Series IV. Writings and Projects, 1949, 1953, 1976-2013, undated, inclusive

This series contains paper documents, electronic files, and sound recordings related to Polansky's numerous writings and projects. As a reviewer, editor, and writer, Polansky wrote frequently on topics related to modern music and composers. Writing files in this series typically contain correspondence, edited drafts, and published articles with a significant amount regarding the works and theories of composer James Tenney. This series contains a significant amount of project files for the Ruth Crawford Seeger-related book The Music of American Folk Song... (2001) which include research, edited drafts, correspondence, song transcriptions, and digitized Seeger family photographs. Planning files for Seeger-related concerts and events are also in this series. Polansky's work files on a Harry Partch music transcription project includes annotated sheet music, research, and notes dating from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Documentation in this series on the development of Hierarchical Music Specification Language (HMSL), a computer program Polansky co-wrote with Phil Burk and David Rosenboom while teaching at Mills College, includes grant requests, user manual drafts, presentation notes/slides, old source code, code logs, articles, and notes from the 1980s to the 2000s. Additional material on the Frog Peak Music publication of the HMSL user manual and promotion is in Series III.A. Sound recordings and computer files related to Eine Kleine Gamelan Music, a group project using HMSL, is also in this series. During 1988 and 1989, Polansky and Jody Diamond worked on a Gamelan music project in Indonesia with native composers and musicians. This project is documented through notebooks, studio recording logs, and audio recordings of recording sessions. Polansky and Diamond eventually produced albums from this project, including Asmat Dream, Mana 689, and Karya. Polansky's career as a recording artist is documented in this series through paper and computer files; audio recordings of studio sessions and practices; recording session notes and logs; cd images and promotional material; and contracts. Of note are his recording sessions from the late 1990s to early 2000s for his 51 Melodies album and improvisation sessions with his group,Trio, which includes fellow musicians Christian Wolff and Kui Dong.