KCET's Artbound Launches Bi-Weekly Series Showcasing the Los Angeles Public Library and the Library Foundation's 'Songs in the Key of Los Angeles'

culture series, Artbound, announced today the launch of a

bi-weekly series showcasing the innovative project, "Songs in the Key of Los

Angeles" from the Los Angeles Public Library and the Library Foundation of Los

Angeles. The multiplatform series will spotlight the world's only collection of

Southern California sheet music through a contemporary lens, both online and

on-air beginning, Thursday, May 30 on KCET, a service of KCETLink. 

For more than a year, USC Professor Josh Kun, director of

The Popular Music Project at USC Annenberg's Norman Lear Center, and a group of

his students, working with librarians from the Central Library, combed the

Library's roughly 50,000-piece sheet music collection, identifying and shaping

an unprecedented archive of Southern California sheet music - the very first of

its kind.  Through a comprehensive

anthology, new recordings, a special exhibition, a free concert and more, the project

will bring the collection to light for contemporary reflection. 

"We're excited to collaborate with the Library Foundation,

the Los Angeles Public Library and Professor Kun on this important archival

music project. We're pleased to introduce new audiences to the rich cultural

history of Los Angeles," said Juan Devis, Vice President of Arts and Culture

Programming, KCETLink. "This initiative further solidifies our commitment to

the arts through partnerships with leading cultural institutions and

establishes Artbound as a critical

source for arts and culture in the region."

Beginning Thursday, May 30, Artbound will feature mini-documentaries

every two weeks, highlighting recording sessions of local artists performing selected

songs from the collection, including: singer/rapper Aloe Blacc; alternative

country group, I See Hawks in L.A.; singer/songwriter, Julia Holter; nouveau-gypsy band, The Petrojvic Blasting Company; and modern-hybrid

Latin band, La Santa Cecilia.

To complement each installment, the

series will offer insightful articles by Kun about the historical significance

of the music, as well as cover images from the original sheet music. The first

recording session and interview with I See Hawks in L.A. will also be featured

in a new Artbound television episode

on May 30 at 9 p.m.

Dating from sheet music's heyday (roughly 1850 through the

1950s), the collection covers the period of L.A.'s growth from remote outpost

into sprawling metropolis and provides a rare window into early Southern

California music history. Spanning genres from pop to jazz, Mexican folk to

blues, all of the songs in the collection - many of which have never been

recorded - are either about L.A. and Southern California, feature key regional

songwriters and personalities, or were published by one of the many independent

music publishers who were an integral part of Los Angeles industry at the turn

of the 20^th century.

For more information about additional events in support of

this project, visit www.lapl.org.

About KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital

role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central

California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well

as the finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently

examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year

history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news

and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions,

its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and

community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported

community institution. For additional information about KCET productions,

web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit

kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink.

The Library

Foundation of Los Angeles provides critical support to the Los Angeles Public

Library resulting in free programs, resources and services available to the

millions of adults, children and youth of Los Angeles.  Through fundraising, advocacy and innovative

programs, the Library Foundation strengthens the Los Angeles Public Library and

promotes greater awareness of its valuable resources.  For more information, please visit www.lfla.org.

The Los

Angeles Public Library serves the largest population of any library in the

country through its Central Library, 72 branch libraries, over six million

books and other items, state-of-the-art technology, and its Web site (www.lapl.org). These resources and its more than

18,000 public programs provide everyone with free and easy access to

information and the opportunity for life-long learning.  For more information, visit www.lapl.org

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