Media & Interactives
Arts-based content and media for students of all ages
Featured Interactive
Perfect Pitch
An Interactive Orchestral Learning Experience—learn the orchestral instruments, use the interactive audio mixer to hear them perform, then test your musical knowledge with a fun baseball-style quiz.
Browse the Collection
Directory Listing
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Media A World of Music
The invention of the orchestra hundreds of years ago meant bigger musical possibilities, and composers all across Europe were inspired to try their hand at pushing classical music to new limits.
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Media Aaron Copland + Fanfare for the Common Man
After the U.S. entered World War II, this brass and percussion piece sounded the call to service and sacrifice
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Media Abraham Lincoln and Music
Explore President Lincoln鈥檚 taste in music. The three parts address Lincoln鈥檚 love of the theater and popular music as well as the impact that music had on his political campaigns and presidency and the Civil War.
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Media African Drumming
You can鈥檛 have African dance without music. The two are inseparable; the dancers are drumming and the drummers are dancing. Learn about two drums鈥攖he cajon and djembe 鈥攁nd how to play a rhythm called Funga.
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Media Agnes de Mille + Rodeo
Learn how this all-American master changed the stage of choreography in musical theater
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Media Alcina
Handel's spellbinding opera about an island sorceress whose powers of seduction are put to the test by true love.
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Media Alvin Ailey + Revelations
Find out how Alvin Ailey explored themes of African American heritage and culture through dance.
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Media American Classics
Follow the development and impact of classical music in the United States from its humble beginnings in the new colonies through its role in concert halls and Hollywood in the 20th century, to discover how this European tradition helped shape, and in turn was shaped by, American culture, composers and musicians.
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Media American Voices
Renée Fleming and colleagues from the vocal fields of classical, musical theater, jazz, gospel, country, and pop lend their talents and expertise to an unprecedented journey of vocal discovery aimed at educating young singers and seasoned vocalists alike.
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Media Andes Manta
The vibrant, energetic music of the Andes region of South America is performed in its most authentic form by Andes Manta, professional musicians and natives of the Ecuadorian Andes.
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Media Art in Camelot
This series marks the 50th anniversary of a remarkable presidency by exploring the impact the Kennedy years had on the creative lives of people in America and around the world.
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Media Art/Space
How do composers hear space? What does space sound like? Is there music in space? Narrated by Roger Launius of the Space History Division of the National Air and Space Museum, this series looks at the way music and outer space connect.
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Media Arthur Miller + Death of a Salesman
Learn about Arthur Miller's voice of social conscience and his revolutionary Death of a Salesman.
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Media August Wilson + Fences
A look at innovative African American playwright, August Wilson, his cycle of 10 plays, and his critically-acclaimed family drama, Fences.
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Media Battle Hymn of the Republic
This hymn helped inspire the North in its fight to reunite the country and free African-American slaves
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Media Beethoven Rocks!
This multimedia series gives you an introduction to the life and work of the Classical music composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
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Media Ben Burtt & the Sounds of Star Wars
Meet Ben Burtt, Sound Designer for films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and WALL-E. Find out the story behind some of his signature effects and how he first got interested in sound design.
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Media Ben Folds visits the National Symphony Orchestra Music Library
National Symphony Orchestra Artistic Advisor Ben Folds invites you to the NSO Music Library to explore some of his favorite pieces of concert music
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Media Billie Holiday + Strange Fruit
Billie Holiday had a hit record with the song 鈥淪trange Fruit鈥 in the 1930s, bringing light to the horror of lynching in the American South.
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Media Blue
In Harlem, a couple celebrates the birth of their firstborn鈥攁 boy, Black and beautiful. As the mother worries for their son鈥檚 future in today鈥檚 America, the father wrestles with his role as a police officer, a 鈥淏lack man in blue.鈥 When the unimaginable happens and the son is killed by a white officer, they must face every family鈥檚 worst fear.
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Media Blues Journey
The roots of blues can be found in slave songs, spirituals, and field hollers of the American South; its sound can be heard in early rock 鈥檔鈥 roll, and in today鈥檚 alternative and Hip Hop landscapes. Journey with us to learn about the influences and impact the blues has had on musical cultures.
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Media Boy Meets Girl, Girl Meets Tragic End
Opera has always been addicted to love, and its romances can range from the hilarious to the dramatic. But don鈥檛 expect a standard 鈥淏oy Meets Girl鈥 story when you take your seat at the opera house.
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Media Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
Humbled by the Great Depression, this song gave voice to Americans' fears and feelings of loss
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Media Cai Guo-Qiang's "Tornado"
Go behind the scenes and learn about the technicians and their extensive preparation and coordination to execute pyrotechnic artist Cai Guo-Qiang's "Tornado: Explosion Project for the Festival of China," a towering "explosion installation" above the Potomac River that involves nine boats, three dragons and a "tornado" of flame.
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Media Calls to Artistic Action
Madeleine L鈥橢ngle remains best-known for her 鈥淲rinkle in Time鈥 Trilogy (or 鈥淭ime鈥 Quintet). Learn how different types of art played a role in her writing and discover some of her habits that may help you expand your own writing.
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Media Candide
In Leonard Bernstein's funny, philosophical, and fast-paced take on Voltaire's biting satire, very bad things happen to very good people (and plenty of bad ones too)
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Media China: Arts & Culture
Explore the history and diversity of China鈥檚 performing arts, including highlights from the Beijing Traditional Music Ensemble, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, a shadow puppet performance from Shaanxi Folk Art Theater, a look at the exhibition of Terra Cotta Warriors, and an excerpt from Cai Guo-Qiang鈥檚 Tornado: Explosion Project for the Kennedy Center.
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Media Civil Rights on the B-Side
On the flip side of many 45 RPM records made by African Americans in the '40s, '50s and '60s, there are Civil Rights songs that no one has ever heard.
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Media Composing Accidental Music
Teaching artist Danny Clay provides step-by-step instruction on how sounds, chance, and rhythm can come together to make an original piece of music.
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Media Connections: Language & Music
How do we communicate? Through language, of course, but also through gestures and images鈥攁nd yes, music.
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Media Connections: Math & Music
Math and music might seem like an odd couple. But when we take a closer look, they have more in common than you might think.
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Media Connections: Science & Music
What do science and music have in common? More than you might think.
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Media Cos矛 fan Tutte
Mozart's whimsical and wry tale of two young men who place a bet on fidelity, putting the women they love to the test through deception and seduction
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Media Cracking Open The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is arguably the most popular ballet of all time. It is often performed during the holiday season, and has inspired countless variations, especially in the USA. Ever wonder why?
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Media Creating a Spooky Radio Play
Write, record, and scream! A creative way to explore not-too-scary storytelling
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Media Dancing to Different Rules
They were rebels, they were American, and they dared to be different: the makers of modern dance.
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Media DIY Old-Time Radio
Have you ever heard an old-time radio drama? Did you ever want to know how they were made? These audio stories will tell you about the history of the art form, and then give you the tools to record your own by using what you find around your house.
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Media DJ 101
In this video series, turntablist Kuttin Kandi, one of the best battle DJs in the game, demonstrates the basics of her instrument.
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Media Do You Wanna Dance?
Want to understand how dance works? Learn the five elements that make up the foundation of this art form: body, action, time, space, and energy.
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Media Don Carlo
Family ties fray and unravel in Verdi's spectacle of forbidden passion, political intrigue, and shattering betrayal set at the height of the Spanish Empire
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Media Don Giovanni
A notorious lover meets his ultimate fiery punishment in Mozart鈥檚 celebrated tragicomedy. He鈥檚 spent his life betraying women. Now time鈥檚 up.
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Media Dorothea Lange + Migrant Mother
Photographer Dorothea Lange, whose picture Migrant Mother is one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. See how Lange used her camera to tell the story of Depression-era Americans
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Media Dorothea Lange + White Angel Breadline
In White Angel Breadline, her first documentary photograph, Dorothea Lange enabled Americans to see the tragic effects of the Great Depression. The image evoked national sympathy, rather than scorn, for the hungry and homeless.
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Media Double Dutch: Pick Up Your Feet!
Has it been a while since you鈥檝e jumped rope? To get into the swing, find your old rope or unwind a length of clothesline. See what it feels like to jump again鈥攐n your own or with friends. One of the beauties of jumping rope? All you need is some space and a little rhythm and your body comes alive. This resource will provide you with some history, techniques, and opportunities to explore Double Dutch further.
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Media Drop Me Off In Harlem
In this interactive microsite, meet the artists, writers, dancers, musicians, activists, philosophers, and patrons of the Harlem Renaissance between the years of 1917 and 1935. Explore how this period in our country's cultural evolution was documented through art, literature, journalism, theater, and film.
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Media Duke Ellington + Harlem
Duke Ellington enjoyed tremendous success as a jazz musician and bandleader during the Harlem Renaissance. But Ellington saw that jazz could be more and push beyond a single category鈥.鈥 鈥婬鈥媔s 1950 symphonic composition, Harlem, demonstrated unprecedented storytelling through the jazz idiom.
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Media Education Video Collection
See what's playing in the Kennedy Center Education video library, featuring hundreds of videos in every arts genre. Our video library spans many years and many of our videos are incorporated into other Kennedy Center digital resources as well as being available on YouTube.
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Media Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlights
One of the jobs of a lighting designer is to be an illusionist; to convince the audience they鈥檙e somewhere special. This video series will show you some of the tricks and gear used to make that happen.
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Media Eugene O鈥橬eill + Long Day鈥檚 Journey Into Night
Eugene O'Neill is called "The Father of American Theater" for good reason: He was the first American playwright to write serious plays and treat drama as a serious art form.
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Media Exploring Extremes: Music to the Max!
Explore music鈥檚 extremes鈥攆rom high notes and low notes to how big or small instruments (and their sounds!) can be. Plus, get to know the 鈥渆xtremely talented鈥 violin, and discover different ways of listening to music.
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Media Falu鈥擬usic Connects Us All
Falu writes and performs "indie Hindi" music鈥攁 blend of rock and Indian styles鈥攅xploring the many regions, languages, cultures, and traditions in India. Using Indian rhythms, vocal styles, and percussion alongside modern instruments such as electric guitars, Falu celebrates how music can beautifully express both difference and connection across cultures.
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Media Faust
The aging Faust makes a pact with Méphistophélès to exchange his soul for Earth's mortal pleasures. But along the seductive path to riches and power, Faust realizees his salvation is devastatingly bound to others.
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Media Female Representation in the Performing Arts
Prominent members of the Kennedy Center community of artists discuss their career paths and the importance of representation in the arts.
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Media Five(ish) Minute Dance Lessons: African Dance
Dancer Rujeko Dumbutshena and drummer Farai Malianga introduce traditional rhythms and movements from their native country Zimbabwe.
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Media Five(ish) Minute Dance Lessons: Latin Dance
In this engaging and energetic series of videos, instructors Ricardo and Elba teach both beginner and intermediate dancers the steps of four Latin dances: Merengue, Salsa, Bachata, and Cha Cha Cha.
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Media Five(ish) Minute Dance Lessons: Swing Dance
Learn the basics of swing dance, called East Coast Swing; take it up a notch with the Charleston; and if you're really swingin' after that, you can learn the most advanced swing dance, the Lindy Hop.
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Media From Amber Frozen
Meet the members of The Dover Quartet and composer Mason Bates as the ensemble rehearses the contemporary work From Amber Frozen.
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Media Galumpha
Combining stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy, and inventive choreography, Galumpha transforms three human bodies into one floating, flying, and gravity-defying piece of art, The Human Jungle Gym.
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Media George Balanchine + Agon
Discover why Balanchine has been called "the father of American Ballet" and even the greatest choreographer of all time
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Media God Bless America
In 1938, composer Irving Berlin dusted off an old piece of music to create a new national hit
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Media Guide to the Orchestra
Listening to an orchestra can be a powerful experience. It can entertain you, tell you stories, make you laugh or cry, or take you away to faraway places. Knowing a few things about orchestras and the range of music they play can make it even better. Everything you need to get started is right here in this guide.
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Media Halloween Decorating Tips from Theater Designers
Want to join in the Halloween fun, but aren鈥檛 sure how to begin? Let these theater designers from around the country inspire your spooktacular display.
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Media Healing Breath
In this video series, Renée Fleming and special guests demonstrate simple exercises for singers that develop and strengthen the muscles involved in healthy breathing.
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Media Hip Hop to da Head
This performance explores the Hip Hop dance and music movement including beat boxing, breaking, locking, floor work and top rock.
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Media Hip Hop: A Culture of Vision and Voice
The elements of hip hop came together in the Bronx borough of New York City in the early 1970s. From a whole lot of nothing鈥攁nd a whole lot of imagination鈥攈ip hop took form.
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Media Hobey Ford: Animalia
Together with his team of adorable "Foamies," Hobey makes animals of all sorts emerge in movement and music to form a full-on puppet ballet.
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Media How to Sing in an Ensemble
Congratulations! You鈥檙e singing in an ensemble. Never sung with a chorus before? We鈥檙e going to tell you everything you need to know.
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Media Inspiration!
The music of great composers has been inspired by books, plays, poetry, travel, nature, politics, friends, and even the neighbor鈥檚 dog! Discover how composers come up with fresh ideas as you learn all about musical INSPIRATION!
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Media Instrument Spotter鈥檚 Guide
You might see some of these instruments when you come to the Kennedy Center, watch a performance by your school band, or at any other concert you attend! Click the slides to learn more about some of the most frequently spotted instruments in each family.
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Media It's Not Just a Stage
Here鈥檚 a handy guide to some basic stage directions, the most common parts of a theater, and different types of theater spaces
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Media Japan: Arts & Culture
This is your passport to the arts and culture of Japan as experienced through the Kennedy Center's Japan! culture + hyperculture festival
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Media Jason Moran: In the Studio
Learn the basics of jazz music and how the art form works. Along with his band, Jason Moran shows you how jazz is more like skateboarding and football than you would think, as well as plays original and classic jazz standards.
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Media Javier Starks
Emcee, songwriter, and poet Javier Starks paves a unique path all his own with 100% curse-free Hip Hop music, showing the world that success can come without negativity. Join Javier in this video concert as he performs original songs with a live band and DJ.
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Media Jazz in DC
From Fairmont Street to U Street, from the Howard Theater to the Bohemian Caverns, take a tour through jazz history with Billy Taylor and Frank Wess, who lead listeners through their hometown鈥檚 music scene in this seven-part audio series.
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Media John Steinbeck + The Grapes of Wrath
A collection of suggested lessons and activities aimed at helping students build a framework, from various perspectives of the 1930s, in which to embed a close study of Steinbeck鈥檚 The Grapes of Wrath
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Media Keith Bear: Flute Maker
Musician, storyteller and flutemaker Keith Bear sheds light on the art and tradition of making flutes in the Native American tradition in this video interview.
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Media Kids鈥 Classical Countdown
Looking to bolster your knowledge of classical music or simply trying to broaden your knowledge of music in general? Whatever your reason, here鈥檚 a different kind of musical hit list鈥攐ur choices for the top 10 works in Western classical music for kids and their parents.
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Media Know Before You Go
Look like a pro at any arts event, from the ballet to the rock show. Here's everything you need to know before you go!
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Media Koji Kakinuma: Shodo Performing Artist
Shodo performing artist Koji Kakinuma performs a festive Otsukimi (Japanese moon-viewing) performance of Trancework , accompanied by the taiko group AUN
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Media La Traviata
Verdi鈥檚 everlasting story of fate and sacrifice, renowned for its soaring arias and heart-wrenching ending.
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Media Larry & Jessup Yazzie, Native Pride Dancers
Meskwaki Tribe member Larry Yazzie and his son, Jessup, discuss and perform traditional Native American dances
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Media Madam Butterfly
In Puccini's immortal tragedy, a dashing American naval officer chooses a naïve young geisha to be his bride, only to betray her--leading to one of the most devastating and legendary final scenes in all of opera.
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Media Marian Anderson: Of Thee We Sing
The road to racial equality was a long one and the battle for equality had many heroes; some of them made history just by opening their mouths to sing.
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Media Martha Graham + Appalachian Spring
Learn how this dance visionary pioneered her own movement language
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Media Mason Bates on Curating the Concert Experience
Join Kennedy Center composer-in-residence Mason Bates on an exploration of the process of Curating the Concert Experience. In this mini mini-series, Mason takes us on a journey in three parts鈥擯rogramming, Production, and Platform鈥攕haring his unique perspective and insights.
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Media Meet Author Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Oxon Hill, Maryland. He wasn鈥檛 into reading or writing as a boy, but that changed when he discovered his love for the lyrics and flow of Hip Hop.
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Media Meet Madeleine L鈥橢ngle
Learn more about the impactful writer of 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time鈥 and the life lessons she learned, and shared with the world, about the literary arts.
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Media Merce Cunningham + BIPED
Discover how Cunningham's abstract choreography was inspired by his innovative use of technology
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Media Music and Football
Music and football: what could the connection possibly be? But think about it, there's music at halftime, we sing fight songs up in the stands, and when isn't there music when we watch football highlights on TV? Music and football are intertwined, as we'll hear in this series, narrated by NFL Films composer Tom Hedden.
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Media Music as Dance's Muse
See how four choreographers (Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Larry Keigwin, and Mark Morris) use music in different ways in their works.
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Media Music in the Military
Music and musicians play an important role in military life. From the history of "Taps" to the importance of the USO, to the African American pioneers of Navy music, this series explores the place of ceremonial, tactical and recreational music in the US military.
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Media Music of China
Chinese music dates back thousands of years and sounds different from Western music thanks to important differences in tone, musical scale, pitch, instrumentation, and individual instruments.
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Media Music of Greece
Discover the influence of the ancient Greeks on classical music, opera and modern jazz; and join contemporary Greek musicians and scholars as they discuss cultural and historical influences on the music of Greece today
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Media Music of India
This 3-part audio series explores different aspects of Indian music: Indian musical instruments; the styles of music across India; and what makes Indian music unique鈥攁nd where it is going
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Media Music of the Arab World
A 3-part audio series that explores different aspects of Arab music: the musical instruments of the Arab World; what makes Arab music unique; and the styles of music in the Arab World
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Media Music of the Civil War
Exploring the conflict鈥檚 varied soundtrack, from patriotic marches to haunting ballads, offers a window to the spirit, story, and emotion of a traumatic time in American history.
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Media Music of the Gulf Coast Highway
Learn how the diverse styles of blues, choral music, cajun, zydeco, brass band, border music, and gospel meet and mingle in the Gulf Coast region.
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Media Musical Theater in America
Learn about musical theater using examples from Broadway, the history, structure and elements of musical theater, musical theater's role in social commentary, its legacy, and how you too can create a musical.
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Media Native Pride Dancers
Native American dancers from the group Native Pride Dancers demonstrate the traditional eagle, fancy, grass and hoop dances
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Media No Singer is an Island
Singing is a completely collaborative art form. You cannot go it alone. Here鈥檚 a look at six of the people that will help you along the way
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Media Norman Rockwell + The Problem We All Live With
In 鈥淭he Problem We All Live With,鈥 artist Norman Rockwell took a stand against racism. Learn why a controversial painting became a symbol of the American civil rights movement.
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Media Otello
Verdi鈥檚 monumental retelling of Shakespeare鈥檚 masterpiece offers a psychological medium to explore good and evil, as well as the downfall of a celebrated leader.
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Media Pacifico Dance Company: On Stage at the Kennedy Center
Pacífico Dance Company prides itself on educating culturally diverse communities, as well as providing Hispanic audiences with a forum for developing pride in their own heritage
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Media Pas de Deux: It Takes Two
In ballet, a pas de deux is a dance duet in which two dancers perform ballet steps together. But the pas de deux is not just a dance of love.
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Media Perfect Harmony
Nothing sings romance like a love song. And people have been singing them for thousands of years.
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Media Perfect Pitch
Take the field and learn the looks, sounds, history, and notable players of orchestral instruments from four eras鈥攂aroque, classical, romantic, and modern. Next, use the interactive audio mixer to choose your players and hear them perform together. Finally, test your musical knowledge with a fun baseball-style quiz.
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Media Picturing the Presidency
Shadowing the president is difficult, but White House photographers must capture every moment for history
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Media Poetry Out Loud
How does poetry change when it transforms from written to spoken word? Listen as well-known voices express the work of celebrated poets.
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Media Pointe Shoes
With their flat, stiff fronts and special construction, pointe shoes give ballerinas the footwear that helps them stay on their toes and wow audiences
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Media Porgy and Bess
Often considered the first great American opera, Porgy and Bess soars with original music melding jazz, gospel, and folk styles. Themes of community resilience, acceptance, and redemption weave through this poignant story, ultimately asking if even the most unwavering of loves can conquer the force of personal addiction.
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Media Primary Sources
When it comes to telling the true account of an event or an historical time period, there鈥檚 nothing more real or more exciting than a primary source
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Media Ragamala Dance
Learn about traditional Indian Bharatanatyam dance from the Ragamala Dance company
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Media Ralph Stanley & the Roots of Country Music
Learn about the beginnings of country music and its early innovators through the stories and music of three of country music's most respected musicians: mountain music legend Dr. Ralph Stanley, Jim Lauderdale, and James Shelton
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Media Reach For The Moon
Just like President Kennedy had a vision for America, composers have visions of how they want their music to sound. For some, their musical mission is to explore a galaxy of stars and planets, moon shots, space walks, and galactic battles!
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Media Rhythm and Raga
The music of India is diverse, but there is still a distinct 鈥渟ound鈥 that makes Indian music unmistakable-- use this resource to learn the basics of Indian music.
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Media Romare Bearden + Empress of the Blues
Can you hear that red-hot trumpet? How about the full, rich tones in the vocals of Bessie Smith? Romare Bearden makes music with his art. Learn how to 鈥渉ear鈥 a painting.
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Media Saidi Rhythms from the South of Egypt
Teaching artist Karim Nagi teaches students to create the Saidi rhythm common in South Egyptian music using nothing but their own voices.
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Media Samuel Beckett + Waiting for Godot
The cast and director from the Gate Theatre鈥焥 (Dublin) production of Waiting for Godot discuss this well-known and enigmatic classic by Samuel Beckett.
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Media Shakespeare and Love
Shakespeare made the pursuit of love just as difficult as leading men to war, or solving your father's murder
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Media Shakespeare's Macbeth
A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland.
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Media Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
From the opening lines of William Shakespeare鈥檚 Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows what lies in store for the tragedy鈥檚 title teens: that these two 鈥渟tar-crossed lovers鈥 are doomed to die
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Media Shakespeare's Sonnet #18
Need the right words for Valentine's Day? Let the great poets, writers, and thinkers share their thoughts
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Media slamKC
Explore the performances of young slam poets. Musical, lyrical, and provocative, these original spoken word pieces are supported by Hip Hop giants Questlove and Black Thought.
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Media So You Want to be a Singer?
What does it really take to become a professional singer?
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Media Sogolon Puppet Theater
Sogolon is the puppet show and theatrical company created by Yaya Coulibaly in order to perpetrate and promote the Mali puppet tradition. The group's core mission is to contribute to develop and promote the Bamanan-Somono-Bozo puppet show.
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Media Songs About Cars
People write songs about a lot of things--desire, loneliness, heartbreak, love, and for some reason--lots of songs about cars.
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Media Songs About Disasters
Today if you want to talk about a tragedy, there are plenty of ways to do it. But in the past, one way people would pass along news was through songs.
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Media Sound Design and "The Wilhelm Scream"
Explore the history of Hollywood sound effects including the infamous "Wilhelm Scream," which has been used in hundreds of films.
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Media Soundtrack to the Seasons
Feel like giving each season a personal playlist? This handy guide to keeping the classics with you all year round can help.
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Media Stephen Schwartz
Meet one of American musical theater鈥檚 most talented composers, Stephen Schwartz, as he discusses his musical education, his break into show business, and the creative process, as well as performs selections from his musicals.
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Media Strike Up the Band: Creating Homemade Instruments
Learn how to make musical instruments with recycled household items.
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Media Summon the Heroes
Throughout the ages, composers have celebrated the accomplishments of famous heroes through music. What does a hero sound like? Get ready to find out!
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Media Surviving School Chorus
Chorus isn鈥檛 as complicated as you think. Here's a simple guide to the world of school choir. Sit up straight in your chair, take a deep breath, and read on.
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Media Swing! Swing! Swing!
This series, hosted by Connaitre Miller of Howard University, explores why Swing was the most popular dance music in America and how it is still alive today in dance halls, clubs and movies
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Media Taking Care of Your Voice
Want to sing? Good! Been watching American Idol and think you can do better? Here鈥檚 a few myths about singing and a few things to keep in mind.
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Media Tambuco Percussion Ensemble of Mexico
Tambuco is a percussion quartet founded in 1993 by four Mexican musicians. Tambuco鈥檚 performances weave music, instruments, and playing techniques from all over the world into a colorful tapestry of sounds, some familiar and some completely new.
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Media Television Theme Songs
Over the years, they鈥檝e been some of the most popular songs in the country. They are television theme songs, something as old as TV.
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Media Tennessee Williams + The Glass Menagerie
Playwright Tennessee Williams was a master of theatrical lyricism. He wrote about outcasts who invent beautiful fantasy worlds in order to survive their difficult and sometimes ugly lives.
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Media The Barber of Seville
"Figaro! Figaro! Fiiigarooo!" Can the sharp-witted barber of Seville help Count Almaviva woo the beautiful Rosina away from a bumbling doctor?
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Media The Daughter of the Regiment
A woman raised by soldiers must convince her "fathers" to let her marry a peasant--just as a mysterious Marquise comes to whisk her away to become a proper lady.
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Media The Ins and Outs of Trying Out
If you opt for a career in opera or musical theater, you鈥檒l be facing auditions all the time. Audition criteria vary from competition to competition, show to show, and director to director, but here are five of the (very) basic things to keep in mind
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Media The Magic Flute
In Mozart鈥檚 final and beloved opera, a handsome young prince and his silly bird-catcher sidekick are enlisted by the mysterious Queen of the Night to rescue her kidnapped daughter.
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Media The Marine's Hymn
The stories behind the words鈥斺淔rom the Halls of Montezuma, To the shores of Tripoli鈥
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Media The Marriage of Figaro
The barber of Seville is getting hitched--and it's a day of madness in the palace! Mozart's comic masterpiece comes to life through enchanting music and absurd mix-ups in a charming exploration of the perils of temptation and the triumph of love.
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Media The Music of Sound
Learn how composers and sound designers use their tools to create or enhance mood in a film or commercial.
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Media The Real Life of a Singer
Some basics on studying voice, preparing music, and getting the word out about your singing
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Media The Skeleton of a Scary Story
What gives a scary story its boo factor? Learn about the tricks you can use to rattle readers.
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Media The Star-Spangled Banner
How a captured poet penned the song that became the country鈥檚 national anthem
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Media This Land is Your Land
Folk singer Woody Guthrie celebrates America鈥檚 bounty and protests that not all Americans were getting their fair share
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Media Tosca
Passionate singer Tosca takes matters into her own hands when dreaded chief of police Scarpia hunts for her lover. But no one is guaranteed to get out alive.
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Media Understanding Arabic Music
Master musician and composer Simon Shaheen, along with his ensemble Qantara, demonstrates the unique sounds in traditional/classical Arab music.
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Media Understanding Different Voice Types
A soprano is a soprano because they can sing high and a bass is a bass because they sing low, right? Not really...
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Media Unpacking our National Anthem
Examine the history of 鈥淭he Star-Spangled Banner鈥 and the countless ways it has been adapted by musicians
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Media Unpacking the Tracks
You鈥檙e in the studio and at the mixing console with Motown historian Harry Weinger and Questlove of The Roots as they unpack classic tracks including Marvin Gaye鈥檚 1971 chart-topper 鈥淲hat鈥檚 Going On鈥 and The Supremes' 1966 hit 鈥淵ou Can't Hurry Love.鈥
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Media Viva La Diva!
A beginner鈥檚 guide to some of opera鈥檚 most challenging female roles and a unique look at how opera does girl power.
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Media We Shall Overcome
How a song helped steel the courage of Black Americans as they struggled to surmount the barriers to civil rights.
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Media Whack-A-Note
Step right up and try your hand at sight-reading and note identification in this fun, interactive, musical carnival game! Get your username on the leader board and amaze your teachers and friends!
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Media What It Takes to Become a Professional Singer
If you鈥檙e serious about pursuing a singing career, consider the following points carefully as you embark on this challenging career path.
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Media What Makes a Portrait 鈥淕reat鈥?
What makes a great portrait in the digital鈥攐r any鈥攁ge? By looking at the works of Richard Avedon and Andy Warhol we learn that it's not enough to create just another pretty face.
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Media Who Doesn鈥檛 Love Opera?
Unfortunately, a lot of people think they don鈥檛, and most of them have never seen one. In this audio story, opera fan Eleni and opera skeptic Samantha discuss how their experiences with opera as children influenced their opinions of the art form as adults.
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Media Yankee Doodle
鈥淵ankee Doodle鈥 may be a popular kids鈥 tune today, but it got its start as a song of war
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Media Your Brain on Music: Chills & Thrills
Creators of spooky tunes know exactly what they are doing when they send shivers down the spines of listeners.
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Media Your Brain on Music: Earworms
Recalling a favorite song in our imaginations can bring a private smile. But an earworm is different.
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Media Your Brain on Music: Tearjerkers
Warning: this article contains excerpts from some of the saddest pieces of music ever written.
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Media Your Brain on Music: The Sound System Between Your Ears
The amazing sound system in the human brain helps explain why people everywhere fill their lives with music.