LibGuides: Music Special Collections Library Guide: Example Research Projects Using the Allan Blank Papers Collection

About the Allan Blank Papers Collection

Allan Blank’s life began on December 27, 1925 in New York City. As a composer, Allan Blank was known for his contemporary pieces, utilizing instruments that often seemed strange on the surface, but would work beautifully together. Not only was Blank a talented composer with over 60 published works, he was also a dedicated professor. Teaching at several institutions, the composer ended his teaching career at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1996 to focus more on writing music. Allan Blank was married to Margot Dreyfuss Blank a painter and photographer. Sadly, he passed away on November 12, 2013 from a brain tumor.

The Allan Blank Papers consist primarily of scores (mainly in manuscript and facsimile formats) and materials related directly to his significant compositions and published materials, including programs, reviews and recordings. His compositions encompass a wide range of instrumentation and format. His works include pieces for a solo instrument, full orchestra, chamber ensemble, voice, music for children, and opera. Materials in this collection also document some of Mr. Blank’s personal and professional interests.

Traditional Research Paper

Need Some Inspiration? Here Are a Few Research Topics to Get You Started:

Write a biography of Allan Blank utilizing materials from his collection in your research.
Using Allan Blank’s sketchbooks, newspaper articles, and scores, write about how the Holocaust was expressed in music. (see “Poems From the Holocaust”)
Start your research on the history of Jewish composers in Virginia by exploring the Allan Blank and John Duffy Collections.
Investigate contemporary classical music methodology by using Allan Blank’s style as an example. (see Sketches and Sketchbooks, 1963-1994)
Take an in-depth look at Allan Blank’s compositional inspirations and write about how artists influence each other’s works. (see Maggie, Milly, Molly, and May SSA, undated)

Visual and Performing Arts Projects

Portrait of Allan Blank by Margot Blank

Visual Arts:

Taking Margo Blank’s art as inspiration, paint your own portrait of Allan Blank. (see Photographs, undated)
Visualizing one of Allan Blank’s pieces in your own artistic expression and medium, depict the scene from score to canvas. (see Videos and Recordings, 1958-2005, undated – CD’s)
Create a collage of Allan Blank’s life using images from his collection. (see Personal and Professional Reference Materials, 1981-2009, undated)

Performing Arts:

Using Allan Blank’s scores, create your own arrangement of one of his pieces. (see Original Compositions, 1958-1998, undated)
Write a one act play, or opera using Allan Blank’s “The Magic Bonbons One-Act Opera” as inspiration. (see The Magic Bonbons One-Act Opera, undated)
Perform one of Allan Blank’s pieces for soloists at the next Student Performance Hour. (see Solo Works, undated)

Creative Writing Projects

Potential Creative Writing Topics:

Allan Blank was often inspired by poets, write your own version of Walt Whitman's “Four Poems”. (see Four Poems by Walt Whitman Baritone and Piano)
Using one of Allan Blank’s pieces, write the story of the music. How to the notes feel as they leave the composer’s brain to be placed on paper? What is the perspective of the oboe as it plays? Is the music score excited to be in the conductor’s hands on the opening night of a performance? (see Original Compositions, 1958-1998, undated)
Write a short story about how Allan Blank created his compositions, using his sketchbooks as inspiration. (see Sketches and Sketchbooks, 1963-1994, undated)
Create a short story about the day in the life of Allan Blank, from waking up to practice his violin, his day teaching composition and ending the evening of composing music.
Referring to Allan Blank’s correspondence with musicians, write a series of responding letters from the composer’s perspective. (see Correspondence, 1969-2008, undated)