LibGuides: MUSC 133: Music Literature II: Start Here: Doing Background Research

Using Encyclopedias for Background Research

Finding an encyclopedia article related to your topic can provide helpful background information. As you read these articles, write down key terms, such as people, people-groups, music genres & styles, and locations. These will help you search for more targeted information on your topic.

Try Grove Music Online (link below)
- "Place Articles:" Oxford Music Online has "Place Articles," which provide overviews of music in a geographic place (e.g. Brazil).
- Oxford Music Online also has "Subject Reference" articles (e.g. Women in Music), biographies, and family biographical articles.
Try searching in an encyclopedia of world music. Some of the library's holdings are listed below.

Online Encyclopedia: Grove Music Online

Grove Music Online This link opens in a new window
Grove Music Online is a comprehensive reference source for music, providing over 8,000 articles on composers, performers, conductors, instruments and notation, forms and genres, and individual works.
Limited number of concurrent access. Try again later if access is denied.

Print Encyclopedias

Try searching in an encyclopedia of world music. The library's print reference collection, on the 1st floor by the Research Assistance Desk, has several relevant titles, pictured below.

Available in Print and Online:

Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World by John Shepherd; Paul Oliver (Editor); Peter Wicke (Editor); David Horn (Editor); Dave Laing (Editor)
ISBN: 9781847144737
Publication Date: 2003-03-06
Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Part 1 Media, Industry, Society by Dave Laing (Editor); Paul Oliver (Editor); Peter Wicke (Editor); John Shepherd (Editor); David Horn (Editor)
ISBN: 9780826463210
Publication Date: 2003-01-30
Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Part 1 Performance and Production by Dave Laing (Editor); Paul Oliver (Editor); Peter Wicke (Editor); John Shepherd (Editor); David Horn (Editor)
ISBN: 9780826463227
Publication Date: 2003-07-08