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.

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...

Did you know that the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is over one hundred years old? Find out why this song has enjoyed lasting popularity. Includes an image of the artwork for the sheet music of this song.

In this 9-12 lesson, learners will analyze the positive character traits of heroes as depicted in music, art, and literature. They will gain an understanding of how cultures and societies have produced folk, military, religious,...

The ArtsJournal website provides a daily summary of arts and cultural journalism from the English-language press around the world, with links to complete articles for further reading. The music page collects links on a wide range of...

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

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.

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...

Learn about the history of music in Pacific Island Nations. Includes Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia.

Students will examine works of art that involve appropriated images and then create their own works of art appropriating text, music, or images of their choice. Students will follow up with a discussion of how appropriation can become an...

An arts administrator looks at the state of the live arts asking: How can the magic of live theater, live music, live dance compete with the always-on Internet? Take a bold look forward. [12:45]

This website presents the rationale and many ideas for integrating arts into different subject areas.

The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania recently opened a $300 million dollar center for the performing arts, the Kimmel Center. This lesson was developed for a special teacher workshop to incorporate economics and the arts to teach kids...

An article discussing the similarities and differences between Salsa and the Mambo, both Latin American dances. The article mainly discusses the steps of both dances, but has some information about the style and feel of the music.

According to this article "the ability to think outside the box" is exactly what businesses are looking for from prospective employees. This article explains how the arts foster creativity in students thus preparing them for the workforce.

Young music learners rarely see or, better still, hear a connection between the different types of scales, modes, intervals and other compositional techniques such as meter, tonality, and form used in both traditional 'Art' music and...

The Faust theme, that of risking eternal damnation by selling one's soul to the devil in exchange for magical powers, can be found in virtually every genre of music as well as in literature and the visual arts. Examples utilizing this...

View the artwork for a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1986 to commemorate famous jazz musician Duke Ellington. Includes a short biographical passage.

This site succinctly explains the terminology of Classical Japanese theater. Good source for direct reference.

Detailed explanation of the cultural programs provided by the New Deal and the Second New Deal, including such things as the Works Progress Administration, the Federal Art Project, the Federal Music Project, the Federal Theatre project,...

[Free Registration/Login Required] A good assessment of the Works Progress Administration and its contribution not only of providing jobs for the unemployed during the Great Depression, but for the lasting improvements it made in the...

This article from Library of Congress' Performing Arts Encyclopedia gives an extensive explanation of the history of ragtime. Trace the development of the genre from the 1850s through the 1970s.

This is a reprint of an article from Al Jadid magazine. It discusses the career and influence of Abdul Wahab on the world of modern Arab music.

This site explains the origins of Tex-Mex music and gives background on its leading contributers.