Overview
Asian and Pacific music is a broad term that encompasses the many musical forms and styles which were created within the Asian continent and the surrounding Pacific Islands. Below is a broad overview of sources and search tips designed to direct students towards resources about Asian and Pacific music.
Approaches to Searching
To locate books about a specific person or topic, use the Subject Search in the OPAL Library Catalog. Each book has been tagged with specific subject headings that describe its content.
Subject headings for groups of people not associated with a nationality are relatively new, and practices are still being worked out. Some headings that have been applied to Asian/Pacific music, though, include:
- Music -- Central Asia-- History and Culture
- Music-- East Asia-- History and culture
- Music -- Social aspects -- Asia
- Music -- South Asia --- History and culture
- Music-- Southeast Asia -- History and Culture
- Music -- Polynesia
- Samoan Islands-- Songs and music
General Resources
- Music Online: Garland Encyclopedia of World MusicA comprehensive online resource devoted to music research of all the world's peoples.
- Oxford Music OnlineAlthough OMO (incorporating the Grove Dictionary of Music) initially focused almost exclusively on Western art music, its focus expanded in more recent editions, and it now provides valuable content across a range of cultures.
- Bloomsbury Popular MusicFeatures a substantial encyclopedia of popular music, the 33 1/3 book series dedicated to coverage of rock and pop albums, and scholarly books.
- Music Online: Classical Music ReferenceSearch the full-text of music reference titles including Baker's Dictionary of Music, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, and Baker's Student Encyclopedia of Music.
- IPA SourceA service that provides translations and phonetic (IPA) transcriptions of thousands of songs and arias.
- Institute for Composer DiversityThe ICD maintains databases of diverse composers and their works. You can search by composer identity, instrument, ensemble, and musical grade level.
Asian/Pacific Music Resources
There are many online resources devoted to diversity in music. Here are just a few essential ones.
- Asian/Pacific American Heritage and Music - SmithsonianThe Smithsonian Institute's website houses a collection of information and performances pertaining to the music of Asian and Pacific cultures.
- Music of India - Kennedy CenterThe Kennedy Center's website features a page with educational videos and articles exploring the diversity of musical styles across India.
- Ethnomusicology: East AsiaThe Yale University library has complied a list of resources related to the music of East Asian countries.
- Music of ChinaThe Kennedy Center's website hosts a wealth of materials including articles and videos about traditional Chinese music.
- Southeast Asian Music - Oxford UniversityOxford University has compiled an overview of information and list of resources pertaining to the music of Southeast Asian countries.
- Resounding the ScoresWorks by Chinese composers associated with the Hong Kong Music Office. Organized by composition name. Includes information about the piece. Sometimes includes program notes and descriptions. Includes some links to download scanned scores and programs.
- Asian American Arts AllianceOnline magazine with a search option or organized into essays, interviews, news, and reviews. Highlights AAPI art and culture mainly in the United States.
- Hawaiian Music - University of Hawai'i at ManoaIncludes digital music and lyric as well as digitized recordings since the 1920’s.
- Music of Asian American Research CenterLearning page includes curated playlists and a brief overview of Asian American music set before 1965 and post 1965. There are recorded presentations and performances with discussions.
Library Collections
Books
Routledge Handbook of Asian Music: Cultural Intersections by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 1000337200Publication Date: 2021-04-15
