MLA in Austin, Texas

MLA in Austin, Texas Feb. 12-15,2003 By Lisa Rae Philpott Music Library, The University of Western Ontario Despite a dismal, blizzardy evening, and an Robert Freeman, Dean of the Faculty of excruciatingly early departure for the Detroit Fine Arts (UTX-Austin), formerly of the airport, I made all of my connections and Eastman School, offered his welcome, and arrived safely in Austin for the seventy-second spoke of being an "alien," having only spent Music Library Association annual conference. three years in Austin. Things are done on a The Renaissance Austin Hotel proved to be an grand scale in Texas, with an $85 million exceedingly pleasant venue, and the atrium museum to open in 2005; the Ransom Center courtyard floor-plan lent itself nicely to the will be reopening in the spring. The University evening's first delight: a brass choir of Texas has 53,000 students, and many performance by Front Fanfaronade in opportunities for interdisciplinary study: antiphonal "Gabrieli" style, from the various "Everything is possible here!" Austin is the balconies surrounding the courtyard. The hotel "Live Music Capital of the World" (Freeman permitted the performance with some figured he was "King of the 'dead' part!") with misgivings, but the response (fiom non-MLA a Center for American Music. This might guests) was extremely positive. The opening explain why the Times of London interviewed reception was enjoyable as always, with him to ask, if classical music is dying, why opportunities to meet friends and peruse the does the U. S. graduate 12,000 new classically- offerings of the many vendors. trained musicians every year? It's a question of narrowing the gap between composers and James Cassaro, MLA President, officially performers. welcomed us and offered his own personal Texas history. He hastened to assure us that, On a separate note, Laura Macy, editor of contrary to popular belief, he did not spring www.grovemusic. corn, announced that Oxford "fully formed fiom the head of Lenore Coral," University Press is the new owner of the but spent a year cataloguing music at the Grove family. Given Oxford's longstanding University of North Texas. His first day, he commitment to music, this augurs well for the catalogued an entire truck full ofscores, only to future of our reference publications. be told that he had done a week's worth of work! And, in true Texan style, Cassaro became known by a variety of monikers Plenary Session I including "Jimmy Phil" and "Jim Joe Billy Bob." He said it seemed fitting that his term as "You Can't Hear American Music without MLA President should end in Texas, where his Hearing Texas" David Hunter, moderator music library career had begun. Music writer and analyst Casey Monahan was approached in January 1990 to become It soon became apparent that "Music Means Director of the newly-created Texas Music Business!" Office (http://www. e;overnor.state. tx. us/music/). Monahan's writings have Monahan responded to questions, stating appeared in the Austin Statesman, Rolling that he makes no aesthetic judgements about Stone, and the New York Times, to name a few. music programs, whether they be Willie He also has experience working in libraries. Nelson or BBC Music documentaries. He has 14,000 clients a year, and does a great many He stated the essential difference between business consultations. He is involved with the Europe and North America, in terms of their Handbook of Texas Music, and was view of the arts, is that Europe sees the arts as responsible for the "Texas music license revenue-generating. We tend to have schools plate." He never risks public money on an of the arts, and these institutions and the artists event, but helps everyone, fiom rappers to are patronized. "How many of your schools classical musicians. have a 'music business' course which is taught to music majors?'Fewer than twenty-five David Neumeyer (Center for American percent, judging by the show of hands. Music, School of Music, UT-Austin, Students need to know the market, and learn http://cam.music.utexas.edu/) spoke of the how to deal with the business of music, rather three agendas of the CAM: to support the than expecting to be honoured (or anointed) by teaching of Texas music, to the document the the King! The Music & Entertainment Industry history of American music and to support Educators Association (MEIEA) exists to research into all styles of American music. inform and prepare students for careers in the TheUT-Austin's Center for American History, music and entertainment industries a separate institution, also holds sigdicant (http://musicbiz.lovno. edu/meiea/about meiea music materials. See: http://www.cah. .html). utexas.edu/ index.htrnl. The Texas Music Office assists with making connections to the music industry and finding Kevin Mooney's (UT-Austin) dissertation jobs. Among its services, it sponsors interest topic was "Texas Centennial, 1936: Music and groups, industry events, and lectures. In short, Identity." His research into the Texas it helps students see themselves in the business Centennial of 1936 taught him the value of of music. telephone books. He had heard of an opera, The Lone Star, written for the centennial by In the 1970's, the Film Commission Otto Wick, formerly of New York, who had promoted and informed the public of the moved to San Antonio. Although Wick had business of b.By the mid- 1980's, the music died in 1957, Mooney took a chance and tried industry in Texas was asking, "Why just film?" the three Wicks in the San Antonio white The industry lobbied the legislature, pages. The third one was the son of Otto highhghting the educational impact of music Wick, and was in possession of all of his with a list of music businesses, revising the film father's manuscripts (now kept at the Center commission law to reflect "music" and enlisting for American History). Interestingly, th-ere the support of the Music Teachers Association. were a total of four operas written to commemorate the 1936 Centennial, but none incredibly eclectic. One evening, as a student, was performed. he played in the UT-Austin Jazz Orchestra, and left that gig to play two-steps and circles According to Mooney, there is an important at the Broken Spoke. Most musicians are distinction between'Texas music" and6'Texans drawn to the opportunity to perform multiple in music." Texas was settled by invaders fiom kinds of music. Glasse penned a tune which the north and south, and they brought their own became entitled the "Paper Bag Rag" because music. Both the Spanish conquest of 1521 and the perfect percussion accompaniment ended the subsequent Anglo invasion of 1821 up being brushes on a paper grocery sack. He prompted a cultural response of cowido, or told the assemblage, "Y'all are the noisiest border songs and narratives. The upwardly- librarians I've ever met!" mobile sector brought the influence of the string orchestra or wind band; in 1834, the Germans Glasse was asked whether club owners in brought their singing societies and band music Texas were charging groups for the to Texas. In 1900, the Dallas Symphony opportunity to play in their venues. No, not Orchestra was founded, led by a Miiller, who yet! (But in other cities several groups may be later anglicized his name to Miller. Scott Joplin booked into a venue, with club-goers being embodied both "Texas music" and "Music in polled at the door. If a group doesn't bring in Texas" with his "Great Crush Collision March," fifky to seventy-five people, the group owes written to commemorate the staged crash of money to the club owner.) As a university two locomotives in 1896. town, Austin has a certain hipness. One can live cheaply and have a great lifestyle. The Someone asked why Austin is called "The cost of living is rising in Austin, so Live Music Capital of the World." In response, surrounding towns like Barton Springs are David Hunter said he uncovered the fact that it becoming more attractive. is based on Texas census information, and Austin has the highest proportion of musicians and live-music venues in the U. S. Bibliography Roundtable Attendees were treated to a performance by Reconstructing the Ricardo Viiies Piano Paul Glasse, a mandolin player. His styles Collection at the University of Colorado at include pop, bluegrass, swing, jazz, etc., and Boulder Laurie Sampsel (U Colorado, like most Austin musicians, he is not originally Boulder) fiom Texas. In the summer of 1977, he wanted to play electric mandolin in a swing band, and Upon finding a great deal of circulating he couldn't find one in Poughkeepsie, New piano music inscribed with a "Viiles" stamp in York! He is bemused by the fact he is the library, Sampsel became intrigued and continually asked if he plays the fiddle. At one began to research this collection. Ricardo gig alone, he was asked several times, "Are you Viiies (1 875-1943) was born in Spain, studied sure you don't play the fiddle?No, but he at the Paris Conservatoire, and made his debut performed the fiddle-tune "Liberty" for us, as at the Salle Pleyel in 1900, after which he well as Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around toured Russia. He was a champion of Much Anymore." The Austin scene is contemporary piano music, and a fiend of Ravel, Debussy, Satie, Falla and Granados. Presentation copies, with dedication, are often The search became increasingly tantahiing: in mint condition as the premiere would have manuscript autographs bore dedications to been performed from manuscript. Viiies's Viiies, as did published scores.

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