Music is one of the areas of the curriculum which education technology has been slower to shine a light on, but that is changing. There are many ways to transform our tablets and computers into the best musical instruments for kids. There are a whole host of exciting user-friendly tools kids can use to explore the joys of composing or simply making some noise…
1. Karaoke Party
A great game for music classes or just for playing with friends, this free site allows kids to sing karaoke online and get a score for their performance, then challenge others or try to improve! No fancy equipment needed – just use your computer’s inbuilt microphone and get started!
2. Songsmith
A brilliantly simple project, Songsmith allows users to create a backing track for any song simply by singing into the microphone of their computer – the programme automatically does the rest! Brilliant for using with younger kids, as no technical ability is required and it transforms their songs instantly into professional-sounding tracks!
3. Virtual Drumming
This cool online drum kit allows kids to explore the different sounds and rhythms of a drum kit simply by using the keys on their computer keyboard to activate different drums and cymbals.
4. Club Create MusicLab
For older kids or students learning about music mixing and technology, this fantastic free online music lab gives the opportunity to make a sophisticated track using a range of musical styles and techniques. A pre-loaded online sound library with hundreds of different instrumental sounds and beats makes it fun and easy to create original pieces.
5. Monkey Machine
This fantastic, fun online machine allows kids to create their own drumbeat using over 20 high-quality drum kits. Use it to create a stand-alone project or to provide the all-important rhythmic backing track to a class song or improvised piece of music.
6. Music Memory Game
This fantastic, simple online game is great for introducing kids to listening by ear, as it challenges them to listen to a series of notes and then try to reproduce them in the right order by selecting the correct notes from the musical scale. As they succeed with each level, more notes are added, making it challenging and rewarding as they learn and progress!
7. Tony-B Machine
This cool retro-look tool is sure to be a big hit with kids as it simplifies the process of online music-making by connecting different notes and musical sounds to the different keys of the computer keyboard, allowing them to jump right in and start composing just by tapping away with their fingers!
What are your favourite online music resources and what are your students using to make music online? Let us know below!
Image courtesy of Flickr, mikecogh
Thank you so much for sharing! There are several of these that I did not know about. I am a music teacher in a 1:1 school so I try to use technology whenever I can. Here is my list of music sites. All are free to use.
http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/starkeymusicwebmix
P.S. The reason Karaoke Party is not on my list is that it gives them access to songs that are not appropriate without parental guidance.
Another great tool for music education is http://www.audiosauna.com It features the principal features of studio software in an easy-to-use and straightforward way. Its completely free and sounds great!