Clearly music in classrooms is a wonderful tool for analysis, interconnectedness, and identity, but it is ultimately really fun as well.  Whether thinking about creativity or engagement, music speaks to so many of us and often touches both our minds and our hearts. 

So, here are some tools and resources for pure fun and play...

First, a warm-up with some drumming!

Now, it's your turn with a little virtual piano playing...

Or maybe a Virtual Keyboard?
Just have some fun making your own music!

Picture
You can also change the keyboard and play around with guitar chords, steel drums, and more...

The web is full of great resources that use music in a variety of ways.  Beyond instruments, you can also play around with a lot of other musical resources...

Picture

You can see what it is like to be a maestro and conduct an entire orchestra of instruments.
This is a game based on a BBC reality show where various well-known British writers, comedians, etc. try their hand at conducting.  It's a really good time!

Or check-out this wonderful site to learn more about music in general!

Picture
You can take a seat at an orchestra, meet musicians, practice writing music, or find a music teacher.  This is a great resource for anyone who loves music, as well as an excellent way to connect with other music lovers.



We might also encourage you to create your own radio station.

Here are some cool places to go...
http://www.pandora.com
http://www.last.fm/listen
http://www.live365.com/index.live

This is a great way to construct your own music profile--an identity with which you can connect to various artists and other communities of people inspired by a shared taste in certain types of music.
Picture




And take a look at your radio station options through the BBC.

It's an opportunity to discover lots of different types of music from all over the world.


Train your musical ear with the Theta Music Trainer

Picture
This is a really interesting site that allows you to play games and fine tune your musical ear.  You can concentrate on harmony, melody, chords, or phrasing and it is both fun and educational.

Should you want a good laugh, you might enjoy this short and funny video about a particular well-known classical song...


And for a little inspiration...

Take a look at this Ted Talk to help us all think about what is possible.  Or show it to your students and ask them to construct their own analysis about music and technology based on some of these ideas.

Finally, what does music mean to you?  How does music fit into your life?   Please share your thoughts in the forum below or on our blog!