Musical Styles and Genres
Classical and Contemporary Australian Art Music Education Links
Australian Music Centre
The newly launched website provides even greater access to scores, recordings and information about Australian art music ‘including diverse genres from contemporary classical, improvisatory and jazz to experimental music and sound art’.
Australian Music on ABC Classic FM
This site is dedicated to Australian music recordings and related information, images and links.
Classic/amp is a wonderful resource that allows you to stream recordings that are not readily available.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra - Encounter
In 1997 the Melbourne Symphony commissioned composer Stuart Greenbaum to compose a piece of music to assist students to explore individual instruments and their families. The work is 90 Minutes Circling the Earth (Hymn to Freedom) and it was the Australian Music Centre and APRA Classical Music Awards - Orchestral Work of the Year in 2008. The website offers a variety of ideas and activities that would appeal to a range of ages.
Federation Bells
The Federation Bells are situated at Birrarung Marr, on the Yarra River in Melbourne. The Australian Bell site describes the bells in detail, including sound bites, and for the opening on Australia Day in 2002, seven Australian composers including Brenton Broadstock and Anne Boyd wrote five minute pieces. At the Federation Bells site you can click on the individual bells in a photograph and the sound produced has amazing resonance.
Music Australia - Australia's Music: Online, in Time
Music Australia is an online service developed by the National Library of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive and other cultural institutions across the nation. You can discover, access and navigate a rich store of information on Australian music, musicians, organisations and services, all from a single access point.
astronomy2009.us/Content/Resources/IYAResource-Music.pdf
For a fascinating list of ‘Music inspired by Astronomy’, compiled for the International Year of Astronomy, with a thumbnail sketch of each piece try the following link:
Musica Viva In Schools Zone
For middle years and junior primary the Musica Viva ‘In Schools Zone’ is well worth a look. This site is the latest addition to the Musica Viva In Schools integrated music education program.
The online downloadable kit ‘Hands on Hindson’ is an ‘exciting way for secondary music students and teachers to explore the art of composition with Australian composer, Matthew Hindson’.
New York Public Radio, ‘New Sounds’. Inspiration for the creative mind.
No discussion of contemporary music and composition would be complete without reference to the cutting edge net radio program New Sounds best described as ‘truly exceptional exciting listening featuring the best of contemporary composers, experimental and World music collaborations. From ‘Minimalism’ to ‘Post Minimalism’ from Nairobi to Tibet, cover versions which reconstruct, deconstruct and destruct; its all there’.
Philharmonia Orchestra: The Sound Exchange
An extensive site that explores the full gamut of musical experiences including skill training, listening guides, lessons, multimedia, instrument information and many other activities and resources. Suitable for secondary students and above.
Classics for Kids
A fantastic website that features the work of different composers to expose and interest students in classical music and includes teacher resources that incorporate various musical philosophies such as Kodaly and Orff.
DSOkids - Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The DSOkids website provides lots of activities, resources and information in its separate Teacher and Student websites.
The New York Philharmonic Kidzone
A fantastic resource for composition, orchestration, music technology activities for young students.
SFS Kids - Fun with Music
The kids website of the San Francisco Symphony
BBC Orchestras Guide
Useful interactive instruments and orchestras site
Arts Alive: The National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa
- Go to Instrument Lab – strings – view “virtual violin”; listen to the violin
- Go to string interview – hear the demonstration
- Go to other instruments that interest you
- Go Activities & Games – name the instruments… what happens when you get one wrong?
- Try composing music
World/Global Music
World Music Training
An education site that explores various aspects of world music. Covering Balinese, Arabic, Indian, West African and Andean music and instruments.
Gamalan, rhythms, scores, midi files, learning games, etc
African, rhythms, scores, midi files, learning games, etc
Indian, rhythms, scores, midi files, learning games, etc
Arabic, rhythms, scores, midi files, learning games, etc
Les partos offertes par Fiera Brass
Latin, World Music Street Band Scores multiple parts, midi files and amazing videos in French.
Putumayo Kids Teacher Tools
A collection of world music cds and accompanying teacher guides for teaching children African, Brazilian and Hawaiian music.
Oxfam Education - Global Music Lesson Plans
A free education resource by the charity Oxfam, this website contains a collection of 20 stand alone lesson plans to teach ‘music from around the globe’ to 5-16 year old students.
Chinese Flutes (Dizi)
Sheet music and information for and about Chinese flutes and folk music.
World Music - Link TV TV without Borders
A collection of videos that explores music from across the globe.
Home - National Geo Music
Videos, performances, articles and interviews about a number of National Geo World Music artists.
Mama Lisa’s World
Children’s Songs and Nursery Rhymes from Around the World
A website that focuses on children’s songs and nursery rhymes. Includes a blog, articles and sound recordings.
Bali & Beyond
The website of a performing arts company ‘inspired by the cultures of Indonesia. Features audio and video files on gamalan and resources about music and the arts.