The Great American Songbook Foundation

The Songbook for Every Tomorrow

The Songbook is a canon of music without hard boundaries. There’s no actual book, no specific list of songs. However, from Ella Fitzgerald and Cole Porter to Irving Berlin, the luminaries who have “added” to it over the years should be familiar to all.

Just as the Songbook comforted American families during the Great Depression and boosted morale during the darkness of World War II, it continues to make an impact. Modern musical artists, like Lady Gaga and Paul McCartney, breathe new life into the standards for new audiences.  

It’s not just new renditions of classics, though. There are still songs being written today that fit the shoe of “America’s classical music,” by singer-songwriters like Barry Manilow and Henry Mancini.

The Foundation’s Role in All of This

So, where does The Great American Songbook Foundation fit into all this? A nonprofit founded in 2007 by Michael Feinstein, its mission statement is to preserve the Songbook and educate people about this cultural touchstone. They have exhibits in person and online that are the perfect teaching tool.

Archives & Library is on site, as well, that collects the physical artifacts of the Songbook for current and future generations. As we mentioned earlier, there’s no physical Songbook. However, there are thousands of pieces of sheet music and arrangements by the artists above and many others.

From the Andrews Sisters Memorabilia to the Hy Zaret Papers, you’ll find all sorts of artifacts that can’t be seen anywhere else!