Music Meets Drama

  Walking into the Library of Congress Music Reading Room on Monday, August 4th, this was the scene at the request counter.....research gloves hung out to dry. Brittle, old and deteriorating paper manuscripts, scores, pictures and articles often must be preserved and protected by wearing white gloves.  Human hands with their natural oils and hand cream could make these treasured items weaken or fall apart, thus the gloves. Over the weekend, these gloves had been washed and were now drying on the counter top.  Visiting researchers would be wearing the gloves in the next few hours. Ah, the life of a researcher! #BringingBackBranscombe

  Gather four people together; discuss dates for travel to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC - August 4, 5 and 6; plan for our individual research projects with our collective interest in the archives of publisher Arthur P. Schmidt of Boston; alert the Library of Congress we will be there on said dates – all this planning created a memorable three days in our nation’s library. (John Adams Building - Library of Congress)   Who were these four people?  Dr. Derek Strykowski who is authoring a book about Arthur P. Schmidt, his life and his impact on music publishing in America; Linda Johnson, great granddaughter of Arthur P. Schmidt with her interest in reviewing all the business records and letters from which she would learn more about her great grandfather; Dr. Regan Russell who wrote her dissertation on Gena Branscombe’s 150 art songs was reading women composers' letters written to Schmidt and then, well, me who you know has an interest in Gena Branscombe and who...