Overview
The Maslanka Archive’s mission is to assemble and curate a complete record of David Maslanka’s life and work. To that end, we are focusing on collecting material and stories that document specific episodes in his life. This often spans several different kinds of media. For example, if David visited a university to work with their wind ensemble, possible items would be as follows:
- First-hand accounts and recollections of that visit, either created at the time or recently
- Physical letters and emails back and forth to the director prior to the visit
- Recorded phone calls
- Appearance agreement/contract
- Plane tickets, hotel bookings, and car rental receipts
- Photos/Audio/Video of
- David working with the group or giving masterclasses
- Interviews
- The concert
- Concert programs/promotional material
- News media coverage
- Announcement of visit
- Review of the performance
- Post-visit retrospective
Our ideal scenario is that the Archive would collect and house all of these physical objects. We would then digitize them to archival standards. Our first choice would be for people to donate these objects to us. However, we recognize that many objects associated with David will have deep personal significance to their holder. We are therefore happy to accept digital substitutes of these items.
Just want to tell a story? We’d love to hear it. Either type it directly into the description box or upload a text, Word, or PDF document.
Privacy
We also understand that many letters or personal communications with David will contain private or sensitive material. Please let us know if you would prefer that certain portions of your submitted materials remain private. We will consult you before making any personal items public.
The Restricted Archives will be made available to Archive staff and qualified academic researchers only. Researchers will be required to secure permission from the letter’s addressee or successors before inclusion in public-facing documents.
If you wish to donate physical materials, please make and include an inventory of the items, pack them securely, and ship them to us at the following address:
Maslanka Archive
2625 Strand Ave.
Missoula, MT 59804
Before you send them, please email archive@maslanka.org with tracking information and a description of the shipment.
If you prefer to send digital items, please consider the following guidelines:
Guidelines for digital items
Letters
- Scan at 300 dpi in 8 bit grayscale.
- Make sure the contrast adjustment is set so that the writing is clearly visible
- Multi-page letters should be submitted as PDFs
- Description
- Please give the context for the letter.
- When did you first contact David? What was it regarding?
- Did you send a recording or a score for him to look at?
Do you still have it? If so, please include it. - Do you still have your letters to him?
If so, please include them. - What was your experience with him?
- If possible, transcribe the letter into the description.
- Please give the context for the letter.
Programs
- In order of preference:
- Submit the original document file where possible
(InDesign, Word, etc.)- Make sure to include any supporting files
(images, fonts, etc.)
- Make sure to include any supporting files
- Print-ready PDF
- Scan of the unbound program
(300 dpi, 24 bit color)
- Submit the original document file where possible
- Please send original, unedited recordings where possible. No leveling or noise reduction.
- Complete recording sessions, including unused takes and conversation
- Unmixed master sessions
- Final mixed audio
- Complete interviews, including breaks and dead air.
- Complete concerts, including introductions, intermission, etc.
- Complete rehearsals
- Complete recording sessions, including unused takes and conversation
- Please send uncompressed or losslessly-compressed audio where possible (CD image [iso, bin/cue], WAV, FLAC, OGG, M4A, etc.)
- If you only have compressed audio, please send the files closest to the source: as little compression as possible. Highest bitrate/bit depth possible. 320 kbps/48k sample rate is ideal.
- General guidelines
- Send every photo you have of a given event, even if it’s blurry or out of focus. In doing research, sometimes the only record of something is in the corner of an otherwise terrible photo.
- Tell us as much context as possible for the photos
- What was your relationship to the event?
- What event was taking place?
- Who was taking the pictures?
- When and where were the photos taken?
- What camera was being used?
- Who are the people pictured?
- Digital-native photos
- Ideally, send the raw image file (DNG, NEF, RAW, etc.)
- Otherwise, send the image that’s the closest to the original as possible: no processing, cropping, or size adjustments.
- Film-native photos
- Ideally, donate the photos and negatives directly to the Archive.
- Scan photos at 600 dpi, 24 bit color
- Send uncompressed TIFF files.
- Send every piece of footage available: even if it’s shaky or out of focus. Sometimes, the only record of a particular event is in otherwise unusable video.
- Send the final edit of any video package produced.
- Tell us as much context as possible for the video
- What was your relationship to the event?
- What event was taking place?
- Who was taking the video?
- When and where was the video shot?
- What camera was being used?
- Who are the people pictured?
- Digital-native video
- Ideally, send the raw file (MOV, MP4, AVCHD, MXF, DNG)
- Otherwise, send the image that’s the closest to the original as possible: no processing or editing and as little compression as possible.
- Film-native video
- Donate the film directly to the Archive.
- Otherwise, have it professionally digitized at 4K resolution and send those files.
Ownership
All physical and digital items become the property of the Maslanka Foundation. You grant us permission to (among other things) reproduce and display the items. You may continue to use submitted digital files for your own personal use without restriction.
Meet the Archivist
Richard Nobbe is the Research Assistant at the Maslanka Foundation. He’s in charge of managing the intake and organization of archival materials. Questions about sending items? Email Richard at archive@maslanka.org.