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.

Within this Collection

Title:
First of All, What Is Jazz? | Periscope
First of All, What Is Jazz? | Periscope
Episode 33

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jazz music originated in the United States. It was created by African Americans in the early 1900s. The sound of jazz was influenced by West African rhythms and music, and American folk music. A...
Kabuki Theater (1600 A.D.) | Kids Work!
Kabuki Theater (1600 A.D.) | Kids Work!
Episode 5

Document

Grades: 3 4 5

Kabuki (ka-bu-ki) is a form of theater in Japan that began in the early 1600s and is still performed today. This traditional theater uses extravagant makeup and costumes, a unique kind of music and an...
Hispanic Customs & Traditions | Periscope
Hispanic Customs & Traditions | Periscope
Episode 6

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A person does not have to be born in Latin America or Spain to be considered Hispanic. Hispanic customs and traditions, such as language, music and dress, can be passed down from one generation to...
Morihiko Nakahara, Conductor | Original SC
Morihiko Nakahara, Conductor | Original SC

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Since 1964, the South Carolina Philharmonic has been performing and promoting high-quality, professional symphonic music for the community. Morihiko Nakahara is known for his charismatic presence on...
Sound Studio | Artopia
Sound Studio | Artopia

Interactive

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

In the theater, sound refers to sound effects and music, as well as the audibility of the actors. Adding music and sound effects, like lighting, can change the mood of a production. Sound can also...
Movie Soundtrack | Artopia
Movie Soundtrack | Artopia

Interactive

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Learn how a movie soundtrack works by selecting music to go along with the scene.
Re-Mix Studio | Artopia
Re-Mix Studio | Artopia

Interactive

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Be a music producer! Select a type of music and re-mix it!
Praise House | Gullah Music
Praise House | Gullah Music

Interactive

Grades: PreK Kindergarten 1 2 3 4 5

Students will understand how enslaved Africans created music for their worship experience. Religious meetings in “praise houses” provided the spiritual outlet for enslaved Africans on the plantation...
Secret Code | Gullah Music
Secret Code | Gullah Music

Interactive

Grades: PreK Kindergarten 1 2 3 4 5

Students will understand that music and material culture became a mode of covert communication between slaves. Aunt Pearlie Sue is our guide as students uncover hidden messages in the work songs...
Got the Blues | Gullah Music
Got the Blues | Gullah Music

Interactive

Grades: PreK Kindergarten 1 2 3 4 5

Students will understand traditional blues form that contains three four-measure phrases that follow the pattern AAB. Let Reverend Leroy show you how to express your sad feelings by composing a blues...
Music Entrepreneurship Program | Carolina Money
Music Entrepreneurship Program | Carolina Money

Video

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

More and more, music schools and institutes are incorporating entrepreneurship classes, organizations, clubs, seminars and workshops into their programs. Why is that? In order to explore the truth...
Producer | Kids Work!
Producer | Kids Work!

Interactive

Grades: 3 4 5

The Student will play the role of the producer planning and coordinating the various parts of television production. This animated interactive job exploration experience connects schoolwork with real...
The Mobros - Excuse Me | Palmetto Scene
The Mobros - Excuse Me | Palmetto Scene

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Listen to soul, rock and Americana fusion band, The Mobros, perform their original song, "Excuse Me" from their album, Walking with a Different Stride. To learn more about The Mobros, visit Palmetto...
The Mobros - Mississippi Woman | Palmetto Scene
The Mobros - Mississippi Woman | Palmetto Scene

Audio

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Listen to soul, rock and Americana fusion band, The Mobros, perform their original song, "Mississippi Woman". To learn more about The Mobros, visit Palmetto Scene. Song used with permission from Kelly...
Charleston County - Jenkins Orphanage Band
Charleston County - Jenkins Orphanage Band

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

This building, which was designed by Robert Mills, was constructed in 1833 for the care of sick and disabled seamen. After the Civil War, it became a school for African American children. From 1895 to...
Chesterfield County - Dizzy Gillespie Park
Chesterfield County - Dizzy Gillespie Park

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie got his nickname because he liked to make jokes and act up on stage. He was one of the greatest of all jazz musicians, and the most famous native of Cheraw, South Carolina...
Langston Hughes | Poetry All-Stars
Langston Hughes | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Langston Hughes 1902-1967 Langston's father once discouraged him from writing poetry. He believed discrimination would keep the young Langston from finding success as a poet. But Langston continued to...
Scott Joplin | Artopia
Scott Joplin | Artopia

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Scott Joplin was born near Linden, Texas and raised in Texarkana, Texas, the son of a railroad laborer who had been a slave. Joplin showed an early and extraordinary aptitude for music, which was...
Hugh Masekela | Artopia
Hugh Masekela | Artopia

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Hugh Masekela was born in Witbank, South Africa on April 4, 1939. He began singing and playing piano as a child and as a teenager, was encouraged to play the trumpet by the British anti-apartheid...
Igor Stravinsky | Artopia
Igor Stravinsky | Artopia

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Igor Stravinsky was born on June 17, 1882 in Oranienbaum near St. Petersburg, Russia. He started piano lessons at the age of nine and began the serious study of composition. At the age of 20 as a law...
Mary Lou Williams | Artopia
Mary Lou Williams | Artopia

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Mary Lou Williams was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 10, 1910 and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A prodigy, she taught herself to play the piano at the age of four. Williams could hear a piece...
Woody Guthrie | Artopia
Woody Guthrie | Artopia

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Woody Guthrie was born Woodrow Wilson Guthrie on July 14, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma. A keen observer of the world around him, he began to travel across the country as a teenager and spent much of his...