Remembering Relief: The Federal Music Project

Items

• Composer's Forum Laboratory Performance
  This audio recording from the NYC Municipal Archives, WNYC Collection features the Composer's Laboratory Forum, a series of programs that began in New York City by the Federal Music Project's Music Education Department. The forums sought to introduce the public to American composers with weekly concerts and audience-involved discussions. This particular recording features Hunter Johnson's "The Valley of the Muted Songbird" and "Scherzo from the South," performed by pianist Richard Singer; "Cradle Song in a Modern Mining Town" with music by Goddard Lieberson and words by Mildred Waterman, performed by soprano Louise Taylor with piano accompaniment; and "Hotel Music" by Paul Frederic Bowles, performed by the Modern Art Trio.
• Second Series of the Composer's Forum Laboratory
  This WPA poster for the Federal Music Project advertises the second series of the Composer's Forum Laboratory, a project that featured music from new American composers with audience-involved question-and-answer discussions throughout the program. The forums were free to the public and occurred every Wednesday at the Federal Music Project headquarters at 110 W. 48th St. in New York City. The poster itself includes an illustration of musical notation behind text.