Finding Aid for Shirley Meyer Blankenship Music and Papers, 1950-2016 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Inka Alasade, Justin Carver, Ilona Matkovszki, Eleanor Tewksbury, Noah Lenstra, Carol Berthold, Thornton Miller, Nolan Vallier

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Collection Overview

Title: Shirley Meyer Blankenship Music and Papers, 1950-2016

ID: 12/5/53

Primary Creator: Blankenship, Shirley (1938-)

Extent: 13.0 cubic feet

Arrangement: Organized into five series: Series 1) Personal Papers, ca.1900-2009, Series 2) Audio Recordings, 1953-2015, Series 3) Sunshine Dinner Playhouse Theatre Production Photographs, 1995-1997, Series 4) Guido Sinclair Music and Papers, 1958-2005, and Series 5) Shirley Blankenship Computer Files, ca. 1950-2016. Series 1 is arranged chronologically. Series 2 is arranged in two different methods by date of acquistion: materials received in 2009 are arranged by a system of Roman numerals given to each recording by Shirley Blankenship and materials received in 2016 are arranged alphabetically based on their original order. Series 3 is arranged alphabetically by the title of the production. Series 4 contains two sub series based on the primary creator of the material: Sub-Series 1) Guido Sinclair Papers and Music and Sub-Series 2) Shirley Blankenship's Guido Sinclair Legancies. Each sub-series is arranged chronologically. Series 5 is arranged into three subseries based on the bulk of material found within each set of files: Sub-Series 1) Personal Files, Sub-Series 2) Audio Files, and Sub-Series 3) Shirley Blankenship's Guido Sinclair Legacy Files. Each of the sub-series in Series 5 is arranged alphabetically by title.

Date Acquired: 12/04/2009. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Adams County, Illinois, Champaign County, Illinois, Compositions-Music, Harps, Jazz, Music, School of, Music -- Indonesia, Music Composition, Piano, Quincy, Illinois, Theatrical Productions, Violin

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, theater performer, private music instructor, and 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. Materials in Series 4, Sub-Series 1 represent materials created by Guido Sinclair and donated by Shirley Blankenship to the archives. The Music and Papers were partially digitized by Dr. Blankenship prior to being acquired by the University of Illinois. A small but selected sample of images and recordings are included online.

Biographical Note

Shirley Meyer Blankenship is a music educator, composer, pianist, harpist, and violinist. She was born in Decatur, Illinois, in 1938 and graduated from the Notre Dame Conservatory of Music (Quincy, IL) in 1955 and Quincy Senior High School in 1956. As a teenager, 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 University 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. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Dr. Blankenship performed on harp with the Squareknot Quartet, a group which included such members as Dorothy Martirano on violin. In the mid 1980s, Dr. Blankenship organized an arts exchange between the Squareknot Quartet and the country of Indonesia. At this time, Dr. Blankenship also married Guido Sinclair, a Jazz musician who played saxophone and performed regualarly at jazz venues in both Champaign and Chicago. Between 1988 and 1992, she began performing with Sinclair on violin, harp, and piano at several local bars and restaurants including Nature's Table. Dr. Blankenship was instrumental in promoting Sinclair's music after his death in 1992 and arranged, published, and performed several of his compositions. Around this time she began the Artist in Motion series, which held concerts at several area clubs including Chester Street. From the mid 1990s to the 2010s Dr. Blankenship began working on her Harp Legacy Project, in which several contemporary composers created compositions for her to perform and record. From this project she has created a number of harp webinars and articles on composing for the instrument.

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 Nazarene 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 was 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.

Subject/Index Terms

Adams County, Illinois
Champaign County, Illinois
Compositions-Music
Harps
Jazz
Music, School of
Music -- Indonesia
Music Composition
Piano
Quincy, Illinois
Theatrical Productions
Violin

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: Additional materials were donated by Dr. Blankenship on July 26, 2016.

Acquisition Source: Dr. Shirley Meyer Blankenship

Acquisition Method: Gift

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal Papers, ca. 1900-2009],
[Series 2: Audio Recordings, 1953-2015],
[Series 3: Sunshine Dinner Playhouse Theatre Production Photographs, 1995-1997],
[Series 4: Guido Sinclair Music and Papers, 1958-2005],
[Series 5: Shirley Blankeship Computer Files, ca. 1950-2016],
[All]

Series 1: Personal Papers, ca. 1900-2009

Consists of Scrapbooks, Photographs, Concert Programs, and Writings. Materials arranged chronologically.

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 Two, ca. 1950s-1960s
Folder 15: Scrapbook Number Two, ca. 1950s-1960s
Folder 16: Scrapbook Number Two, 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 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: Includes "Through Your Strangeness Frets My Heart" by Gordon Binkerd and "Secret Love (for Voice, Cello, and Harp)" by Gordon Binkerd.
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 and Guido Connection stamps, ca. 1980s-1990s: There are a total of seven stamps which have been given the accession numbers: 2009.1205053.001-200.1205053.007.

Box 10

Folder 5: Scrapbook Number Nine, 1994-1997: Description from front of scrapbook: Contemporary Music Theatre, Artists in Motion, Student Recitals, Weddings
Folder 6: Scrapbook Number Nine, 1994-1997: Description from front of scrapbook: Contemporary Music Theatre, Artists in Motion, Student Recitals, Weddings
Folder 7: Scrapbook Number Nine, 1994-1997: Description from front of scrapbook: Contemporary Music Theatre, Artists in Motion, Student Recitals, Weddings
Folder 8: Scrapbook Number Nine, 1994-1997: Description from front of scrapbook: Contemporary Music Theatre, Artists in Motion, Student Recitals, Weddings
Folder 9: Scrapbook Number Ten, 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 Ten, 1996-1999
Folder 11: Scrapbook Number Ten, 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 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 Thirteen, 2008-2009
Folder 9: About the Life of Shirley Meyer Blankenship - tapes and data DVD, undated
Folder 10: Rolled Calligraphy poems, undated

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

Box 14

Folder 1: Copies of Photographs of Guido Sinclair and Shirley Blankenship, ca. 1980-1992: Copies of photographs of Guido Sinclair: individually; with Squareknot Quartet; drawing of (1986); with Jane Blankenship; with unidentified individuals.
Folder 2: Shirley Blankenship and Guido Sinclair Photographs, ca. 1985-1992: Photographs, negatives.
Folder 3: Anne Jazzmin Advertisements, ca. 1988: Advertisements from International Musician (October, 1988); Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, November 24, 1988.
Folder 4: Anne Jazzmin Promotional Photograph, Resume, and Recording, ca. 1989: Photograph; Resume through 1989. Cassette tape: Anne Jazzmin Duo, Anne - Harp; Guido Sinclair, Sax. Pieces include: Days of Wine and Roses, Love Boat, Stela by Starlight, Our Day Will Come, and The Way We Were.
Folder 5: Nate Griffin, Not Enough, ca. 1994: Arranger: Nate Griffin. Orchestration for: Not Enough, Everytime Am I Worthy.
Folder 6: Columbia College Archives Donation, 1996-2009: Donations of Guido Material to Columbia College, Chicago, IL. Lists of contents in Boxes 1, 2, 3, and additional materials.Gift agreementswith Center for Black Musc Research (CBMR), Columbia College, Chicago, IL,1996. Promotional materials from CBMR. Correspondence with CBMR staff. Finding aid to Guido Sinclair Collection, CBMR, Columbia College, February 1997.