Starting your search for sources, part 1: Creating a list of search terms/keywords
Once you identify an artist or style to research for this class's project, the next thing you’ll need to get started is a few keywords to help you search for background information on your topic(s) to help you find relevant sources. Try to describe the topic you'd like to explore in 1-2 sentences - what keywords come to mind?
Aim for making a list of about 6-8 keywords associated with your topic. These can include key artists, genres, names of songs or albums, or any other words that you think of. These keywords will give you something to start searching for in the resources we discussed in class.
And don’t be afraid to revise your list of keywords as you go along! The more you learn about your topic, the more refined your keywords will become – which will help you to find additional useful sources as you continue to search.
Tutorial: Creating an effective search strategy
- Use meaningful keywords to find the best sources
- Apply search strategies like AND and OR to connect keywords
Starting your search for sources, part 2: Where should you start looking?
The Libraries catalog and databases are the best place to get started to find books, scholarly journal articles, scores, recordings with metadata (like who's performing and when the performance took place) and liner notes you can trust, and more! These materials are all free to you as a University of Minnesota student and by using them, you'll find more relevant and trustworthy content than you'd find by using google.
Tutorial: What is a library database and why should I use one?
- Identify what a library database is
- Recognize the two main types of library databases
- Know why you should use them
- Understand why searching a library database is different than searching the general internet
Tutorial: Database search tips
Improve your searches! This guide will help you:
- Apply search modifiers AND, OR, and NOT to your database searches
- Recognize phrase searching and other advanced search techniques
Working on a style analysis paper?
- Check individual composer biographies for information about specific pieces; biographies of a single composer are located in the ML410 section of the Music Library. Strategies for finding this content, which may be peppered throughout biographies, include:
- Consulting the table of contents and index for piece titles, and the names of relevant people and places in the composer's life
- Looking closely at the sections of the biography that deal with a specific time frame of interest or when your piece was composed
- Don't forget to read up on the times in the composer's life preceding the composition of your piece - what were their influences? How did they come to write that specific work?
- The "analysis and appreciation" resources in the MT90 through the MT146 sections include write-ups of specific pieces:
- MT 90: General analytical works
- MT92-MT109: Analytical guides to operas by specific composers
- MT110: Analytical guides to oratorios, cantatas, etc.
- MT125-MT139: Analytical guides to orchestral music
- MT140-MT145: Analytical guides to chamber music
- MT146: Analytical guides to popular music
- Our subscription to the A-R Music Anthology is more than just digital scores - this database includes a growing collection of critical commentaries and articles on genres, styles, and individual composers.