Arachnophonia: Unlock the Hidden Gems of The Music Library — More Than Just Books!

Posted on February 12, 2025 by marmstr3

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features an assortment of items you can borrow from the Music Library that aren’t books or CDs. Thanks, Nikoloz!

Unlock the Hidden Gems of The Music Library — More Than Just Books!

We all know that libraries are a treasure trove of books and CDs, but did you know the Music Library offers so much more?
Whether you’re studying, exploring new hobbies, or just looking for some entertainment, the Music Library has resources you might not even know about. Here’s a quick guide to some of the amazing items you can check out and use:

DVDs
Movie night, anyone? You can borrow concert films, musicals, operas, educational documentaries and more from the Music Library. Just remember, these have a shorter loan period (one week), so plan your binge-watching accordingly!

The Music Library loans out equipment too! Here are some of the coolest items you can borrow:

DVD Players: Don’t have a player at home? No problem—the library has you covered with a portable DVD player you can check out for a week.

We also offer External CD/DVD drives (USB) for in-library use. These can be plugged into the USB port on your laptop once they’re checked out. The loan period for this item is 4 hours.

Record Players and more: Love vinyl records? You can find a turntable in one of the study rooms (W201A), and enjoy the warm, nostalgic sound of your favorite albums.

The Music Library also has a portable record player that can be checked out from the library for one week!

Did you know the Music Library has a vinyl record collection that can also be checked out? You can browse our vinyl holdings here.

You can also check out a boom box to play CDs, listen to the radio, or use as a Bluetooth speaker.

Laptops: Laptop computers are available for in library use for a 6 hour loan period. Perfect for cramming in some study time or finishing a last-minute assignment.

Why Not Explore?

Next time you’re in the library, take a moment to explore these lesser-known resources. Whether you’re checking out the turntable to spin some vinyl, grabbing a DVD for movie night, or borrowing a laptop to finish a project, The Music Library has something for everyone.

Don’t forget to ask the friendly staff at the main desk if you need help finding anything -— they’re there to make your library experience amazing!

Parsons Playlists: Monopoly Game

Posted on April 25, 2024 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features songs to accompany a game of Monopoly.

Monopoly Game

Playlist for our Monopoly Game

Men At Work – “Down Under”

Kanye West – “Devil in a New Dress”

Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”

Kanye West – “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1”

Fun (ft. Janelle Monáe) – “We Are Young”

Kid Cudi – “Mr. Rager”

Kanye West – “I Wonder”

Migos – “Stir Fry”

Gorillaz – “Clint Eastwood”

Kanye West (ft. Syleena Johnson) – “All Falls Down”

21 Savage (ft. J. Cole) – “a lot”

A$AP Rocky (ft. Skepta) – “Praise The Lord (Da Shine)”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Californication”

Bill Withers – “Ain’t No Sunshine”

Kanye West – “Flashing Lights”

Coldplay – “Paradise”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZeyZv_LVQdr2Lv64e56GD-Mk&si=dWAlUKYSjUWtBtOJ

Arachnophonia: Young Bach

Posted on March 20, 2024 by marmstr3

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features a book on the life, times, and influence of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Thanks, Nikoloz!

Young Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, Times, Influence edited by Barbara Schwendowius and Wolfganng Domling

Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most influential and well-known composers in the world. But some don’t know about the roots of his musical career. Young Bach, orphaned at 10 years old, moved in to live with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach. The older brother was an organist at the Church and thus cared for many musical scores, tucked away in one of his cabinets. Not only was manuscript paper expensive back then, but also the writings were to be kept secret from the general public.

It follows, that young Bach was forbidden from reading and copying this music. However, young Bach was captivated by music, and could not resist. Disobeying his brother, he would wake up late at night, unlock the locked cabinet, and take a couple of manuscripts out. Then he would sit at a high place in the house, where the moonlight would shine upon some surface he used for writing. He would copy the scores for hours at night, and stash them somewhere. Eventually, his brother caught him, but upon seeing the limit that young Bach was willing to go to, he finally agreed to teach his younger brother more. That decision gave the world J. S. Bach as we know him today.

Parsons Playlists: Street Chronicles

Posted on January 26, 2024 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features some hip hop selections.

Street Chronicles

N.W.A. – “Straight Outta Compton”

Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg – “Still D.R.E.”

Jay-Z – “99 Problems”

Schoolboy Q – “Man of the Year”

Migos – “Stir Fry”

Drake – “Started From the Bottom”

Kendrick Lamar – “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”

A$AP Rocky – “Goldie”

Big Sean ft. E-40 – “I Don’t Fk With You”

Post Malone ft. Quavo – “Congratulations”

Migos ft. Drake – “Walk It Talk It”

J. Cole – “No Role Modelz”

Kanye West – “Power”

Wiz Khalifa & 2 Chainz – “We Own It”

50 Cent & The Game – “Hate It or Love It”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZeyhERppY4Jo5kabS8KqpBAU&si=jYDfyVZSYdLA9Hzj

Arachnophonia: Table Songs of Georgia

Posted on September 20, 2023 by marmstr3

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student assistant Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features collection of traditional Georgian choral music. Thanks, Nikoloz!

Table Songs of Georgia – The Tsinandali Choir

Table Songs of Georgia - Tsinandali Choir

Although the country of Georgia is small, its history and culture are rich with no bounds. Over the millennia of struggle, Georgia has amassed history and myth. It’s hard to take in all of it, but one can experience a small piece of Georgian culture by listening to the traditional choir songs passed down through generations. The songs often talk about freedom, victory, faith, tradition, family, brotherhood, and more.

The Music Library has 3 CDs with mesmerizing collections of Georgian songs, for example, Table Songs of Georgia. This is a collection of songs that are, of course, commonly sung at tables during feasts.

The other 2 CDs are Supra / Iberi and Georgia the resounding polyphony of the Caucausus [sic].”

Students can come by the Music Library and listen to these CDs in one of our study rooms!

Parsons Playlists: Early on the Other Side of the World

Posted on March 17, 2023 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features some Russian songs from the 2000s-2010s.

Early on the Other Side of the World

This playlist includes Russian songs from the early 2000s, and some from 2010s. I myself am not Russian, but these songs were commonly heard on TV growing up in Georgia, very early in my childhood.

moscow-kremlin-sunny-winter-morning-moscow-winter-moscow-kremlin-sunny-winter-morning-moscow-winter-112262112

t.A.T.u. – “Nas Ne Dagoniat (They Won’t Catch Up)”

Yuriy Shatunov – “Белые розы (White Roses)”

Seryoga – “Черный Бумер (Black BMW)”

Aidamir Mugu – “Chorniye Glaza (Black Eyes)”

Grigory Leps & Ani Lorak – “Zerkala (Mirrors)”

Timati feat. Grigory Leps – “Лондон (London)”

Grigory Leps & Irina Allegrova – “Я тебе не верюp (I Don’t Believe You)”

Grigory Leps – “Я ТЕБЯ НЕ ЛЮБЛЮ (I Don’t Love You)”

Grigory Leps – “Самый лучший день (The Best Day)”

Animals – “До скорой встречи (See You Soon)”

Brigade – “Моя игра (My game)”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zexp0mUcjLZCaEptvdNZXapC

Arachnophonia: Erik Satie

Posted on November 9, 2022 by marmstr3

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student assistant Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features a book about French composer Erik Satie. Thanks, Nikoloz!

Erik Satie

Erik Satie in 1920

Erik Satie (1866-1925) was a French composer whose spare, unconventional, often witty style influenced 20th-century music greatly, particularly in France. Satie’s music represents the first definite break with 19th-century French Romanticism. Closely allied to the Dadaist and Surrealist movements in art, it refuses to become involved with grandiose sentiment or transcendent significance, disregards traditional forms and tonal structures, and characteristically takes the form of parody, with flippant titles, such as Trois morceaux en forme de poire (1903; Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear) and Embryons Desséchés (1913; Desiccated Embryos), and directions to the player such as “with much illness” or “light as an egg.” Satie was often dismissed as a charlatan by musicians who misunderstood his irreverence and wit.

One of Satie’s most known works are the Trois Gymnopédies (1888). Gymnopédie No.1 (You can listen to it here), for example, is a work of music not too complicated. Regardless, I have always found it to influence me like no other piece. Sometimes, it sets the mood to be quite melancholic while also, in my opinion, sprinkling a vast amount of joy by the end. Other times it could lay a feeling of calmness on the listener, like a break from a hard day at work or a breeze on a hot summer afternoon.

You can check out this book (among others) in the Parsons Music Library if you’d like to learn more about Erik Satie and his work.

Parsons Playlists: Phonk

Posted on October 31, 2022 by marmstr3

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Nikoloz (class of 2026) and features phonk, a subgenre of hip hop and trap music which is popular in Russia.

Phonk

Phonk songs, especially Drift phonk, usually use distorted/sampled sounds that most of us are familiar with. Regardless, these phonk songs sound quite different from those melodies you might know and love, to the point where you wouldn’t guess in a thousand years that music pieces that you listen to on a regular basis are used for their creation.

This phonk comes from Russia, however more recent works that become popular are in English (That is, of course, if they have any lyrics at all.)

Phonk - Angry Skeleton purple background