Music

Recordings are available via Soundcloud and the Google Arts & Culture platform

How to Hear the Met’s Historic Instruments' Singular Sounds

New audio recordings by the museum feature roughly 40 instruments, from Ming dynasty lute to the world’s oldest surviving piano

Don't judge a bat by its cover ... of Barry White.

Like Birds, Some Bats Warble to Woo Their Mates

They join an elite club of mammals—including mice, whales and humans—whose melodies convey complex information

"Lost" John Coltrane Album to Be Released

<i>Both Directions At Once</i> was recorded in 1963 by the classic quartet and reveals Coltrane's journey from melodic standards to avant-garde jazz

Elsie Janis (1889-1956), an American singer, songwriter, actress, and screenwriter

The Sweetheart of the American Expeditionary Force

During World War I, vaudeville star Elsie Janis travelled to France to bring good cheer to U.S. troops

“I knew I had to tell a story of the past,” says Don Flemons, the Grammy-winning co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Songster Dom Flemons Brings Back the Melodies of the Black Cowboy

The Latest from Folkways, a Label Marking 70 Years, revives music traditions from the African-American ranch crews of the West

Meet Freddy, the Runaway Bison Who Inspired a Choral Arrangement

The piece references Manitoban history, a small town’s celebrity animal and includes distorted bison noises

Robert Johnson (Kamal Naiqui) records some of his tunes that would later change rock music as we know it.

Somebody’s Got a Case of the Blues: Timeless Season 2, Episode 6, Recapped

The time team's humming a new tune after a run-in with one of the most influential men in American music history

Clarence Clemons and Bruce Springsteen, Cleveland, Ohio by David Gahr, 1977

Ten Rarely Seen Springsteen Photographs That Capture the Exhilarating Power of The Boss

A new book reveals the work of David Gahr, who documented the music legend as he rose to worldwide fame

Kendrick Lamar makes history with Pulitzer win

Why Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Win Is History-Making

Smithsonian curator Dwandalyn Reece calls the award an important “recognition of the cultural, musical influence of hip-hop and rap"

Djassi Johnson (left) and Kevin Boseman (right) perform the dance choreographed by Johnson.

Exclusive: Watch a Dynamic Reinterpretation of Joan Baez's "Civil War"

Part of a visual album accompanying the folk icon's new release, this choreographed performance takes a lyrical look at the American conflict

Ten Summer Camps For Little Innovators

Forget swimming and archery. These camps will have your kids building robots, pitching business ideas, even fighting zombies!

The emotional interface tracks physiological signals associated with emotional states and translates them into music.

Can Biomusic Offer Kids With Autism a New Way to Communicate?

Biomedical engineers are using the sound of biological rhythms to describe emotional states

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Why Art and Music Lovers Are Flocking to South Carolina's Lowcountry

Why South Carolina's Lowcountry Has Become a Mecca for Art and Music Lovers

Yerevan's Mirzoyan Library Combines Cutting Edge Photography with Hypnotic Beats

From left to right: Jennifer Woodul, Meg Christian (in glasses), Ginny Berson (whose hand is on Meg's leg), Kate Winter (above) and Judy Dlugacz (far right).

How Should We Archive the Soundtrack to 1970s Feminism?

It's time to talk about the lasting legacy of Olivia Records, a leading voice of the women's music movement, whose history is ready to come out of storage

DropReg, President of the East Bay Chevs group, in his ride during a video shoot in downtown Oakland.

New Exhibition in Oakland Traces the History of Hip-Hop

“RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom” celebrates the 45th anniversary of hip-hop culture

The Temptations

Library of Congress Adds ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘My Girl’ to National Recording Registry

Each year since 2002, 25 recordings that impacted American culture are chosen for inclusion in the growing database. Read about the class of 2017

Brown’s portable instrument, 40 inches high by 50 inches wide, had a signature flourish: silver trim.

The Electric Organ That Gave James Brown His Unstoppable Energy

What was it about the Hammond organ that made the 'Godfather of Soul' say please, please, please?

Mick Moloney leads the Green Fields of America at the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

How One Impromptu Jam Session Spawned a Sweeping Irish-American Music Revival

For 40 years, Green Fields of America has told traditional Irish stories through song

Musicians from the Yanada Shinko perform at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 6, 2013.

Why Music Is Not a Universal Language

Physics and culture shape music, but as a recent video essay breaks it down, the results are more varied that most people think

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