Kelvin Smith Library’s parent and family weekend program, Tales from Tin Pan Alley: The Cover Story of Digital Sheet Music, offered the community an engaging opportunity to explore the Kulas Music Collection. As part of an ongoing effort to maximize the usability of the library’s first floor, the Kulas Music Collection has shifted to reside near our Art Gallery. The move offers several advantages, particularly in response to user feedback, including study carrels in a quieter location, plus plenty of room to grow. The talk was held on the library’s first floor which drew attendees to explore the newly relocated collection.
The informative talk by Dr. Daniel Goldmark, Associate Dean and Head of Popular Music Studies, featured the history and stories of music publishers and songwriters of New York City in the late 19th early 20th centuries. Dr. Goldmark led the group in two sing-alongs accompanied by the ukulele. The spontaneous communal activity created a memorable connection to the Tin Pan Alley through music.
In addition to the presentation, the Art Gallery featured an exhibit of beautiful images of sheet music covers like “Grand Opera Bits: A Selection of the Most Popular Operas” (1906) by George Rosey and "After the Ball" (1892) by Charles K. Harris. All featured sheet music is available to view and download freely through Digital Case, the university’s online source for curated digital content from University Archives, CWRU Special Collections, and partner institutions. The exhibit showcased the visual history of the era and highlighted valuable resources openly available to anyone in the world through our library.
The event celebrated the history of Tin Pan Alley and demonstrated Kelvin Smith Library’s dedication to making cultural history accessible to all. Blending education, music, and community, attendees left the event with a deeper appreciation of American popular music and knowledge of the university’s resources.