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Dreaming about Country

Discover the rich and beautiful world of Edwin Lee Mulligan's dreams, recorded in paintings and stories. In this clip on his work 'Ngarlimbah - it's about us', he tells one of his dreams of Country - his country, his mother's country and his father's country - the places, trees, mountains, rivers and creatures that connect ...

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What is a vibraphone?

Have you heard of the vibraphone? Learn all about this percussion instrument in this animation. What is it made of? How is it similar to other percussion instruments?

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Dancing life into traditional objects: 'Artefact'

'Weaving' is a segment from a longer dance piece called 'Artefact', a richly spiritual work about breathing life back into objects from ancient times. Choreographer Frances Rings is a descendant of the Kokatha people of South Australia. The 'Weaving' segment was inspired by the traditional knowledge and practices of the ...

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Play School: How do people make sounds on musical instruments?

Do you like music? There are lots of different sorts of music and plenty of instruments to play it on. In this clip, watch and listen as an orchestra of young people perform well-known pieces of music. See if you can identify any of the instruments being played.

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li-Maramaranja Dugong Hunters

The story of the Dugong Hunters, or li-Maramaranja, belongs to the Rrumburriya clan of the Yanyuwa people, who live along the Gulf coast of the Northern Territory. In this story, the dugong hunter Jurruji encounters trouble when he falls into a crevasse on an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. This story from the Yanyuwa ...

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Can you hear the famous rhythm?

Beethoven was a composer who lived about 200 years ago. Have a listen as the orchestra plays one of his most well known pieces of music. Do you recognise it? Can you hear Beethoven's famous rhythm being repeated in the music?

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The Chicken Hawk and the Crow

The Wuyaliya and Mambaliya clans of the Yanyuwa people live on the Gulf Coast of the Northern Territory, in and around Borroloola. The Wuyaliya clan are custodians of the Chicken Hawk Dreaming, while the Crow Dreaming belongs to the Mambaliya. In this fast-moving animation, the Chicken Hawk and the Crow argue over water ...

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Emma Boyd: 'The quail shooter' 1884

In this work Emma Boyd depicts the landscape near her home, ‘The Grange', in Victoria. See how the landscape dominates the single human figure? What do you think this suggests? What is the artists trying to say by creating this sense of scale?

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John Glover: 'Patterdale landscape with cattle' c. 1833

John Glover migrated to Tasmania in 1831, arriving on his 64th birthday. He is considered one of Australia's most important artists of the early 19th century and the colonial period. This piece was one of the first he completed after taking up a land grant in Patterdale on the Nile River. The pastoral scene depicts the ...

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Eugene von Guérard: 'Purrumbete from across the lake' 1858

Lured to Australia by the discovery of gold, Eugene von Guérard was the lead painter in the first century of European settlement. This piece is one of a pair that was commissioned by land owners Peter and John Manifold. Von Guérard was known for his mastery of landscapes, and his attention to detail and interest in the ...

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Conrad Martens: 'View from Rose Bank' 1840

Many early artists romanticised the Australian colonial landscape and did not always strictly paint what they saw. In this example Martens has given the landscape a decidedly Italian atmosphere, softening the colour palate and creating a more ‘civilised' view. Can you think of why the artist may be interested in changing ...

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What is Music?: What are the musical features of a news theme?

Music that introduces the news has to be not only dramatic and exciting but also neutral. It has to introduce war and disasters, as well as weddings and elections. It turns out, the music we associate with the news worldwide often originates from movies! So, what does an effective news theme often include? How would you ...

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Come and meet the instruments video

Come and meet the orchestra! The musicians are wearing 4 different colours to show which section they belong to. Can you name the 4 sections of the orchestra? What are the names of some of the instruments in each section?

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What is Music?: What is a musical phrase?

Sometimes we come across musical phrases that catch on like wildfire. With every repetition, these phrases take on more meaning. Listen closely for this jazz lick that has appeared in many forms throughout music history. What other popular musical phrases can you think of? What meanings do they carry, and what could you ...

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Lights out!

Host Paul Rissmann describes a scene where Mussorgsky finds himself all of a sudden in the dark. How does the music add to the scariness of this story?

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What's that mystery instrument?

Watch this video to learn about a spooky sounding instrument called the theremin. How is it played? Listen as it joins the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to play music from the TV show Dr Who. Do you like the sounds it makes? Why or why not?

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Making a Mini-documentary, Ep 5: Interviewing tips for a video interview

You've got your questions, your equipment, your location and your interviewees. How do you do the interview? Catherine Marciniak and Benj Binks from ABC Open have some practical advice for you. This clip is one of eight on making a mini-documentary.

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What is Music?: What makes an effective AFL club song?

AFL songs are among the most widely recognised and popular pieces of music in Australia, sung proudly year after year. Would it surprise you to find out they’re rarely original? Discover the early 20th-century origins of most of Australia’s football chants and the stylistic features that make them so effective in energising ...

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Purdiwan: Pretty One

The Garrwa people live inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria, on either side of the border between the Northern Territory and Queensland. In this brief but beautiful animation, a Garrwa woman herds her pretty goats eastward.

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David Williamson on inspiration

Listen as David Williamson explains where he finds inspiration for his plays. What are his aims as a playwright?