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Ronald M. Surak papers
The Ronald M. Surak papers are housed in fourteen boxes and one flat file. They are comprised mostly of his musical compositions and span the second half of the twentieth century. The collection has been divided in three series: Compositions (Series I), Programs and other papers (Series II), and Au...
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| Contributors: | |
| Collection: | Ronald M. Surak Papers |
| Collection Number: | 3693 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Item Description: |
Processing Information: The audio-visual items in the collection are unavailable until they can digitized. Once this work is complete, the original materials will be returned to the collection and links to the digital files will be added to this finding aid. |
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| Physical Description: |
6.4 Linear feet ; 15 boxes, 3 volumes, 1 flat file |
| Access: |
The collection is open for research except for the audio-visual items in Boxes 9 to 14. Because HSP currently has no way to service audio or video cassettes and discs, these items are currently closed to researchers. They will be digitized at some point in the future after which they will be placed online in our Digital Library and this note will be updated. |
| Summary: |
The Ronald M. Surak papers are housed in fourteen boxes and one flat file. They are comprised mostly of his musical compositions and span the second half of the twentieth century. The collection has been divided in three series: Compositions (Series I), Programs and other papers (Series II), and Audio-visual items (Series III). The materials in Series III are closed to researchers until they can be digitized. (Please see the Restriction Note for further information.) This collection consists almost solely of records relating to Surak's musical works and the performance of them. The collection contains scant documentation of his teaching careers at the Wilmington Music School and Rutgers University and of his personal life.
The first series, Compositions, contains Surak's hand-written and computer-generated musical works and related papers (Boxes 1-5). They are arranged alphabetically by title, mostly according to identified groups that had been created before the collection came to HSP. Groups of unidentified compositions, fragments of compositions and musical notes, and unidentified computer programs on paper have been placed at the end of the series in Box 5, Folders 9-12.
The second series, Programs and other papers, comprises the contents of Boxes 6 and 7, as well as Flat File 1. Box 6 contains chronologically arranged programs from musical and theatrical performances that featured Surak's compositions. They range from the 1960s to the 2000s. Box 7 contains correspondence, letters of recommendation, clippings and other printed matter, resumes and biographies, papers on residencies he held, and papers relating to school work. Oversized posters and programs have been placed in Flat File 1. Papers in this series are arranged chronologically.
The final series, Audio-visual items, is comprised of an assortment of Surak's audio works on compact discs, audio cassette tapes, and DATs (Digital Audio Tape), as well as a few video camcorder and VHS tapes. In additions, there are also several 3.25 floppy discs, ZIP discs, and an unidentified hard drive. Items in this series are roughly arranged in alphabetical order by composition names. Those that could not be identified have been placed at the end of Box 13 and in Box 14. All materials in this series are currently closed to researchers due to servicing issues. Please see the Restriction note for further details. Ronald M. Surak (1940-2011) was a musician and music teacher from Shamokin, Pennsylvania. He specialized in composition, was particularly interested in computer-generated music, and created several works that combined traditional instruments with electronic music. He taught at the Wilmington Music School in Delaware and Rutgers University at both New Brunswick and Camden in New Jersey. Additionally, he served a director of the Rutgers Center for Computer and Experimental Music. This collection of Surak's papers is comprised mostly of his musical compositions and spans the second half of the twentieth century. In addition to musical scores, there are also programs (for his own performances and performances of his works by others), flyers, clippings, personal notes, and ephemera. There is also a significant group of audio and video recordings of his work on cassettes, CDs, and computer discs. |