Maureen Russell's blog

The Sound and Moving Image Collections at the British Library (formerly the British Library Sound Archive) hold over 3.5 million audio recordings, including one of the world's largest collections of recordings variously described as traditional, folk or 'world' music.&

Inspired by the 12th Annual Korean Music Symposium, I thought I would share some early images of the Music of Korea Ensemble.

Mickey Katz (June 15, 1909 - April 30, 1985) was a clarinetist, comedian, bandleader, songwriter, and producer.  He recorded Yiddish parodies of popular American (U.S.) songs from the 1940s to the late 1960s for RCA Victor and Capitol Records.  He was the father of inventor Ron Katz, Tony and Oscar®-winning actor Joel Grey, and grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey. 

David Morton (1920-2004), a protégé of Dr. Mantle Hood, received his BA, MA, and Ph.D.

"A World of Music" is a documentary short about the UCLA Institute of Ethnomusicology.  A production of UCLA Public Information, it was released in 1972.  As the accompanying documentation explains, "Observes the activities of students and faculty at the UCLA Institute of Ethnomusicology, where a basis for international understanding is sought through cross-cultural studies in music and dance.

"They are destroying our culture," said one of Mali's most famous singers, Salif Keita.  "If there's no music, no Timbuktu, it means that there is no more culture in Mali."

Cheick-Tidiane Seck

Flora Twyman Baker was a doctoral student at the Institute of Ethnomusicology in the late 1960s and early 1970s, specializing in vocal techniques around the world.  By 1976, she had received her Candidate in Philosophy (C. Phil.) degree in Ethnomusicology.

This column is inspired by a workshop we recently attended on Protecting Cultural Collections: Disaster Prevention, Preparedness, Response & Recovery sponsored by the California Preservation Program.

As I mentioned in a previous column, the Ethnomusicology Archive holds the Department of Ethnomusicology collection.  This collection includes recordings and photographs documenting guest artists, lectures, and performance ensembles associated with Ethnomusicology at UCLA.  It might surprise some of you

This week's guest columnist is Ethnomusicology's David Martinelli. --Maureen