Elementary Music/Music Technology Blog

This week, I will blog about how a computer lab can be an excellent tool for your music class. If your school has a computer lab, this room can serve as a great place for your students to be assessed or reinforced about musical concepts, or to create music. Although it can be difficult to reserve the computer lab because it is used often, it is also beneficial when you can utilize it a few times a year to enhance your curriculum.

This blog is about websites that are useful in the elementary music classroom:

1. San Francisco Symphony-sfskids.org: I have used this website to reinforce the instruments of the orchestra with my elementary students. I like this website for many reasons, but one that stands out is the fact that the students can look closely at and listen to the orchestral instruments. My students love flipping the instruments upside down and right-side up. There are more items that make this website educational. For example, the music lab lets the students explore rhythm, pitch, composition, performance, dynamics, tempo, and more. When the students go to the computer lab to use this website, I will try to have the website all ready to go on the computer so that the students can use it immediately. If not, then they will login to their student or classroom accounts and access the site. Many times, I will give them a sheet with screen shots on it so that they have to find the items on the website. For example, I will give them a sheet with screen shots of the orchestral instruments. The students must find and listen to the instruments and then check them off on the sheet. To see an example of this, please check out a lesson titled “Teaching the Instruments of the Orchestra to Young Students” found in the teaching resources>lesson and projects>elementary section of SoundTree’s website.
2. The New York Philharmonic Kidzone: The New York Philharmonic Kidzone has some excellent games and pages that enhance the learning of musical concepts. Two of my students’ favorites are the page that lets them rearrange musical compositions with instruments they choose and the scavenger hunt page, which allows the students to search for items that will assist the musicians of the philharmonic.
3. Carnegie Hall Listening Adventures: This unique site offers a wonderful way for students to experience some of the great compositions of our times, such as The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, by Benjamin Britten and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9. Many teachers have used this in the music classroom and they have stated to me that they adore this site. The students love to accompany the character of Violet as she journeys through the jungle to collect all of the instruments in Britten’s piece.
4. Other excellent and educational websites are: DSOkids (Dallas Symphony Orchestra) which has a separate section for students and teachers. The website has some wonderful musical games and information about composers and music history. Jazz/PBS Kids GO!–nice jazz site for students.

These websites are just a small sample of the music sites that are available for elementary students. What are some of your favorites?