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Article Excerpt
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Information professionals involved in music research understand the subject's broad scope. From opera, classical, jazz, blues, hip-hop, soul, pop, and world music, the genres evolve and merge, creating fusions that result in new research opportunities. The Internet plays well with music research, offering sound and video that are lacking in older resources, both print and electronic. Free Web sites help even the tone-deaf appreciate the full range of music topics.
Many standard sources for music research, like Grove's Dictionary of Music, International Index of Music Periodicals, and Smithsonian Global Sound, are available only by paid subscription. For casual researchers, or for those who have exhausted these sources, many Web sites orchestrate valuable information and provide musical guidance. This article will highlight 10 sites, all of which are available for free and without user registration. I have evaluated each site for coverage, scope, and ease of use. They should help any researcher of music, as well as librarians who have not formally studied music.
WORLD MUSIC
National Geographic has assembled a comprehensive database of world music materials on National Geographic World Music (http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com). Launched in July 2006, it offers a world music glossary, a world music directory (which may be browsed by artist, album, genre, or country), podcasts, song samples, and a thorough guide (country by country) to music.
According to Carol Vidali, who reviewed the site for the Music Library Association ("Notes for Notes," Notes 63, No. 2, November/December 2004: pp. 337-339), "In supporting National Geographic's core aim of inspiring people to care about the planet, the National Geographic World Music site uses the language of music as a medium to tell the stories of the world."
A large part of National Geographic World Music is a world map. Click on a continent, and then country, to view a brief history of a country's music and arts and see a sampling of artists and related links. For example, by choosing Puerto Rico, you learn about jibaro music, a staple of Puerto Rican culture. You'll also see a list of artists, such as Jose Gonzalez and Brass Roots, and links to related sites, such as Global Rhythm Magazine and Calabash Music. In addition, you can listen to a wide variety of music and, similar to iTunes, purchase individual tracks or albums from Calabash Music. Calabash offers "fair trade" downloads, meaning that artists receive compensation for their work (currently musicians on the site receive 50 percent of the proceeds). Further, one free download is available each week. The site also features short videos that explain and demonstrate various musical styles, such as Taraab from East Africa. This site focuses on traditional and folk music; there is no information provided on traditionally Western artists.
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The site is relatively easy to use, although there is so much content that users may be overwhelmed. Current users of the music store in iTunes or similar portal sites should have no trouble navigating it. The information is an excellent complement to the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music (available in print) and Smithsonian Global Sound (available as a subscription database). It is ideal for researchers needing an overview of an artist, country, or style of music. National Geographic World Music does not have a search function, but it does have a site map, and the main navigation is fairly intuitive. One downside of the site is its...
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