| Why
Weed Music?
 Music
speaks to all students, though not all types of music create
the same amount of interest or effect. A strong music collection
will attract students to music they already enjoy and introduce
them to music yet to be appreciated. A music collection
with outdated popular music will not appeal to students.
Even worse, a collection with old and physically unattractive
titles can reinforce negative mental images of classical
or older music.
Suggested
Dewey Numbers to Check:
Most
of the music books will be found in the 780s. Biographical
titles will be found in both the individual and collective
biography sections. Remember to check your reference for
accuracy and AV collections too.
Specific
Criteria for Weeding:
The
first thing to look at in your music collection is currency.
A title that leads a student to believe that it is about
current popular music and yet is several years old will
only invite contempt. Weed misleading titles and do not
purchase titles that will date themselves before their time!
Particularly challenging is trying to keep up with the new
music forms the students are interested in -- such as pop,
alternative, country, hip hop, new age, and rap. Is the
music collection representative of the diversity of your
students?
 Next
look at the publication dates. Even if the subject area
is almost "timeless," the approach to the subject may be
dated, inaccuate, or just plain offensive. Career materials,
ethnic collections, and gender emphasis are prime examples.
Many students dream of a life in music. Advice on forming
bands and developing careers must be current to today's
music scene. The wonderful ethnic heritage of music must
be preserved in a sensitive manner. Look at illustrations
in these titles. Weed any title that by content makes the
statement that gender and ethnic background determine success
as a musician.
Finally
look at the physical condition and the circulation history
of the title. Very popular titles showing heavy physical
wear should be replaced in order to maintain their appeal
to students. Titles not circulating may be unattractive
in format, illustrations, or reading level.
[Note:
Thanks to Vic Burke, district media contact for Marion County
Schools in Florida, for his assistance with this month's
topic.]
Consider
Weeding Titles Like These:
- An
abridged treatise on modern instrumentation and orchestration
: supplement to Logier's system of harmony, 1902.
- Adventures
of Richard Wagner, 1960. LCCN 606016
- The
agony of modern music, 1955. LCCN 54012361
- American
composers today : a biographical and critical guide, 1949.
LCCN 49008927
- American
folk songs for children in home, school and nursery school,
1948. LCCN 48009384
- American
pop, 1969.
- America’s
music : from the pilgrims to the present, 1955. LCCN 54009707
- America’s
musical heritage, 1942. LCCN 43004460
- Black
music in America, c1971. LCCN 71135553
- Blues
people, Negro music in white America, 1963. LCCN 6317688
- Careers
and opportunities in music, 1964.
- Composers
of today : a comprehensive biographical and critical guide
to modern composers of all nations, 1934. LCCN 34028472
- Contemporary
composers, 1918. LCCN 18018962
- Cowboy
jamboree : western songs and lore, 1951. LCCN 51010825
- David
Ewen introduces modern music, 1962. LCCN 6215168
- Encyclopedia
of folk, country, and western music, c1983. LCCN 82005702
- Enjoying
opera, 1966. LCCN 6620903
- Exploring
careers in music, 1982. LCCN 82009024
- Exploring
music : a coordinated course of study for high schools and
junior colleges, integrating fundamental music techniques,
[c1941]. LCCN 41010516
- Famous
Negro music makers, 1955. LCCN 55009419
- Famous
modern conductors, [1967]. LCCN 66012812
- Fifty
years with music, [1959]. LCCN 59008930
- The
first book of the opera, 1966. LCCN 65010097
- From
madrigal to modern music, a guide to musical styles, [1942].
LCCN 42006888
- The
game of harmony, 1947. LCCN 47030268
- Golden
guitars : the story of country music, 1972. LCCN 77161022
- Great
modern composers, 1941. LCCN 41020560
- The
heritage of music, 1965. LCCN 6318368
- Horns,
strings and harmony, 1960. LCCN 60010663
- How
music grew : from prehistoric times to the present day,
[c1939]. LCCN 40003133
- How
to form a rock group, 1968. LCCN 68015289
- The
illustrated book of Christmas carols, 1963.
- Inside
pop : America’s top ten groups, 1968.
- Introduction
to musical knowledge, 1935. LCCN 35031010
- The
language of the music business : a handbook of its customs,
practices and procedures, 1965. LCCN 65028722
- Let’s
go to a concert, 1960. LCCN 605643
- The
magic of music : an anthology for music weeks and days,
1950. LCCN 35006563
- Maintenance
and repair of band instruments, for band directors and instrumentalists,
1970. LCCN 76118036
- Make
your own musical instruments, 1957. LCCN 5711535
- Making
musical things : improvised instruments, 1979. LCCN 794474
- Men
of popular music, 1944. LCCN 44009506
- Modern
composers for boys and girls, [c1941]. LCCN 42000841
- Modern
music and musicians...c1914.
- Music
dictionary, 1956. LCCN 549837
- Music
education for teenagers, 1966. LCCN 66010115
- Music
for elementary school children, 1963. LCCN 63-9762
- Music
for the modern dance, [1961]. LCCN 60053257
- Music
for today’s boys and girls; sequential learning through
the grades, 1966. LCCN 66010270
- Music
in our time; trends in music since the romantic era, 1946.
LCCN 46005435
- Music
in the junior high school, [c1930]. LCCN 30009342
- Music
: invent your own, 1974. LCCN 74013315
- Music
makers of today, [c1958]. LCCN 59005750
- The
music of Africa : an introduction, c1970. LCCN 73125329
- The
Negro and his songs; a study of typical Negro songs in the
South, [1968, c1925]. LCCN 68055902
- The
new book of modern composers, 1961. LCCN 61015040
- Our
American music : three hundred years of it, 1954. LCCN 54011944
- Picture
book of musical instruments, 1942. LCCN 42013404
- Places
of musical fame, 1967. LCCN 6220803
- Square
dances of today, and how to teach and call them, [c1950].
LCCN 50010717
- Stevie
Wonder, 1975. LCCN 7414746
- The
story of folk music, 1976. LCCN 7618159
- The
story of musical organizations, 1963. LCCN 6220805
- The
new encyclopedia of music and musicians, 1937.
- The
real book about easy music-making, 1952. LCCN 52012429
- The
story behind popular songs, 1958. LCCN 58006987
- This
modern music : a guide for the bewildered listener, 1969,
c1957. LCCN 68058796
- A
treasury of Stephen Foster, 1946. LCCN 46007218
- Twentieth
century music : an introduction, c1967. LCCN 6722097
- Understanding
musical instruments : how to select your instrument, 1971.
LCCN 72150366
- What
jazz is all about, 1969. LCCN 6216677
- Your
career in music, 1944. LCCN 44008024
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