"How can mapping change the way we think about music history?" This "deceptively simple" question is posed on the homepage of Musical Geography, a fascinating collection of projects that explore the intersections of music, geography, and time. Musical Geography was launched in 2015 by Louis Epstein, a professor of music and musicology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Epstein initially teamed up with four St. Olaf students to create a map of the vibrant music scene of 1924 Paris. Since then, Epstein has worked with two additional student research teams to create additional projects about the geography of music history. Visitors can explore these projects in the Maps section of this website. These projects include "Mapping the Collection of Russian Folk Songs in the Long 19th Century," "Mapping Black Gospel Music," and "The Second Viennese School in Russia." Each of these projects features at least one map (including maps created using Google Maps, ArcGIS, and JS StoryMap) and a short essay. Musical Geography offers a useful resource for instructors and researchers of history and musicology. In addition, this resource may offer inspiration for researchers interested in pursuing their own mapping projects. Visitors who enjoy these maps will want to be sure to check out the Digital Humanities Models section of the Resource Guide, which features a number of other projects and resources that may be of interest.
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