A man, a microphone, and a dreamWhen he opened his tiny recording studio in New York in 1940, Moses Asch had a larger-than-life dream: To document and record all the sounds of his time. He created Folkways Records to achieve his goal, not just a record label but a statement that all sounds are equal and every voice deserves to be heard. The Folkways catalog grew to include a myriad of voices, from world- and roots-music to political speeches; the voices of contemporary poets and steam engines; folk singers Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie and jazz pianists Mary Lou Williams and James P. Johnson; Haitian vodoun singers and Javanese court musicians; deep-sea sounds and sounds from the outer ring of Earth's atmosphere. Until his death in 1986, Asch—with the help of collaborators ranging from the eccentric visionary Harry Smith to academic musicologists—created more than 2000 albums, a sound-scape of the contemporary world still unequalled in breadth and scope. Worlds of Sound documents this improbable journey. Along the way you'll meet:A young Pete Seeger, revolutionizing the world with his five-string banjo The amazing vocal ensembles of the Ituri PygmiesNorth American tree frogsElla Jenkins's children's musicLead Belly singing "The Midnight Special"The nueva canción of Suni Paz. Folkways became a part of the Smithsonian Institution's collections shortly after Asch's death. Today Smithsonian Folkways continues to make the "worlds of sound" Moe Asch first dreamed of 60 years ago available to all. The Folkways vision is expansive and all-inclusive, and Worlds of Sound advances its rich and lively spirit.

Product Description: Alphabetically arranged entries provide information on American folk music artists, styles, instruments, and songwriters.

Alphabetically arranged entries provide information about key artists, songs, events, issues, and institutions associated with American popular country music.

Product Description: Covering everything from Western to Rockabilly, Bluegrass to Country Rock, this profusely illustrated celebration of country music is an authoritative and lively history of America’s most popular form of music, its creators, interpreters, and institutions...read more

Alphabetically arranged entries provide information on American folk music artists, styles, instruments, and songwriters.

Covers key personalities, landmark performances, recordings, songs, experimental compositions, musical instruments, social and historical issues, and record companies for seven major musical branches.

A study of the origins and history of rock music discusses the major performers and musicians, their innovations in instrumentation and musical style, and the impact of rock music on modern culture (view table of contents)

Product Description: Capturing a time when music was an integral part of life, this richly illustrated book documents, in revealing photographs and evocative descriptions, the wide variety of musical styles of the American South. Photos and text drawn from the archives of the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and rarely seen private collections focus on life from the 1850s to World War II...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: This beautifully illustrated book of Mother Goose rhymes and songs is sure to delight children of all ages. Includes: Brahms' Lullaby, All The World Is Sleeping, The Man In The Moon, Rockabye Baby, and O Hush Thee My Baby.

The ultimate guide to country music and its greatest artists includes more than six hundred entries profiling all types of contributors, providing biographies of musicians, characterizing styles, and tracking recording careers in all forms of country music. Original.

Product Description: The complete instruction guide with traditional tunes. Section on harmony, drones, counterpoint, buying and repair hints, a list of important records and much more. Includes a 33-1/3 rpm flexible instruction record.

A handbook to classical music covers the baroque, classical, and romantic eras, discusses the life stories of key composers, analyzes their significant works, and recommends recordings. Original.

Explores the roots and history of jazz, discussing how it first appeared and developed, its musical elements, and significant performers

Discusses classical music, basic theory, instruments, and several famous European composers

Defines folk music and traces its history and development in Great Britain and the United States

Introduces music, its terms, characteristics, role in society, and instruments, and discusses the earliest music created by primitive people, Pacific Islanders, Africans, and American Indians

Product Description: Comprehensive yet concise study course shows beginners how to hold an autoharp, use chord bars, even play well-known melodies. Includes historical notes, bibliography, and a discography.