Musical Performance

http://audio.tutsplus.com/
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Perfect for anyone looking to learn to make music, Tuts+ Audio allows people to share valuable knowledge about everything from musical performance and composition to audio mixing and production. Most of the tutorials are free, as well as several audio sample packs and the like. For those wishing to explore the realm of things a bit more advanced, in-depth information is available for a low membership fee, but there’s enough valuable, free content for everyone from the layperson to the intermediate player to learn from.

by Marie Meyers

Atlas of Plucked Instruments

http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/
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This website is compiled by Henny de Bruin, a musician and now by chance an ethnomusicologist of sorts. The site covers the bases of plucked string instruments from all corners of the world. Divided by type and geographic origin, each page features a listing of the instruments in question. Complete with pictures, descriptions, and, in most cases, links to carefully picked videos, this is an interesting stop for any guitar or international-music lover.

by Marie Meyers

Global Music Project

http://globalmusicproject.org/
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A budding nonprofit organization, the Global Music Project seeks to support music preservation through helping users discover new music. Users can browse libraries of songs, mostly by independent artists, and take a listen. If one wishes, one can download the songs for $1 each, the proceeds of which go toward music preservation around the world. In addition, there are contacts on the site for ways to get involved in the project’s campaigns for social change.

by Marie Meyers

Music and History

http://musicandhistory.com/
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Organized by decades, Music and History traces musical milestones from the 18th century to today. Easily navigable, the site provides links and information on Western composers and their contexts and makes it easy to check for “anniversaries” and do some exploring of your own. Most of the information is presented in PDF format, making it easy to print out pages for reference.

by Marie Meyers

Rock Roots Blog

http://www.rockroots.net/
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This new, regularly updated blog covers musicians “from early blues through the British Invasion,” complete with biographies and video clips. An obituary section is also kept, and it seems that album reviews are on the agenda as well. Whether you love rediscovering great acts of the not-so-distant past, are seeking a better understanding of contemporary musical culture or just love rock and roll, this site is worth a look!

by Marie Meyers

Folk Alley

http://www.folkalley.com/
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Based in Kent, Ohio, Folk Alley is a project of public radio. The site features a constant live radio stream, daily video, discussions, and album reviews covering the best within the larger “folk” arena. Paying members receive a handful of worthwhile benefits, but one doesn’t need to be a member to utilize the site’s stream as a welcome workstation companion.

by Marie Meyers

Music Mavericks

http://musicmavericks.publicradio.org/
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American Mavericks was a 13-week public radio program broadcast back in 2003 and hosted by Suzanne Vega. While we may be several years too late to enjoy the live streaming stations, we can still benefit from the hours of interviews available on the site, some recorded for the program and several classics from the likes of Aaron Copland. Also, there are several gems of videos from different eras and fields of modern American music, plus a handful of interactive musical features, though someone with a newer computer might have trouble fully utilizing these due to the fact that the site’s plug-in use hasn’t been updated for several years.

by Marie Meyers

Public Domain Music

http://pdmusic.org/
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This site neatly packages for the user American songs now in the public domain from the 19th century through WWI. You can browse songs by style, composer, or era, and find records of each song, along with, in many cases, links to MIDI files of the tunes and lyrics. In addition to the prominent composers, there are charts of American hymns, Civil War songs, and a timeline of early Blues music. Though it’s made by a music lover for music lovers, this resource is likely to be of interest for history buffs too.

by Marie Meyers