Music: Media and Recordings

SUMMON, the main search box on the Libraries home page, searches:

• CDs, LPs, DVDs, and VHS in Bird Library
• Streaming audio in Naxos, Naxos Jazz, and Alexander Street
• Streaming video in Alexander Street
• Select recordings from the Belfer Audio Archive

SUMMON Search Tips:

1. Choose your keywords:
   • For known musical or dance works:
     • Enter composer last name and main words from the work title. Add a performer name as well if desired.
     • For vocal music, try entering the song/aria title in quotes. Or, do a second search for the name of the larger work (opera, musical, oratorio, etc) without the song title.
   • For documentaries or to browse a specific style of music: Enter names of countries, instruments, styles, or other subject terms.
2. Limit search results to content type (note: you may have to click "more" to see all the options)
   • For sound recordings, choose "music recording" and "streaming audio"
   • For video recordings, choose "video recording" and "streaming video"
3. Use call numbers and icons to identify the type of recording and location for access.

Type	Icon	Call # example	Location
CDs		Compact Disc 12345	Request at Bird Library 3rd floor service desk (immediate retrieval, check out for 7 days)
LPs		M 1507 .B72	Shelved on Bird Library 4th floor
Streaming music		Available Online	Access on your computer
DVDs, VHS		Video DVD 12345 Videocassette 123	Request at Bird Library 3rd floor service desk (immediate retrieval, check out for 24 hours)
Streaming video		Available online	Access on your computer
Cylinders, 78s, etc.		(NSyU)00560597	Request listening session from Belfer Audio Archive (wait time around 10 business days)

The Bell Brothers Collection of Latin American & Caribbean Recordings

Syracuse University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) has recently made available the first batch of recordings from their Latin American 45's collection, digitally transferred and preserved by the Belfer Audio Archive. Recordings are able to be streamed from any public workstation in Bird Library. 

For more information on the collection, see the collection finding aid on the Libraries' website.

Video and sound recordings of musical works have both a recording date and a publication date. These dates can sometimes be decades apart, as recordings can be re-mastered and/or re-released multiple times in different formats (78rpm record, LP record, CD, streaming).  The recording date is important to keep in mind when examining performance practice and other performance choices.