Inside The Orchestra

How Dapper Duke Ellington’s Jazz Legacy Became One of the Largest Ever Recorded

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Cue the saxophone, sound the trumpet and unfetter the soulful rhythms of jazz music. Teeming with complex harmonies, distinct instrumental chords and call-and-response vocals, jazz is considered to be one of the most quintessential art forms in America, with its influence recognizable across the contemporary sounds of today. Mastermind and prevoyer of some of jazz’s …

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Explore the Instruments of the Orchestra

All About the Orchestra, Elementary Aged Kids, Full Activity Guides, Full Activity Guides English, Homeschooling Family, Indoor Activities, Kids 12+, Online: Games/Interactive Activities, Parent/Caregiver, Teacher/School, Toddler - Kindergarten / By

On this page, you can learn all about each instrument of the orchestra, what they sound like, and even test your skills by identifying instruments in a sound quiz. To start, let’s explore each instrument more in depth. Click on each instrument to: Hear its name and its sound Watch original Inside the Orchestra videos …

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Art Party

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Art Party Video We regularly release Virtual Art Parties to help you and your children connect with music and art at home. Virtual Art Parties are the perfect way for kids and adults of any age to let their creativity flow, relax with the calming power of music and art, and find some inner tranquility …

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88 Instruments – Story and Activities

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Watch and Listen Watch as the main character strums, picks, and plunks his way to finding the perfect instrument for him, the piano! Hands-On Piano Activities Paper Piano – Babies to Elementary If you don’t have a piano or keyboard at home, this 2D piano is a great way for young ones to get hands-on. …

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Arts and Music Scavenger Hunt

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Let’s go on a scavenger hunt! You can stay in your own home or backyard or go on an even bigger adventure outside. Once you’ve gathered your items, there are so many creative things you can do. Thank you to teaching artist Heather Hughes for working on this fun activity guide with us. Scavenger Hunt …

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Opera for Kids: Opera Conducting, Puzzle, Mad Libs, & Music

Age of Child, All About the Orchestra, All Ages, Audio Playlists, Babies, Elementary Aged Kids, Full Activity Guides, Full Activity Guides English, Homeschooling Family, Indoor Activities, Kids 12+, Multi-Disciplinary Arts, News, No Prep/No Mess, Parent/Caregiver, Teacher/School, Toddler - Kindergarten, Video Content / By

About Opera Conducting Opera Puzzle Conductor Steven explains that one of the main differences between conducting an orchestra and conducting an opera is all the different parts that have to come together in a performance. This puzzle is a fun way to visualize many of the things that have to join perfectly in order to …

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Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin!

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Thank you to Abner Genece for reading us this fun story. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin! is a delightful story about the instruments of the orchestra that includes some simple musical math. Watch and Listen Musical Math for Toddlers through Elementary Toddlers through Preschool Basic counting is an important part of music. Use this simple, …

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Music High and Low

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Watch and Listen Woodwind musician Kathryn Simpson shows off some of the high and low note sounds in the woodwind section using her Piccolo and English Horn. Watch a silly straw trick to see how the length of a tube changes the pitch of sound, listen to a beautiful English Horn melody, and then end …

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Inside the Story: Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo

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Story Time: Watch and Listen Teaching artist Abner Genece Reads us Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo. Zoo Animal Song Babies to Elementary School One of the reasons we love children’s songs is that the lyrics can be so adaptable to fit any theme or subject. We suggest adapting “The Wheels on the …

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Theatre Games for All Ages

Elementary Aged Kids, Family Fun, Full Activity Guides, Full Activity Guides English, Homeschooling Family, Indoor Activities, Kids 12+, Multi-Disciplinary Arts, News, No Prep/No Mess, Outdoor Activities, Parent/Caregiver, Teacher/School, Toddler - Kindergarten / By

Teaching Artist Heather Hughes has put together a great list of fun theatre games for us. We’ve included a suggested age range for each game. However, the point of theatre games like this is to get people out of their comfort zone and to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and silly, so you can really …

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Duets – Musical Teamwork for Two

All About the Orchestra, Elementary Aged Kids, Full Activity Guides, Full Activity Guides English, Homeschooling Family, Indoor Activities, Kids 12+, Parent/Caregiver, STEAM, Teacher/School, Toddler - Kindergarten, Video Content / By

We obviously love orchestra music here at Inside the Orchestra, but we also love hearing smaller groups of musicians get together and perform as well. Check out the fun duet videos and activities featuring a smaller group of musicians What is a Duet? A duet is a piece of music performed by two people. It …

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Music & Activities for Different Moods

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Music is a great tool for emotional exploration and management. Check out music and activities for the moods below as you explore joy and navigate difficult emotions with your little ones. Check out some orchestra music that makes us happy. Check out some orchestra music that makes us happy. Happiness Activities We think one of …

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