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Who's that cheeky gnome?

Listen as host Paul Rissmann tells a story about Mussorgsky and a gnome called Harry. How does the orchestra's music help to tell the story?

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BTN: Tiwi music: Keeping an ancient culture alive

Discover how music and dance are helping to keep the traditions of the Tiwi people alive. The customs and stories of the Tiwi people have been passed on to new generations through storytelling, song and dance. Many of the remaining languages of Australia's ancient Indigenous cultures are being lost. Today there is a race ...

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Discover the most powerful section of the orchestra!

Can you name the four instruments that make up the brass section of the orchestra? Like musicians in the woodwind section, the brass players power their instruments with air. But how do they do this differently?

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Introducing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's woodwind section

What do the instruments in the woodwind section of the orchestra have in common? Can you make a list of all the instruments in this section? Some of them might be familiar, but some of them might be new to you. Choose one of the instruments that's new to you and do some research to find out more about it.

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The Whitlams meet the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

The Whitlams meet the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was produced through a partnership between the Sydney Opera House and the NSW Department of Education (then the NSW Department of Education and Training). It consists of an interview (divided into eight video clips) with Tim Freedman from The Whitlams and conductor Ben Northey ...

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World rhythms: tabla

This is a teaching and learning activity to construct and play a tabla or tube-la (double drum). The activity provides a brief history of the tabla, information about the materials needed to make it, time required, assessment strategies, the construction process, how to play the instrument and extension ideas. Tabla artefacts ...

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Jogja hip-hop reaches birthplace of hip-hop

This is an article about the impact and influence of hip-hop music on the youth of Yogyakarta in Java, Indonesia. The author highlights the strengths of a globalised hip-hop culture to nurture young Indonesian artists who incorporate Javanese colloquial language into their lyrics. There is also a video clip of performance ...

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Listen to music inspired by paintings

This piece of music is called ""Pictures at an Exhibition"". It was written by a Russian composer called Mussorgsky. He was inspired to write this piece of music when he went to see his friend's paintings in an exhibition. As you listen to the orchestra playing the music, perhaps you can imagine you are walking through ...

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What is Music?: What makes the music of Star Wars so iconic?

Star Wars begins with the biggest B-flat chord you’ve ever heard! John Williams’s fanfare is so iconic that people usually recognise what they’re watching without even looking at the screen. So, what informs the music and makes it so powerful? What techniques can you apply in your own compositions?

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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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Arranging as inspired by Lisa Cheney and Liszt Nuages Gris

This set of resources focuses on arranging music. Students listen to and analyse Nuages Gris, a piano piece by Franz Liszt, as arranged for orchestra by Lisa Cheney, then create and perform their own arrangement. A video features conductor Richard Gill AO exploring extended techniques in music with musicians of the Tasmanian ...

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Vivid Sydney – 77 Million Paintings

A series of video interviews with Nick Robertson about Brian Eno's '77 Million Paintings' installation, which was part of an exhibition in Vivid Sydney 2009. The resource includes clips of the installation.

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Colourful melodies

This resource explores making and organising sounds to compose a simple musical composition. Through making a rainbow water xylophone, students will learn how sound waves travel and how different pitches are produced.

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The Conversation: Australian music - what is it?

This resource contains a series of articles giving a broad overview of Australian music including its development, examples of genres and artists, interviews and its influence on Australian culture. It can be used to develop a broad understanding Australian music and the influences that have impacted on its development.

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What is a Symphony Orchestra?

This set of resources introduces students to the instruments in a symphony orchestra and supports development of skills in aural identification of instrumental timbre. Conductor Richard Gill AO and musicians from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra introduce woodwind, brass, string and percussion instruments in a video resource. ...

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Dinosaur dig

Students learn about the world of dinosaurs through creative arts. They explore elements of dance to develop coordination skills through movement and actions, as well as music and drama to create characters. They also create a dinosaur themed artwork.

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Composing as inspired by Gordon Hamilton SNAP

This set of resources focuses on composition. Students listen to and analyse the orchestral work, SNAP, by Australian composer Gordon Hamilton. They develop their own skills in composition and perform and record their own piece. A video features conductor Richard Gill AO exploring the work SNAP with musicians from the ...

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ME3PO – creative arts with aliens

An alien-themed creative arts resource exploring music, visual arts and drama. Students discover futuristic sounds, create art and act like an alien.

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Meeting the Sun

An interactive music lesson where students will meet renowned Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin and learn about her inspirations for composing and creating new works. Students will explore various stories and poems written by some of our incredible Anzac heroes and experience a performance of Elena’s Anzac inspired ...

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Big battles!

Students explore music and dance through body percussion and singing as they learn the story of the unicorn and lion's big battle. They create a collage artwork using images of lions and unicorns that they can find.