th ed This link opens in a new windowThis encyclopedia's 30,000 entries cover all genres and periods of popular music from 1900 to the present day, including jazz, country, folk, rap, reggae, techno, musicals, and world music. The expanded Fourth Edition includes thousands of new entries on trends, styles, record labels, venues, and music festivals. Key dates, biographies, and further reading are provided for artists covered, along with complete discographies that include record labels, release dates, and a 5-star album rating system. Included in this Oxford Digital Reference Shelf edition are online-exclusive entries that originally appeared on Oxford Music Online.
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Garland Encyclopedia of World Music This link opens in a new windowResource for music research of world's peoples that contains an overview of the region, a survey of its musical heritage, traditions and themes; and a description of specific musical genres, practices, and performances. Articles include detailed photographs that show musicians, musical instrument, and the cultural context of dances, rituals, and ceremonies. Other images include drawings, maps, and musical examples for further study.
More Music Reference Sources
Reference eBook Series
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Dictionaries for the Modern MusicianSpecialized reference works for instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors. The series includes titles devoted to the clarinet, trumpet, percussion, piano, and more.
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Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts - Music DictionariesThis series of historical dictionaries covers a wide variety of topics, including opera, sacred music, and the Broadway musical.
Reference eBooks - Selected Examples
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Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music by
ISBN: 9780415941792Publication Date: 2005-09-29The Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is the first comprehensive reference to cover this important American musical form. Coverage includes all aspects of both African-American and white gospel from history and performers to recording techniques and styles as well as the influence of gospel on different musical genres and cultural trends. -
The Encyclopedia of Country Music by
ISBN: 9780195176087Publication Date: 2004-12-16To its millions of fans, country music is America's music, offering a window on the sweet dreams and cruel disappointments of ordinary American lives. Now the renowned Country Music Foundation, custodian of Nashville's legendary Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, has compiled a fascinating and infinitely useful guide to this beloved musical genre--The Encyclopedia of Country Music.Nearly 1,300 alphabetical entries put eight decades of country music at readers' fingertips, from the earliest '20s recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to the '90s chart-topping albums of LeAnn Rimes and Garth Brooks. A distinguished field of 137 contributors provides an eminently readable and reliable guide to the singers, songwriters, record companies, and industry movers and shakers who have made country music the increasingly popular--and profitable--juggernaut it is today. Hundreds of photographs, some never before published, accompany the text, including 75color photographs from the CMF Library's record collection, surveying the history of the country music album cover. Twelve appendices provide lists of country's all-time best-selling albums, country music stations nationwide, all the country music awards won over the years, and much more. Authoritative, accessible, and unerringly accurate, The Encyclopedia of Country Music will delight fans. It is an essential reference for libraries, radio stations, and the entertainment industry. -
Dictionary of Music Education by
ISBN: 9780810886513Publication Date: 2013-10-18Irma Collins's Dictionary of Music Education is more than just a lexicon. It is a journey through time and the story of the evolution of music education, including entries on notable individuals, crucial terms, important events, and key organizations--a broad survey of the field. Collins includes information about a variety of English-speaking countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, emphasizing the impact music education researchers and organizations have had on one another across the globe. Biographical entries profile musicians and music educators who were among the founders or first implementers of significant pedagogical tools and methods. Terms include standard concepts in the field of music education. Event and organization entries are those crucial to the advancement of music education regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dictionary of Music Education also includes a timeline, cross-references, and a significant bibliography. This work will interest anyone involved in the field of music education, from students and faculty to administrators and private instructors. -
Encyclopedia of the Blues 2-Volume Set by
ISBN: 9780415926997Publication Date: 2005-10-28This comprehensive two-volume set brings together all aspects of the blues from performers and musical styles to record labels and cultural issues, including regional evolution and history. Organized in an accessible A-to-Z format, the Encyclopedia of the Blues is an essential reference resource for information on this unique American music genre. For a full list of entries, contributors, and more, visit the Encyclopedia of the Blues website. -
International Dictionary of Music Therapy by
ISBN: 1135047626Publication Date: 2013-06-19The therapeutic uses of music can vary greatly from one part of a country to the next, from one therapist to the next and across national and continental lines. This groundbreaking work is the first to bring together the expertise of an international array of contributors into one resource. The International Dictionary of Music Therapy offers models, methods and interventions that range from regional to international, including several terms that have never been published before. Essential for both the seasoned and novice music therapists and those working closely with the field, it offers a comprehensive guide to key terms, explained from multiple perspectives and with reference to clinical literature. Each entry contains detailed definitions for the reader, to develop practice, to generate discussion, and to establish more of a global common music therapy language. Covering more than 450 carefully selected terms, this comprehensive reference tool is a foundational text for defining and exploring the therapeutic value of music. The ultimate companion to understanding the science and art of music therapy on an international level, the International Dictionary of Music Therapy is ideal for music therapists, theorists, educators, researchers, and students.