Music

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Music Therapy The Songs and the Artists The Mozart Effect Introductory Drum Lessons: How to Hold Your Drum Sticks Families of the Orchestra - Listen by Instrument String Instruments New York Philharmonic Kidzone! The Invention of the Electric Guitar The Vegetable Orchestra Classical Music
 * Join the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame on a journey in music history. This museum located in Ohio will introduce you to some of the greatest moments and people in music history. Find out what happened today in music history through a timeline featured on the site. Learn about inductees to this music hall of fame, exhibitions that are held in this Ohio cultural attraction, and much more. This museum is an important part of Ohio society and by visiting the site you will be able to experience the attraction for yourself.
 * URL: http://rockhall.com
 * Although music therapy cannot cure cancer, it can make it easier to live with. Music therapy is often used alongside conventional treatments like chemotherapy to reduce pain and nausea, relieve stress and anxiety, and promote social interaction. Learn more about the physical effects music therapy has on the body from lowering blood pressure to reducing insomnia. From making music to writing songs, a variety of activities are used as part of the healing process. Explore the history and evidence behind music therapy as you learn about clinical trials that investigate the benefits of music therapy.
 * URL: http://www.cancer.org
 * PBS features the songs and the artists of the blues. Coverage of women artists includes Shemekia Copeland, Ruth Brown, Ida Cox, Billie Holiday, Memphis Minnie and many more. Learn where and when they were born, which instruments they played, what songs they are known for and what they looked like. Some are linked to interviews and each article closes with a list of essential listening songs recorded by that artist. Many of these women faced controversy when singing or recording the blues.
 * URL: http://www.pbs.org
 * Ten minutes of listening to Mozart improved spatial reasoning skills temporarily in a scientific study. Some later researchers were unable to reproduce the results. Spatial skills were tested with paper cutting and folding exercises or mazes. Some believed that it was related to enjoyment, but Mozart music was also found to improve rats' skills in mazes. Perhaps it has something to do with the areas of the brain that control music processing and spatial reasoning. In another experiment, music lessons were found to improve spatial reasoning in preschool children. Mozart was also found to have an effect on epilepsy.
 * URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 * If you want to learn to play the drums, you first need to learn to hold the drum sticks the right way. Holding them the right way keeps your arms from getting too tired and helps you to be able to drum faster. Only your first finger and thumb hold the drumstick. They rest of your fingers loosely wrap around the stick but let it move freely. Explore the ideal placement of the snare drum and pedals for the high hat and bass drum. This resource also provides basic instruction for reading a drum chart and using the Beat Box.
 * URL: http://schoolwaxtv.com
 * As part of the web site created by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, various musical instruments are explored, and grouped into instrument classification. The Strings section includes the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, each discussed on separate web pages. While visiting each instrument's page, visitors with audio capabilities on their computers may hear the sound of that particular one.
 * URL: http://www.dsokids.com
 * One of the four families of instruments in a symphony orchestra is the family of string instruments. Introduce yourself to the largest section of the orchestra. This web site from Spotlight on Music describes each string instrument from the small violin to the large harp. You will find details about the violin, viola, cello, double bass, string quartet and harp. Discover which musical pieces are best suited for each instrument. The site includes an audio clip of violin music.
 * URL: http://spotlightonmusic.macmillanmh.com
 * The New York Philharmonic Orchestra offers this Kidzone interactive web site where you can explore the world of a symphony orchestra. There are many fun features at this site, including a musician's lounge that allows you to read interviews with the actual New York Philharmonic musicians, and a composition workshop where you can compose your own pieces. You can also learn about famous composers, instruments, or create your own instruments!
 * URL: http://www.nyphilkids.org
 * To make the sound of the guitar louder many musicians and inventors worked together to create the electric guitar. Follow the invention of this musical instrument from the 19th century on. See the changes that include steel strings and new sizes and shapes. Learn about the beginning of electronic amplification and the experiments and people who led to its success. The site includes information about the commercial success of the electric guitar, descriptions of innovative designs and photos of many guitars. There is an explanation of how guitars work and sound clips of various guitars.
 * URL: http://invention.smithsonian.org
 * The Vegetable Orchestra plays incredible music on instruments made out of carrots, cucumbers, pumpkins, peppers, and leeks. See and hear a flutelike instrument made of a carrot. Investigate additional wind instruments. Other instruments are used for percussion. These instruments are created fresh for each show. The musicians go to a farmers' market and test the vegetables to see what kind of noises they make. They drill and shape the vegetables to get just the sound that they are looking for.
 * URL: http://www.vegetableorchestra.org
 * The Classical era in music history included the works written in the second half of the 18th century and the early 19th century. The symphonies and sonatas of this period are balanced, clear, and orderly. Musical form is considered as important as the key in which the piece is written or the harmonies it includes. While the Classical era is a period in time, classical music is a style that may or may not have been written at that time. Famous classical composers include Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
 * URL: http://www.classicsforkids.com