Lima Symphony Orchestra
Young People’s Concert
Teaching Guide

Learn facts about the woodwind, brass, string, and percussion instruments and listen to each instrument.

http://www.dsokids.com/listen/instrumentlist.aspx
This is one of the best sites for learning about and hearing the orchestral instruments.  The pictures are good and the instrument is played solo and within the texture of the orchestra.

http://datadragon.com/education/instruments/
Read a brief description about the woodwind, brass, strings, and percussion instruments.  Click on each instrument to hear its sound.

http://www.playmusic.org/string/index.html
This is a nice fun site for elementary students with clip art instruments played in animation. Find information about the instruments in each section of the orchestra.  The sound clips are good. 

http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_online_resources_listening_adventures.html
Listen to Benjamin Britten’s Guide to the Orchestra with this online video from Carnegie Hall.  Teachers or parents can register to login with a secret name and password for free.

http://www.thirteen.org/publicarts/orchestra/index.html
Play a listening game that asks you to identify instruments of the orchestra.

http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/music/orchestra/quiz/brassquiz1.html
This introduction to the sounds of the brass instruments is accompanied by a listening quiz.  Nice site!

http://artsalive.ca/en/mus/instrumentlab/
This is an excellent site for viewing instruments and listening to their tone colors.  Video clips are included.

http://www.sphinxkids.org/String_Instruments.html
Learn about the parts of each string instrument and listen to excerpts.  Then match the sound of the violin, viola, cello, and bass with their pictures.

Make Musical Instruments
http://www.mudcat.org/kids/blowers.cfm
Make a garden hose trumpet, a plumber’s pipe cross flute, mouth bow, clay whistle, and a tube or comb kazoo.  Visit mudcat.org to make homemade percussion instruments too.

http://www.dsokids.com/athome/makeinstrument.aspx
This is a great site for making instruments where the kids can do a lot of the physical work.

http://www.nyphilkids.org/lockerroom/history_f-r.html
Read a short history of the orchestra to your students.