The Arts

Visual and Musical Arts bring beauty into our lives. These stories explore and reveal the inspiration behind great artworks, the challenges to create them and their impact on the world.

The Arts Chapters

As Godfather Drosselmeier tries to help Marie feel better, he begins to tell her the story of Princess Pirlipat.

In E.T.A. Hoffman's story about "The Nutcracker," a family gathers around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. In addition to all the wonderful presen...

In his "Nutcracker" story, E.T.A. Hoffman begins his tale on Christmas Eve. Lots of surprises are in store for the children!

Jai Ho is a song that is meant to inspire people beginning to lose hope to keep going because victory is near.

Although he cannot hear all the notes with his ears, Beethoven writes some of the best-known symphonies of all times.

The Arts Audios

In this audio-clip, we hear the Star-Spangled Banner as it would have sounded in 1854.

The words of Francis Scott Key's poem (The Star-Spangled Banner) were set to the music of a popular English tune known as To Anacreon in Heaven.

Taps is a 24-note bugle call which marks one of two events:  It signals that all unauthorized lights must be extinguished.  This is the l...

The Arts Documents

Learn the story of how Nkosi Sikelele became part of South Africa's national anthem and meet the young man who wrote the song.

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