Secondary Catalogue

Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’ chronicles the social circumstances that lead two brothers to tragedy. Although set in the 1960s and 70s, the musical reflects the social issues and attitudes of the time the play was written in the early 1980s. This video examines the historical and social context of the musical and provides a valuable accompaniment to Senior English students studying the film. Show Less

Alan Bennett’s 'The History Boys' is set in 1983, a time when England was rife with class conflict and political reform. This video examines the events and tensions that inform Bennett’s play, from the changing roles of teachers to the social attitudes towards the gay community. It provides a valuable accompaniment to Senior English students studying The History Boys. Show Less

What is the essence of Irish music? If you answered 'Riverdance', you need to broaden your thinking. This is a fascinating look into Irish music that explains why the art form is so central to Irish culture and identity. This programme explores the history of music in Ireland, including popular instruments and various styles for dancing and singing. Show Less

Whether it’s the unique sounds of a Koto, Shamisen, Shakuhachi or Shinobue, or the pounding of traditional drums, Japanese music has evolved over centuries as an integral part of the nation’s rich culture. Featuring Shakuhachi performer Adam Simmons, Koto performer Brandon Lee and Japanese drummer Toshi Sakamoto, this video explores the history of Japanese music, its structures and a range of traditional instruments. Show Less

This clip introduces viewers to the musical styles of three distinct eras within the common practice period: Baroque, Classical and Romantic. Typical structures, forms, instruments, rhythms and melodies are described and supported with examples. Significant composers and famous works from each era are identified. This is an easy to follow overview of the changing characteristics of European art music over three centuries. Show Less

Over thousands of years, music has woven through India’s rich culture. Though Indian music has changed and diversified, tradition remains strong. This programme introduces the origins and cultural relevance of music in India. Indian classical, folk and Bollywood melodies and rhythms are discussed. Demonstrations of how to play widely used instruments – the bansuri, tanpura, sitar, tabla and kinjira – will be of particular interest to music students. Show Less

African music permeates the many diverse cultures across the continent. The legacy that African musical traditions have passed to contemporary musicians is rich and varied. From the iconic djembe drum to the distinctive a capella choir vocals, Africa’s music embraces many instruments and rhythms. This program presents a selection of music from the countries of Africa that have impacted movements such as blues, jazz, rock and rap. Show Less

'The Drover's Boy' is a 'hybrid' blend of music, documentary and drama. The story is set in the 1920s in outback Australia, and evokes a time when it was illegal for white Australians and Aboriginal people to marry. It was not uncommon for a drover and his Aboriginal wife to pass off their relationship under the guise of her being 'a drover's boy'. In subterfuge, she had to bind her breasts, cut her hair and change her name to disguise herself as an Aboriginal boy. This is one such story, sensitively told, based on a ballad by Australian bush legend and singer-songwriter, Ted Egan. The song, and the film, pay tribute to this form of forbidden union and the significant contribution that Aboriginal women made to the pastoral history of frontier Australia. Show Less

Radical, free and rebellious in attitude, jazz is out on the edge and always evolving. Ideal for music students new to the genre, this program introduces common musical elements of jazz, the origins of jazz in New Orleans, and the evolution of jazz music styles over the last century. A broad range of audio samples, historical footage and practical demonstrations are woven throughout this resource. Show Less

Bobby is a zany and enthusiastic young musician who wants to join the orchestra. But Strauss the Conductor must teach him a thing or two about the orchestra first... Through the antics of these two engaging puppet characters we gain an insight into the conductor and string section of the orchestra. We explore the history and development of ancient chordophones to the modern day violin, viola, cello, double bass and harp. We see these instruments in action and hear their sound qualities, exploring a range of playing techniques and varying timbres. This Australian-made, curriculum fit programme also highlights the important role that the conductor plays within the orchestra. The programme highlights important performers and conductors from both the past and the present. It explores the use of stringed instruments within and beyond the symphony orchestra, demonstrating the diverse utilisation of stringed instruments world wide. Show Less

Young Bobby is learning a lot about the orchestra from his new mentor, Strauss the conductor. But he still has more to learn before he can become a member of the orchestra. Through the antics of these two engaging puppet characters we are introduced to the percussion section of the orchestra, exploring the history and development of ancient membranophones and idiophones to modern day orchestral percussion instruments. We see and hear these instruments in action, exploring a range of playing techniques and varying timbres. This Australian-made, curriculum fit program also highlights important performers and outlines the typical orchestral idioms of today, various educational programs, and emphasises contemporary concepts. Show Less

Young Bobby, an enthusiastic and zany musician, has no idea about the orchestra, but luckily Strauss the Conductor is here to teach him before he joins up. Through the antics of these two engaging puppet characters we learn all about the woodwind and brass sections of the orchestra. We explore the history and development of ancient aerophones to the modern day flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba. We see and hear these instruments in action and explore a range of playing techniques and varying timbres. This Australian-made, curriculum fit program also shows woodwind and brass instruments being used in contemporary music. This program aims to demonstrate these instruments and their sound qualities, exploring a range of playing techniques and varying timbres. The program highlights important performers from both the past and the present. It explores the use of woodwind & brass instruments within and beyond the symphony orchestra, demonstrating the diverse utilization of wind instruments world wide. Show Less

This programme looks at the many diverse new forms of music and the trail-blazers who paved the way for the new and diverse contemporary Aboriginal sounds. It looks at the early beginnings of choir and Country, to Hip Hop, Funk and Rap. It provides a broad coverage of just how many musicians are part of Australia’s Indigenous musical entourage. It looks at how their stories and music are broadcast to the nation via new technologies such as national radio, MySpace, Facebook, and downloadable MP3 files. Show Less

When it comes to creating music, one of the most important and intriguing aspects of the whole process takes place inside the recording studio itself. This programme is an essential resource for all students interested in pursuing music and sound recording as a future career. It covers a wide range of useful information, including: understanding the nature and acoustics of sound, the layout of a recording studio, main steps in a recording process and producing a finished product from your recording. The programme also features insightful interviews with professional sound recordists, mixers and musicians and introduces viewers to the whole range of recording equipment and computer software used in the industry today. Show Less

Composing can be an amazing experience – whether you're a budding Mozart, a techno freak, a hard-core guitarist or a complete novice with just a computer at hand – self-expression has never been as easy. But you've still got to know the basics to get yourself heard. This programme looks at a variety of starting points for composition through the eyes of some of Australia’s emerging composers and songwriters in a number of styles and genres. Featuring hip hop hero DJ Bonez, rock gods The Art Nova and Mark Pollard, and the head of composition at the Victorian College of the Arts, this programme covers what composition is, theme and variation, lyrics and music and form and structure. A practical and entertaining look at this popular subject. Show Less

Music and musicians throughout time have reflected fashion, culture, social and cultural events. Young people play music in rock bands, choirs, orchestras, play 'guitar-hero' and 'sing-star', consume music on TV, MySpace, iPods, YouTube, DVD and movies all reflecting many varied styles and genres of music and musical experience. This programme takes the viewer on a 'snapshot' tour of many musical genres taking in views of classical art music, rock and pop music, opera and musical theatre, 20th and 21st century film music and orchestral collaborations with heavy metal, rap and hip hop. Show Less

The application of geometrical concepts is critical in the contemporary music industry. Modern instruments, powerful sound systems and complex recording technology all rely on geometry for the successful delivery of sound. This programme explains triangles and how they are applied in home stereo systems and studio recording. Key mathematical concepts include: - Equilateral triangle, isosceles triangle, scalene triangle, apex of a triangle, perpendicular bisector, - Polygons in recording studio design, - Regular polygon, irregular polygon, polygon names, internal and external angle sum of a polygon. Show Less

This video explores the application of geometrical concepts and their critical role in the contemporary music industry. Modern instruments, powerful sound systems and complex recording technology all rely on geometry for the successful delivery of sound. Geometry is even used to get the most out of home stereo systems. Show Less

This program looks at how physics of sound is applied in a real sound recording studio. It is a unique window into the world of the music industry through the eyes of physics. There are many aspects to the physics of sound that a recording engineer has to take into account when recording sound. From room characteristics to frequency response, microphone characteristics to equalisation, recording engineers work with the full demands of the physics of sound. Show Less

The history of sound recording technologies from the late 19th century to the present day. The programme concentrates on the concept of energy transduction as a means to create analogues of sound and how this was applied to different sound recording media. The programme features Powerhouse Museum curator Campbell Bickerstaff, explaining the various earlier technologies. Also some sociological commentary. Show Less

There is a great variety of musical instruments but they all have one thing in common, an element that vibrates (air column, vocal chord, violin string, stretched membrane), a mechanism to make it vibrate (blowing, plucking, scraping, beating etc), a source of energy to feed the vibrations (usually human muscle but can be an air pump or an electric source) and the means of varying the frequency or pitch of the vibration (change length as in a recorder, trombone, organ, violin, or change tension in vocal chords, Hawaiian guitar). Go behind the beauty and inspiration of music to explore its scientific principles. We examine a wide range of instruments from the classical violin to the didgeridoo and synthesiser to illustrate the concepts and formulae of sound waves. Show Less