What it is!
Music Genre/Form and
Medium of Performance Terms
in the Future of Music
“Subject” Access
Beth Iseminger, Mark McKnight, Hermine Vermeij
Overview of Today’s Program
History of the music genre projects
 LC genre projects update
 Genre/form update
 Medium update
 Examples of current and future practice
 How to use the music vocabulary now
 Implementation
 What to expect
 Conclusion

HISTORY OF THE
MUSIC GENRE
PROJECTS
Genre/Form Projects

Completed projects
◦ Moving image materials and radio programs
◦ Cartographic materials
◦ Law materials

Genre/form terms for these disciplines
are in LCGFT now. Can be used in
bibliographic records coded as:
655 #7 [Term]. $2 lcgft
Genre/Form Projects (cont.)

Authority records for LCGFT terms
◦ LCCN prefix: gf
◦ 008/11 (Subject heading system/thesaurus): z
(“Other)
◦ 040 $f: lcgft
Genre/Form Projects (cont.)

Projects in process
◦ Religion project
 Joint project (PSD and the American Theological
Library Association)
 Thesaurus nearing completion
◦ Literature project
 Joint project (PSD and the ALA Subcommittee on
Genre/Form Implementation)
 Just begun
◦ Music project
Genre/Form Projects (cont.)

General genre/form terms
◦ Many genre/form terms do not belong to a
particular discipline.
◦ Project in the works to create genre/form
terms for many current form subdivisions
(185s). (E.g., Biographies, Bibliographies,
Correspondence.)
Aspects Related to Genre/Form

Many aspects of what we may consider
genre/form are out of scope for LCGFT.
◦ LCGFT terms cannot be subdivided
geographically.
◦ Ethnicity, language, religion, chronology, and
audience characteristics are also out of scope.
Aspects Related to Genre/Form (cont.)
◦ Many current subject headings acting as
genre/form headings include these aspects
 Examples






Jazz $z Lithuania
African Americans $v Music
Songs, German
Buddhist music
Rock music $y 1961-1970
Music $v Juvenile
Aspects Related to Genre/Form (cont.)

The ALA Subcommittee on Genre/Form
Implementation is working on finding
places in the MARC record for these
aspects.
◦ MARBI discussion papers forthcoming.
Current Status of the
Music Genre/Form Project
Creating hierarchies for terms destined
for LCGFT
 Why hierarchies?

◦ LCGFT is meant to be a true thesaurus
◦ Each term should be linked hierarchically to at
least one other term
◦ This structure will enable new ways of
utilizing broader and narrower terms
◦ Illuminates aspects of vocabulary that need to
be addressed
Hierarchy Snapshot: Popular music
Medium of Performance—Status
•
MARBI proposal at ALA Midwinter
– MARC Proposal no. 2012-01 (New Data
Elements in the MARC21 Bibliographic and
Authority Formats for Medium of
Performance
– Presented two options for where to encode
medium of performance information currently
in subject headings
• Expanding field 382 (already established for medium
of performance, but created as an RDA element)
• Creating a new field for medium of performance
Medium of Performance—Status (cont.)
◦ MARBI approved option 1 (draft):
382
1st indicator: Display constant controller
# – No information
0 – Medium of performance
1 – Partial medium of performance
2nd indicator: Access control (bibliographic format
only)
# – No information
0 – No access provided
1 – Access provided
Medium of Performance—Status (cont.)
$a – Medium of performance (R)
$b – Soloist (R)
$d – Doubling instrument (R)
$n – Number of performers of the same instrument/voice in preceding subfield $a,
$b, or $d (R)
$p – Alternative medium of performance
$s – Total number of performers (NR)
$v – Note
$0 – Record control number (R)
$2 – Source of term (NR)
$6 – Linkage (NR)
$8 – Field link and sequence number (R)
– Example:
382 01 $a trumpet $n 2 $a trombone $n 2 $s 4 $2 [code for medium of performance
list]
A work for two trumpets and two trombones
Medium of Performance—Status (cont.)
•
List of medium terms
– Current working list has over 900 terms.
– Agreed upon:
• Singular nouns in most cases (e.g. flute; orchestra; but
bongos)
• Increased granularity (e.g. soprano recorder; alto
saxophone)
– Still working on:
• Terms for vocal music
• How to treat non-traditional mediums such as speakers,
dancers, and operators of sound equipment
EXAMPLES OF
CURRENT AND
FUTURE PRACTICE
Simple example #1
A duet for trumpet and trombone in no
particular genre or form

Current practice:
◦ 650 #0 $a Trombone and trumpet music.

Upcoming practice:
◦ 382 01 $a trumpet $n 1 $a trombone $n 1 $s 2
Simple example #2
A concerto for flute and orchestra

Current practice:
◦ 650 #0 Concertos (Flute)

Upcoming practice:
◦ 382 01 $b flute $n 1 $a orchestra
655 #7 $a Concertos. $2 lcgft
Simple(ish) example #3
A waltz for flute, violin (or oboe, or
clarinet), and piano

Current practice:
◦ 650 #0 Trios (Piano, flute, violin)
650 #0 Trios (Piano, flute, oboe)
650 #0 Trios (Piano, clarinet, flute)
650 #0 Waltzes.
Simple(ish) example #3 (cont.)

Upcoming practice:
◦ 382 01 $a flute $n 1 $a violin $n 1 $a piano $n 1 $s 3
382 01 $a flute $n 1 $a oboe $n 1 $a piano $n 1 $s 3
382 01 $a flute $n 1 $a clarinet $n 1 $a piano $n 1 $s 3
655 #7 $a Waltzes. $2 lcgft
Complex example #1
A mass for 2 sopranos, one mezzo-soprano,
tenor saxophone (doubling bass clarinet), C
trumpet, piano, violin (doubling viola), and
double bass

Current practice:
◦ 650 #0 Vocal trios with instrumental ensemble.
650 #0 Masses.
Complex example #1 (cont.)

Upcoming practice:
◦ 382 01 $a soprano voice $n 2 $a mezzosoprano $n 1 $a tenor saxophone $n 1 $d
bass clarinet $n 1 $a trumpet $n 1 $a piano
$n 1 $a violin $n 1 $d viola $n 1 $a double
bass $n 1 $s 8
655 #7 $a Masses. $2 lcgft
Complex example #2 (Linking)
A sound recording with three works in
different genres and for different mediums.
◦ Using $8 to link the analytical entries to the
genre/form and medium fields that correspond
 NOTE: $8 has not currently been implemented outside
of holdings records (that we know of).
◦ Not an ideal solution, but until information coded
in work records can be pulled into displays for
compilations, we’ll need a workaround.
382 01 $8 1\c $a cello $n 1 $a piano $n 1 $s 2
382 01 $8 2\c $a cello $n 1 $s 1
382 01 $8 3\c $a piano $n 1 $a violin $n 1 $a cello $n 1 $s 3
505 0# $a Pampeana : rhapsody no. 2, op. 21 [for cello and
piano] / Alberto Ginastera – Omaramor : [for solo cello] /
Osvaldo Golijov -- Puneña no. 2, op. 45 : [for cello and piano]
/ Alberto Ginastera -- Milonga del ángel : [for violin, cello,
and piano] / Astor Piazzolla.
655 #7 $8 1\c $a Rhapsodies. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $8 3\c $a Milongas. $2 lcgft
700 12 $8 1\c $a Ginastera, Alberto, $d 1916-1983. $t
Pampeana, $n no. 2.
700 12 $8 2\c $a Golijov, Osvaldo, $d 1960- $t Omaramor.
700 12 $8 3\c $a Piazzolla, Astor. $t Milonga del ángel.
How to use music vocabulary now
The same as always!
 Until music genre/form terms are in
LCGFT and the medium of performance
thesaurus is available, continue to
construct music subject headings in 650s.

Implementation
What is involved in implementing music
genre/form and medium of performance
vocabulary?
◦ Creation of genre and medium authority
records
◦ Updating authority files and maintenance
◦ Conversion of existing headings
◦ Indexing
◦ Search interfaces
Creating Genre and Medium
Authority Records
Are new fields needed in MARC authority
format for medium?
 Who will create the records?
 Method
 Non-music facets

Conversion of Existing Headings
Map the topically-coded LCSH authorized
headings to new genre and medium
authorized headings
 Flip the topically-coded headings in
bibliographic records to new genre and
medium fields
 This process will take some time, but it
will eventually be completed

Sample Record for Conversion
Reference record
1XX Sonatas (Marimba and piano)
2XX $i Medium use $a marimba $n 1 $a piano $n 1 $s 2
2XX $i Genre use $a Sonatas
Implementing Genre and Medium Terms
in Library Systems

Indexing
The genre/form (655) and medium of performance (382)
fields should be included in any index where genre and
medium terms will be used to retrieve results.

Search interfaces
Determine if your institution includes a genre search in the
public catalog.

What to do now
Communicate to other technical service and systems
librarians at your institution how important genre and
medium access is for music.
What to Expect
Improved access to music materials
◦ Direct access by medium of
performance
◦ Clearer and more specific
vocabulary
Examples: What a faceted search might
look like
◦ Examples from the Media Finders
created at Ball State University
What a Faceted Search Might Look
Like - Medium
What a Faceted Search Might Look
Like - Genre
What a Faceted Search Might Look Like –
World Music
What a Faceted Search Might Look Like – Current Catalog
What Happens Next?
Create authority records for new terms
 Recommend system changes to
accommodate terms (indexing, etc.)
 Plan conversion of existing headings
 Create best practices and training
materials
 Announce terms are available for use
 Timeline 2012-2013?

Conclusion


Continue to use music subject headings as usual
Watch for updates and announcements
◦ LC site for music genre/form and medium
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/genremusic.html
◦ BCC Genre/Form/Medium project public wiki
http://musicgenrepublicforum.pbworks.com/w/page/2
1942009/FrontPage


Thank you!
Contact us:
◦ Beth Iseminger beth.iseminger@gmail.com
◦ Mark McKnight Mark.McKnight@unt.edu
◦ Hermine Vermeij hermine@library.ucla.edu
QUESTIONS?