This 12-video series examines elements of music such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture, and how they are used in a wide variety of music genres in cultures around the world.

This site discusses the migration of African music throughout the world and its influence on other cultures. It also speaks of the types of instruments used and the way in which they express the moods and feelings of their players.

This resource features information on notes, rests and many, many other basic music theory examples.

A large part of the culture of Puerto Rico is the music of the people. From the early indigenous tribes to the assortment of instruments to the wide variety of dance, get acquainted with the music of Puerto Rico.

This is a paper from the University of Southern California that summarizes the findings of a study conducted on how popular and classical background music affect the math test scores of students.

This encyclopedia entry gives a brief history of rap and hip hop and the influences of the music on modern culture.

A short and concise history of musical theater with two early performers and a composer highlighted.

This site is an overview of how to read music. The basics of notation such as note and rest values, the names of lines and spaces of both treble and bass clefs, etc. are covered. Includes downloadable audio files.

What is American roots music? The term "American roots music" may not be a familiar one, and requires some explanation. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the term "folk music" was used by scholars to describe music made by whites of...

This site from the Minnesota Public Radio provides the text of a 1915 article written by musician and self-trained anthropologist, Frances Densmore. Densmore spent years studying the music and culture of the Teton Sioux and other native...

The personal narrative, apart from appearing as an option in the writing component of many state assessment tests, is a form of writing which allows learners the chance to reflect seriously and honestly on important events in their own...

By examining the lives and lyrics of popular, positive black female rappers such as Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill, students can trace a direct line back to the inspirational writer and poet, Maya Angelou. Rap lyrics will help explicate...

This page covers a wide range of topics concerning 20th century music. Included are many references to styles and composers and terms found in 20th century music.

Discover how the men of the expedition turned to music for entertainment or to impress the Indians they met. Learn about and listen to Jefferson the violinist and Pierre Cruzatte the fiddle player.

Scroll through the history of the use of popular music as propaganda until reaching the lengthy section about how music was used, not just in the United States, but throughout the world as propaganda in World War I. Find the lyrics and...

From Wesleyan University this is an investigation into radio and military music in the north of Afghanistan.

View 1,300 pieces of sheet music composed by and about African Americans between 1850-1920.

ArtsEdge offers this lesson plan that explores the implications of developing a musical from a literary text or historical event.

Here is a great resource offering many free printouts to use with your classes. Worksheets covering musical instruments, music theory and more are available. All of the worksheets have printable answer sheets as well.

Can learning to make music be as unstructured as learning to speak as a small child? Bassist Victor Wooton makes that argument in this TED Ed talk. Free registration is required to receive full access to the the complete lessons.

This biography of Fayrouz (also spelled "Fairouz" and "Fairuz"), the Lebanese singer, addresses not only her personal and professional life, but also the nationalistic role her music has played in Lebanon. Links to significant names and...

The history of traditional Scottish music goes back thousands of years, as this article explains. Other highlights include a connection between Robert Burns and Bob Dylan, and lots of information about current traditional music groups...

An extensive article on black gospel music and its origins. Discusses the evolution of the music and it's cultural impact.

You think you love music? You have nothing on the Ancient Greek obsession. Every aspect of Greek life was punctuated by song: history, poetry, theater, sports and even astronomy. In fact, music was so important to Greek philosopher Plato...