Research Guides: TSEM 102 Notable Music Makers: Nina Simone (Rickelton/Thomas): Finding the Basics

Encyclopedias

These are a great place to start. They can give you a basic biography and a few sources to consult. Except in special circumstances, you will not want to cite to these sources in your works cited for an academic paper.

Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
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Best bet for accurate peer-reviewed articles on composers and performers of classical and jazz music.

Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century
Includes biographical and works listings for concert and popular musicians.

Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
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Includes music encyclopedia content as well as links to popular and scholarly articles. Only four simultaneous users.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
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Now includes the series "Contemporary Musicians".

Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings by Steve Sullivan
Explores approximately 1,000 song recordings from 1889 to the present, telling the stories behind the songs, recordings, performers, and songwriters. TU site license provides for one simultaneous user.

Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
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AASC contains over 7,500 articles from Oxford's reference program and includes 5 major encyclopedias; Africana; Encyclopedia of African American History,1619-1895 ; Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present; Black Women in America; and African American National Biography. This database also includes thematic timelines, primary source documents, and specially written commentaries on the personal and public histories of African Americans. Database access limited to 1 simultaneous user. Terms and Conditions.

Books and Scores

Your first source for both physical and and electronic books is the Cook Library Catalog. If you really want a book, but cannot find it at Towson, consider looking for it in the USMAI system or ordering it through inter-library loan using WorldCat. Chat or email a librarian if you are having trouble.

Like most academic libraries Cook library uses the Library of Congress cataloguing system. That means that books or scores are grouped together by topic. If you go to where these items are located on the shelf you will probably find other related books.

Cambridge Companions Online This link opens in a new window
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Several of these discuss various aspects of Leonard Bernstein's career.
EBSCO eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
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Provides a collection of over 210,000 electronic books, including reference books.
Music Online: Classical Scores Library This link opens in a new window
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Music Online: Classical Scores Library is a series of volumes with a mission to provide a reliable and authoritative source for scores of the classical canon, as well as a resource for the discovery of lesser-known contemporary works. The collections encompass all major classical musical genres and time periods from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. With full, study, piano, and vocal scores, this comprehensive collection will enhance the study of music history, performance, composition and theory for a variety of scholars.

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TSEM 102 Notable Music Makers: Nina Simone (Rickelton/Thomas)

Encyclopedias

Books and Scores