Vernacular Music Research is an archival and historical collection of music. It includes print (books, sheet music, orchestrations), 78' records, and other media featuring American music and dance from the early 19th century to the 1960s.[1] It was founded by jazz historian Thornton Hagert.
The Archive itself consists of about 125,000 items of printed music, 75,000 items of recorded music, 5,500 books and 2,000 periodicals on New World Vernacular music, dance, and related topics.[2]
Research and historical writing has been compiled for has been prepared for The Smithsonian's "An Experiment in Modern Music: Paul Whiteman at Aeolian Hall. Smithsonian Collection recording DMM 2-0518", and the Maryland Historical Society, [3]
The archive has provided sheet music, recorded music, and referenced source material for books and publications including:
"Habaneras, Maxixies & Tangos: The Syncopated Piano Music of Latin America" author Bill Matthiesen made special note of the use of Thornton Hagert's research, sheet music and orchestration.[4]
Ragged but Right by Lynn Abbott features sheet music from the Archive. Printed by University of Mississippi [5]
Come & Trip It "Instrumental Dance Music, 1780's-1920's" Released on New World Records [6] The Release is even currently for sale on Amazon, with reviews included- Come & Trip It [7]
It also received a special thanks from the author of "Black Manhattan", conductor Rick Benjamin.[8] Maintained by Recorded Anthology of American Music, Inc.
"Ragtime : its history, composers, and music" by John Edward Hasse and published on Schirmer Books, 1985 also references the archive.
Record Research features research and writing in partnership with Jean C Averty on numerous articles throughout the 70s and 80s.