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Music Collection

Explore musical genres, their history and origins including African, Blues, Classical/Orchestral, Country/Bluegrass, Cuban/Latin/Salsa, Gospel, Hymns and Spirituals, Gullah Music: Evolution of African Music, Hip-Hop/Rap, Jazz, Musical Theater, Opera, Pop and Soul, Rhythm and Blues, and Rock and Roll. Be sure to view the individual assets that stand alone, just below the Topics, and have not been included in a specific topic or genre.

Also explore our Musical Instruments and Musicians and Music History sections. We also have a section on Holiday Music.

Content Type
Part 1 1

Video

Grades

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Part 1
Episode 1
This lesson is an introduction to The Magical Theater of Music. Little advance preparation is necessary for the viewing. Since the generic name "opera" has pejorative connotations in the minds of many...
Part 2 2

Video

Grades

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Part 2
Episode 2
The lesson will be concerned with the musical elements which go into a production.
Piano Music During The Civil War Era (Full Version)

Audio

Grades

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Piano Music During The Civil War Era (Full Version)
Episode 8
The American Civil War shaped every aspect of life in the South, including music. Along with songs and military band music published in the South during the war, a considerable repertoire of solo...
Thomas

Audio

Grades

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Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 1
In this first segment on Civil War piano music, Dr. David B. Thompson briefly discusses the life of African American composer Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, and plays one of his works.
Arrangements On Classic Civil War Songs | Walter Edgar's Journal - Episode 6 Piano As A Morale Booster | Walter Edgar's Journal

Audio

Grades

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Piano As A Morale Booster | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 2
Dr. Thompson outlines the importance of Confederate music publishers, and how they played a crucial role in distributing music throughout the South. He then discusses the different styles of music...
A. Introduction: Stories Behind the Carols We Love to Sing 101

Video

Grades

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A. Introduction: Stories Behind the Carols We Love to Sing
Episode 101
This program features South Carolina school choirs performing holiday favorites and providing the history of these well-known carols. The program includes choruses from Dutch Fork Middle School, Irmo...
Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Melody | A Minute with Miles

Audio

Grades

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Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Melody | A Minute with Miles
Already during their lifetimes, Antonin Dvorák and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky were among the most famous composers in the world. Their music is extremely sophisticated, the product of highly skilled...
Sarasate Plays Premiere | A Minute with Miles Chamber Music Rehearsals | A Minute with Miles

Audio

Grades

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Chamber Music Rehearsals | A Minute with Miles
Chamber music rehearsals are very different from orchestra rehearsals. In an orchestra rehearsal, it’s the conductor’s job to make the overall musical decisions and to ensure that the members of the...
Sarasate Plays Premiere | A Minute with Miles Francis Poulenc | A Minute with Miles

Audio

Grades

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Francis Poulenc | A Minute with Miles
Francis Poulenc didn’t have to depend on composition for his living—he was the heir to the fortune of the Rhône-Poulenc pharmaceutical company—but he nonetheless turned out an enormous body of work in...
Sarasate Plays Premiere | A Minute with Miles Program Notes for Non-Musicians | A Minute with Miles

Audio

Grades

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Program Notes for Non-Musicians | A Minute with Miles
A word of advice today for non-musicians reading program notes in concert programs: If the program notes are heavy on technical analysis and are loaded with terms like modulation, inversion...
Sarasate Plays Premiere | A Minute with Miles Atonal Music | A Minute with Miles

Audio

Grades

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Atonal Music | A Minute with Miles
Atonal music is music that isn’t written in a key, music that doesn’t follow the traditional rules of harmony. But although the term “atonal” tells us what a piece isn’t, it doesn’t tell us what it is...
Atonality vs Dissonance | A Minute with Miles

Audio

Grades

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Atonality vs Dissonance | A Minute with Miles
Atonality and dissonance are often linked in listeners’ minds, but they’re not the same thing. Dissonance, from the Latin words for “sounding” and “apart,” is the simultaneous sounding of two or more...