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Brown University

library.brown.edu/cds/sheetmusic/afam/about.html Lyrics & Sheet Music Website

Brown University’s African American Sheet Music collection provides digitized sheet music with historical context.

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library.brown.edu/cds/sheetmusic/afam/about.html
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About Brown University

The site provides digitized sheet music by and relating to African Americans, selected from the Sheet Music Collection at Brown University's John Hay Library. It offers search and browse functions, historical context, and references, covering topics including minstrelsy, abolitionism, the Civil War, Reconstruction, migration, and early jazz and blues.

Digitized titles are drawn from about 1,700 fully cataloged items within an African-Americana group of about 6,000 items. The material is primarily vocal music of American imprint, dating from the 1820s to the present day.

Key features

  • Digitized sheet music by and about African Americans from the 1820s onward
  • Search and browse functions for digitized titles
  • Historical context on periods from minstrelsy to 1920s musical theatre
  • Sheet music cover images and performer photographs
  • References section supporting further research
  • Examples of works by Bland, Hogan, Cole, Europe, and Cook
Best for: Researchers and students studying African American music history and 19th- and early 20th-century American attitudes.
Good for
  • Provides historical context alongside digitized sheet music
  • Covers a long period from the 1820s to the present day
  • Includes both musical content and cover imagery documenting racial attitudes
Watch out for
  • Digitized titles are drawn only from about 1,700 fully cataloged items
  • Focuses primarily on vocal music of American imprint

Brown University at a glance

Type
Website
Pricing
Not confirmed. Check the site
Platforms
Web
Open source
Not stated
Language
English
Last checked
Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
Listed
Oct 5, 2026
african

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Brown University FAQ

Where does the digitized sheet music come from?
It is selected from the Sheet Music Collection at the John Hay Library at Brown University, with digitized titles drawn from about 1,700 items fully cataloged in MARC format.
What does the African-Americana group include?
Music by and relating to African Americans from the 1820s to the present day, totaling about 6,000 items, including minstrelsy, abolitionist songs, Civil War songs, rags, and works pointing to jazz and blues.
What does the broader sheet music collection cover?
Primarily vocal music of American imprint dating from the 18th century to the present day.
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Listing maintained by Chris McClure and the WebIndexly editors · Updated Oct 10, 2026 · How we rank