Music Education Resources Part 2 Deborah Jeter There is something about having time off that is a little disorienting to me. First of all, my focus or the ability to "stay on task" is virtually null and void. For all of you self-starters, you probably have so many projects to complete, you can hardly find time to settle down long enough to tour these music education sites offered in this article. I hope you will make the time because I enjoyed myself immensely. Be prepared; some of these sites are, well, shall we say, unusual or more of a virtual playground. Hopefully these sites will aid in churning some creative brain cells, or at least cleaning some of the cob webs that can develop over the years. The first site that I found myself wandering around IS a music education site but a type of education that I hadn't even thought much about much less experienced. Music Education Resource Links sounds very typical, does it not? However, the author of this web site has gathered some very interesting links that are thought provoking. Take a look at this link, A Sound Beginning. Here you can listen to what a baby hears inside the womb. There is some fascinating information about prenatal bonding, learning and parenting program for adults and teens. It was a treat to discover this site. Hope you enjoy it too. David Mash is considered by Rolling Stone magazine to be "the industry's leading evangelist for the marriage of music and technology." If anyone reading this article uses Macs at school and has been wanting to do more with music technology, then this site should be of great help to you. He offers tips and provides information about the tools of his trade. This nice press release about Apple and music technology is a good find also. It provides links to software that is necessary for optimizing your digital experience. Here's an organization that I didn't know much about. It's the International Society of Music Education. I.S.M.E. has been influential in the development of music education and recognised for its contribution of contemporary initiatives in education internationally. I.S.M.E. was initially formed in order "to stimulate music education as an integral part of general education." Applications for Individual membership for the biennium January 1998-December 1999 are now being accepted. Membership includes four issues of the International Journal of Music Education, three ISME Newsletters and discounted rates on other publications. In addition, all members will eceive information about future ISME World Conferences as this becomes available. If you are looking for a new cause to "beat your drum" for in 1998, this is as good a cause as many, in my opinion. Music, Mind, Machine is another site that I would consider out of the "norm." There is a fun page with topics covered such as, "What happens within and in between notes?" "Tempo curves considered harmful," "Beat induction or "Foot-tapping" and "Expresso." No, not expresso, as in coffee, but rather this "expresso" term is based on a calculus of expression that was designed to formally describe how different types of expression (onset timing, offset timing, dynamics, asynchrony) are linked to different types of musical structure (phrase, metrical, chord, voice, and surface structure), and how they can be manipulated while maintaining consistency. There are always new resource sites popping up on the Internet and I would like to conclude by pointing you to a few that you may not have discovered that represent the works of seasoned music teachers. Stafford's Music Madness — Here's a gal that must have two body engines steaming away at full speed. I simply don't know how she manages to find the energy for the activities she uses with her students at TWO schools. Oh to be young again! She's got it happenin' in her classes and she'll be happy to share her innovative teaching techniques and activities with you, just for the asking. David Saphra's Midi and Orff resources is, for the most part, original music. David is like a musical version of Willie Wonka's Chocolate factory. He keeps churning those tunes out like they are easy or something. ;-) Drop by and see if there is something at his site that you could use in an upcoming performance or lesson in your classroom. The Pentatonic Index is an awesome site. This site has grown with incredible speed. I think the author of this web site must not sleep or something. He has some very useful information at his site on many different areas of music education that you should definitely take the time to check out. He also started a very successful music educator's newsletter titled Fun Music Ideas that you can receive in your e-mail once a month for free! If you are interested in getting this newsletter, you can find out how to subscribe at The Fun Music Ideas Newsletter.. This brings the two part Music Education guide for music teachers to a close. In January, 1998, I will focus on Martin Luther King and Civil Rights songs. Join me next Friday. Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year, ya'll. The editor for this article has retired from Suite 101. If you wish to contact her, you may reply here.