Giants of American Music

Your class can think about the American Old West as they listen for dynamics, articulation, rhythm, and tempo in the Aaron Copland song, "Billy The Kid." They'll explore how Copland uses music to create an image of life for an outlaw in...

Students complete a unit of lessons on a variety of types of American music. They record their impressions of music samples on a worksheet, identify types of instruments, and choose a musical selection for their family to respond to.

Your learners will dance in their seats as this talented drummer connects math to music in a short video clip. Clayton Cameron shows how math puts the "cool" in various genres of music, including jazz, hip-hop, pop,...

A brief overview of composer George Gershwin, accompanied with audio samples of his music.

A short biography of George Gershwin (1898-1937 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.

Several radio shows with music clips regarding "Rodeo" and other works by Copland. Click to a short biography.

A short biography of John Phillip Sousa (1854-1932 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.

A brief biography of American composer, George Gershwin.

To the Native American people living on the plains, the buffalo represented culture, art, sustenance, and survival. Explore the history of the buffalo with a social studies lesson, in which learners create a buffalo hide painting in the...

Interested in popular and serious music, Gershwin (1898-1937) played a big part in bringing jazz to a more important place in American music. He helped mix it with classical music in his compositions. Read more about his work, including...