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Theatre Resources: Finding Songs from Musicals

Searching for Songs From Musicals

First, know the title of the song collection OR the song title, the composer/arranger, and the musical title. Need help identifying this information? Look at one of the indexes listed on the Using Song Indexes page.

  1. Open the KentLINK advanced keyword search.
  2. In the first search box, type the title of the song or aria in quotation marks (ex. “Any Dream Will Do”).
  3. In the drop-down menus below, select “Music Score” from the Material Type menu to search for printed music or choose “CD” from the Audio menu to search for a sound recording. Click “Submit.”

KentLINK Advanced Search screen. See information above.

Tips:

  • We have a large collection of show scores, so be sure to search for the musical’s title as well as the song title.
  • Unable to find the song you’re looking for in KentLINK? Search OhioLINK and SearchOhio. Still no luck? Request items through Interlibrary Loan.

Would you prefer to browse our collections?  Visit the Browsing Musical Songs page and find call numbers to look through our collection or subject headings to search online. You may also peruse a selected list of our musical song anthologies.

Use tabs above for more information on Finding Songs from Musicals. 

CALL NUMBERS

Below are general call number ranges. More about call numbers at the Library of Congress Classification page. For tips on searching for other music items in KentLINK, consult the Finding Library Items guide.

M1500 full scores of musicals
M1503 vocal scores of musicals
M1507 song collections -- musicals
M1508 songs -- musicals
M1630.18 popular song collections
ML128 song indexes
 

 

SUBJECT HEADINGS FOR SEARCHING LIBRARY CATALOGS

To find material on a topic, type in one of these subject headings to get a list of relevant titles. Access KentLINK subject heading search @http://kentlink.kent.edu/search/d.
 

Disco music

Musicals -- Vocal scores with piano

Musicals -- Excerpts -- Vocal scores with piano

Popular music -- Vocal scores with piano

Rock music

Songs (High voice) with piano*

Songs (Medium voice) with piano*

Songs (Low voice) with piano*

Soul music

Vocal music

*Piano is used for purposes of illustration; may also use guitar, harp, orchestra, organ, etc.

Use tabs above for more information on Finding Songs from Musicals. 

Often song titles included in anthologies are not listed individually in catalog records, which means you will not find them doing a keyword search in KentLINK (see ex. -30 Years--30 Hits). Song indexes include lists of songs – sometimes arranged by title, sometimes by composer, sometimes both – and provide cross-references for the anthologies/collections that include the song.

To identify song titles in collections, start with the indexes below. Online indexes are more up-to-date and comprehensive than print. Look up the song by title, composer, first line, or whatever you have. A code represents the anthologies that have that song. When you identify the collection, search for it in KentLINK. Remember, if KSU doesn’t own the collection, search OhioLINKSearchOhio or submit an Interlibrary Loan request.

ONLINE SONG INDEXES

PRINT SONG INDEXES

All titles are available in the Performing Arts Library.  Reference titles (“Ref.”) are non-circulating and are located in the Performing Arts Library Reading Room.

Note:  Reference titles ("Ref") are non-circulating and are located in the Performing Arts Library Reading Room. 

Use tabs above for more information on Finding Songs from Musicals. 

Use tabs above for more information on Finding Songs from Musicals.