Scholastic
Scholastic: Teachers: Classroom Activities: Mardi Gras
With these fun classroom activities, teachers can help their students to learn about Mardi Gras traditions. Make Mardi Gras masks and gumbo while enjoying blues, jazz and other traditional Mardi Gras music. Includes book recommendations.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: A Guide Through the Culture of the Blues
An extraordinary curriculum unit to teach blues and all its cultural implications.
Other
The Lost Sessions Musical Museum
A personal site providing little-known information and tidbits about famous soul music artists.
Other
Uc Press: Workin' Man Blues
This site, from the University of California Press, offers a description of Gerald Haslam's book about country music in California called "Workin' Man Blues." The site also offers a bit of information about Haslam's life and other works.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Ma Rainey
Offers interesting biographical details on "Mother of the Blues", Ma Rainey, a 1990 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events and essential songs list.
Other
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is all about Stax Records, and features a timeline and lists of hit singles.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: B. B. King
A biographical sketch of the King of the Blues, B.B. King.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Influence of Folk
This site, which explores the influence of musical folk traditions in the poetry of Langston Hughes and Nicolas Guillen, provides lesson plans, a biography, examples of Hughes' poetry, and details about his meeting with Nicolas Guillen.
Ducksters
Ducksters: Music for Kids: Famous Pianists
A site showing some of the worlds greatest piano players ever. Learn about famous pianist from all genres of music.
PBS
Pbs: Continental Harmony
PBS presents several activities and lesson plans that cover the concepts of identifying different forms of music, learning about musical imagery, writing in response to music, and creating lyrics. The Sound Lounge has many interactive...
Other
Bo Diddley: The Originator
Biographical information on Bo Diddley, popular musician of rhythm 'n' blues and rock 'n' roll. Provides highlights of his 50 years in the music industry.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: John Lee Hooker
Offers comprehensive biographical details on the father of boogie music John Lee Hooker, a 1991 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes an essential songs list.
Cengage Learning
Gale: Hispanic Heritage Biographies: Carlos Santana
In the late 1960s, when the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane and other rock genres were raging, Carlos Santana and his band Santana introduced the music scene to a new Latin-based rock sound featuring an Afro-Cuban beat. This...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 27: The Faust Theme
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...
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Langston Hughes
This resource focuses on the works of famous African-American author, Langston Hughes.
Other
Harmonica Info and Tips
Gives basic information about the harmonica in addition to tips for purchasing and playing one
American Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement: b.b. King
Blues artist B.B. King biography provides an overivew of King's life and musical career. Site contains two videos of King performing.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Janis Joplin
Explores comprehensive biographical details on superstar blues and soul musician, Janis Joplin, a 1995 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.
The Washington Post
The Washington Post: "The History of Jazz," Chapter 1
This site offers the first chapter of Ted Gioia's book, "The History of Jazz." This chapter focuses on the prehistory of jazz, including the Africanization of American music, country blues and classic blues, and Scott Joplin and Ragtime.
Open Curriculum
Open Curriculum: Scales That Are Not Major or Minor
To explain the various musical scales that cannot be classified as major or minor such as chromatic, whole-tone, pentatonic, blues, and scales from non-Western music
Other
Lead Belly Foundation
The Lead Belly Foundation seeks to preserve the musical heritage of Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter. Listen to tracks of his music while you read his biography and learn about his contributions to the worlds of blues and folk music.
Black Past
Black Past: Cooke, Sam (1931 1964)
Sam Cooke's influence on music, as the pioneer in cross-over from gospel to rhythm and blues, is described in this encyclopedia entry. His music was important to the African-American identity in the Civil Rights movement.
Other
Ray Charles Online
This personal website of Ray Charles contains a very interesting autobiography, including discussions with the artist on how he writes and arranges music in his head, how soul music and rock and roll originated, and much more.
Scott Alexander
V Irginia Liston
Information on the life and discography of blues singer/songwriter, Virginia Liston.
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