Alan Lomax in the Upper Midwest podcasts

23 Oct 13 - 03:40 PM (#3569332)
Subject: Alan Lomax in the Upper Midwest podcasts
From: Desert Dancer

Alan Lomax and the Soundscapes of the Upper Midwest
75th anniversary of the Library of Congress Folk-Song Expedition to Michigan

In 1938 the Library of Congress dispatched the pioneering folklorist and song collector Alan Lomax to complete a folklife survey of the Great Lakes region. He set off in a 1935 Plymouth sedan, toting a Presto instantaneous disc recorder and a moving image camera. He returned almost three months later, having driven thousands of miles on barely paved roads, with a cache of 250 discs and 8 reels of film. These materials documented the incredible range of ethnic diversity and occupational folklife in Michigan.

This podcast series marks the 75th anniversary of Alan Lomax's historic documentation of music and folklore in Michigan-- and its lasting impact on our lives today. If you want to learn more about this remarkable trip, as well as public programming and performances, a traveling exhibition, and the dissemination of recordings to their home communities, go to the American Folklife Center website at www.loc.gov/folklife/lomax/. Look for the e-book, "Michigan-I-O," published by Dust to Digital Records in association with the Library of Congress, available through the iBookstore beginning November 1st, 2013.

Alan Lomax's vast documentary collection including the materials from the 1938 expedition to Michigan is housed at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. The Center thanks its project collaborators, which include the Michigan Council for the Humanities, the Michigan State University Museum, the Great Lakes Traditions Endowment, the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture at the University of Wisconsin, the Association for Cultural Equity, and the Finlandia Foundation.

There are 4 podcasts up right now, and more to come.

On Facebook, the American Folklife Center says, "It's the 75th anniversary of Alan Lomax's 1938 field trip to the Upper Midwest. To celebrate, AFC is producing a number of events and publications, including a series of podcasts on Lomax's trip. Please visit the link to listen to the first four podcasts. Subscribe to make sure you won't miss future episodes!"

~ Becky in Long Beach

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24 Oct 13 - 01:15 PM (#3569660)
Subject: RE: Alan Lomax in the Upper Midwest podcasts
From: Desert Dancer

These are nice... a little talking, a little music. Check 'em out.

~ Becky in Long Beach

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25 Oct 13 - 11:38 AM (#3570007)
Subject: RE: Alan Lomax in the Upper Midwest podcasts
From: GUEST,leeneia

Thank you, Becky. I'm listening to Mrs. Matay right now.

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02 Nov 13 - 06:39 PM (#3572289)
Subject: RE: Alan Lomax in the Upper Midwest podcasts
From: Desert Dancer

The iBook from Dust to Digital is now available from iTunes.

Here's the info at Dust to Digital:

MICHIGAN-I-O
A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS YIELDS OUR FIRST DIGITAL BOOK.

Today marks the official release of Michigan-I-O: Alan Lomax and the 1938 Library of Congress Folk-Song Expedition by Todd Harvey. In 1938 the Library of Congress dispatched Alan Lomax—already a seasoned field worker at age 23—to complete a folklife survey of the Great Lakes region. He set off in a 1935 Plymouth Deluxe 4-door sedan, toting a Presto instantaneous disc recorder, a still camera, and a moving image camera. He returned almost three months later, having driven thousands of miles on barely paved roads, with a cache of 250 discs and 8 reels of film. These materials documented the diversity of ethnicity—Irish, Finnish, Serbian, Polish, German, Croatian, Canadian French, Hungarian, and more—in Michigan, as well as cultural expression among loggers and lake sailors.

A joint production between Dust-to-Digital and the Library of Congress, this innovative e-publication celebrates the 1938 field trip with a compelling narrative written by the Library's Lomax curator, Todd Harvey, and illustrated with original items from the trip, including audio and video clips, field notes, and telegrams. Together, these materials provide fascinating insights into both the region that Lomax called "the most fertile source" of American folklore, and the man who would become the most famous 20th century folklorist in America.

The iBook, regularly priced at $9.99, will be offered at a special 50% off introductory price for the month of November. For upcoming events marking the 75th anniversary of these field recordings, visit the Museum of Michigan State University site, and for the first of four podcasts visit Alan Lomax and the Soundscapes of the Upper Midwest.

~ Becky in Long Beach

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03 Nov 13 - 12:29 PM (#3572468)
Subject: RE: Alan Lomax in the Upper Midwest podcasts
From: Desert Dancer

bump for the iBook

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03 Nov 13 - 12:32 PM (#3572470)
Subject: RE: Alan Lomax in the Upper Midwest podcasts
From: Desert Dancer

I got the book and I'm looking forward to exploring it. It looks to be everything an e-book on a topic like this should be: lots of embedded notes and references, audio, etc.

Only $5 through the end of November.

~ Becky in Long Beach

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