dyo.org.nz

iHeart is a free streaming platform that combines live radio stations, customizable artist stations, playlists, and podcasts in one place. You can start listening without paying by opening iheart.com in a browser or using the iHeart app, then searching for a station, artist, song, or podcast. A subscription is only relevant for certain premium features; the core listening experience described on iHeart's site is available for free.

What you can listen to on iHeart

iHeart organizes its content into a few main types, and knowing the difference helps you find what you want faster.

The key distinction is live versus on-demand. Live radio plays whatever is broadcasting right now, so you can't skip tracks. Artist stations and playlists behave more like on-demand listening, where you control the starting point.

How to start listening for free

You can begin on either the web or the app. The steps are similar.

1. Open the platform. Go to iheart.com in a browser, or install the iHeart app on your phone or tablet.
2. Search or browse. Use the search function to enter a station name, artist, song, or podcast. Alternatively, browse categories to see what's available.
3. Select what you want to hear. Choosing a live station starts playback immediately. Choosing an artist creates or opens a station built around that artist.
4. Press play and adjust. Use the player controls to pause, change volume, or move between stations. On live radio, expect no track skipping; on artist stations, you have more control over what plays next.
5. Save what you like. Favoriting a station or artist makes it easier to return to later without searching again.

Expected result: audio begins playing shortly after you select content, and your favorites appear in your account for quick access next time.

Creating your own stations and playlists

• Artist stations: Start from an artist you like, and the station plays music in that style. This is the fastest way to get continuous music without building a list yourself.
• Playlists: Add individual songs to a playlist when you want a specific set of tracks rather than a continuous stream. This suits workouts, commutes, or a fixed party set.
• Tip: Use artist stations for discovery and playlists for control. If a station drifts away from what you want, switch to a playlist instead of fighting the stream.

What's free versus what needs a subscription

iHeart's own description states that its music, podcasts, and radio stations are available for free, and that you can listen to thousands of live stations or create your own artist stations and playlists. The site also references a subscription, which indicates that some features sit behind a paid tier.

Because the exact free-versus-paid split isn't fully detailed in the available information, treat it this way:

• Assume free: live radio stations, artist stations, playlists, podcasts, and general music/news browsing, based on iHeart's stated offering.
• Check before assuming: any feature labeled as premium, ad-free, or subscription-only. If a paywall appears, that specific feature requires payment.
• Don't assume: that a subscription is required to listen at all, or that everything is free. Verify at the point where you're asked to sign up or pay.

Common snags and how to handle them

• A station won't play. Live stations can be unavailable due to regional restrictions or temporary outages. Try another station to confirm whether the issue is the station or your connection.
• You can't skip a track. That's expected on live radio. Switch to an artist station or playlist if you want control.
• Search returns too many results. Add the type of content to your search, such as the artist name plus "station," or search podcasts separately from music.
• You lose your favorites. Sign in to an account so saved stations and playlists persist across sessions and devices.

Quick decision guide

• Want background music with no effort? Open an artist station.
• Want a specific set of songs? Build a playlist.
• Want a live show or local broadcast? Pick a live radio station.
• Want talk or storytelling? Go to podcasts.
• Want to avoid paying? Stick to the free listening options above and check any prompt before entering payment details.

Stuff (stuff.co.nz) is a New Zealand news site covering national and world breaking news, video, audio, podcasts, sport, rugby, politics, business, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, and property. Use it when you want NZ-focused reporting in one place; go straight to its section pages or search if you already know the topic, and use the homepage when you want to scan what's breaking.

Getting to the site and reading the homepage

Open stuff.co.nz. The homepage is built for scanning rather than reading top to bottom:

• Lead stories and breaking news sit at the top, so the most recent or most important items are visible first.
• Video and audio/podcast content is surfaced alongside written stories rather than hidden in a separate app.
• Section links let you jump from general news into a specific topic without scrolling the whole page.

If you arrive for a specific reason (a sport result, a political story), skip the homepage and go directly to that section.

Finding the main sections

Stuff organizes coverage into clearly named verticals. The ones named in the site's own description are:

Use the section navigation to move between these. Each section behaves like its own feed, so once you're inside Sport or Politics you can keep scanning that topic without returning to the homepage.

Locating a specific story

When you know what you're looking for, two tools do most of the work:

1. Search — enter a keyword, name, or place to pull matching stories. This is the fastest route when you remember a headline or subject but not its section.
2. Navigation menus and filters — use the section menus to narrow by topic, and region or topic filters where they're offered to cut a national feed down to what's relevant to you.

A practical sequence: search first for a known story; if you're browsing rather than hunting, pick the section, then apply a region or topic filter to reduce noise.

Video, audio, and podcasts

Stuff treats video and audio as first-class content, not add-ons. They appear within the site's coverage and have their own organization, so you can:

• Watch video clips attached to news stories or collected under video.
• Listen to podcasts and audio content grouped together rather than scattered.

If you prefer listening or watching over reading, start from the video or audio/podcast areas instead of the text homepage.

Free news vs. anything gated

The site's description presents Stuff as a general news destination covering all the sections above. The available information does not specify any subscription tier, paywall, or login requirement for Stuff content, and no pricing signals are given. That means:

• Treat the news, video, audio, and podcasts described here as the site's standard offering.
• Don't assume a paid tier exists, and don't assume everything is unrestricted either — the source material simply doesn't state access terms.
• If you hit a prompt asking you to sign in or subscribe, follow that on-screen instruction; it's the only reliable signal of what's gated at that moment.

For free news, the section pages and homepage are the natural starting points, since that's where the site's described coverage lives.

A quick workflow

• Just want today's news: open the homepage and scan the top.
• Following one topic: go straight to that section (Sport, Politics, Business, etc.).
• Looking for something specific: use search, then refine with region or topic filters.
• Prefer watching or listening: head to the video or audio/podcast areas.
• Checking access: if a login or subscription prompt appears, respond to it there — the site's public description doesn't define a paywall.

An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble built from four families—strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion—led by a conductor who shapes tempo, balance, and interpretation. The term covers a range of sizes: a chamber orchestra might field 15–45 players, while a full symphony orchestra can exceed 100. If you are trying to understand what you are hearing at a concert, or deciding whether a given ensemble fits the music you want to play or attend, the sections below break down the standard lineup and where the boundaries between orchestra types fall.

The Four Instrumental Sections

Strings

The largest section, and usually the melodic and textural backbone. Standard members:

• Violin (divided into first and second violins)
• Viola
• Cello
• Double bass

A full string section may number 60 or more players; the string count is often what separates a "chamber" from a "symphonic" orchestra.

Woodwinds

Color and solo lines, often in pairs or triples:

• Flute (sometimes doubling piccolo)
• Oboe (sometimes doubling English horn)
• Clarinet (sometimes doubling bass clarinet)
• Bassoon (sometimes doubling contrabassoon)

Brass

Power and projection, typically four to five players per section in a full orchestra:

• French horn
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• Tuba

Percussion

Rhythm, accent, and effect. Core instruments include timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, and mallet instruments such as xylophone or glockenspiel. Larger scores add harp, piano, or extra percussion.

What the Conductor Does

The conductor does not play an instrument during the performance. The role is to:

• Set and maintain tempo
• Cue entrances so sections start together
• Balance volume between sections
• Shape phrasing and dynamics across the whole ensemble

In rehearsal, the conductor also decides interpretation—how fast, how loud, where the music breathes—and communicates that to the players. A new music director can therefore change how a familiar piece sounds from one season to the next. The Great Falls Symphony, for example, opens its 68th season on October 10, 2026 with the debut concert of new Music Director Robert Kahn, a program including Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, and Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 ("New World").

Orchestra vs. Other Ensembles

The practical distinction is scale and repertoire. A string orchestra can play Vivaldi's Four Seasons; a full symphony orchestra can also play it, but with a larger, heavier sound. A wind ensemble cannot play a Dvořák symphony as written because the string parts have no equivalent.

Orchestra and Choir Together

Many orchestras perform with a symphonic choir, alternating or combining forces. The Great Falls Symphony's November 15, 2026 program Lux Aeterna is a clear example: the Symphonic Choir opens with a cappella works under new Choirmaster Jay Gregg, the orchestra then plays Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and both groups combine for the closing Lux Aeterna. If you are choosing a concert, this format gives you both choral and orchestral sound in one evening.

What to Expect at a Live Performance

• Arrive before the downbeat. Latecomers are usually held until a suitable pause.
• Applause between movements is optional. Modern audiences often wait until the end of a multi-movement work; either is acceptable.
• Programs list the order of pieces. Use it to follow sections and soloists.
• Film-with-orchestra concerts project the movie in HD while the orchestra plays the score live—the Great Falls Symphony's January 16, 2027 Jurassic Park performance follows this format.

Choosing Which Ensemble to Hear or Join

• Want the full symphonic sound? Look for a symphony orchestra program with a major Romantic or modern work.
• Prefer clarity and intimacy? A chamber orchestra or string orchestra suits Baroque and Classical repertoire.
• Play a wind or brass instrument? A wind ensemble is the natural fit; orchestral wind sections are small and competitive.
• Want to sing? Look for a symphony with an affiliated symphonic choir, such as the Great Falls Symphony & Symphonic Choir.

Season tickets and individual concert details for the Great Falls Symphony's 2026–2027 season are available through the organization's website; check the "Plan Your Experience" page for visitor information before attending.