The Indiana University School of Music: A History Book

"I have always felt that the Indiana University School of Music was one of the finest schools in the world. This most informative and fascinating book confirms this in a most interesting way. It's a very good read, and I enjoyed it enormously." --Beverly Sills " . . . I am pleased to recommend this history of one of the world's finest schools of music to all readers interested in the development of music in the United States. The author captures the spirit of an institution which I know first-hand from having conducted their Philharmonic Orchestra on several occasions. All who read this fascinating chronicle will discover how a world- class school of music could develop in the corn fields of southern Indiana." -- Kurt Masur "George Logan's compulsively readable History--scrupulous, scholarly, elegantly written by one who loves music--tells how wonderful Bloomington (shorthand for the Indiana University School of Music) came into being and flourished: how a music school in a small town grew, under two charismatic leaders, to be a prime force in not just America's but the whole world's musical life." --Andrew Porter "How did the foremost American school of music, a major world cultural institution, come to be at a state university in a provincial town, amid the cornfields of southern Indiana?" Professor George Logan has not been alone in posing this question, but his reply is unique: this magnificent volume. This institutional biography, enlivened with anecdotes and photographs, reveals modest beginnings indeed,when the orchestra for the 1833 Commencement "was composed of two flutes, one of them cracked." The major shift came in 1919 with the arrival of Winfred Merrill, a dean who was also a violinist, conductor, and composer--as well as a seasoned administrator and teacher. He advertised for students, and soon not even seven pianos could meet the demand for practice instruments. Other visionary improvements and expansions were implemented, and not without a fight. The world's greatest performers were engaged to perform in tremendously popular concert series beginning in the 1920s. Under Deans Sanders, Bain, and Webb, the push to recruit the very best intensified--and succeeded. With scholarly scruples, George Logan has resisted any temptation to give a wine-and roses rendition of history, and tales of thorns and vinegar get ample play as well. What emerges is the epic of a glorious institution, a source of tremendous pride, brought into being and sustained through genius, hard work, and some strokes of incredibly good luck.Read More