Ad from The Villanovan in February 1974

Photo by William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress

Next Tuesday will mark the 47th anniversary of Miles Davis’s performance at Villanova! The ad above is from an edition of The Villanovan published in February of 1974. Check out his beloved music on Spotify or click here for a quick synopsis about “arguably the most influential jazz musician in the post-World War II period.” Be sure to look into more resources and information on this iconic performer in the Falvey Collection, or check out the books linked below.

• MILES ON MILES : INTERVIEWS AND ENCOUNTERS WITH MILES DAVIS
• MILES DAVIS, MILES SMILES, AND THE INVENTION OF POST BOP
• THE STUDIO RECORDINGS OF THE MILES DAVIS QUINTET, 1965-68

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

Happy Holidays, Wildcats! Enjoy this new mashed potato mashup playlist while studying for finals, traveling home, or just for some relaxing backgrounds tunes. These calm tracks are perfect for any gathering. Looking for more music? Check out the original mashup here.

• 1) “Where’s My Love” by SYML
• 2) “Oh My Stars” by Andrew Belle
• 3) “The Bones” by Maren Morris & Hozier
• 4) “I Will Not Take My Love Away” by Matt Wertz
• 5) “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles
• 6) “Nothing Can Change This Love” by Sam Cooke
• 7) “Rearview” by Andra Day
• 8) “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges
• 9) “Willow” by Taylor Swift
• 10) “Buckets of Rain” by Bob Dylan
• 11) “Seven Hours” by Lucy Schwartz & Aqualung
• 12) “Tip of My Tongue” by Kenny Chesney
• 13) “Love Is Everywhere I Go” by Sam Phillips
• 14) “Present Tense” by Pearl Jam
• 15) “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac
• 16) “Promise” by Ben Howard
• 17) “Lost Stars” by Adam Levine
• 18) “All Is Well” by Austin Basham
• 19) “Here You Come Again” by Dolly Parton & Willa Amai
• 20) “She’s Got A Way” by Billy Joel

Bonus playlist: Kallie’s Chords—Merry Everything. Play the holiday hits here.

• 1) “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry
• 2) “Good King Wenceslas” by Jane Lynch, Kate Flannery, Tim Davis & The Tony Guerrero Quintet
• 3) “O Christmas Tree” by Tony Bennett
• 4) “Merry Christmas Darling” by The Carpenters
• 5) “Winter Wonderland” by Kenny G
• 6) “Hallelujah” by Pentatonix
• 7) “Winter Song” by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
• 8) “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Home Free
• 9) “Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy” by Bing Crosby & Davie Bowie
• 10) “Snow” by Leslie Odom Jr.
• 11) “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” by Vince Guaraldi
• 12) “Lights On” Tyler, the Creator feat. Ryan Beatty & Santigold
• 13) “Jingle Bells” by Frank Sinatra
• 14) “Glow” by Kelly Clarkson & Chris Stapleton
• 15) “O Come O Come Emmanuel” by The Civil Wars
• 16) “Frosty the Snowman” by Fiona Apple
• 17) “Last Christmas” by She & Him
• 18) “We Three Kings” by Ella Fitzgerald
• 19) “Little Saint Nick” by Surfaces
• 20) “Joy to the World” by Whitney Houston & The Georgia Mass Choir

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.

By Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! After a year off, Falvey Memorial Library is bringing back Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Whether you have accepted it (or are still in denial like I am) finals are upon us, and the Holidays somehow seem farther away than they did last week. This week I’m sharing recs that help you stay in the know about what’s going on in the world, but also will help you relax and crush the end of the semester. So take a deep breath and add some news reading and stress-buster activities into your weekend.  

If you have 3 minutes… download a mindfulness app like “Insight Timer” or “Headspace” to clear your head and re-center your focus.  

BONUS WEEKDAY REC: On Monday, Dec. 13, attend Mindfulness Monday via Zoom from 1–1:30 p.m. More information and the link can be found here. 

If you have 5 minutes… read The Skimm’s daily newsletter from Thursday that breaks down everything from the Daunte Wright trials to the Beijing Olympics to the latest on the omicron variant. Their quick daily newsletters will help you stay in the know, so the world doesn’t seem entirely different when you emerge from finals in a week. 

If you have 1 hour… and are near Falvey from 4–5 p.m. Friday evening, stop by Room 205 for the Stress-Free Healthy Happy Hour event. Take a break from studying and join in for an hour of pet therapy, giveaways, and stress-reducing activities. Learn more here. 

If you have 1 hour and 3 minutes… listen to the Little Women movie soundtrack on Spotify while you study. It’s one of my go-to focus and study albums! 

If you have 1 hour and 39 minutes… go see Encanto, Disney’s newest animated film that features music by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda. Relax watching a Disney movie with great music!  

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Anna Jankowski and Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! After a year off, Falvey Memorial Library is bringing back Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. This week, student worker Anna Jankowski will be joining her in the search for news!

Miss Americana is back and better than ever. Taylor Swift re-recorded her iconic 2012 album Red and the world is loving it. In the first 24 hours, Red (Taylor’s Version) became the most streamed album in a day by a female with 90.8 million global streams. This weekend, sift through our recommendations below to find out more about the new 30-song album and why it is changing the music industry forever.

If you have 14 seconds… watch this behind-the-scenes Tik Tok from Taylor’s newest music video “I Bet You Think About Me.” The video features Blake Lively in her directorial debut! Then be sure to watch the full 6-minute video featuring Miles Teller.

If you have 3 minutes… scroll through this tap story in the Wall Street Journal that details how Swift’s re-releases are having an actionable impact on the future of the music industry.

If you have 15 minutes… watch “All Too Well: The Short Film” on YouTube starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink. This film was both written and directed by Taylor Swift and uses her 10-minute version of the song as a background soundtrack.

If you have 2 hours and 10 minutes… listen to Red (Taylor’s Version) on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your music. And then, if you want more Taylor, listen to the other albums she fully owns, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Evermore, Folklore, and Lover. 

If you have 3 hours and 11 minutes… have a Taylor movie weekend and watch Miss Americana on Netflix, the documentary where Taylor reveals intimate details of her life while showcasing backstage and onstage concert footage, followed by Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions on Disney+, an intimate concert performance of Folklore.

Jenna Renaud is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library. Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS  is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

By Ethan Shea

It might seem like the semester just began, but believe it or not, in just a couple weeks it will be time for midterm exams. Luckily, that also means Fall Break will be at our doorstep in no time.

I hope everyone’s had the chance to get into the rhythm of their new daily routines. If so, we can all take advantage of this relatively calm time of the semester and prepare for the trials to come. One habit that’s crucial to surviving midterms is a productive study routine. At least for me, when it comes to lining up my idiosyncratic study tendencies neatly in a row, I’m always left with questions and concerns.

In general, I can never decide how I want to study. Where should I be studying? Should I be listening to music? What time is best to study?

For this week’s “Cat in the Stax” I decided to answer these questions once and for all. I hope you’re able to use the answers I found to improve your academic experience here at Villanova. Enjoy!

Does listening to music help or hurt study sessions?

A study carried out by the University of Wollongong in Australia concluded that the answer to this question depends on the music you’re listening to. Because music tends to reduce stress, students will be more likely to buckle down and focus with greater intensity when aurally occupied. This revelation disproved the complex theory that classical music stimulates specific parts of the human brain that make studying more efficient. Contrarily, just about any instrumental music can help you study if it improves your mood. Songs with lyrics tend to make reading comprehension a bit more difficult, so if possible, stay away from vocal performances.

Where is the best place to study?

At the risk of sounding a bit biased, I’ll posit that all the best places to study are located right here in Falvey Library, but I’m not just saying that because this is a Falvey blog. In fact, I’ve got science to back me up. The ability to retain information and concentration levels are increased when studying in new locations. Being in the same place over and over again does not stimulate the brain to the greatest possible extent in the same way that focusing on one subject for too long can lead to burnout. Studying in an area with very few distractions and relative quietude is also important to learning efficiently. Stimulation overload prevents you from focusing intently on anything because your focus spreads too thin.

Thankfully, Falvey Library has plenty of quiet spaces, such as Third and Fourth Floor Stacks in addition to the Reading Room. There are also many different places to study in Falvey, so you can try a new one everyday without rendering your mind weary!

When is the best time to study?

Odd as it may seem, research has shown that studying when you’re tired is actually helpful. For example, if you study right before bed, your brain will essentially be reviewing the material in your sleep, causing the information to soak in a bit deeper. On the other hand, studying after a workout session has its benefits as well. Because of the increased flow of oxygen and blood that exercise causes, our brains get neurological boosts immediately after exercise. With that being said, feel free to take a jog over to Falvey Memorial Library when it’s time to hit the books!

Ethan Shea is a first-year English Graduate Student at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Memorial Library.

By Ethan Shea

Here at Falvey Memorial Library, we certainly emphasize the importance of reading. Film is also given a fair amount of attention, especially when a beloved book is adapted to the screen.

In fact, Falvey’s “Flick or Flip” series is dedicated to discussing exactly that. The art form that isn’t mentioned quite as much in literary circles is music, and personally, music is something I couldn’t do without for even one day. Whether I’m driving, studying, exercising, or just hanging out, I almost always have music playing.

I realized I may have gone a bit overboard with my listening habits when Spotify notified me back in 2017 that I had listened to a total of 108,455 minutes of music that year, which according to my calculations is over 75 days of constant music consumption. Keep in mind that these stats only include time spent listening to a single streaming platform.

I’ve since re-evaluated my admittedly excessive level of music consumption. Nevertheless, I stand by my belief that music is an indispensable art that can not only increase your productivity but bring countless hours of pleasure. On that note, here are a few albums released this year that I’ve been listening to.

“Mood Valiant” album cover

Mood Valiant – Hiatus Kaiyote

Hiatus Kaiyote is a group based in Melbourne that manages to pop up more often than you may think. Even if you have not heard the name of this band, you may have heard their music sampled by superstars such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson .Paak. Their most recent release, Mood Valiant, stays true to their self-acclaimed “genre-fluid” style. This album’s neo-soul influence creates a groovy blend of natural sound that often feels like it was recorded by Mother Nature herself.

With song titles such as Flight of the Tiger Lily, Rose Water, and Stone and Lavender, the group is not shy about how they are influenced by the natural world and indigenous aboriginal imagery. My favorite track on this record is And We Go Gentle. I just can’t get enough of the lush, layered vocals and catchy bass line. This album’s relationship with nature is the reason why I believe this album is best listened to outdoors, so grab a pair of headphones and take a walk around campus while you soak in the tight 42-minute tracklist of Mood Valiant.

CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST – Tyler, the Creator

“CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” album cover

Fortunately for his fans, the LA based rapper, producer, and fashion designer (amongst many other titles) known as Tyler, the Creator, releases an album every two years like clockwork. Tyler’s been on a hot streak for a while now, and CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is no exception.

Tyler takes on yet another persona in this album. This time he calls himself Tyler Baudelaire, a man of class and exquisite taste who enjoys eating brioche in France and traveling in luxury cars across Europe. The theme of travel is present in this record from front to back. Admittedly, this thematic choice is rather odd given the fact that we’re in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, but I’ll allow the fictional Tyler Baudelaire to do as he pleases. The narrative of a messy love triangle that appears here and there throughout the record culminates on the track WILSHIRE, a spacey track that gives Tyler room to speak from the heart for over eight minutes.

My personal favorite, SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE, is two songs in one and blends smooth, soulful rap with bossa nova. Given the number of upbeat tunes on this record, I’d recommend playing this album at a party to give some life to the function.

“The Turning Wheel” album cover

The Turning Wheel – Spellling

The Turning Wheel is the first Spellling album I’ve listened to, and unfortunately, I have to admit that I never would have discovered the multitalented purveyor of progressive pop if it wasn’t for the famous internet critic Anthony Fantano giving her album a 10/10.

From the very beginning, in the opening track Little Deer, it is clear listeners are in for something special. Among an ensemble of strings and dreamy chimes, Spellling’s vocal performance is moving yet playful. My favorite song off The Turning Wheel, the 7 and a half minute track Boys at School, builds itself up with spiraling electric guitar riffs and eventually gives anxious audiences a breath of release with a triumphant bridge that makes use of a powerful horn section. This album is something you have to let marinate to fully appreciate, which is why I enjoy listening to it during long car rides.

Sling – Clairo

“Sling” album cover

The second full-length album from Clairo, the 22-year-old songwriter who rose to fame after her single Pretty Girl went viral in 2017, is good news for her fans, as she stays true to her indie, bedroom pop roots while growing as a writer and vocalist alike. There is a healthy amount of folk influence in this album, which is especially apparent in the track Reaper. This track’s soothing guitar melody accompanies Clairo’s subtle and emotive voice. My personal favorite track, Amoeba, is in my opinion, the most danceable song on the record. I love the keys that are reminiscent of a ’70s funk song, and the flow of Clairo’s lyrics are unbelievably catchy. Because most of this album is relatively low-key, I’ve loved listening to it while studying. It can also set the tone for a relaxing night of playing board games with friends.

Now that I’ve shared a few recent releases I’ve been enjoying, it’s important to note that reading and music are not mutually exclusive. There is an entire section of Falvey’s subject guide dedicated to music, which can be found here, so rest assured that Falvey Library will have the answers to all your tuneful questions!

Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to lately in the comments below. I’m always looking for recommendations!

Ethan Shea is a first-year English Graduate Student at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Memorial Library.

By Shawn Proctor

Falvey staff members Brian Warren, Library Technology Developer, and John Banionis, Metrics and Assessment Librarian, part of the Faculty/Staff Choir at Villanova, raised the spirits of all in attendance of the University’s staff Christmas Party.

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is the Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library.

Celebrating Father’s Day, the latest installment of Kallie’s Chords features tracks celebrating the bond between parent and child. Check out the playlist above for father-daughter songs, father-son tunes, and melodies that capture the joys of parenthood. Happy Father’s Day to all the ‘Nova Nation Dads!

Kallie Stahl, MA ’17 CLAS, is communication and marketing specialist at Falvey Memorial Library. Her father ends every text message with the signature “From Dad.”

Sean-nós (Irish for “the old way”) is a traditional style of unaccompanied singing native to Ireland. The Philadelphia Ceili Group audio collection in the Villanova University Digital Library contains a wealth of information and beautifully performed examples of this interesting and unique element of Irish culture.

Here is an introductory explanation of the craft by Irish musician and musicologist Mick Moloney, from an Irish Songs Workshop at the 3rd Annual Irish Traditional Music, Song and Dance Festival, held in Philadelphia in September 1977:

http://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:305692

Mick Moloney, Johnny Moynihan, and Andy O’Brien are just a few of the prominent Irish artists who can be heard on recordings in the Philadelphia Ceili Group collection singing songs in the Sean-nós style. Try searching the Digital Library by subject on the term Sean-nós, and you will find a wealth of significant tracks available for streaming.

For a real treat, check out this incredible concert-length performance by traditional Irish singer Paddy Phelan, recorded at an event sponsored by the Philadelphia Ceili Group on March 6, 1992:

http://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:347704

Enjoy!

Calling all Irish music enthusiasts, here is a challenge for you!

The archive of traditional Irish music in the Philadelphia Ceili Group collection in Villanova University’s Digital Library is growing steadily, now featuring over 200 recordings of Irish jigs, reels, and other tunes from performances at the annual Philadelphia Ceili Group Traditional Irish Music and Dance Festival.

Growing alongside this list is….the list of unidentified titles. Listen to this excerpt of a 1977 performance by the group DeDanann, in which the title is obscured:

“We’re going to start with two jigs, the first is called ‘The Munster Buttermilk’, and the second is called….” (Huh?!)

Kudos to anyone who can discern the title of the second jig!

Even better, if you are able to listen to that jig and identify the tune by ear, here is a further challenge for you….

Check out this search of the Digital Library.

All of these recordings contain pieces unidentified by their performers. Can you help to name these tunes?

Please send any information to stephen.spatz@villanova.edu. Thank you!