Collection ID: SC 18
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Maultsby, Portia K.
Abstract:
Series G, "Music Industry Interviews," consists of transcripts and audiocassettes of interviews primarily conducted by Portia K. Maultsby between 1981-1986 as part of her research on the Black music industry. The remainder of the series in this collection are still in the process of being accessioned and are unavailable for general research and public use.
Extent:
169 Audiocassettes (analog, stereo) and 5 document cases (2.1 linear feet)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

SC 18, Portia K. Maultsby Collection, Archives of African American Music and Culture, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

Portia K. Maultsby received a Ph.D. degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Wisconsin--Madison, and is a professor emeritus in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, the former director of the Archives of African American Music and Culture, and a former adjunct professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University. She teaches historical and theoretical courses on African American music and culture in ethnomusicology. Her research topics have centered on Black religious and popular music and she has lectured and conducted workshops throughout the United States, as well as in England, The Netherlands, Russia, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. She is co-editor of African American Music : An Introduction, (Routledge Press, 2006). She also has served as consulting scholar for PBS, BBC, and NPR productions on African American music. In addition to her scholarly work, Professor Maultsby is a keyboard player and the founding director of the IU Soul Revue, a touring ensemble specializing in the performance of African American popular music.

Scope and Content:

The collection consists of 168 audiocassette recordings of interviews; complete or partial transcripts are available for many. The bulk of the interviews (138 cassettes) were conducted in person by Maultsby between 1981-1986 as part of her research on the Black music industry. The interviews provide an aural documentation of the history and development of rhythm and blues music through the personal narratives of musicians, composers, producers, deejays, and record company executives. In particular, Maultsby's interviews trace the emergence of Black music divisions and the promotion of Black artists by major record labels. Other significant issues emphasized in the discussions are cultural identity, gender, appropriation, aesthetics, and the racially defined politics and marketing practices of the industry. Of equal importance are the stories told by musicians who profoundly shaped the development of rhythm and blues while redefining the direction of American popular music.

All interviews were conducted by Maultsby unless otherwise indicated.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Portia K. Maultsby in 2008.
Processing information:

Processed by AAAMC staff. Completed in 2009. Preservation and access funded in part by a grant from the GRAMMY® Foundation.

Arrangement:

Currently organized into one series and the following subseries:

Series G: Music Industry Interviews
--- Subseries G.1: Interviews by Maultsby, 1979-1989
--- Subseries G.2: Interviews by Various Interviewers and Miscellaneous Recordings, 1979-1989

Each subseries is arranged alphabetically by interviewee's last name or the title in the case of non-interviews.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Use of time-based media materials (audio and video) may require production of listening or viewing copies.

Access to streaming audio, moving image, and full resolution digital image materials may currently be restricted to researchers who can authenticate with an IU account or who are physically present on campus. Remote streaming to individual researchers may be allowed with the completion of applicable forms.

For further information about access to online audiovisual materials, contact AAAMC staff at aaamc@indiana.edu.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The collector/donor has granted permission for in-house use only. Researchers may not quote or reproduce any part of this collection without explicit permission from the creator. Other copyrights and intellectual property rights may also apply.

With the exception of Series G, "Music Industry Interviews," the use of this collection is restricted to students enrolled in Maultsby's courses for educational purposes or other parties receiving her explicit permission. Contact AAAMC staff for details.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Indiana Public Records Act (5-14-3-2 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which Indiana University assumes no responsibility.

Copyright is retained by the creators/authors of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. All requests for copying and publishing materials must be submitted in writing to the Archives of African American Music and Culture, and may require the written permission of the creator(s)/author(s) or donor(s).

PREFERRED CITATION:

SC 18, Portia K. Maultsby Collection, Archives of African American Music and Culture, Indiana University, Bloomington.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Smith Research Center, Rooms 180-181
2805 East 10th Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47408-2601, United States
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
812-855-8547
aaamc@indiana.edu