Small school (normal school?) orchestra with winds and percussion, 1910s. This was typical instrumentation for this period.
From the collection of William R. Lee.
 

research on bands and orchestras
(click on the highlighted word)

It is fair to say that the history of bands is not always the history of music education. 

band research journal
                    The primary outlet for historians of bands and band music in the United States is the
                    Journal of Band Research.

band archives and sites 

(1) VanderCook College, H.E. Nutt Archives.  This is a description of the H.E. Nutt Archive, sponsored by VanderCook College. Its avowed purpose is to collect, preserve, and make available for research those materials documenting the history of VanderCook College of Music and the role of the college and its members have played in music education. This is an important source since so many important music educators have been connected in some way to this institution and its mission has been primarily the educating of school band directors. Their site has several excellent photographs of important US band directors and leaders of the past.

(2) American Band Directors Association.  The ABDA has an excellent summary of its history based primarily on Alan L. Davis's dissertation. A bibliography lists Davis's work and the work of others.

(3) The formal organization of the American School Band Directors Association, Inc., took place at the First Annual Convention held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on November 21-22, 1953. There is a short history of this organization by its first president, Dale C. Harris, on the ASBDA website.

(4) America's Shrine to Music Museum, Vermillon, South Dakota. Founded in 1973 and devoted to research and preservation, this institution is supported by the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. This museum has an important collection of early band instruments and manuscripts related to their manufacture. The collections of the museum are described on its website. It is strong in Civil War band materials. Most recently it issued a compact disc, Custer's Last Band: Original Music by Felix Vinatieri, Custer's Legendary Bandmaster. The disc is based on manuscripts from the collections of the museum.

(5) The Dallas Wind Symphony maintains an extensive site that includes many links to Sousa-related historical material.

(6) Bugle calls and the history of bugle calls. This outstanding source is maintained by the US Army Bands.

(7) American Memory: The Library of Congress. Band music from the Civil War Era. This site has a historical overview of US brass bands, Civil War bands, music and audio for several exemplary works, photographs, lists of materials available in the Library and Congress, and much more.
       
(Left Photo) Band of the 10th Veteran Reserve Corps. Washington, D.C. April, 1865. Detail at center: fully visible is a B-flat baritone. Partially visible: B-flat cornet (left), and E-flat tenor (right). Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-B8184-7865/ Call Number: LOT 4190G.

(Right Photo) Seminary Building, Lookout Mountain. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-B8184-B1310/Call Number: LOT 4165F. Larger versions of these photos are on the LC site.

Sousa studies--archives and sites

(1) Sousa Archives for Band Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Sousa Archives for Band Research holds more than three-fourths of the extant Sousa published and manuscript music. It also has photographs, newsclippings, Sousa Band concert programs, artifacts, journal articles, and other documentary materials related to John Philip Sousa. Also included are materials relating to Herbert L. Clark and others. The collection includes a performance library, photographs, correspondence, sheet music, lectures, journal articles, Sousa Band concert programs, scrapbooks, and sound recordings. The papers of former UI band directors are also included: Begian, Hindsley, and Everett Kisinger.

(2) John Phillip Sousa: American Composer, Conductor and Patriot. This is an outstanding site. It includes a biography of Sousa, mide files of Sousa's marches, lists of available recordings, a list of books on Sousa, photos of Sousa, and much more.
 

         (2) History of violin pedagogy at violin.com ( http://www.violinonline.com/violin_pedagogy.htm).

Vintage Band Festival and International Wind Music History Conference (HBS- IGEB)
Northfield, Minnesota, USA,  July  27-31, 2006

The International Wind Music History Conference will be a joint  conference of music attracting  musicologists, pedagogues, students,  early music specialists and performers from all over the world. Taking  place in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota from Thursday, July 27, through Monday July 31, 2006, this conference combines the research interests  of two organizations (Historic Brass Society and the International Society for the Investigation and Preservation of Wind Music), many of  whose goals are  mutual; all will be enhanced by the interaction this event will  provide. The addition of the Vintage Band Festival, and of informal playing sessions, will connect this event to a wider audience, serving as an introductory forum for students and other musicians into the sphere  of historically informed period-instrument performance.

The general timetable for the conference will include the presentation of research papers, lectures, demonstrations, informal playing sessions, public performances of historical wind music groups from all over the  world--such as American Civil War saxhorn bands, 18th Century European  harmoniemusik ensembles, and ethnic bands. There will also be a marketplace for sheet music, instrument, books, and recordings.

Detailed information about both festival and conference are on the website:

http://www.stolaf.edu/events/vintageband>http://www.stolaf.edu/events/vintageband

Contact me if you have questions. I hope both potential conference participants and music(history) lovers will put this on their Summer 2006 calendars.

Paul Niemisto
Festival/ Conference Co-ordinator


Paul Niemisto
Paul Niemisto, PhD
Music Department
St. Olaf College