lucille --
This is a question on a subject that is dear to my heart -- music
education for children -- so I had to take a crack at it.
I have found a site that so closely fits the description you provided
that I am confident it is the one you are looking for. (If it is not,
please ask for clarification of my answer and I would be happy to
continue to work with you.)
I will also point you to an article that sifts through the many
websites designed to educate children about symphony orchestras in an
entertaining way (including the one I found) and recommends some of
the best among them. I hope that this will help you in your further
exploration of this subject.
The site that meets your description almost exactly is that of
Playmusic.org, which is provided by the American Symphony Orchestra
League. Here is a link to that site's homepage:
Playmusic.org
http://www.playmusic.org/
At the home page, click on the cartoon of a tuba player, which invites
you to "take a seat in the orchestra." That will take you a page with
a diagram of the arrangement of the instruments in a modern symphony
orchestra. At the "jukebox" on this page you can click on links to
selections of music by a full orchestra or solos (with orchestra) by a
large choice of individual instruments.
When you click on the string section within the orchestra, you are
greeted by music played by a string ensemble and a page that is
designed in hues of gold and muted brown. Here is a direct link to
that page:
Playmusic.org/String Facts
http://www.playmusic.org/string/index.html
If you click on the image of the cello, you are taken to a page that
includes a link to a clip of Yo-Yo Ma playing the famous Dvorak Cello
Concerto.
If you then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "More," you
are taken to a page with a detailed description of the instrument and
an image of a cello with labels of its various parts.
The design and features of this site meet your description exactly,
and I hope and expect that this is the site that you had lost.
As a bonus, here is a link to an excerpt from the November/December
2002 issue of "Symphony" (a publication of the American Symphony
Orchestra League). This article, written by Rebecca Winzenried, is
entitled "Kid-Friendly: Music Web Sites Balance Learning and
Lighthearted Fun." I reviewed all of her recommendations while
looking for your site and can vouch for the fact that her choices
offer both fun and educational opportunities for "children of all
ages":
American Symphony Orchestra League: "Symphony," November/December 2002
http://www.symphony.org/news/room/02ndwebsites.shtml
Additional Sites:
Here are direct links to sites recommended in the "Symphony" article:
San Francisco Symphony: SFS Kids
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/splash.asp
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: BSO Kids
http://www.bsokids.com/
Dallas Symphony Orchestra: DSO Kids
http://www.dsokids.com/
New York Philharmonic: Kid Zone
http://www.nyphilkids.org/main.phtml?
Toy Symphony
http://www.toysymphony.org/
Public Radio International: "From the Top"
http://www.fromthetop.org/
Search Strategy:
The hardest part of this project was choosing search terms that would
provide a productive lead to a specific site containing information
that was widely available elsewhere but where the manner of
presentation was unique. After some trial and error searches, the
following search terms led me to the "Symphony" article:
"symphony orchestra" children interactive
://www.google.com/search?q=%22symphony+orchestra%22++children+interactive&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N
A review of each website recommended in the article led me to the
Playmusic.org site, which so closely matches your description.
This was an especially interesting project. If any of the
information is unclear, please ask for clarification before rating
this answer.
markj-ga |
