Pew Learning Center & Ellison Library

FRS 106 - Appalachian Music & Dance

Instructor: Phil Jamison, ext. 3722
Librarian: David Bradshaw , ext. 3059

For a good "quick-start" guide to library research, you can also refer to our section on Painless Library Research, which will guide you through the process of locating books, periodicals, web sources, and more (like citing sources).

Books:

Reference Books are a great way to start any research. Warren Wilson College has a good collection of reference books on music. These are mostly in the 780's area behind the Reference Desk on the main floor of the library. Here is a list of selected Reference Books.

There is also an extensive Appalachian Music Bibliography of books and videos located in our library. You can locate the call numbers for these items by searching our catalog.

Reference books, as well as all of our other books (and videos, DVDs, and CDs) can also be found through our Online Catalog.

There is also a listing of our Appalachian Music CDs.

To find books in other libraries:
Other Library Catalogs – ABLS, UNCA, UNC-CH, etc.
WorldCat – searches the collections of libraries all over the world and indexes books, audiovisuals, & archival and manuscript materials. Also, use WorldCat to request books that we do not own in our library.
E-Books – full-text electronic books from NetLibrary and others.

Online Reference Sources:

grovemusic.com – this is the online version of the Grove music reference works (some of which are listed in the section of Reference Books above)--contains many of the Grove titles in one, quick and easy point of access.
Britannica Online – we also have this in the paper edition on the reference shelves (Call #R030/B862). Check either the online or paper edition before commencing your research.
American National Biography – a great biographical resource (only includes deceased figures). Includes linked cross-references, bibliographies, and links to selected web sites.
Biography Resource Center – this will help you find brief and scholarly information about well known musicians.

Periodicals (Magazines, Journals & Newspapers):

We have over 15,000 periodical subscriptions online. We also have the Old-Time Herald in paper format from 1987 - present. The OTH also has an index to their articles available online.

Proquest Research Library
Academic Search Premier
MasterFILE Premier
JSTOR

America: History & Life – this source is abstracts only.
Arts & Humanities Search – this source is an index only.
Humanities Index – this source is an index only.
Sociological Abstracts – abstracts only. May be useful with a topic for a sociological angle.

Newspapers:

The New York Times – the leading national newspaper, with full coverage back to 1999.
The New York Times Historical – the leading national newspaper, with full coverage from 1851-1999. Other Newspaper Sources

Internet Sources:

American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress – interesting online folk culture collections.
AMG All-Music Guide –this is a fine interactive encyclopedia of music.
Appalachian Region Borders
Child Ballads
Digital Library of Appalachia – contains sound files of appalachian music taken from WWC's Mountain Music Archive.
Directory of Southern Culture
Fasola Home Page
Fiddler Magazine
Fiddler's Companion
Old-Time Herald
Old-Time Music Home Page
Roots of American Fiddle Music
Traditional Ballad Index
WWC Appalachian Music Pages
WWC library's links to music sites

Of course, there's always Google. And, If you wish to learn more about search engines and directories, please click here.

Local Music:

The MountainXpress is a free weekly alternative newspaper which lists all sorts of area musical events.  The MountainXpress is delivered every Wednesday to the library vestibule and Gladfelter.  The Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville is a fine venue for a variety of types of "serious" music, dance, theater performances, etc.  Other local venues include the Grey Eagle and the Orange Peel. Jack of the Wood is a pub that hosts a weekly old-time music jams on Wednesday nights and bluegrass jams on Thursdays.

WWC Library Home Page