Overview
The LGBTIA+ community has a rich history as both participants and pioneers of music genres spanning from western classical to electronica and beyond. Below is a list of resources and research tips designed to help you navigate the diverse world of queer music history and performance.
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.
Some headings that have been applied to queer music include:
- Gay composers -- United States
- Gay musicians
- Gender identity in music
- Homosexuality and music
- Homosexuality and popular music--United States
- Lesbian musicians
- Music by gay composers
- Music by lesbian composers
- Transgender musicians
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.
LGBTQ+ Music Resources
There are many online resources devoted to diversity in music. Here are just a few essential ones.
- Oxford Bibliographies - Queer MusicologyOxford University Press has complied a guide of authoritative scholarly articles related to the field queer musicology.
- Digital Transgender ArchiveThe Digital Transgender Archive is a compendium of documents related to queer history. Information about queer music/musicians can be searched using the topic tags "LGBTQ+ musicians", "music", "musicians", and "musical theater".
- LGBTQ+ SourceLGBTQ+ Source is a database that provides access to abstracts and full text of articles on topics relating to queer people, including queer music.
- Black Trans Fem ArtistsThe BTFA Collective's website features a directory of Black Trans woman artists, including numerous contemporary musicians.
Library Collections
Books
The Queer Composition of America's Sound by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 9780520937956Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Performing Gender, Place, and Emotion in Music by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 9781580468183Publication Date: 2013-11-15
