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Creator
Brown, Thomas P. (Thomas Pollok), 1879-
Call number
JPB 04-41
Physical description
26.37 linear feet (38 boxes)
Language
English
Preferred Citation

Thomas P. Brown Papers, JPB 04-41. Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Repository
Music Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

Thomas Philip Brown was a saxophonist with his own orchestra in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He became a music copyist for Broadway musicals, copied music on order for the Samuel French Company, and produced a series of translated opera records under the label Opera of the Month . The collection contains piano conductor scores and parts of musicals, orchestral pieces, sheet music, financial materials, and some correspondence.

Biographical/historical information

Thomas Philip Brown was a saxophonist with his own orchestra in the late 1930s and early 1940s. According to his publicity statement, Tom Brown was a graduate music student at the University of Wisconsin before he moved to San Francisco. In San Francisco he served as a staff artist at radio station KFRC and also as arranger for the Fox Theatre. The Tom Brown Orchestra, a well-received dance band, played several clubs in California including an extended booking at the Bal Tabarin in 1936. This was followed by another extended booking at Seattle’s Club Victor. The Orchestra also performed numerous radio shows. Tom Brown orchestrated much of his orchestra’s music. In 1939 Tom Brown performed at the Golden Gate International Exposition as a member of the Walt Roesner Orchestra.

Over the years, Tom Brown composed and arranged his own music as well as that of others. In 1941 his Solvejg Stomp and Swingin’ with Anitrawere published. In the same year, his arrangement of Rex Lipton and Meyer Grace’s What I’d Be Without You was published. In 1942 he signed a contract to orchestrate and record Bob Bryan and Frances Lewis’ I’m Sincere and in 1942 his arrangement of Walter P. Murphy’s My Bugle Reverie, was published. In 1949, G. Schirmer, Inc. published his Piece for Four Clarinets.

Tom Brown eventually moved east and became a music copyist for Broadway and touring musicals. He worked on musicals ranging from 1960s Mr. President to 1980s 42nd Street. With his company, Music Associates, Inc., Brown also orchestrated and copied music on order for the Samuel French Company. Brown also copied music for the recordings of Carousel in 1965; 42nd Street in 1981; and My Fair Lady in 1976, as well as for the 1981 television production of Camelot starring Richard Harris.

In the 1950s Music Associates, Inc. produced a series of translated opera records under the label Opera of the Month as well as series of opera appreciation texts titled Let’s Understand Opera!.

Scope and arrangement

The Tom Brown papers consists of scores and parts of musicals as well as many orchestral pieces. Many of the musical pieces include financial materials and contracts. Several musical and orchestral pieces contain annotated published sheet music and librettos; there is also a separate series of sheet music. This published material provides insight into what music was utilized by Tom Brown’s Orchestra as well as what musicals were worked on by Tom Brown. There is also a small amount of personal materials and correspondence; most relates to specific projects.

The Thomas P. Brown papers are arranged in seven series:

  • Series I: Professional Papers
    1934 - 1980
    1 box

    This series primarily contains materials related to Tom Brown’s professional life. Most of these materials are lists, guides, and catalogues related to his career as arranger and copyist. In addition, this series contains some financial materials that do not relate to other pieces within later series.

  • Series II: Musicals
    1954 - 1982
    22 boxes

    This series contains materials related to Broadway, off Broadway, touring, and recorded musical theatre. Materials include piano conductor scores and parts as well as librettos, correspondence and financial materials.

  • Series III: Orchestrations
    1941 - 1944
    4 boxes

    This series contains materials related to orchestrations and band music. Materials include scores and parts mostly in manuscript form as well as financial materials and correspondence. Many pieces appear to have been used by the Tom Brown Orchestra.

  • Series IV: Sheet Music
    1930 - 1944
    1 box

    This series contains published sheet music utilized by Tom Brown and Music Associates, Inc. Several pieces were composed by and/or arranged by Tom Brown.

  • Series V: Music Associates, Inc.
    1955 - 1971
    1 box

    By the mid 1950s, Tom Brown had formed Music Associates, Inc. This appears to have been a company of music copyists with Brown as president. The company also produced several opera focused projects including Let’s Understand Opera! and Opera of the Month.

    Most of this series concerns Opera of the Month, a production of book and records of opera translated into English with the main aria’s left in their original language. This series contains recording scripts and notes from the ca. 1955 production of I Pagliacci. In addition, the series contains materials related to a 1970s attempt to interest the Silver Burdett Company in marketing the Opera of the Month series. Materials include scripts, notes, correspondence, and publicity materials.

    See also Series VIII: Oversized-Sub-Series 3: Music Associates, Inc. Scrapbook, ca 1953.

  • Series VI: Scrapbook, 1936 - 1941; ca.
    1953
    2 boxes

    This series contains two distinct scrapbooks. The first scrapbook includes materials related to Tom Brown’s early career as a saxophonist and bandleader of the Tom Brown Orchestra. These materials were gathered in a loose scrapbook and have been arranged according to subject. Included are correspondence, contracts, financial materials, sheet music, score manuscripts, photographs, and publicity materials.

    The second scrapbook contains materials related to Music Associates, Inc.’s marketing of the Opera of the Month. This series was advertised in popular magazines such as Family Circle and Fortnight. Many advertisements offered the series for purchase through Fisher’s Budgeteer Shopping Service while co-advertising it on advertisements for Fischer’s Zoom cereal. Materials include record labels, record slip case images, order forms, and publicity materials.

  • Series VII: Oversized Materials
    1936 - 1976
    7 boxes

    This series contains three sub-series of materials related to Tom Brown’s professional career. The Musicals and Orchestrations sub-series directly correspond to the individual series described above. Materials consist primarily of scores and parts.

    The Fables of Shaesop/The Celestial Bed sub-series contains text and some correspondence related to an unsuccessful ideal for a play.

Administrative information

Processing information

Processed by Whitney E. Berman; Machine-readable finding aid created by Whitney E. Berman.

Using the collection

Location

Music Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, contact the Chief, Music Division.