Music & the Internet
Written by Dan Finkel
When it comes to making music, I will be the first to tell you to turn off your computer and to just go make some, using traditional instruments, pots and pans, or any random thing in your house. Of course, the combination of freezing weather and attention spans that scale with shoe size (at least in the case of my toddler) make such activities relatively short-lived, fun as they are. I’m only a little reluctant to admit that sometimes it actually might make sense to turn to the internet for musical ideas and games. Here are a few suggestions for keeping musically active via the www:
1. Pandora - www.pandora.com
Bored with your own music collection? This happens to my wife and I all the time. Pandora is a free (though they do have occasional advertising interruption) internet radio option based on the revolutionary Music Genome Project. It is very easy to use – you just create an account, create a station based on an artist or song that you like, and they will play similar songs that you probably haven’t heard. It’s a nice way to introduce variety into your household listening. They have children’s music, though I will reiterate (as I have done every time I post) that your kids will probably enjoy your music if they are exposed to it, and then you don’t have to stuff cotton balls in your ears because of the The Wiggles.
Put music on in the background while you do other crafts/games with your kids, or make an activity out of listening to and dancing to the music. If you have simple percussion instruments at home, show your child how to keep the beat with your favorite music!
2. Online music exploration/games:
In searching for decent music exploration games online, I came across several sites. I picked three of my favorites:
The PBS link features characters from PBS shows like DragonTales, Sesame Street, Big Big World, etc in music-related games, some of which are pretty cool. Creating Music is a more educationally oriented site, as is the San Francisco Symphony for Kids site (sfskids). The games all range in level, but my guess is that they would be fun for ages 3-4 and up (assuming you are willing to let a child that age near your computer!).
3. Do It Yourself Musical Instruments – ehow.com
This page has a list of 15 online videos with instructions for making different musical instruments at home with your kids – pretty easy to follow, and anything that combines music/crafts that culminates in a product you can keep playing with is a winner in my book.
Enjoy learning about music with your kiddies, and feel free to comment if you have any other internet music suggestions of your own.
Dan is currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology at UConn, studying human evolution and behavior as they relate to music, religion, and social cognition. He has been an educator in a number of settings, including Outdoor Educator, Adult Educator, High School Science Instructor, and most recently Parent (which is probably more of a student role than a teacher role, to be honest). Dan has several passions: his family, science, outdoor education, and music. He is an amateur musician (bass) and a life-long fan of many types of music.
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