On the second floor of Torreyson Library, the UCA Music Lab offers a large selection of music materials for students, faculty and staff.
Last spring, the music lab got much-needed renovations. Before moving to its current space, the lab was moved around the library several times. LeBeau-Ford said that in the 11 years she has worked at the library, the music lab has moved three times.
Music technician Elizabeth Gayfield said the renovations were made because Library Instructional Services needed more room. Both benefited after Instructional Services and the music lab switched rooms.
Instructional Services didn’t have enough computers to fully function, LeBeau-Ford said, so now they have a technologically up-to-date teaching lab.
“The move wasn’t to give [the music lab]a better space, it was to give Instructional Services a better space,” LeBeau-Ford said, “but we also got a better space here.”
Gayfield said besides getting a larger space, the music lab also received computers, more tables and new furniture. Now it’s a more enjoyable space for students to relax and study.
“Even if you’re not a music student, you are welcome to come in, stretch out and relax,” Gayfield said. “Check out some music and relax. It’s just a pleasant place to be.”
Besides its collection of music and its peaceful atmosphere, the music lab offers students, faculty and staff free access to an online
music-streaming service, LeBeau-Ford said. Torreyson Library has an annual subscription to Naxos, which streams mostly classical and jazz albums. Students logged into their UCA accounts can go to the Torreyson Library website and click on a link that will take them to the Naxos streaming website.
Collection development librarian Renee LeBeau-Ford said the lab has over 6,000 CDs and vinyl albums; 300 DVDs; over 11,000 music literature books, reference books and score sets; and miscellaneous cassette, VHS and digital audio tapes. The lab also has 1,800 UCA music recital CDs and copies of recital programs. A large portion of the music in the lab was donated by professors and other music enthusiasts.
Senior student worker Alexis Shaw said the music lab offers listening stations for students who want to check out and listen to any of the music in the lab. Students can check anything in the lab out of the library, except the music recital CDs; those can be checked out but must stay in the library. Music students can ask for a copy of their own music recitals if they ask for one.
While the lab doesn’t have many contemporary titles, it does have a wide collection of classical and jazz music, since that is what is taught at UCA. Sifting through the filing cabinets of CDs, one can find albums by Bob Marley or Led Zeppelin and The Beatles Anthology DVDs. There are also CDs, DVDs and scores from musicals and operas.
Photo by Lauren Swaim
