Music Dictionary for Kids - W

from Music Dictionary for Kids Index



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RICHARD WAGNER - (1813-1883) (1813-1883) German Composer, Theatre Director, and Conductor. Unlike most great opera composers, Wagner wrote the plot and libretto for his works. The Bridal Chorus, from Wagner's opera "Lohengrin", is the traditional march played for the bride's entrance. Read More...

WALTZ - A ballroom or folk dance in 3/4 meter. The peasant couples of Bavaria, Tyrol, and Styria began dancing a dance known then as the "Walzer" around 1750.

WASHBOARD - A musical instrument from the percussion family. It's played by scratching or tapping the corrugated metal surface.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER - (1948-Present) An English musical theater composer. Webber has won one Academy, one Golden Globe, four Grammy Awards, and seven Tony Awards. Some of his most recognizable works are Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera. Read more...

WHOLE REST - Rest for the whole measure.

WHOLE NOTE - A note receiving four beats of sound in 4/4 meter.

WHOLE TONE SCALE - A scale built entirely of whole steps. The whole tone scale is common in the music of the French impressionists.

JOHN WILLIAMS - (1932-Present ) An American composer, conductor and pianist. Williams has produced some of our best music for film, including the soundtracks to Star Wars (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Jurassic Park (1993). He has received 5 Academy Awards and 45 Academy Award nominations. Read more...

WOODWIND - The family of instruments that produce a sound when the player blows air into the instrument, causing the air to vibrate within the resonator. Includes the flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone and bassoon.