Oral History of American Music Anniversary
Posted by: Rebecca Vnuk
Earlier this week I was listening to All Things Considered on NPR and the words “reference librarian” caught my attention. It turns out that 2010 is the 40th anniversary of the Oral History of American Music. Founded by Vivian Perlis, a reference librarian at the Yale School of Music, the archive now consists of 2,000 audio and video interviews with some 900 individuals, primarily composers but also performers and others. Among the interview subjects are Aaron Copland, Virgil Thompson, Ned Rorem, Eubie Blake, and John Cage. Several special collections, including interviews with people who knew and worked with Charles Ives, Paul Hindemith, and Duke Ellington, are also part of the archive, as is an oral history of Steinway & Sons. Vivian Perlis is still in charge.
The Oral History of American Music Archive is open to the public although, with the exception 
of a few excerpts, not available online. The anniversary was marked by a concert presented by the Yale School of Music. The story on All Things Considered is here.
