North York Central Library Blog

Talk: Crossover Dreams:

Tuesday, February 23 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

North York Central Library Auditorium

Please register for this free program by calling 416-395-5639.

Berry Gordy Jr. established Motown/Tamla Records in Detroit
in 1959 with a clear goal in mind: to present the music of
black songwriters, producers and artists in a way that would
appeal to black and white audiences, effecting what was
known in the business as a "crossover."  He succeeded
wildly, establishing a widely known sonic brand and a 
reputation for high quality, catchy pop music.  No less
than 79 Motown singles hit the Billboard Top Ten between
1960 and 1969.  In this fascinating and music-filled talk,
Dr. Mike Daley, York University, reveals the secrets of the
Motown formula, and explains why its classic hits still
resonate today.  

  

Come and listen to vinyl records on the fifth floor of the
Toronto Reference Library.  There are over 15,000 LPs available. 

Also, be sure to visit NAXOS, the online music library available
through Toronto Public Library, and listen to great music
spanning medieval to modern – classical, jazz, electronic,
world music and more, and find expert educational content.
There is a free iPhone/iPod Touch app available in the
iTunes App Store which can be used with the user's playlist
login information.  The app will give you streaming playback
access to the entire library of music and saved playlists. 
A wifi or cellular data connection is required.