Get high quality academic and archival streaming videos from sources like BBC, National Geographic, PBS, TED and more.
Want more on FOD? Go to the How to Use Films on Demand (FOD) Guide. Must be on campus or login with your COM account for off campus access.
-
Series: Early Musical Instruments
The ancestors to modern instruments are described and demonstrated by the Early Music Consort of London. 6-part series, 30 minutes each.
-
Series: Howard Goodall's Big Bangs: Turning Points in Music History
Armed with wit and charm, composer and pianist Howard Goodall charts the "Big Bangs" that forever changed the course of Western music. From the inspired invention of the thin red line in musical notation a thousand years ago to the modern electronically delivered music that surrounds us each day, this captivating five-part series examines in detail aspects of the musical world without which Western music, both classical and popular, might not exist as we know it. 5-part series, 51 minutes each.
-
Series: Music in Time
From pre-Gregorian to post-Modern, this series covers the major periods, styles, forms, composers, and works in the entire span of Western music with superb performances and authoritative narration. Ever unhurried, viewers are permitted to relish entire compositions and generous excerpts from representative period music performed by world-acclaimed artists, orchestras, conductors, operas, and ballet companies around the world. James Galway is the series host. 16-part series, 60 minutes each.
-
Series: Music Makers: Basic Instrument Instruction
In this eight-part series, seasoned professionals who have played with premier recording artists share their deep knowledge of music in a friendly and unselfconscious manner as they explain and demonstrate the essentials of playing a variety of string, wind, and percussion instruments. 8-part series, 76-109 minutes each.
-
Series: The History of Musical Instruments
This outstanding 13-part series discusses modern musical instruments in elaborate detail. Each program focuses on a different instrument-its origin, history, how it is made, how it works. Viewers visit factories and watch as expert craftsmen construct each instrument. Performances on both the original version of the instrument and its modern counterpart illustrate its use by composers over time. 13-part series, 28 minutes each.