Library Guides: Music Library Guide: Supplemental Learning & Teaching Resources

Open Textbooks for Topics in Music

Open textbooks are textbooks that are free to use and distribute. They are often licensed to be freely adapted or changed with appropriate attributions.

The selections below all include reviews and comments by music educators and are all available in the Open Textbook Library. If you would like to do a deep dive into all the available Open Educational Resources (OER) available, explore the many sources and collections identified on the Open Educational Resources (OER) guide.

Music Textbooks Collection
A collection of open textbooks on musical topics.
Music Appreciation: History, Culture, and Context
Written by Bonnie Le, Francis Scully, and Steven Edwards.
An introduction to the very basics of Western European music with a additional chapters dedicated to the music of Louisiana, the America, and the World.
Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom
Written by Robert Hutchinson
Music Theory for the 21st–Century Classroom is an openly–licensed online college music theory textbook that is meant to take the student from the basics of reading and writing pitches and rhythms through twelve–tone technique and minimalism over the course of four semesters.
Music in World Cultures
Written by Matthew Mihalka and Justin R. Hunter
This text provides just a small sampling of some of the various musical styles and traditions that might be found, though the skills developed in this course can be applied to any type of music.

Supplemental Learning and Teaching Resources

The resources offered here are a blend of open educational resources (OERs, aka free), websites, podcasts, and materials available to Tulane students, faculty, and staff through the Library's subscriptions.

The orange open combination lock identifies materials that are open access and freely available.

The green Tulane shield identifies materials the library has paid for and are only available to visitors on campus or actively enrolled or employed students, faculty, and staff.

If you've used a resource that you think should be on this page, please share it with us by emailing your music librarian, lisa Hooper.

Expanding the Canon by Melissa Hoag (Editor)
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 1003204058
Publication Date: 2022
Directly addressing the underrepresentation of Black composers in core music curricula, Expanding the Canon: Black Composers in the Music Theory Classroom aims to both demonstrate why diversification is badly needed, and help faculty expand their teaching with practical, classroom-oriented lesson plans that focus on teaching music theory with music by Black composers.

Bloomsbury Music & Sound This link opens in a new window
Bloomsbury Music and Sound is a digital hub for exclusive reference content, cutting edge scholarship and learning resources in music and sound studies. Researchers can browse content, discover collections, and explore a broad range of research and study tools. Tulane University subscribes to the Bloomsbury Popular Music and Bloomsbury Sound Studies collections

Classically Black (podcast)
Come join Dalanie and Katie as they talk all things classical music and being black in the profession. New episode every Monday!
Grove Music Online Subject Guides & Research Resources (articles)
The free resources on this page will let you explore Grove Music Online's history and articles. Resources include: Grove Opera Indexes, Research Resources, Spoof Articles, Timelines, and Topical Guides.

International Documentation of Electroacoustic Music This link opens in a new window
The International Documentation of Electroacoustic Music (EMDoku) is an extensive online database, which contains detailed information on 52.000 works of electroacoustic music, 11.700 authors as well as media (CD, DVD, tape, etc.), labels and studios.
IRCAM – Brahms This link opens in a new window
Brahms (IRCAM-Brahms) is an encyclopedic database of contemporary composers. Each dossier includes a biography, a full catalogue of the composer’s works (making it possible to search by a specific formation), bibliographic references, and information concerning recordings. Other documents can also be found on this database: program notes, interviews with the composers, links to audio or video files of the work. For major figures of contemporary music, the database offers "Parcours" that include critical texts to introduce the artist’s aesthetic as well as keys to understanding the composer’s oeuvre.

Keeping Score
Offers a wealth of textual, visual, and audio resources to self-teach the history of the canonical masterworks of classical music. This resource was created by Michael Tilson Thomas with the San Francisco Symphony.
Melanated Moments in Classical Music (a podcast)
Melanated Moments in Classical Music, a new podcast from Classical Music Indy, shines a spotlight on musical works composed by, for, and about Black people. Melanated Moments is hosted by international opera soprano Angela Brown and music sociologist Joshua Thompson
MusicTheory.net (interactive web)
An easy to use learning platform that provides training in the fundamentals of music theory.

Oxford History of Western Music This link opens in a new window
Covers the evolution of Western classical music by musicologist Richard Taruskin. Includes illustrations and musical examples and cross-references with Grove Music Online.

Selected Articles by and About Black Musical Artists (articles)
Exact Editions provides free access to a small collection of historical and contemporary articles by and about Black musical artists.
Trilloquy (a podcast)
TRILLOQUY is more than just a podcast - it's an initiative working toward a complete systems change in the arts! With your very generous support, the team is able to share stories, lead conversations, and create content that shines a light on how music, "classical" and otherwise, can help shape a more equal and equitable society for everyone.