How Female Singer-Songwriters Taught Us to Love in the 70s
Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon offered a way to imagine more modern ideals of romance and sexual relationships.
Pigeon Whistles: From Utilitarian to Orchestral
Composition with pigeons. One flock's dynamic movement created a spatial music that was constantly crescendoing and dissipating in a long haunting chord.
What Ever Happened to the Parlor?
For musicologist Edith Borroff, the parlor was egalitarian, open, and joyful—all qualities she equates with the best musical spirit.
Player Pianos and the Commodification of Music
Half of all American homes had a piano or player piano a century ago, but very few do now. Whatever happened to the parlor piano?
The Long, Winding History of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
Julia Ward Howe wrote her most famous poem, the legendary Civil War song, “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” in a single burst of inspiration 156 years ago.
The History of Purple, From Pliny to Prince
In August Pantone honored late singer/songwriter Prince with a new shade of purple called Purple Rain. Why is the color purple considered to be so special?
A Very JSTOR Daily Mixtape: Volume 2
A JSTOR playlist featuring musicians who were also writers or scholars with content on JSTOR: including Leonard Cohen, Neko Case, Vijay Iyer, and Brian Eno.
A Very JSTOR Daily Mixtape
Academics and musicians have a lot in common. The JSTOR Daily playlist combines songs and scholarship.
How Have Music Charts Stayed Relevant?
Music charts conferred status on performers and became an arbiter of popularity and a signifier of success.
Bob Dylan, Nobel Laureate
Bob Dylan was been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."