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Handout
PBS

Pbs American Masters: John Cage

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about this unusual but creative modern classical composer. Highlighting his major works, this short biography explores his philosophy of music.
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Handout
PBS

Classics for Kids: Giuseppe Verdi

For Students 3rd - 8th
A short biography of Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
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Handout
PBS

Classics for Kids: Georges Bizet

For Students 3rd - 8th
A short biography of Georges Bizet (1838-1875 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
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Handout
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

For Students 3rd - 8th
Mozart wrote his first sonata when he was only four years old. He liked to play pool and enjoyed liver dumplings and sauerkraut. Use this resource to learn more about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791 CE), famous Austrian composer, and...
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Handout
PBS

Classics for Kids: Johann Strauss, Jr.

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site has a short biography of Johann Strauss, Jr (1825-1899 CE) with an audio clip of the 'Tritsch-Tratsch Polka.' Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
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Handout
Classical Net

Classical Net: Scott Joplin

For Students 9th - 10th
This well-written biography of Scott Joplin not only provides his progress as a musician but also the personal events in his life which influenced his music. Includes links to a complete list of Joplin's works, a MIDI archive, and site...
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Handout
Classical Net

Classical Net: Basic Repertoire: Johann Christian Bach (1735 1782)

For Students 9th - 10th
This profile of the 11th son of J. S. Bach surveys his life as a successful court musician and composer in Italy and England.
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Handout
PBS

Classics for Kids: Johannes Brahms

For Students 3rd - 8th
A short biography of Brahms (1833-1897 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and hear a biography of Brahms.
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Handout
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Dimitri Shostakovich

For Students 3rd - 8th
Dimitri Shostakovich's (1906-1975 CE) first job was playing piano at a movie house when he was still quite young. He lost the job because he would laugh so hard at the funny parts of the movie that he would quit playing. Read more about...
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Handout
Classical Net

Classical Net: Benjamin Britten

For Students 9th - 10th
Classical Net offers links, resources, and lists of works on Benjamin Britten (1913-1976 CE), one of Britain's greatest composers.
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Handout
Classical Net

Classical Net: Aaron Copland, 1900 1990

For Students 9th - 10th
A good biography, with a good list of works, make this worthwhile, with links to related composers and at least one work, "Appalachian Spring."
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Article
Classical Net

Classical Net: Bach's Predecessors

For Students 9th - 10th
A very interesting writing on what composers influenced Bach musically during his artistic development.
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Graphic
Smithsonian Institution

National Postal Museum: Famous Americans: Stephen Foster

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn brief information from the National Postal Museum on Stephen Foster, American music composer, who was featured on the one cent postage stamp.
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Unit Plan
Cornell University

Cornell University: Library: Mozart and the Keyboard Culture of His Time

For Students 9th - 10th
View this collection of documents and objects to find out about music in Mozart's time and music in the present time 250 years after Mozart.
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Website
Other

Structural Chord Progressions

For Students 9th - 10th
When composing music, it is good to be sure you have the right set of chords surrounding your melody. This column provides a brief overview on how to begin to think of chord structures for your songs.
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Website
Other

Hildegard Publishing Company: Francesca Caccini

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides biographical information about the Rennaisance composer, Francesca Caccini.
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Handout
University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania: Quotations of John Cage

For Students 9th - 10th
John Cage, the American minimalist composer, often made interesting commentaries on his music and culture in general. Here are some select examples of his remarks.
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Website
Other

Compositional Inspiration

For Students 9th - 10th
Without going into specifics, this article provides general ideas on how to begin writing your own music. A few of the ideas discussed are recording yourself playing around, learn a new scale or pattern, and apply some new music theory...
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Website
NPR: National Public Radio

Npr: Performance Today

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a clever feature of National Public Radio's website. Each day of the year several events related to classical music that occurred on that date in history are listed.
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Website
Other

Writing Guitar Licks

For Students 9th - 10th
You have just written a cool guitar lick and you want to play it in your favorite song, however, it just doesn't sound good in the song. This article explains how you can break down your lick into the key components and refine it to suit...
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Handout
Other

Baroque Composers: Telemann

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief bio with very organized list of works condensed and catalogued for easy perusal.
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Website
Other

Witold Lutoslawski, Composer

For Students 9th - 10th
This bio is relatively short but has many good details, plus a link to reviews of his Symphony No. 4.
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Handout
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: Frederic Chopin

For Students 2nd - 8th
Explore this brief biography of Frederic Chopin, famous Polish composer in classical music.
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Handout
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: Ludwig Van Beethoven

For Students 2nd - 8th
Explore this brief biography of Ludwig Van Beethoven, famous composer in classical music.

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