Sidney Robertson Cowell
Encyclopedia
Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...
. She was born at San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
She collected a large volume of American folk songs between 1936 and 1957, particularly for the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
Northern California Folk Music Project (1938–1940), which she initiated.
She married in 1924, as her first husband, Kenneth Robertson. They later divorced.
In her later life, she lived in Shady
Shady, New York
Shady is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Woodstock and lies on New York State Route 212.-Notable residents:*Henry Cowell, composer...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
While living in Shady, she sold her large library of books on Folklore and Folk Music to raise money for folklorist Vance Randolph (q.v.), who needed funds to help him deal with medical problems.
External links
- Sidney Robertson Cowell page
- Sidney Robertson Cowell page on the Library of Congress Website
- Profile of Sidney Robertson Cowell from the Association of Cultural Equity
See also
- Henry CowellHenry CowellHenry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...