So far in our “My Librarian’s Favorite Resource(s)” blog series, we’ve shared resources for students studying History, Psychology, Engineering and Sciences, Education and Political Science, and Philosophy. This week we’re talking to Taylor Greene, Chair of Instructional Services and Performing Arts librarian, about his favorite resources for students in each of the Performing Arts subjects.

Headshot of a white man in a blue striped polo shirt

Performing Arts librarian Taylor Greene. Photo credit Bao Ngo

Taylor writes, “Since August of 2014, I have been the liaison to the College of Performing Arts, including Music, Theatre, and Dance. My educational background is in the performing arts—even my library degree was with a Music Librarianship Specialization—so it was no accident that I have filled this role within the library!

We have a new resource for Dance that I’m very excited about: Human Kinetics Library: Dance Technique. This database has a wealth of e-books and videos for Dance students, not only for dance technique but also on dance anatomy and kinesiology. You can watch videos to learn everything from how to do the Spongebob to how to improve the height of your front extensions by engaging your iliopsoas muscle.

For Music, one database that has become increasingly essential over the past year is Classical Scores Library. Students can access thousands of scores online through this database and download them as PDFs. Unlike free online sources like the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), the scores you access electronically in this database are pristine reproductions from published editions, so they always look great and are incredibly clear. You can find everything here, from Guillaume de Machaut to Kaija Saariaho.

When it comes to Theatre, research helps guide students not only in their understanding of theatre history but also in much of the other work that they do: stage design, dramaturgy, character study, etc. One of my favorite sources for Theatre research is ProQuest Performing Arts Periodicals Database. It’s great not only for finding articles from peer-reviewed journals but also for finding things like production reviews, interviews, and features from trade journals and magazines like Backstage and American Theatre.”