Not everyone thinks of music when they think of MIT, but music has long been an integral part of undergraduates' education at MIT. Learn more:
There is a close and historic relationship between the Lewis Music Library and the Department of Distinctive Collections (DDC), and consequently, some overlap between Lewis and DDC when it comes to music special collections and music archival collections. Click through some of the special collections below to learn more about music at MIT.
Explore historic MIT college songs.
MIT Alma Mater
Sons of M.I.T. (Arise Ye Sons of MIT) (pdf)
Words and music by John B. Wilbur '26; arranged by Frank D. Gage '22
Listen to a performance by the MIT Glee Club, George Dunham, Director, ca 1945
In Praise of M.I.T. (Arise all ye of MIT) (pdf)
Lyrics revised (1985) by Alvin Kahn
Performances of More Tech Songs
1st edition of Tech Songs, Oliver Ditson, 1903. Are you interested in discovering more? This edition of Tech Songs, along with two later editions may be discovered in the Lewis Music Library's special collections.
An original canon was written for the Lewis by MIT music professor John Harbison in honor of the 1996 renovation of Lewis Music Library. It adorns the glass panels surrounding the second floor of the library. Listen to the John Harbison Canon. (Music performance by Emmanuel Music, Boston, Craig Smith, Music Director)
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