Library of Congress
Loc: History of Ragtime
This article from Library of Congress' Performing Arts Encyclopedia gives an extensive explanation of the history of ragtime. Trace the development of the genre from the 1850s through the 1970s.
Other
Farmers' Museum: Harvest of History: History of New York State Argriculture
Site compares and contrasts a farming village of 1845 to that of the present day. Students can make their own video online using clips, narrative, and music supplied by the museum.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History: Arctic Studies Center
Tour this Smithsonian site and learn about the cultures of the North Pacific Rim and arctic wildlife in this site. This site provides virtual tours, videos, and music!
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Documents Gallery: Ellington and Strayhorn
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two of the greatest jazz composers, collaborated on hundreds of works. As you explore this exhibition, you will have an opportunity to view original music scores, listen to audio clips, and view videos...
National Women’s History Museum
National Women's History Museum: Marlene Dietrich
Marie Dietrich was one of the most popular film and music stars of the 1930s and 1940s.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Learning the Blues
This lesson plan introduces young scholars to the blues. The origin and development of the blues is explored as well as its distinctive structure.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 45: Democracy Not Yet!
The following lesson uses the lyrics of four popular songs (songs that were commonly sung or played) to stimulate critical thought and discussion of what is right or wrong with American democracy.
Other
Down Beat: Cecil Taylor
A detailed site containing information in the following sections: photos, biography, and archived news articles about avant-garde pianist/composer Cecil Taylor.
Other
Down Beat: Albert Ayler
A detailed article containing the following sections: biography, discography, photos, and news articles about Albert Ayler.
A&E Television
History.com: Woodstock 1969: How a Music Festival That Should've Been a Disaster Became Iconic Instead
Fifty years later, people are still trying to match the bizarre accident that was Woodstock '69. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair began on August 15, 1969, as half a million people gathered on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York. Billed as...
Nederlander Organization
Broadway Direct: 20 Benchmark Musicals in Broadway History
The history of Broadway musical theater is demonstrated through brief examinations of twenty groundbreaking musicals, from The Black Crook in 1866 to Hamilton in 2015. Nine videos accompany the descriptions of some of the musicals.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Music and Creativity in Ancient Greece
You think you love music? You have nothing on the Ancient Greek obsession. Every aspect of Greek life was punctuated by song: history, poetry, theater, sports and even astronomy. In fact, music was so important to Greek philosopher Plato...
English Club
English Club: History of Soul Music
Learn the history of soul music from its origins in gospel music, through Motown and Memphis Soul, to contemporary rhythm and blues. The site includes three videos: Sam Cooke singing "A Change is Gonna Come," from 1964, with images from...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Architecture Helped Music Evolve
As his career grew, David Byrne went from playing CBGB to Carnegie Hall. He asks: Does the venue make the music? From outdoor drumming to Wagnerian operas to arena rock, he explores how context has pushed musical innovation. [16:00]
OpenStax
Open Stax: Catherine Schmidt Jones: Scoring Music: Write for Specific Instruments
If you are interested in arranging your own music, you should check out the tips offered at this website. Including a history of how music was arranged, this site also gives several good ideas of how to make your arrangements interesting.
Brand Scotland
Scotland Is Now: Traditional Music
The history of traditional Scottish music goes back thousands of years, as this article explains. Other highlights include a connection between Robert Burns and Bob Dylan, and lots of information about current traditional music groups...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Freedom Riders and Popular Music of the Civil Rights Movement
In this lesson plan, students will consider "The Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights Movement." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
Other
David Holt: The Roots of Mountain Music
This is a short history of the major influences that have combined to create mountain music, one of which is minstrel music. Provides a good decription of minstrel music in general. Includes names and descriptions of specific songs,...
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Colonial Williamsburg: Eighteenth Century Music and Dance
Site provides lesson that examines the role of dance and music in Colonial Williamsburg. Interactive group activities highlight this lesson.
A&E Television
History.com: The First Woman to Swim the English Channel Beat the Men's Record by Two Hours
It was August 6, 1926, the day that an American, Gertrude Ederle, was poised to become the first woman to swim the English Channel. Only five men had ever swum the waterway before. The challenges included quickly changing tides, six-foot...
Other
Southern Cross University: Music of the Pacific Island Nations
Learn about the history of music in Pacific Island Nations. Includes Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia.
Other
Black History Canada : The Arts
An informative look at the influence of African music in Canada.
A&E Television
History.com: Why the Watershed 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival Was Overshadowed for 50 Years
The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival brought over 300,000 people to Harlem's 20-acre Mount Morris Park from June 29 to August 24, 1969 against a backdrop of enormous political, cultural and social change in the United States. The summer...
Other
History of Rock 'N' Roll: Roy Orbison
Biographical summary of the life of Roy Orbison, a legend in popular music in the 1960s.
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