The Music of Baseball: A History and Catalog of Selected Works

Since 1858 when the first piece of baseball music was published and performed, music has been a constant companion to all aspects of the game, amplifying and enlivening the stories and experiences of the fans, players, performers, composers, lyricists and music publishers who documented and celebrated the game with music. As America was searching for its own musical identity separate from European influences, baseball would be riding that same crest into the twentieth century, with the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" branding baseball and its music as a popular and cherished American enterprise. The partnership of baseball and music would grow stronger through two world wars, suffrage, women's professional ball, racial integration and expansion of the game to the West Coast. These historical milestones, while familiar, are made startlingly new when viewed and expressed through a musical soundtrack. Presented by a professional music librarian, this first-of-its-kind history tells the story of baseball through the music that has accompanied it for over a century. As the rhythms and personalities of the game continue to change, so does its music, reflecting America's ongoing love for a game, and those who play it.