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.

Take a look at A Sound Beginning. Here you can listen to what a baby hears inside the womb. There is fascinating information about pre-natal bonding, learning and parenting program for adults and teens. It was a treat to discover this site. Hope you enjoy it too.

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.

If you are looking for a new cause to "beat your drum", this is a good cause, in my opinion.

Music, Mind, Machine. This site has topics covering, "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. Karen Stafford 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.

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.

January articles focus on Martin Luther King and Civil Rights songs.