The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
This version of Carnegie Hall’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra has been programmed using HTML 5.0 in order to better accommodate modern internet standards. The previous version was created using Adobe Flash, a product that was sunsetted in 2020.
Internet Connection Requirements
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra features extensive use of animation and video, thus requiring a high-speed internet connection. While the games may work at lower speeds, the site is optimized to work best at 25 megabytes per second (Mbps) or higher.
If you are experiencing choppy audio quality or frozen animation, it is likely due to internet connectivity issues.
Click here to measure the speed of your internet connection.
Web Browser Requirements
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra requires a modern web browser that supports HTML 5.0.
We strongly encourage users to update their browsers to the most recent version to ensure the best possible gameplay experience. All popular modern browsers offer the option to subscribe to automatic version updates when they become available. The latest versions of the most popular web browsers can also be found using the links below:
* Not recommended, see below
Apple Safari Audio: Known Issues
By default, Apple’s Safari web browser actively discourages auto-play audio features that are part of the Young Person’s Guide user experience. For this reason, we recommend using one of the alternative browsers listed above. If you must use Safari, please follow these instructions to enable audio to play properly on the Listening Adventures website:
Step 1: Open https://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org on the Safari web browser.
Step 2: Using the toolbar anchored to the top of your screen, select “Safari → Preferences…” (fig.1).
Step 3: Select the “Websites” icon at the top of the preferences window.
Step 4: Select the “Auto-Play” icon in the left sidebar.
Step 5: Select the “Allow All Auto-Play” option for the website.
Step 6: Close the Preferences window and reload the website. (Note that you may need to close and restart Safari to enable the new audio setting.)
Hardware Device Requirements
Optimized for Laptops / Desktops
The Young Person’s Guide is optimized to perform best on all modern desktop and laptop computers that have a high-speed internet connection. Users of older computers and devices may experience slower loading sequences and audio synchronization issues.
Tablets and Chromebooks
Performance may vary on tablet devices, such as the Apple iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, or Google Pixel Tablet. Older Google Chromebooks may also experience performance issues. When using these devices make sure your device uses a high-speed wifi network rather than your cellular connection to ensure the best possible user experience and avoid excessive data usage fees.
Smartphones
While it is also possible to play the game on a smartphone (e.g., iPhones and Android devices) it is not recommended, due to limited screen space and fussy mobile browser setting issues. When using a smartphone make sure your device uses a high-speed wifi network rather than your cellular connection to ensure the best possible user experience and avoid excessive data usage fees.