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Women in Music: A Pathfinder for Sources

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General Sources at Duke

Reference Works

General Reference:

Sadie, Stanley and Alison Latham, ed. The Norton Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music. New York and London: W.W. Norton and Company, 1988.
A concise version of the 20 volume New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. A comprehensive and portable source which will answer just about any question a person new to music could ask. Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 780.321 N884, 1988

Abstracts and Indexes:

The Music Index Detroit: Information Coordination, 1949-present.
A source published monthly and arranged alphabetically which features citations of articles (including reviews) from roughly 400 periodicals, but does not include abstracts. It is also available on CD-ROM with articles indexed from 1981-1991. Searching for terms like "women musicians" will give a more useful list than "women and music" which yields well over a thousand (though they are worth the effort if one has the time!) Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 016.78 M9876 or CD-ROM on a terminal the Music Library.
R'epertoire International de Litterateur (RILM). New York: RILM. 1967-present.
Includes abstracts on musical literature contained in articles from roughly 100 periodicals, books, essays, dissertations, and editions of music. Also includes reviews of materials in the field of music. It is international in scope and is divided into section such as music history, theory, or performance. Index Table -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Chronologically

Women and Music Reference Sources:

Block, Adrienne Fried. Women in American music : A Bibliography of Music and Literature. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1979.
A bibliography with sections on reference materials, collected works, and historical studies whose materials range from colonial times to 1978. The works listed cover general literature, women composers, performers, educators, patrons, and members of music clubs as well as an "art music discography". Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 780.92 B651, W872, 1979
Cohen, Aaron I.. International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. New York: Books & Music (USA), c1987.
Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 780.92 C678, I61, 1987
Ericson, Margaret D. Women and Music 1987/1988: a Bibliography on the Collective Subject of Women in Music (updated for 1988/1989 and 1989/1990 editions). M. Ericson, 1991.
Three small folders filled with information on the subject of women and music in the form of a bibliography citing monographs, periodicals, newspaper articles, audios, videos, catalogs and more. Compiled originally for the 1988 Music Roundtable of the Music Library Association to enable music librarians and others interested to survey recent activities of women in music. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 016.78082 E78, W872 , 1991
Grattan, Virginia L. American Women Songwriters : a Biographical Dictionary. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1993.
A collection of short biographical sketches of American women in music including pop/rock, motion pictures, musicals, blues, jazz, folk, country, early women songwriters, hymns, and gospel. Includes a song index as well as a comprehensive general index. Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 782.42092 G773, A512, 1993
Hixon, Donald L. Women in Music : a Bio-Bibliography. Matuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1975.
A general bibliographical and biographical resource about women composers and songwriters, women musicians, and other women involved in music. Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 780.071 H676W, 1975
Jackson, Barbara Garvey. Say Can You Deny Me : A Guide to Surviving Music by Women From the 16th Through the 18th Centuries. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press, 1994.
A comprehensive guide to works known to survive in European and American libraries in the renaissance, baroque, and classical periods. It offers biographic detail as well as a guide to the music itself (scores and sound recordings). Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 016.78082 J12, S274, 1994
Reich, Nancy B. and Adrienne Fried Block, ed. Women's Studies, Women's Status. Boulder, CO: College Music Society, 1988.
An annotated bibliography of recent writings on women in music by Reich with a statistical report by Block compiled as a continuation of the work of the Committee on the Status of Women in Music (1984-1986). With a preliminary check-list of films and videos featuring women in music. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.6 C697R, no. 5, 1988
Sadie, Julie Anne & Rhian Samuel, eds. The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers. New York ; London : W.W. Norton, 1994.
Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: 780.92082 N884, 1995

Frequently Cited Texts

Bowers, Jane and Judith Tick,ed. Women making music: The Western Art Tradition, 1150-1950. Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c1986.
Includes bibliographical references and index. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.88042 W872, 1986
Citron, Marcia J. Gender and the Musical Canon. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Describes women and their relationship to canon formation within the context of music. Divided into sections on canonic issues; creativity; professionalism; music as a gendered discourse; reception; and the canon in practice. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.82 C581, G325, 1993
Cook, Susan C. and Judy S. Tsou. Cecilia Reclaimed: Feminist Perspectives on Gender and Music. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1994.
A collection of essays on the themes of feminism in musicology and feminist music criticism with a focus on gender, the body, sexuality, and the politics of representation. Mostly concerning formal music. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.82 C388, 1994
McClary, Susan. Feminine Endings : Music, Gender, and Sexuality. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1991.
A book which treats constructions of gender, sexual politics, and musical representation of mad women. Runs the gamut from formal music to Laurie Anderson and Madonna. A controversial book that is almost always off the shelf. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.82 M126, F329, 1991
Neuls-Bates, Carol, ed. Women in Music: An Anthology of Source Readings from the Middle Ages to the Present. New York: Harper and Row, 1982.
A group of readings divided into traditional music categories: Middle Ages; Renaissance; Baroque; Classical Period; along with divisions appropriate to the selections: 1820-1920 and 1921-1982. Mostly concerning formal music, but useful as an introduction to the field of women in music. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.88042 W872, 1982
Pendle, Karin, ed. Women & Music : a History. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1991.
Essays on women in music starting with Greece and Rome and ending at "Modern Music Around the World" and "Special Roles of Women in Music". A comprehensive guide to the field in accessible prose particularly important for its section on the beginnings of music and women's role therein. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.82 W872, 1991
Zaimont, Judith Lang, ed. The Musical Woman : An International Perspective. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1983; 1984-1985; 1986-1990.
A three volume set that starts with a gazette of events, e.g., conferences, performances, festivals, publications, and recent deaths among other happenings. Part II contains essays on women in the music business/profession, critical appraisals, surveys, music education, and special topics. A brilliant source. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.88042 M987, 1983; 1984-85; 1986-90

Musical Anthologies

Briscoe, James R., ed. Historical Anthology of Music by Women. Bloomington : Indiana University Press, c1987.
Contains vocal and instrumental music from the Middle Ages to the present, with introductory essays on each composer. Principally reprints. English, French, German, Italian, and Latin words; includes English translations printed as texts for non-English-language works. Music -- CALL NUMBER: M780.8 H673 1986
Schleifer, Martha Furman and Sylvia Glickman, ed. Women Composers : Music Through the Ages. New York : G.K. Hall, 1995-
Annotated, modern performance scores from the ninth through the twentieth centuries. Also contains explanatory essays, bibliographical references, and index for composers born before 1599. Music Reference -- CALL NUMBER: M780 W872 1995

Periodicals

Heresies. New York: Heresies Collective, Inc. 1980. Special Issue on Women and Music: Issue 10.
An idea oriented journal (extant in the 70's and early 80's) devoted to a feminist perspective on arts and politics. This issue published on women and music contains interviews, profiles, and articles pertinent to the subject with photographs and drawings throughout. Music -- CALL NUMBER: 780.82 W872, 1980
International League of Women Composers Journal and Newsletter. Arlington, VA: The League, 1979-present.
Founded in 1979, the League publishes the journal three times a year while the newsletter comes out seasonally. They contain reviews, reports, festival information, announcements and press releases, messages, opportunities, and queries. There is a special issue of the journal called "Women in Music" published in December, 1991. Music Periodicals -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Alphabetically
Music Educators Journal. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference, 1938-present. Special Issue on Women in Music: March, 1992.
Articles and illustrations on how to include women in the music curriculum. With profiles of prominent women in the field past and present, well-known and forgotten. Music Periodicals -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Alphabetically
The NATS Journal: The Official Magazine of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Oberlin, OH: The Association, 1985-present.
"New Directions" is a regular column written by Sharon Mabry which has appeared in this publication since the mid 80's and regularly addresses issues relevant to the field of women and music, for example "Finding music by women composers" in the January/February 1992 edition. Music Periodicals -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Alphabetically
Paid My Dues. Milwaukee, WI: Woman's Soul Publications, May-Oct., 1975 and Autumn, 1977-Winter, 1978.
Established in 1974, this was a quarterly journal of women's music written by feminists involved in the women's movement of the 1970's. Special Collections Library -- CALL NUMBER: E Pam q#546 and the ALFA Periodicals Collection
The World of Music. Journal of the International Institute for Traditional Music. Wilhelmshaven, Germany: Edition Heinrichshofen, 1957-present. Special Issue on Women and Music: Feb. 1991.
An English language periodical concerned with international or ethnic music. Feminist musicologists Marcia Herndon and Susanne Ziegler edited an issue devoted to women. Includes papers and reviews of books on the subject of women in music. Music Periodicals -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Alphabetically

Journal Articles

Bowers, J.M. (1989) "Feminist Scholarship and the Field of Musicology: I". College Music Symposium 29:81-92.
Bowers undertook in the first part of this two part article to survey the leading scholarly journals in the field of music in order to determine the role of feminist thought. She found that over a three and a half year period only twelve articles appeared. She also commends the work of Nancy B. Reich and Adrienne Fried Block in their Women's Studies, Women's Status. Music Periodicals -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Alphabetically
Bowers, J.M. (1990) "Feminist Scholarship and the Field of Musicology:II". College Music Symposium 30:1-13.
The second part of this article is a proposal of ideas to consider, questions to ask, and investigations and analyses to undertake in order to further extend knowledge about the relationship between gender and music making. Music Periodicals -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Alphabetically
Rieger, Eva.(1985) "Dolce Semplice? The Changing Role of Women in Music". Feminist Aesthetics, edited by Gisela Ecker. pp.135-87.
An analysis of why women have played a smaller part in the creative processes and a call to provide conditions conducive to women's independent artistic development. Rieger says that it is not enough to show how good many women's works have been, but to draw attention to "works that were never written". Lilly -- CALL NUMBER: 700.1 F329, 1985
Van den Toorn, Pieter C. (1991). "Politics, Feminism, and Contemporary Music Theory". Journal of Musicology 9:275-99.
A discussion of women's relationship to music arguing that it is not a special one. Women can claim no special virtue by reason of their oppressed status, so they should not have special consideration in terms of their role in music making/performing/consuming. An interesting counter-point! Music Periodicals -- CALL NUMBER: Arranged Alphabetically

Browsing Area

Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of the topic, it is difficult to find range of books on women in music that are shelved together. There is really only one library on campus where the researcher can find a browsable pocket of relevant material.

Here are the call numbers. Music Library: ML 780.82 through ML 780.88

The materials found in the libraries at Duke are listed in both the traditional card catalogs and in the on-line catalog . It is important to use both catalogs as neither one is comprehensive. When using the online catalog, a keyword search is the simplest approach. If the researcher is interested in a particular composer or performer, that person's name can be used in an author search in the on-line catalog or the card catalog. Doing a subject search on-line or searching the card catalog will require the correct Library of Congress subject headings. Here are some suggestions.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Broad Topics:

  • music
  • music--to 500 (i.e. ancient music)
  • music--500-1400 or music--15th century (i.e. medieval music)
  • music--16th century (i.e. medieval or renaissance music)
  • music--17th century (i.e. renaissance or baroque music)
  • music--18th century (i.e. baroque or classical period music)
  • music--19th century (i.e. classical period or romantic period music)
  • music--20th century (i.e. expressionism or neoclassicism)
  • popular music (i.e. gospel music or rock music)

Narrower Topics:

  • women composers
  • women musicians
  • women music teachers
  • women jazz musicians
  • women rock musicians
  • feminism and music
  • sexuality in music
  • women artists