Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries

🎶 Big news for music preservation! The ARChive of Contemporary Music has found a permanent home, helping ensure millions of recordings remain preserved and accessible for future generations.

Every recording has a story worth saving. 🎧 Read more below!

Archive Of Contemporary Music To Move Permanent Collection To Ridgefield The Archive of Contemporary Music plans to move to 650 Danbury Road in Ridgefield and open in 2028.

This Fourth of July, and as we look ahead toward America’s 250th anniversary, we’re celebrating the music of Irving Berlin with a special vintage piano roll performance of God Bless America from the personal collection of Ben Roth. 🇺🇸🎹

Originally written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised in 1938, God Bless America became one of America’s most enduring patriotic songs. This player piano roll offers a glimpse into how audiences experienced popular music in the early twentieth century through the remarkable technology of the player piano.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July as we reflect on America’s musical history through these vintage sounds.

God Bless America by Irving Berlin | Vintage Piano Roll Performance Celebrate the music of Irving Berlin with this vintage piano roll p...

🎙️ Before tape, there was wire!

A restored 1947 wire recorder has brought rare Dave Brubeck recordings back to life, proving that preserving old playback technology is just as important as preserving the recordings themselves.

It's a fascinating look at how yesterday's technology is helping save today's history. 🎶

Discover How a Restored 1947 Wire Recorder Helped Iron Mountain Preserve Rare Dave Brubeck Recordings, Combining Vintage Technology with Modern Audio Restoration. There are certain moments in archival audio work where history suddenly becomes very tangible. Recently, our studio had one of those moments when we acquired a functioning 1947 wire recorder we found…

Old VHS tapes and cassette recordings transformed into woven art pieces, blending media preservation, memory, and creativity into something entirely new. 📼🧵
A fascinating look at how obsolete formats can still tell stories in unexpected ways.

VHS tapes and cassette recordings replace yarn in a woven archive of collective memory woven VHS tapes transform obsolete media into a tapestry In Stories Seen and Heard (2025), Polish artist Kuba Święcicki transforms discarded VHS tapes and cassette recordings into a monumental woven installation, asking what happens when obsolete technology becomes a craft material.  Encountered...

For decades, a rare recording of Harpo Marx speaking publicly sat mislabeled in an archive, until it was rediscovered. 🎙️

A fascinating reminder that archives still hold surprises waiting to be heard.

A Rare Recording of Harpo Marx Speaking Publicly Was Mislabeled in an Archive for Decades. Now You Can Listen to the 'Silent' Comedian Yourself. The comedian of the stage and big screen thrilled millions of Americans without ever speaking a word, leaving many to wonder what his voice sounded like

🇺🇸 This Memorial Day, we’re sharing a historic recording of Stars and Stripes Forever from the Recorded Sound Archives alongside a piano roll from Ben Roth’s personal collection of piano rolls.

Experience this patriotic classic and explore how piano rolls helped bring music into homes over a century ago. 🎹

Listen on our blog:
https://rsa.fau.edu/blog/digital-access/listen-to-stars-and-stripes-this-memorial-day-weekend/

Listen to Stars and Stripes this Memorial Day Weekend - Recorded Sound Archives Listen to a vintage recording of “Stars and Stripes Forever” from the Recorded Sound Archives and honor Memorial Day through historic sound.

Celebrating Irving Berlin’s birthday with a special piano roll performance of “Russian Lullaby.”

Written in 1927, this haunting and beautiful composition reflects the musical influences that shaped one of America’s greatest songwriters. Through the sound of the piano roll, we can experience how music was shared and enjoyed during the early 20th century.

Listen to the recording and travel back in time through sound.

Russian Lullaby on Piano Roll | Celebrating Irving Berlin’s Birthday In celebration of Irving Berlin’s birthday on May 11, the Recorded Sound Archives highlights “Russian Lullaby” performed on piano roll.Written by Irving Berl...