Fine Arts Grades 7-9

How can you use your own body as an instrument? Members of BEAT NYC teach the basics of beatboxing in this entertaining video. The Think section offers a short quiz. Dig Deeper offers additional information about the performers and the beatboxing genre.

Test your knowledge once you have created an exercise - topics such as note identification, chord ear training, keyboard chord identification and more.

This TED Talk video is by 5-time Grammy winner Victor Wooten. He discusses the idea that we can all learn music the same way we learn language.

Here is a one minute music lesson about why music is so great!

What kind of influence has the music of ancient Greece had on today's music? Greek life was filled with song: history, poetry, theater, sports and even astronomy.

If you do not have a violin handy, this interactive allows you to virtually explore a violin. The animation breaks open a violin and identifies each piece.

This multimedia series gives you an introduction to the life and work of the Classical music composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven’s greatest hits include Moonlight Sonata, Für Elise, “Ode to Joy,” and his famous Fifth Symphony. You might not recognize these titles, but you’re sure to know the melodies.

Look at the instrument in the photo, read the description and try to guess where in the world you are. The description has some clues if you're paying attention.

This site is collection of experiments that let anyone, at any age, explore how music works. Do some experimenting yourself. Click on an image and then start to play. Take your time and experiment with your screen, keyboard or mouse.

Explore the rhythm by adjusting the controls (volume, shuffle, bounce, FX, tempo) and the other elements to create your own original music.

This short documentary, a combination of animation and documentary footage, tells the story of an imaginative craftsman who makes whimsical stringed instruments out of unlikely items. In his hands, shovels, rakes, and stop signs become beautiful and functional instruments.

What’s going on when you play an instrument? This video describes how scientists observed the "fireworks" that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout.

How did the ukulele get its name? Learn how the ukulele came to Hawaii and was taken up by a member of the king’s court, nicknamed Jumping Flea, (ukulele in Hawaiian) who shared his love of the instrument.

The cajon is a drum, a stand and a seat all in one box. This video explains the history behind the cajon and how it has become a versatile and popular percussion instruments in music.

"The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi is a familiar piece of early 18th Century music, featured in numerous films and television commercials (whether we know its name or not). What is its significance and underlying narrative?

You can choose to play the virtual drum set of a rock star like Phil Collins, Travis Barker or Tre Cool or play with vintage drums.