Sheet music, that is. Or rather, the cover art.

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Collecting anything can be an expensive investment. And, if you are just starting out, take my advice. It is easy to start buying things that take up lots of space.  And space, that you probably don’t have.  So let the sheets hit the wall!

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But first a bit of music history. (And no, this is not an ancient 78, 45 or L.P.)

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Enheduanna (2300 B.C), an Akkadian princess, is credited with being the first author and composer to capture the essence of music in writing. As the High Priestess, she was a political appointee in Ur (Iraq) installed by her father Sargon 1, King of Akkad. Then tasked with uniting the kingdoms in order for them to accept her father as their ruler. Enheduanna combined the gods of the Akkadians with the gods of the Sumerians into one powerful goddess called Inanna. And she used lyrical poetry to promote Inanna and successfully join the two nations.  If the poetry was set to music, it is lost to time; only her lyric words exist. Her efforts predate “written” music by millennia. While credited with being the first author and composer, she was also a mathematician and astronomer making her the first S.T.E.M participant as well!

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You can read more about this fascinating woman HERE.

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The first known music, or rather the attempt to capture sound, didn’t appear until somewhere between 1450 – 1250 B.C.  Melody notations are found in harp-shaped picograms on cuneiform tablets.

Flash forward and musical notes annotated on paper or stone were a way to pass on music from one person to another. But it was often rudimentary and meant to be memorized rather than used for performance.

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It wasn’t until 1473 that the first sheet music, as we know it, came into being.

“Stumbling” upon  vintage sheet music at your local flea market is easy! They can be inexpensively framed. But no thumb tacks, please. And, you can display and change them out with little effort.  Available are movie tie ins, specific singer, fun graphics, orchestral leaders, and more! And best of all, you can find period sheet music for under $5.00 if not substantially less. (I’ve seen them for as low as $.25.) Though rare examples, as with any collectible, can be substantially more.

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My personal favorites are novelty song with have whimsical covers.

 

 

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With so much available media today, we tend to forget that in the early days, there was no television or mass advertising campaigns as we think of them today.  Most people heard orchestral music at their local theaters played against silent films or at a live musical performances. If they liked the music, they’d go to their local music store and buy the sheet music.

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Then, radios became a regular household fixture, essentially the MTV of the day. Music reached larger audiences. And those listeners could opt to purchase the sheet music, a phonograph record, or all three. Marketing was in full swing.

With the advent of the “talkies”, audiences could not only hear the song but see the performer singing it. And movie studios, always out for a buck, produced sheet music as a form of mass marketing and promotion. Featured was the star that sang the song as well as the name of the movie, opera or an idealized illustrative setting (usually with the star’s picture inserted somewhere as well.)

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Ever aware of the “bottom line”, and as a way to reinforce the product, graphics for a specific movie or show reused designs. But with only the name of the song changed on the cover.

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Then the Big Band era followed suit. Usually featuring a photo of the band leader. And if the band had a popular singer, their picture also.  But it didn’t matter if the band leader had anything to do with the composition of the music.  If they made it popular, their likeness was slapped on the cover. And in show business, that’s “The Name”; a way to draw in the targeted audience.

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And then sometimes, caricatures of the stars are employed, But with more or less success depending on the skill of artist. You can find covers with whimsical cartoons as well.

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But if you want something more refined, they’re available, too.

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And with such a large catalog available, and at reasonable prices, you are sure to find inexpensive art to suit your interest and liven up your home.

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And, they lay flat for storage!

Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’ ‘tiquen Guys)