Videos to help you learn more about classical music

by Kathleen Sykes

Have you ever listened to a piece of classical music, but couldn’t quite put your finger on what about it you love? Learning more about music helps us enjoy it better! But if you’re not a student, or didn’t have the opportunity to learn an instrument as a child, it might be hard to find resources in which to discover more about music—luckily the Internet is full of resources.

Here are some great videos to get your started.

Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts

Bernstein was a powerhouse. Not only was he a great composer and gifted pianist, but he was also a talented educator. During his lifetime, he led a total of 53 concerts with the New York Philharmonic educating children about music. Watch his concert where he teaches about melody here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCSv0YcqWow

TED-Ed

If you love TED Talks, you will also love their TED-Ed YouTube Channel. On it, you can find a wealth of content about music whether it be the historical context of important works or the science behind an opera singer’s voice. This one explores the mental benefits of music.

And this video helps you understand how to read music (which is basically like learning a new language!)

VOX Earworm

VOX Media is an incredible educational resource for anyone who is looking to learn more about… well anything! They have a great series on their YouTube channel called Earworm where they discuss the history and science behind music. They have interesting stories about what hip hop and Stravinsky have in common, how an opera gets made, and even explains the most feared song in jazz music.

Utah Symphony’s Instruments of the Orchestra

Ever wanted to know more about the English horn? Or what about the flute makes people want to play it? A few years ago, we filmed our musicians playing their instruments and explaining what drew them to it in the first place.