ARChive of Contemporary Music facts for kids
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The ARChive of Contemporary Music (ARC) is a special library and archive for music. It is a non-profit organization, which means it doesn't aim to make money. Instead, it focuses on collecting and preserving music. The ARC is located in New York City and holds more than five million different items related to music.
Who Started the ARChive?
The ARChive of Contemporary Music began in 1985. It was started by B. George, who is still its Director today, and David Wheeler. They created the ARC in Lower Manhattan, a neighborhood in New York City.
Famous Supporters of ARC
Many well-known people have supported the ARC over the years. They serve on a special group called the Board of Advisors. This group helps guide the ARC. Some famous people who are currently on the board include Keith Richards, Nile Rodgers, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Simon.
Other famous people who were once on the board include David Bowie, Jonathan Demme, and Lou Reed. These individuals helped the ARC grow and become what it is today.
What Does the ARChive Collect?
The ARC mainly collects popular music that has been released for sale. This includes music made since the mid-1940s, when new types of records became popular.
Amazing Music Collection
The ARChive has a huge collection of items. It includes:
- Two million sound recordings, like vinyl records and CDs.
- Over three million other items that go with the music. These include photographs, videos, DVDs, books, and sheet music.
- Special items like press kits (information for media) and memorabilia (things that remind you of a person or event).
The ARC is spread across three different places in Tribeca. Together, these spaces cover a large area, about 15,000 square feet. B. George, the Director, estimates that the archive now has three million vinyl records.
More Details on the Collection
The collection also features:
- 750,000 dance singles (small records with one or two songs).
- 350,000 seven-inch singles.
- Three million posters, press kits, and photos.
- 25,000 music books.
- 60,000 videos.
- 100,000 music magazines.
- About 15,000 older records called 78s, even though the ARC doesn't usually collect them.
The collection started with 47,000 sound recordings. These were donated by Mr. George himself. He had collected them from his work as a DJ, music producer, and discographer (someone who studies and lists recordings). Mr. George also helped write a book called Volume, The International Discography of the New Wave. He even released Laurie Anderson’s first recording, O Superman, on his own record label.
Special Music Collections
Many large collections of music have been given to the ARC. Some of these include:
- The Jeep Holland Collection (100,000 recordings, donated in 1987).
- The Rockpool Collection (30,000 recordings, 1991).
- The NBC Music Library Collection (10,000 recordings, 1991).
- The ABC 45 rpm Record Collection (62,000 recordings, 1999).
- The Ron Saja / Footlight Records Collection (35,000 recordings, 2005).
Keith Richards' Blues Collection
One very special collection is the Keith Richards’ Blues Collection. Keith Richards, a member of the famous band The Rolling Stones, loves early Blues music. Since 1991, he has supported this collection. It now has over 8,000 blues discs. This includes a very rare record by Robert Johnson called "Me and The Devil Blues"/"Little Queen of Spades." This record was made in 1937.
What Does the ARChive Do?
While its main job is to keep music safe for the future, the ARC also helps people with their research. It provides materials for many different projects, including films, music productions, and academic studies.
ARC's Contributions to Films
The ARC has helped with many famous film projects. For example, it contributed to:
- Ken Burns’ TV series Baseball (1994).
- Jonathan Demme's movies Philadelphia (1993) and Beloved (1998).
- Martin Scorsese’s films The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Goodfellas (1990).
- Ang Lee’s movie Taking Woodstock (2009).
Working with Other Organizations
The ARC has also worked on bigger projects. It provided information and images for Microsoft’s Music Central. It also helped the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in New York and the Grammy Hall of Fame and Museum in Los Angeles.
In 2009, the ARC teamed up with Columbia University. This partnership aimed to help future research and bring the arts more into the university's learning experience.
World Music Days
The ARC has a special project called "World Music Days." One of these was Muslim World Music Day, which happened on April 12, 2011. This was a team effort with Columbia University, Gracenote, and the Internet Archive.
The ARC has continued its yearly "World Music Days." These are online databases that focus on a specific country, culture, or type of music. For example, on September 7, 2012, the ARC celebrated Brazilian Music Day.
See also
- List of record collectors
- List of music museums
