Art & Music
Start your study of the musical with this site that showcases the major shows like West Side Story, Hair, Cats and so many more. Clicking on the name of the musical provides pictures of the cast, facts about the production, audio of a popular song from the play and a synopsis of the show and its Broadway run. This site also offers interviews, photos, video and audio recordings, and loads of fascinating facts about Broadway stars. Of particular importance for the classroom, however, are the essays on topics such as "Elements of the Musical," "Civil Rights Era on Broadway," "Broadway and the Rock Score," and so many more interesting subjects. Teachers can also utilize the lesson plans and a trivia quiz.
An Online Christmas SongbookThere are over a hundred hymns and carols on this page to sing and play. You can listen to them online and also print out the music with all of the words to play on the piano.
Accordion DreamsA renewed interest in grassroots regional musical styles, such as Zydeco, Cajun and Tejano, have resulted in the rediscovery and rise in popularity of the accordion. Conjunto is a unique Texas-based Mexican American music tradition born in the 19th century that continues to evolve and thrive today. The world of accordions and conjunto is attracting a diverse worldwide audience that includes millions of admirers of the accordion-based polka that is popular in Czech, Polish, and German communities. You will find pictures, music, and biographical and historical information.
120 Years of Electronic MusicOver the years Electronic Music has evolved, but you might be surprised by how much. Electronic music got it's start way back in 1870 with the Musical Telegraph. Electronic Music continued to develop through the 1900's. On this site, you can learn about the various developments in 10 year increments. Some of the articles have pictures of the inventions and others do not. But most of them are fairly unique. A really unique site if you are interested in electronic music.
WGUG Classics for KidsThis website is sponsored by a classical radio station in the Midwest. The site contains audio files and text files of past shows, games, a handful of lesson plans, and lots of energy. You can find information on many composers by clicking on "Past Shows."
Symphony: An Interactive GuideAn educational website dedicated to the orchestral symphony.
Songs for TeachingWhat better way to teach those difficult subjects than to make them into songs? This effective interdisciplinary approach incorporates easy educational lyrics for the younger students to sing. The authors offer songs in mathematics, foreign languages, character development, food and nutrition, as well as other subjects.
Sing Along SongsSing-Along Songs (Midis and Lyrics) presented by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as a means of introducing kids to science and research interests.
Science of Music: Exploratorium's Accidental ScientistThe Exploratorium brings music to your ears with online exhibits, films, and questions that explore the science of music. Try mixing, stepping, composing, and drumming and learn about resonance, polyrhythms, timbre, sound envelopes, acoustics, and more.
San Francisco Symphony Kids' SiteVisit this website for a refresher course on The Instruments of the Orchestra and fun activities in The Music Lab.
PlaymusicLearn all about orchestras and what it's like to play in one. Students can listen to music and play games to learn more about various instruments.
One More Once: A Centennial Celebration of the Life and Music of Count BasieTo join in the celebration of Black History Month, here is a great site devoted to the life and music of Count Basie. A musicography tracks his creations through the decades of his life, and there are also photo essays to add interest to this excellent site.
New York Philharmonic Kidzone!The New York Philharmonic Kidzone is a place for kids to come and learn about the New York Philharmonic and about the instruments, music, musicians, composers and conductors of symphony music.
Musictheory.netAn interactive website with music theory tutorials for students and teachers by Ricci Adams. Lesson topics include: staff, clef, and ledger lines; note duration; measure and time signatures; rest duration; dots and ties; simple and compound meter; odd meter; steps and accidentals and more. A chord calculator, staff paper generator, and matrix generator are available for online use. You can download the stand-alone version of the trainers and utilities. There is also a forum for sharing information and asking questions. Nicely done, Flash intensive.
Music Tech TeacherStudents learn to read, write, compose and publish music. The site includes quizzes, resources, and in-service notes for teachers interested in using technology to enhance music education.
Music RoomListen to the music of famous composers at this interactive music site. There are also pages on Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Intervals, Symphonic Music, Instruments and more.
JazzThis website was created to support the PBS series by Ken Burns. Audio clips of many jazz performers are available, as well as interesting historical and biographical information of the highlights of jazz in the United States.
Great Performance: Educational ResourcesLesson plans in culture and arts based on musical theater, opera, classical music, dance and more. Consists of a variety of resources including multimedia. Example of lessons: conduct research on the history of Broadway musicals; read about Mel Brooks' life and work; explore the significance of Istanbul in the cultural history of Europe; explore the world of Strauss waltzes, polkas, and marches; create a presentation about the cultural life of Vienna; explore the relationship between language and music;19th-century opera themes; meaning and usefulness of stereotype as a plot device and much more.
George GershwinThis site from the National Arts Centre of Canada provides a nice biography on the life and music of George Gershwin. Content includes information on the early life of Gershwin and his first job in New York's "Tin Pan Alley," his breakthrough into songwriting, his most famous compositions, and his tragic death at 39.
Essentials of MusicThis site, brought to the Web by Sony Classical, allows visitors to track western music's development through its six main periods: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century. The site provides brief biographies of more than 60 of the world's best-known composers.
DSOKids (Dallas Symphony Orchestra)DSOKids is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's doorway to a world of musical fun and learning for students, parents and teachers. The site's mission is to provide attractive, accessible and child-friendly resources that introduce symphonic music, the orchestra and its instruments, and to encourage both adults and young people to explore the world of the symphony orchestra. They do this by providing games, classroom activities, home activities, description of how hearing works, information and audio clips.
Creating MusicCreating Music is a website created by Morton Subotnick to explore different ways to create and play with music. The activities and games are fun, easy-to-use ways to explore making music. There is also a link to this site from the New York Philharmanic Kidzone.
Classics For Kids: Antonio VivaldiCelebrate the birthday of Antonio Vivaldi by clicking into this musical Website by WGUC. Vivaldi and his music of Spring make for a great discussion at this time of the year. Students can read a short biography on Vivaldi and listen to some of his music as well as other selections on the subject of Spring, Teachers will find a colorful Activity Sheet on "Spring" from The Four Seasons that includes a Listening Map Game.
Celebrating SondheimLooking for ways to movement, multiculturalism and logical/mathematical intelligence in lessons? Look to the teaching resources at this ArtsEdge website for Into the Woods, Jr., Sondheim's Into the Woods, and Dancing in the Park with Friends.