MLA Newsletter (161) 121-35
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MMLLAA NEWSLETTER MLA Vi s i t s San Diego, Part II Annual Meeting coverage begins on page 3 Inside: President’s Report . 2 Transitions . 12 Chapter Reports . 17 Annual Meeting . 3 In Recognition . 15 New Members . 17 Calendar . 4 Roundtable Reports . 16 Member News . 17 Committee Reports . 10 No. 161 May–June 2010 ISSN 0580-289-X President’s Report MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Ruthann McTyre, MLA President that I want to share: room rates Board of Directors irst things first – our thoughts are lower and Officers and prayers go to everyone in lower over the next three years! The RUTHANN MCTYRE, President the Nashville area who are un- CMs and the board are also planning University of Iowa F JERRY MCBRIDE, Vice President/ doubtedly still dealing with the after- on taking a very close look at our President Elect math of Spring’s flooding. As the meeting footprint at the upcoming Stanford University rains have been falling pretty much September board meeting here in PAMELA BRISTAH, Recording Secretary non-stop here in Eastern Iowa for Iowa City and will be targeting the Wellesley College the last few weeks, I’m reminded of Nashville meeting as a possible start- MICHAEL ROGAN, Treasurer/ post-flood life and I’m sure everyone ing point for that reduced footprint Executive Secretary Tufts University joins me in sending only best wishes for meeting spaces. The Annual for a successful restoration to life-as- Meeting Survey in which so many of Members-at-Large 2009–2011 LINDA FAIRTILE normal, or close to it at least. you provided extremely useful data is University of Richmond As always, there is a lot going on going to inform us about all aspects STEPHEN MANTZ with MLA. First of all, it’s renewal of the meeting, so thanks to those of University of Colorado–Boulder time! If you haven’t done so, get to you who took the time to participate. JENN RILEY the online membership directory and Sincere thanks, too, to Beth Christen - Indiana University renew your dues. While you’re there, sen and her Task Force for the her- Members-at-Large 2010–2012 take time to look over the revamped culean work they did putting that SUSANNAH CLEVELAND form that includes expanded oppor- survey together and then gathering Bowling Green State University tunities for giving to the association, and assessing the data so quickly. CHERYL TARANTO through our new Orpheus Society You are aware by now that there University of Nevada, Las Vegas or Ostinato Club, as well as through is a Task Force working towards the LIZA VICK one-time donations, rechristened draft of a new Strategic Plan for MLA, Harvard University “MLA Soloist.” chaired by David Gilbert. I encourage Typeset by A-R Editions, Middleton, WI. The Executive Board met at our everyone to offer input to the task Business Office in Middleton in late force when asked. MLA is at a real MLA NEWSLETTER May where we approved a more turning point and your participation Misti Shaw, Editor stringent budget than in past years, in this endeavor will help to “steer The Newsletter is published four times a year: cutting Association-related travel by the ship.” Another new task force September–October, November–December, March– 10% and reducing projected spend- getting to work soon will examine April, and May–June, by the Music Library Associ a tion, c/o A-R Editions, Inc.; 8551 Research Way, Suite 180; ing in other areas (phase 2 web de- options for virtual meeting/ VLE op- Middleton, WI 53562, and is issued to its members sign, Presidential discretionary funds, tions and yet another soon to be or- free of charge. The purpose of the Newsletter is to keep the for example). On a brighter note, we ganized will begin to explore meth- membership of the Association abreast of events, voted to increase the Freeman Award ods for archiving our electronic data. ideas, and trends related to music librarianship. All communications and articles are welcome. Address pot from $3000 to $3750 in order to On the horizon: As previously correspondence to: share the wealth of that vital fund mentioned, the Executive Board will Misti Shaw with more future music librarians. Of meet in Iowa City 15–17 September. DePauw University course, Pat Wall and Jim Zychowicz Joining us for part of the meeting GCPA Music Library 605 S. College were wonderful hosts and my thanks will be members of the IAML-US Greencastle, IN 46135 go to them and their staff at A-R for board as we continue to chart the [email protected] sharing their office space and their possible affiliation with IAML and The deadline for submitting copy to the editor for refrigerator with us for a few days. merger with IAML-US. Also, we will issue number 162 (Sept.–Oct. 2010) is August 15, 2010. Submissions in Microsoft Word sent via e-mail Our Convention Manager Bonna welcome David Gilbert, the “strat- attachment are preferred. Boettcher and her “posse”, Laura plan man” who will deliver the draft Gayle Green, incoming Assistant CM of the MLA Strategic Plan to the and Paula Hickner, nearly-retired board for discussion. CM, have been hard at work negoti- Busy, busy, busy! Happy Summer ating with conference hotels in the everyone. As the boys from Rascal immediate and distant future. Bonna Flatts like to sing, “Let your Igloo On the cover: Balboa Twilight, by Gerry pointed out a very pleasant trend Cooler mark your piece of Paradise”! Szymanski. 2 M L A Newsletter • No. 161 Annual Meeting Plenary II: Wish They All Could Be California . Women Contributed by Lydia Welhan Switching gears from experimen- Rachmaninoff, all the time playing (Missouri Southern State Univ.) tal music to the plectral world, concerts for packed audiences. Yet, and Scott Stone (Chapman Univ.) Nelson discussed the career of gui- by the time she was thirteen, critics tarist Vahdah Olcott-Bickford. A ma- were labeling her interpretations as Tuesday was kicked off by the jor proponent of the BMG (Banjo, immature. So, she took time off from second Plenary Session, “Wish They Mandolin, Guitar) Movement, Olcott- the public stage, attended college All Could Be California . Women.” Bickford was an influential publisher, without any financial support from Consisting of four different presen- arranger, and performer of guitar her father, and eloped (which re- ters and topics, this session high- music in the first half of twentieth sulted in a permanent rift with her lighted four incredible and influential century. While there were others do- father). Slenczynska taught piano for women in music from California. ing this at the same time, Olcott- several years, but after seeing the Hosted by Caitlin Miller (LC), the Bickford stood out from destruction of Cologne four presenters included Ana Dub - her peers because she ad- “. Olcott- during World War II, she njakovic (Virginia Tech), Mac Nelson vocated all finely crafted Bickford stood found her purpose in life: (Univ. of North Carolina at Greens - music, not just Western art out from her peers to bring something beauti- boro), Therese Dickman (Southern music. Throughout her because she advo- ful into people’s lives Illinois Univ. Edwards ville), and Beth life, she published over cated all finely through the public per- Fleming (Kent State Univ.). 160 works for guitar, over crafted formance of music. She Dubnjakovic began the morning 500 arrangements for music, not just began to perform again, with her paper, “Mildred Couper & plucked instruments, and Western art giving hundreds of con- Her Quarter-Tone Compo sitions.” performed on early radio music.” certs a year. In 1964 she While Couper was not a Californian broadcasts and motion accepted a position at by birth (having been born in pictures. She also attempted to col- Southern Illinois University Buenos Aires), the bulk of her work lect all printed music for guitars and Edwardsville, where she remained comes from her time spent in Santa plucked instruments. Other accom- for 34 years. Barbara. Prior to moving to plishments include founding the The session was wrapped up by California, Couper spent time in New American Guitar Society and Zarvah Beth Fleming (Kent State University) York and was exposed to the experi- records, creating a major collection and her talk on “Betty Freeman’s mental music of composers including of plectral instruments, and subse- ‘Wonderful World’: The Music Scene Charles Ives and Henry Cowell. Ives’ quently donating this collection to in California.” Freeman, based in use of quarter-tones in some of his Cal State, North ridge after part of it Beverly Hills, began as a concert pi- compositions directly influenced had been devastated by a serious anist, but she was too nervous on Couper’s piece, “Dirge for Two California earthquake. stage to be a successful performer. Pianos Tuned ¼ Tone Apart,” which Sticking with names that are dif- As a result, Freeman decided to dedi- was warmly received at its premiere ficult to pronounce, the life of Ruth cate her life to financially helping in New York City. Dubnjakovic Slenczynska, child piano prodigy, other artists, especially composers. walked the audience through this in- was discussed by Dickman. Pushed As of 2002, Freeman was responsible teresting work, at times both jarring from a very young age by her father, for distributing 432 grants to com- and hauntingly beautiful, with sounds Slenczynska earned a full scholarship posers; the names of those she sup- blending together to create a wash of to the Curtis Institute of Music at the ported reads as a “who’s who” of color. The piece represents Couper’s age of five. She was so small at this American music: John Cage, Virgil own unique style of quarter-tone mu- time that she had to use a special ap- Thompson, Lou Harrison, Steve sic, which Henry Cowell described paratus constructed by her father to Reich, John Adams, Pierre Boulez, as being very accessible.