The Allan Sly Papers contain audiotapes of commentary by Sly about Black Mountain College, two essays by Sly, and a dissertation about music at BMC by Anna M. Hines. The two of the audiotapes were made by Sly in 1972 in response to a request from Anna Hines for information about the college. The tapes include commentary on the origins of the college, music during the Lee Hall years (1933-1940), visitors and visiting performers, college life, college curriculum, Thomas Whitney Surette, Bela Martin, Morton Steinau, John Evarts, Dante Fiorillo, Xanti Schawinsky and , various other students and faculty members, drama productions, the art department, Martin Duberman's book (1972), and several short descriptions of the musical background of Elizabeth and Allan Sly [tape 2]. The third tape (referred to as "the final tape") was recorded by Sly during the years 1972-1973 in response to Martin Duberman's book. Subjects covered in the final tape include critiques of the book, music at the college, inter-personal conflicts, John A. Rice, Josef Albers, Dante Fiorillo, college life, curriculum, folk dancing at the college, visitors and visiting performers, various students and faculty members, the Black Mountains, and the Slys' departure from BMC. Listening copies of the tapes are available for researchers, but the originals are restricted for preservation reasons. A manuscript note by Sly concerning the tapes is also included in the same folder.

The first essay, "The Place of Music, As Is Seen in Life at Black Mountain College" (1936?), is a three page typescript which deals with the role of music in self-development. "Black Mountain College: A Monograph" (1973?) was written after the commentary tapes were made and discusses musical performances, college life, John A. Rice, Josef Albers, Thomas Whitney Surette, Theodore Dreier, and other individuals associated with BMC.

The dissertation by Anna M. Hines was presented in 1973 to the faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. It covers music at the college from 1933 to 1956 including the educational philosophy of BMC, the role of music in the daily life of the school, Music Institutes and Summer Sessions in the fine arts, faculty and guests, music curriculum, and examinations. The appendixes reprint several essays and college publications including "The Composer and the Interpreter" and "Arnold Schoenberg at Seventy" by Ernst Krenek, concert programs (1940-1950), and miscellaneous documents by faculty and students. Original copies of most of these materials can be found in the Black Mountain College Records. Four photocopied pages of letters (August 1973) from Allan Sly to Paul Hoffman of the State Archives of North Carolina concerning the Hines' dissertation are also included in the papers.