Educator Resources

Learn About our Musicians
Get closer to the music and learn about WCO musicians.

Classical Music on WPR
Produced and hosted by WPR's knowledgeable and enthusiastic music staff, their daily programs feature a wide variety of classical music drawn from WPR's vast music library, plus live performances from our studios and concert recordings made around Wisconsin.

‘Composering’ with Bill Banfield
Hear from Bill Banfield, WCO Composer in Residence; Black music activist and acclaimed composer of jazz, symphonies, operas, songs, and chamber works.

Minnesota Orchestra’s Guide to Instruments
This interactive orchestra guide features instrument information, up-close photos, and demonstration videos.

Carnegie Hall’s Music Educator Toolbox
Free online resources for music educators including lesson plans and activities, summative and formative assessments, video examples, and documented best practices

Carnegie Hall Instrument Families
Discover the sounds of the symphony orchestra through this interactive listening map. Learn how to identify the different instruments and their families, and then put it all together and make the orchestra come alive.

Instrument Video Library
This set of videos features each instrument of the orchestra playing an excerpt from "Ode to Joy" so students can distinguish the different timbres of the instruments.