Finding Aid for Shirley Meyer Blankenship Music and Papers, 1950-2009 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Inka Alasade, Justin Carver, Ilona Matkovszki, Eleanor Tewksbury, Noah Lenstra

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Collection Overview

Title: Shirley Meyer Blankenship Music and Papers, 1950-2009

ID: 12/5/53

Primary Creator: Blankenship, Shirley (1938-)

Extent: 9.5 cubic feet

Arrangement: Organized into four series: Series 1, Music Performance and Summer Camp Scrapbooks, 1950-1982; Series 2, Audio Recordings, 1953-2009; Series 3, Sunshine Dinner Playhouse Theatre Production Photographs, 1995-1997; and Series 4, Guido Sinclair Music and Papers, 1958-2005.

Date Acquired: 12/04/2009

Subjects: Compositions-Music, Harps, Jazz, Music, School of, Theatrical Productions

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of scrapbooks, reel-to-reel audio tapes, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, sheet music, photographs, correspondence, posters and concert programs documenting Dr. Shirley Meyer Blankenship's career as a music student at the University of Illinois, a harpist, violinist, pianist, composer, theatre performer, private music instructor, and an University of Illinois School of Music faculty member between 1972 and 1981. Of special note are original compositions based on the music of her former husband and jazz musician Guido Sinclair (1935-1992) as well as graphic illustrations, concert posters, jazz recordings, and Sinclair's original compositions. The Music and Papers were partially digitized by Dr. Blankenship prior to being acquired by the University of Illinois. These digitized copies are on CDs and DVDs.

Biographical Note

Shirley Meyer Blankenship is a music educator, composer, pianist, harpist, and violinist. She was born in Quincy, Illinois, in 1938 and graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1955. She was awarded the title Miss Quincy. She received a BM in piano performance with a minor in violin from the University of Illinois in 1961. She continued her training in piano performance at Washington University in St. Louis receiving a Master of Music in 1966. She then returned to the University of Illinois to begin a Master of Music Theory degree and taught Music Theory as a graduate teaching assistant.�? She earned her second graduate degree in 1969 and eventually taught harp and music theory at the Univerity of Illinois between 1972 and 1981. In 1977, she became the first woman to receive a Doctorate degree in music composition from the University of Illinois.�? During her teaching career, Dr. Blankenship has been an instructor of harp, piano, violin, viola, composition, music theory and other subjects at the University level. Her appointments include: Washington University in St. Louis; MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois; Quincy College; Lindenwood Colleges in St. Charles, Missouri; Hardin (formerly Jefferson) Junior High, St. Charles, Missouri; Olivet Nazareen University, Kankakee; and the University of Illinois. As a violinist, Dr. Blankenship has performed with the Quincy Symphony, University of Illinois Symphony and also with the Springfield, Kankakee and Danville Symphonies. She has been the harpist for the Decatur Symphony and is currently the principal harpist with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, in which she has participated as a violinist, violist and keyboardist as well. Her theatrical career includes being the music director, accompanist and/or actress for productions at the University of Illinois, Little Theater Company and Champaign, Illinois' Sunshine Dinner Playhouse. Dr. Blankenship has contributed her performance skills to the advancement of contemporary and new music, especially for the harp. As a student at the University of Illinois, she was a member of The Contemporary Chamber Players and has been a consultant to numerous composers. Dr. Blankenship has performed and/or composed under the names of Sherilee Niles, Shirley Meyer, Shirley Ann Blankenship, Anne Jazzmin, and Gianne Sinclair. Currently, as of Fall 2010, Dr. Blankenship is writing her autobiography, Polarities.

Subject/Index Terms

Compositions-Music
Harps
Jazz
Music, School of
Theatrical Productions

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Source: Dr. Shirley Meyer Blankenship

Acquisition Method: Gift

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal Papers],
[Series 2: Audio Recordings 1953-2009],
[Series 3: Sunshine Dinner Playhouse Theatre Production Photographs, 1995-1997],
[Series 4: Guido Sinclair Music and Papers, 1958-2005],
[All]

Series 1: Personal Papers

Box 1

Folder 1: Family Photographs, ca. 1900-1950
Folder 2: Family Photographs, ca. 1900-1950
Folder 3: Family Photographs, ca. 1900-1950
Folder 4: Scrapbook Number One, ca. 1938-1960: Description from front of scrapbook: Baby pictures, Decatur and Quincy homes, mother and her brother elmer, sister Marilyn, write up from 3 years, sister Angela, teacher, card from Clarence Allen, dad, grade school pictures notes grade cards, program and write ups 1950 recital, orchestra pictures, notre dame activities, harp ensemble, early pictures, voice recitals, apple drawing, pictures playing instruments, friends, dance recitals, older pictures, California trips, junior high, ymca concert, article junior hi-lights, tour with quincy college, programs, band picture, French horn, miss merry Christmas, latin festival, articles, church programs, more with notre dame, family pictures
Folder 5: Scrapbook Number One, ca. 1938-1960
Folder 6: Scrapbook Number One, ca. 1938-1960
Folder 7: Scrapbook Number One, ca. 1938-1960
Folder 8: Quincy Yearbooks, 1951-1953
Folder 9: Interlochen Programs, 1954-1955
Folder 10: Programs, 1950-1969: Consists of concert and theater programs, summer music camp programs, newspaper clippings, Illinois Summer Youth Music programs, photographs, and listings of concert programs contained in scrapbooks. Arranged chronologically.
Folder 11: Programs, 1950-1969
Folder 12: Programs, 1950-1969
Folder 13: Scrapbook Number Two, ca. 1950s-1960s: Picture, second recital 1953, voice recitals, articles about voice recitals, solo recital, article about graduation voice recital, Horace Heidt, YMCA concert, another year, Illinois summer youth, thank yous, wedding picture, picture of Lydia-mom, beaux arts' ball, seventeen program, news articles, programs, Quincy symphony, interlochen, graduation recital from notre dame, 1955, pictures, wgem talent contest, Europe, grieg's concerto, Kewanee, young artists night, quincy symphony, violin, friends, alpine pops concert, Miss Quincy pageant, miss ilinois pageant, pictures, awards, graduation, grade cards, post graduation, cards from sister Julia
Folder 14: Scrapbook Number 2, ca. 1950s-1960s
Folder 15: Scrapbook Number 2, ca. 1950s-1960s
Folder 16: Scrapbook Number 2, ca. 1950s-1960s
Folder 17: Scrapbook Number Three, 1956-1965: Description from front of Scrapbook: Scholastic recognition scholarships, pictures, UIUC, grade cards, 1956-1961, letters, receital programs, death of father, friends, sister Marilyn and family, Washington university (St. Louis) 1961-1962, grades and teachers, grad recital 1962, Jacksonville Macmurray College, 1962-1963, Murrayville and Woodson, Quincy College 1963-1965, Chapel, news article, programs and write ups, friends, more programs, Jacksonville 1962-1963, Quincy 1963-1965
Folder 18: Scrapbook Number Three, 1956-1965
Folder 19: Quincy Diploma, 1956
Folder 20: Diplomas, 1955-1969
Folder 21: Diplomas, 1955-1969

Box 2

Folder 1: Scrapbook Number Four, ca. 1965-1975: Description from front of scrapbook: marriage to Larry Blankenship 1965, return to UIUC completed master's wash University and master's in comp studies uiuc, friends, trip to Trinidad, death of uncle Leland meyer, Illinois summer youth, teacher, news article theory project, st. Charles lindenwood colleges and hardin and Jefferson junior high schools, pictures and programs, back to the uiuc, faculty, peninsula music festival, letter from nettle, teacher ratings, article, harpist a bit of a masochist, programs, trip to California, American harp society, friends, death of mother, 1975, mother's pictures, my friends, pool I had built at 3002 perkins road, trip to California, harp society, article for the American harp society journal
Folder 2: Scrapbook Number Four, ca. 1965-1975
Folder 3: Scrapbook Number Four, ca. 1965-1975
Folder 4: Scrapbook Number Four, ca. 1965-1975
Folder 5: Trinidad Trip Slides, ca. 1969
Folder 6: Programs and books picked up on trip to Trinidad with Larry, ca. 1969
Folder 7: Programs, 1956-1977
Folder 8: Programs, 1970-1982
Folder 9: Programs, 1970-1982
Folder 10: Programs, 1970-1982
Folder 11: Notecards from dissertation and student work, ca. 1970s
Folder 12: African Music notecards, undated
Folder 13: "A Study of the Music of the Valley Tonga" paper for MUSIC 320 proseminar with audiocassette, 1972
Folder 14: Dissertation Final Draft, 1977
Folder 15: "Visions and Revisions" sheet music, 1974
Folder 16: Dissertation manuscript: "Berg, Lives: Opus 3: Lyris the Suite", 1977
Folder 17: Dissertation manuscript: "Berg, Lives: Opus 3: Lyris the Suite", 1977
Folder 18: Scrapbook Number Five, 1979-1982
Folder 19: Scrapbook Number Five, 1979-1982
Folder 20: Indonesia Trip Photographs, 1981

Box 10

Folder 1: Guido Sinclair, 1983-1992: Description from front of scrapbook: guido Sinclair and Shirley Blankenship book 1983-1992, wedding pictures, guido and Shirley pictures, two harp programs, ads fliers business cards, Johnny mathis and drawing, wedding programs, my programs and recitals, illini week ? gusli article, guido-shirley programs, church programs, central high, article in week-end, cantebury trio, landmark dining room, active senior, script for appearances and disappearances, theatre
Folder 2: "After Guido's Death Book (A.D.)", 1991-1995: Description from Front of Scrapbook: funeral of mrs. Keenan Guido's second mom, Guido's funeral, program of the white street arts center, tribute, memorial articles, guido's d acapo and one for guido, pr about variety in motion and guru guido, about "the squirrel," the guido connection brochure, aboud the guido connection, "seredy" second Sunday series program, three trios performed at the new music cabaret krannert center studio theatre, listing of the guido connection, the guido connection at the bop shop-chicago and the blind pig-champaign, guido picture by nature's table, ad concerning "saint sinclair's synerjazz", article of incorporation for artists in motion (studio), Cleveland bedell's resume, executive director, ny trip ella fitzgerald's tribute, pictures from dick's last resort, at city life with nate, pictures, Chicago jazz fest, new Orleans trip with sina, god children, deseree and kekura, kurt stone acknowledgement, chinchester psalms programs, program, explanation of metaphor, leibowitz synthesizer, smoke on the mountain pictures, Midwest composers symposium ann arbor, student recital program, fundraiser, harp and comments about artists and motion, picture of me drawn by student jenny herber
Folder 3: "After Guido's Death Book (A.D.)", 1991-1995
Folder 4: "After Guido's Death Book (A.D.)", 1991-1995
Folder 5-8: Scrapbook Nine, 1994-1997: Description from front of scrapbook: Contemporary Music Theatre, Artists in Motion, Student Recitals, Weddings
Folder 9: Scrapbook Number 10, 1996-1999: Description from front of book: Julia's wedding, Sunshine Dinner Playhouse, Herbert's Death, Weddings, Recital programs of students
Folder 10: Scrapbook Number 10, 1996-1999
Folder 11: Scrapbook Number 10, 1996-1999
Folder 12: Scrapbook Number Eleven, 1999-2004
Folder 13: Scrapbook Number Eleven, 1999-2004
Folder 14: Scrapbook Number Eleven, 1999-2004
Folder 15: Scrapbook Number Twelve, 2002-2008: Description from front of book: Chester Street, Ruby's, Assembly of God, Les Mis, Godspell, Garvey
Folder 16: Scrapbook Number Twelve, 2002-2008
Folder 17: Scrapbook Number Twelve, 2002-2008
Folder 18: "Guido's Friend" audio CD, ca. 2006?: www.yavawinds.com listed on back. CD-R. Contains eight tracks

Box 5

Folder 1: Contest Sheets - Grade School, 1948-1952
Folder 2: Portraits, ca. 1940-1960
Folder 3: Quincy College Yearbook, 1964
Folder 4: Oversized pages from scrapbook
Folder 5: Newsaper clippings from Scrabbooks, Shirley and Guido, 1987-1989
Folder 6: Artists in Motion fundraiser invitation and RSVPs, 1996
Folder 7: Voice and Harp Sheet Music, two pieces by Gordon Binkerd, 1977
Folder 8: 1) Young Artists Scholarship Contest - "A Time for SInging" and 2) program for memorial service for Marilyn Loofbourrow, 2000
Folder 9: 1) "One of the Boys: The Sy Rogers Story" VHS and 2) "Pastor Grogans" DVD, 2005
Item 1: Artists in Motion stamps

Box 11

Folder 1: Indonesia related correspondence, 1982-1987
Folder 2: Indonesia related correspondence, 1982-1987
Folder 3: Negatives of Indonesian Masks and Art Objects
Folder 4: Books on Indonesian Music and Dance, 1978-1985
Folder 5: Artists in Motion Business Records, 1994-1996 (2007)
Folder 6: Artists in Motion Business Records, 1994-1996 (2007)
Folder 7: Marilyn and Duane Loofbourrow photo album, undated: Description from front: David Guth = Julia Loofbourrow's husband, Galen and Ann Loofbourrow = An's parents; Galen's children = Kent, Kim, Megan, dog; Shirley
Folder 8: Scrapbook Number 13, 2008-2009
Folder 9: About the Life of Shirley Meyer Blankenship - tapes and data DVD, undated
Folder 10: Rolled Calligraphy poems

Box 13

Folder 1: Nature's Table poster featuring flyers for Guido Sinclair performances, ca. 1980s
Folder 2: Junior Hi-Lights Quncy student newspaper, 1951-1953: Articles on Blankenship marked with post-it notes