THE NARAS ARCHIVE AND PRESERVATION COMMITTEE

Looking Forward to the Past

Great Recordings Don't Live Forever Unless We Preserve Them

The recording industry has captured some of music's most 
fleeting  moments, recording inspired performances by 
artists like Billie Holiday, John Coltrane and the Beatles for 
generations to come.  Yet, classic recordings can be just as 
ephemeral as the once-in-a-lifetime musical events they 
document.  As researchers rummage through record company
archives only to find priceless master recordings in a state 
of ruin (or missing completely), the need to protect our rich 
heritage of recorded music becomes increasingly apparent.