|
PART I Background of the Subject Literature A. Classification. The Library of Congress classification outline (available from the Library of Congress Cataloging Policy and Support Office Web site at http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html) breaks music into three broad divisions:
Literature about music (subclass ML) includes sections for organizations, societies and institutions, along with dictionaries, and bibliographies of all kinds. ML 159-3775 History and criticism contains critical writings based on time period, nationality, instrument and performance type. ML also includes philosophy/physics of music. For jazz, ML 198-239 By region or country – America will also be a place to conduct research. How-to information makes up the third division of MT. Elements of composition, improvisation, orchestration and analysis of these forms is in MT1 through MT 170. Instrumental techniques are within MT 170-810. MT820-915 is devoted to vocal technique. For jazz, MT 68 Improvisation/Accompaniment should yield helpful materials. LC subject headings related to jazz include headings for solo instrumental music followed by the parenthetical qualifier "(Jazz)," e.g. Piano music (Jazz); also headings that include the term "jazz ensemble" as a medium of performance, e.g. Concertos (Flute with jazz ensemble); Songs performed in jazz style by a vocalist or vocal group, with or without accompaniment, are entered under jazz vocals. Related search terms for jazz include Boogie woogie (Music), Bop (Music), Dixieland (Music), Swing (Music) and date breakdowns from 1921 through the present, e.g. Jazz—921-1930. Further divisions include regional headings, identifying periods within countries (such as Jazz—Brazil—2001-2010) or activities within states (Jazz—California—Los Angeles Region—History and criticism). Other subject headings of direct interest will be Jazz – Analysis/appreciation, Jazz – Anecdotes and Jazz—Bibliography and Music—Social Aspects. In contrast to LC's tightly packed arrangement of musical materials within one basic area, Dewey classification divides information into ten major categories, spanning a range from 000 to 999. Each major category divides into nine sub-categories within a range of 10 to 90. Each sub-category is further divided into nine specialized topics from 1 to 9. By adding decimals, the specialized topics are broken down even further. The Dewey section which covers music begins at 780 and continues through 788: 780 Music 781 General principles & musical forms 782 Vocal music 783 Music for single voices The voice 784 Instruments & Instrumental ensembles 785 Chamber music 786 Keyboard & other instruments 787 Stringed instruments (Chordophones) 788 Wind instruments (Aerophones) Many important resources, including major biographies and historical writings related to jazz, move outside of the 780 Music category. It is common to find biographies of musicians in the 920s and humanities related materials, especially those rooted in history, in 305 Social groups or 306 Culture & institutions, for example. Relevant call numbers and subject headings include 016.7854 (Jazz—Bibliography ) 781.99 (Jazz—Social aspects United States) 785.42 (Jazz—History and criticism.) 927.854.1 (Jazz musicians—Biography ) By its nature, jazz is a fluid, diverse art form. Collection development librarians would profit by adapting to the flexible and inclusive nature of the music when pursuing background materials within an academic library collection. Improvising and collaborating are native to the progression of this musical genre, and research related to jazz has inherited some of this open and exploratory approach. Works outside of the standard classification schemes are common and valuable. Researchers of jazz should look further than the rigid categories of music to include aspects of history, cultural anthropology, social and political movements and other humanistic interests, including visual arts inspired by jazz and literary works centered on this art form. The M subclasses within LC and the 780's within Dewey are helpful starting places, but the study of jazz should lead the student far beyond the standard repertoire. |