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Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Happy International Women’s Day Tommies

Today we celebrate the accomplishments of women in all areas of society, social, political, and economic.
To help you celebrate the day, we put together some of our favorite documentaries, made by women, for everyone to learn more about what it means to be a woman today.

 The F Word
Summary: Why does the word “feminism” have so many different meanings in the United States? Men and women from diverse backgrounds are interviewed to try to answer this question while creating a platform for discussion about gender roles, stereotypes, and the feminist movement.

A Girl Like Her
Summary: A girl like her reveals the hidden history of over a million young women who became pregnant in the 1950s and 60s when “nice girls” didn’t get pregnant. It was a time when young women were routinely expelled from high schools and colleges and banished to maternity homes or distant relatives where they could give birth, surrender their babies for adoption, and start over with a clean slate. But did they? The film combines footage from educational films and newsreels – that both reflected and shaped the public’s understanding of single pregnancy during that time – with the voices of these mothers as they speak today about the long-term impact of surrender and silence on their lives.

Wonder Women! : The Untold Story of American Superheroines
Summary: A nuanced critique of gender and heroism in popular culture as well as a powerful dose of Vitamin F(eminism) for the undernourished. From the birth of the 1940s comic book heroine, Wonder Woman, to the blockbusters of today, Wonder Women! looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about strong and healthy women. Wonder Women! reveals the complicated negotiations girls and women face as they attempt to achieve confidence, strength, and agency in a society often at odds with those goals. Yet it also inspires through its evocative images, upbeat soundtrack, and richly contextualized history of American superheroines — including the everyday wonder women and action girls in our midst. The film goes behind the scenes with Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner, comic writers and artists, and real-life superheroines such as Gloria Steinem, Kathleen Hanna, and others who offer an enlightening and entertaining counterpoint to the male-dominated superhero genre.

Come check out these films and more on this topic at the Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A.

By Nicole Wanttie

 

Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Happy Valentine’s Day Tommies

Happy Valentine’s Day Tommies,
Love is in the air. To help you feel the love, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite romcoms to share with you all. Take a look at some of the films we have available for you to check out!
10 Things I Hate About You. Modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”. Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn’t attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), house rules say that she can’t date until Kat has a boyfriend, so strings are pulled to set the dour damsel up for a romance. Soon Kat crosses paths with handsome new arrival Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). Will Kat let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming Patrick?

Mamma Mia (2 Disc Collection) New to our collections is the 2-disc collection of Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again sing Along Editions. Mamma Mia is the story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular 1970s group ABBA. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: “Join the celebration, sing and dance, and discover how it all began! … Sophie … is now pregnant, and like her mother Donna … she’ll need to take risks.”
Titanic A timeless love story born of tragedy that created an international phenomenon. This epic masterpiece is destined to sweep audiences anew into the journey of a lifetime. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, try checking our online display for more movies on our streaming databases.

Have a particular film in mind that you want but still haven’t found it on there? Come into the Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A. We’ll be happy to help you find what you’re looking for.

By Nicole Wanttie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

African American History Month at the Music & Media Collections

February is African American History Month and to kick it off, we invite you to sit back, relax and watch these documentaries to learn more about the rich history of the not-so-distant past.

America to Me, is a 10-part series that examines racial, economic and class issues in contemporary American education in this unscripted documentary series. Poignant and funny, epic and intimate, America to Me spends an academic year at Chicagoland’s elite Oak Park and River Forest High School, allowing its students, families, faculty, and administration to tell stories of the pressures and challenges teens face in their own words. Available in full on our streaming database Academic Video Online.

Tell Them We Are Rising highlights black colleges and universities that are a haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries and have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. This documentary examines the impact these institutions have had on American history, culture, and national identity. Come ask about it at the Music & Media Collections.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice delves into the climate surrounding the courageous 18 African American athletes who carried the weight and hopes of an entire movement on their shoulders as they boarded a ship to Berlin Olympic Games in 1936 – a Nazi propaganda pageant that did not welcome their participation and considered them second class citizens. Their heroic turn at the Games became a seminal precursor to the Civil Rights Movement. Narrated by executive producer and Hollywood actor Blair Underwood. Full documentary available on our streaming database Academic Video Online.

Hoop Dreams follows the high school careers of two young, African American men from inner-city Chicago as they pursue their dream of playing professional basketball.

Check out more documentaries and films like these at Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A.

By Nicole Wanttie

 

Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Christmas Movies

The Holiday season is approaching fast and if you’re not already in the holiday spirit, these movies may do the trick.

Jingle all the Way

“A father vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. However, every store is sold out of them, and he must travel all over town and compete with everybody else in order to find one.”

Filmed right here in the Twin Cities!

 

 

All is Bright

 

“While out on parole, Dennis reluctantly takes a job selling Christmas trees with his old buddy Rene in order to make enough money to buy his estranged daughter the piano she’s always wanted.”

 

 

The Nutcracker
“The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.”

Come into the Music and Media Collections (OSF Library 104A) to see what movies we have on our holiday display that are available for check out.

A Christmas Carol
“At first, miserable, greedy old Scrooge can’t tolerate the revelry of Christmas, much less comprehend its meaning. But visits from his former business partner’s ghost and three cautionary specters from the past, present and future force the man to soul-search.”

 

 

 

It’s a Wonderful Life

A man is saved from a suicide attempt by an angel and is then shown how important he is to the people who love him. A Christmas classic.”

 

 

 

 

By Nicole Wanttie

Media/Music Collections, Music, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Christmas Music

Tired of listening to the same Christmas songs over and over again? Want to listen to something new? Try looking for a Christmas Album on our music streaming site Naxos Music Library. Want something new but don’t have time to look through the hundreds of albums available? Here are some options for you:
Christmas Music for Strings (Christmas Without Words)

A 9 song album with songs performed by a string orchestra and some accompaniment by a violin. Some notable songs include “I’ll be home for Christmas”, “Deck the Halls” and “Sleigh Ride”

The Christmas Collection (Music Lab Collective)

A 14 song Christmas album full of piano instrumentals of your favorite holiday songs. Notable titles include “Santa Baby” , “Last Christmas”,  and “All I want for Christmas is You”.

Instrumental Ensemble Music – Flute Ensemble Triptyque

Flute Trio performs classic holiday songs as well as a few medleys that include a mashup of all your favorite tunes.  Medleys included are: “All I Want for Christmas Is You – Jingle Bell Rock – Winter Wonderland – Sutekina Horidei – I Saw Mommy … – Last Christmas – Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – and more”

Christmas and Hanukah: I’ll Be Home for the Holidays

Performed by a trio, this album has 21 songs to listen to. Notable titles include “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”, “Feliz Navidad”, and “Carol of the Bells/ We Three Kings”.

Feeling nostalgic and want to listen to a physical CD? Look no further than the Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A

Christmas echoes. Volume 1

Recorded at St. Paul Seminary and Studio M, Dale Warland conducts a choir that encapsulates the Christmas spirit. Notable songs on the album include “The first Noel”, “O Little town of Bethlehem”, and “What child is this?”

By Nicole Wanttie

 

 

Database Highlights & Trials, Media/Music Collections, Music, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Database Spotlight: Medici.TV

Get the concert hall experience from your own home with Medici.TV. This streaming service offered by the Music & Media Collections specializes in classical music performances and has everything from high quality recordings of operas, ballets, and concerts led by world-renowned conductors to master classes taught by famous musicians. Medici.TV also stays up to date on the latest performances, so there is always something new to watch.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by Christian Spuck, music by Tchaikovsky
This is just one of the Nutcracker ballet productions that Medici.TV offers, and it features a new choreography alongside the spectacular music of Tchaikovsky and the stunning costume design.

Gershwin in Rhythm
George Madaras conducts the Liège Royal Philharmonic in this concert which features pieces by George Gershwin. Among the pieces performed is “Rhapsody in Blue”—one of Gershwin’s most famous compositions.

By Jayde Hoppe

Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Database Spotlight: Digitalia

Looking to expand your film-viewing habits? If so, then check out Digitalia—one of the streaming services offered by the Music & Media Collections. This database hosts a wide variety of films and documentaries from around the world. Digitalia offers a multitude of films from South America, Europe, Africa, and North America. The database allows you to browse by country or regional collection.

Dos Fridas
This drama explores the life of Frida Kahlo’s Costa Rican nurse, Judith Ferreto, who cared for her in the last years of the artist’s life. Later, Judith is cared for by a nurse in Costa Rica, and her dreams take on a life of their own.

Un Mundo Secreto
In Mexico City, eighteen-year-old Maria sets out on the road to spiritual self-discovery. As she road-trips through the deserts of Sinaloa and reaches the La Paz coast, she embraces the natural world and it embraces her back.

By Jayde Hoppe

Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

“Thankful Tree” Display from Music & Media Collections

Happy Thanksgiving Week Tommies!

Before we leave for break, The Music & Media Collections invites you to partake in our “Thankful Tree” Display.

Simply stop on by and write what you are thankful for on a leaf or acorn cut out and staff will add it to our display. This is a great way to remind yourself and others that there are many things to be thankful for this busy holiday season.

Also, the Music & Media Collections will be playing fall movies outside of the collections on Monday, November 22nd and Tuesday, November 23rd. Stop on by and see what we have available to watch on our streaming databases or come in to see what fall movies we have available for check out.

Our hours for Thanksgiving Break are: 

Wednesday – 7:30-6:00
Thursday – Closed
Friday – Closed
We resume normal hours on Saturday 12:00-4:00.

Have a good break!

 

by Nicole Wanttie

Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Political Science

Database Spotlight: Docuseek2


This month the Music & Media Collections is spotlighting Docuseek2. This online streaming service is available to all UST students and staff with the use of their log-in information.

Docuseek2 hosts documentaries on a wide variety of topics from renowned distributors like Bullfrog Films and Icarus Films. Many of these documentaries have made their way around the film festival circuit and can be useful to provoke classroom discussion.

On the website, you can browse by new releases or by subjects like addiction, indigenous studies, and the environment. While most of the films are from the United States and Canada, the breadth of topics covered by the database makes it an invaluable resource and many of the films deal heavily with contemporary social issues in our region.

AWAKE, A Dream from Standing Rock
Filmed during the 2016-2017 protests at Standing Rock, this documentary is a collaboration between three indigenous filmmakers that covers the beginning of protests at Standing Rock to the current status of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Women in Blue
This documentary, filmed from 2017 to 2020, follows Minneapolis police chief Janeé Harteau and other women within the police department. As Harteau works to reform the department from the inside, the documentary focuses on her efforts to promote more women within the force as they are statistically less likely to use force than their male counterparts.

 

By Jayde Hoppe

 

Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Native American Heritage Month!

November is Native American Heritage Month! Celebrate by watching these documentaries to learn more about the history of Native Americans and current problems they face in America today.

American Indian Homelands powerfully highlights efforts to redress more than a century’s worth of legal and political moves undermining Indian land ownership and sovereignty, going back to the 1887 General Allotment Act; the national fight to recover lost lands is being led by the Twin Cities-based Indian Tenure Land Foundation.

Kind Hearted Woman follows Robin Charboneau, a magnetic 31-year-old Oglala Sioux woman living on the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota. In sharing her story, this documentary will portray the realities of what it means to be a contemporary Native American woman living in two worlds. This two part documentary follows Robin for three years as she struggles to raise her two children, further her education, and heal herself from the wounds of sexual abuse she suffered as a child.

Kind Hearted Woman (Part 2)

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World brings to light the profound and overlooked influence of Indigenous people on popular music in North America. Focusing on music icons like Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Taboo (The Black Eyed Peas), Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Jesse Ed Davis, Robbie Robertson, and Randy Castillo, RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World shows how these pioneering Native American musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives. Renewed attention to this missing chapter in the history of American music led to the publishing of Brian Wright-McLeod’s The Encyclopedia of Native Music, an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and eventually this documentary.

We Shall Remain: America Through Native Eyes (E77 .W47 2009 DVD) tells the story of when Europeans encountered the Native people when coming to North America. Native peoples valiantly resisted expulsion from their lands and fought the extinction of their culture using all avenues available, including military, legal, and political action, diplomacy, and supplication of the spiritual realm. From the Wampanoags of New England in the 1600s who used their alliance with the English to weaken rival tribes, to the bold new leaders of the 1970s who harnessed the momentum of the civil rights movement to forge a pan-Indian identity. Spanning almost four hundred years, these documentaries tell the story of pivotal moments in U.S. history from the Native American perspective, presenting Native history as an integral part of the American story.

Find these documentaries and more including DVDs available for check out at the Music & Media Collections in room 104A at the OSF Library.

 

By Nicole Wanttie