1) How useful were the pre-course readings?

1: Very -- good for context, and bibliography will be invaluable in the future. 2: Useful, as I did not have much previous background knowledge of music printing and publishing. The readings provided a general background. 3: I had read most previously. The bibliography needs a little updating. 4: Very helpful if a bit excessive. 5: The readings were very appropriate to the course and provided a general sense of what the course would cover. 6: Somewhat useful for background. 7: Excellent, in the sense of including the major benchmarks and many minor by-ways -- comprehensive. We pointed out additions we thought would be useful, even so. 8: Pre-course readings were useful. 9: Extremely useful! But items could have been added. Only one history of American music, and add readings about music printing processes such as William Gamble's Music Printing and Engraving and/or articles in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music.

2) Were the course syllabus and other materials distributed in class useful (or will they be so in the future, after you return home)?

1: Extremely -- especially DWK's bibliography and annotated course packet list. 2: Yes -- especially the extensive bibliography. 3: I think so -- but I will need to build on them. 4: They will definitely be immensely useful. 5: Yes! They will be very useful. 6: The syllabus and addendum were helpful. The bibliography is especially helpful for future work. Class packets were extremely useful. 7: Yes, though very general. 8: The bibliography is outstanding and will definitely be useful to me in the future. Other course handouts are also useful. 9: The bibliography will be an invaluable source for my work.

3) Was the intellectual level of the course content appropriate?

1: Yes -- good mix of background and experiences kept all bases covered. 2: Yes. 3: I would have liked to make a little more progress towards answers. 4: Yes. I would have enjoyed a bit more detail on the business end of publishing and the management stream that brings a song from the composer to the public, but then one can only cover so much in a week. 5: Yes. 6: The intellectual level was quite high, and the class members asked thought-provoking questions which prompted some good discussions. 7-8: Yes. 9: For me.

4) If your course had field trips, were they effective?

1: Absolutely wonderful trip to Special Collections -- good help from staff in Special Collections. 2: Yes. We were able to see Bay Psalm books and Thomas Jefferson's music materials, which can only be accessed in Special Collections. 3-4: Yes. 5: Yes! Our visit to the rare book collection was memorable. 6: The visit to Special Collections was very useful. Viewing of the Bay Psalm Book, a high point, of course, as well as the Jefferson personal collection which was retrieved at Jane Penner's request. 7: Yes. 8: Yes. Special music materials pulled for our class in Special Collections were wonderful. It was a real privilege to see numerous editions of the Bay Psalm Book and the Jefferson music material.

5) What did you like best about the course?

1: Course packets -- "hands-on" approach. 2: Hands-on engraving printing artifacts, and organizing course around packets of examples. Being able to see and handle these materials. DWK's long experience and expertise. 3: Time to think about some questions -- away from my everyday duties. 4: DWK. He's a wealth of knowledge, a delight to be around, and made the day fly by. I learned so much in a week -- I can't wait to apply it all. 5: The professor: his familiarity with the materials is astounding; his ability to contextualize what we were looking at was immensely helpful; and his approach towards communicating his knowledge was right on the mark. 6: Viewing the various sheet music packets was extremely helpful and beneficial. 7: The packets work very well as an efficient way to organize material upon which to focus for the moment. 8: I enjoyed DWK's wit and wisdom. The class was well taught, and the use of so many examples of the material was very effective. 9: Bibliography, packets to examine and hone skills.

6) How could the course have been improved?

1: A little slow with examples in the beginning -- might have been useful to have a video/demonstration of printing processes on Monday since that played such a huge role in the discussion throughout the week. 2: More examples illustrating the publishing process, such as proofs, marked-up manuscripts, sketched engraving plates, transfer paper. More detailed explanation of these processes. 3: More attention to the information to be learned from the music itself -- rather than the covers. More knowledgeable descriptions of some of the printing processes -- especially the later techniques. 4: Live, in-person examples of printing techniques would be great (though Heather Horechny was kind enough to demonstrate things at RBS). Perhaps some inclusion of African-American music and non-music, music related materials like songsters and broadsides. Maybe a little more on the publishing business -- who did what, &c. 5: Perhaps more "hands-on" with the practical shift (printing tools, &c.), and maybe a video which shows exactly how some of these printing processes are accomplished. 6: I would suggest perhaps viewing a video which shows the various printing processes being performed in a step-by-step process. This would help to clarify these processes. Also, several other packets of music might be added i.e. ragtime, vaudeville, African-American music. 7: The packets also were restricting, allowing us to focus on tiny distinctions and artifactual description. Thus we missed some of the bigger issues of printing and publishing history. To be sure, much of this history is unknown, but we could have been using what we saw as evidence if some (or additional) packets could be organized differently. 8: There were a few types of music not covered -- school music, community songbooks, &c. 9: I would have liked more ways to visualize the music printing/engraving process. A classmate referred to a video. This would have been helpful to view. Instructor could have taken the class as a group through each of the wonderful items on display, demonstrating and explaining, rather than let us go on our own (and probably ask him the same questions individually). Things learned in the course could be recorded and therefore an increased body of knowledge built up regarding the material.

7) We are always concerned about the physical well-being both of the RBS teaching collections and of materials owned by UVa's Special Collections. If relevant, what suggestions do you have for the improved classroom handling of such materials used in your course this week?

1: Everything was fine. 2: Most of what we handled was not fragile. 3: The collection seems generally well treated -- there are some very valuable specimens mixed in, however. 4: Perhaps just a reminder to the class about the need to be gentle. I was a little mortified (if one can be a "little" mortified) to see some librarians man-handling the scores. 5: I was impressed by the cavalier manner in which some of the librarians in the course handled the sheet music. Perhaps a gentle reminder at the beginning of class? And no cotton gloves when handling the Bay Psalm Book!!??! 6: I thought the plastic music sleeves were quite sufficient. 7: From what I observed, care and handling was fine. 8: No suggestions. I really envied the use of the mylar covers on the music. I wish my institution used something like that.

8) If you attended the Sunday and/or Monday night lectures, were they worth attending?

1: Absolutely -- also a good way to kick off the week. 2: Yes -- good speakers and topics. 3: It was interesting. 4: The topic seemed a bit out of my area of interest, so I didn't go. 5: Did not attend the Monday night. Sunday's lecture was helpful in providing an overview of RBS. 6: Sunday was helpful for overview and history of RBS. Monday's lecture was quite thought provoking and interesting. 7: Difficult to please such a broad array of interests, but, sure. 8: Yes. 9: Not particularly relevant, but OK.

9) If you attended Museum Night, was the time profitably spent?

1: Absolutely -- lots of neat stuff set out, also a good time to see other materials included in the collection. 2: Yes -- this was a chance to see things not included in our class. 3: I saw what I wanted to. 4: Very enjoyable. Even more exhibits would be nice. 5: Yes. 6: Did not attend. 7-8: Yes. 9: It helped to view the film on engraving and to see the small press at RBS.

10) Did you get your money's worth? Any final thoughts?

1: Continued perfection and utility from RBS -- professionally. Personally very useful. 2: Yes. I learned a lot, took away useful bibliography, and learned by handling printing equipment and music, in addition to reading and lecture. 3: Not sure. 4: Definitely glad I came -- the experience was well worth it. 5: Yes. I learned an amazing amount over the course of the week. This is not only an interesting course, but provides practical knowledge which will help me throughout my career in whatever direction it takes within the discipline. 6: Yes, great value for the money! I learned a great deal of information in a short, intensive period of time. 7: This course probably most useful for those who have not handled earlier American music before, or only limited experience. 8: Yes. Very interesting and enjoyable experience. 9: A wonderful course taught by an extremely knowledgeable individual. This is the only place one could get some of this information. Thank you! Thank you!

Number of respondents: 09

There were two managers of a Special Collections Library or Museum (22.5%), two catalog librarians (22.5%), one music librarian (11%), one specialist librarian with some rare book duties (11%), one archivist or manuscript librarian (11%), one general librarian with some rare book duties (11%), and one general librarian with no rare book duties (11%).

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