"Music for Almost Everybody": The Barney Childs Collection

Allison Fox and Verletta Kern, University of Redlands


Born in 1926, Barney Childs was largely a self-taught composer. In the 1950's he had the opportunity to study with Carlos Chavez and Aaron Copland at Tanglewood. He also spent time studying with Elliott Carter in New York. He was co-founder of Advance Recordings and served as an associate editor for Perspectives of New Music. He also served as co-editor, with Elliott Schwartz, of the book Contemporary Composers on Contemporary Music. Childs began his career in the English Department at the University of Arizona. He later served as dean of Deep Springs College and composer-in-residence at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee. The remainder of his career was spent teaching with Johnston College and the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Redlands. Following his death in the year 2000, a collection of Childs' manuscripts was donated to the University of Redlands. This poster showcased his personal photographs, score manuscripts, and scholarly writings.

Photos:





Presentation handout

Collection Finding Aid