Early Music 101 Workshops (Fall 2026) Event Notice Meetings & Events Workshop or Seminar

The AMS Study Group for Early Musics Skills & Resources announces its Fall 2026 schedule of Early Music 101 workshops: interactive online sessions for advanced undergraduates and graduate students curious about musical practices before 1600, and researchers seeking a secondary specialization in early music. These accessible and engaging workshops introduce longstanding and emergent areas of inquiry while demystifying essential skills, from transcribing early notation and navigating primary sources to visiting archives and using digital repositories. Fall 2026 topics include:

Session I: What is Archival Research (Thursday, Sept 24, 4:00 EDT)

Instructors: Sarah Long and Catherine Saucier

Register here:

https://fsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/f6Ww3cBfTha-LEUm9XXjfQ

Sarah Long and Catherine Saucier introduce the fundamentals of archival research in early music, from planning visits to archives and special collections to navigating the primary sources found there. Participants will come away with practical strategies for locating, accessing, and working with pre-1600 musical materials firsthand.

Session II: What is a Source (Thursday, Oct 29, 4:00 EDT) 

Instructors: Mary Channen Caldwell and Giovanni Zanovello

Register here:

https://fsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/iZH3uCtzRvWsXAVEDmDDow

Mary Channen Caldwell and Giovanni Zanovello explore what counts as a “source” in early music research, examining the manuscripts, prints, and other materials that preserve musical practices from before 1600. The session demystifies how researchers read, interpret, and draw new knowledge from these documents and material objects, including early forms of notation and evidence of performance practice.

Session III: Filling Up Your Research Toolkit (Thursday, Dec 10, 4:00 EST)

Instructors: Luisa Nardini and Jennifer Bain

Register here:

https://fsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/vbkFAdmCQPmFBhO0B06Yqg

Jennifer Bain and Luisa Nardini survey the essential skills and resources of the early music researcher, from transcribing early notation to using digital repositories and databases. Participants will leave with a practical toolkit for launching their own research on pre-1600 musical traditions.