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.
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Serenade is one of those musical terms that has meant many different things at many different times. The term itself comes from the Italian sereno, which is from the Latin serenus, which means “serene...
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Lesson four is concerned with costuming the singers and the use of wigs and special stage make-up.
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Lesson three is a continuation of The Magical Theater of Music and will be concerned with the elements which make up a "stage setting"--the style and design of the stage set, its construction and its...
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This final lesson is a continuation of The Magical Theater of Music and the finale or conclusion. It is a condensed 3O-minute performance of Domenico Cimarosa's comic opera, "The Secret Marriage."...
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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...
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The lesson will be concerned with the musical elements which go into a production.
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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...
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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.
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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...
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In this segment, Dr. Thompson analyzes how songs composed during the war reflected Southern virtuosity: writing and naming songs for Confederate heroes.
