CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: MUSIC ANYONE? INTERNET PROVIDES FUN LESSONS ABOUT INSTRUMENTS (COLUMN 136)

Peggy: Guess what. I'm very excited because next week a piano is scheduled to arrive at our house. My children, who have been practicing on an electronic keyboard are ready to sign up for piano lessons.

Joni: One day we'll be getting a piano, too. My children's grandmother is a piano teacher. Unfortunately, she lives in St. Louis and long-distance lessons are tough.

Peggy: We discovered that the Internet is full of sites related to children's music. Some even offer online music lessons.

Joni: I saw a site promoted on the Disney Channel, and I wrote it down for a future column. It got rave reviews, and we agree.

www.playmusic.org

Peggy: The site allows children to be their own conductors. You get a look at an orchestra and can choose to learn about the different instruments, listen to musical excerpts.

Joni: You can also learn a lot about each instrument. The trumpet is an ancient instrument, dating back 3,500 years. Early examples were found in Egyptian tombs, including King Tut's. Bet you didn't know that.

Peggy: I didn't. You can choose about brass, strings, woodwinds and percussion. We are going to play the brass match game. Match the brass instrument with its sound.

Joni: You can also watch Quicktime movies of kids playing musical instruments and talking about them. Here's another game. Name that woodwind. We should be good at this.

Peggy: Yes, I played the flute and you played the clarinet. Of course, that was a few years ago. Hey, we guessed the bass clarinet with just two clues.

Joni: The site also links you to every orchestra in America and to other kid music sites. You can also travel backstage to meet a composer and a musician.

Peggy: You get to learn what these famous musicians were like when they were children and then listen to a selection of music. This month's musician said without music she would have been a delinquent of the worst sort. See, I knew piano lessons would be a good idea for my youngsters.

Joni: Let's take a look at the Children's Music Web, a non-profit organization dedicated to music for kids.

www.childrensmusic.org

Peggy: They offer refrigerator radio. Children have drawn pictures, and they have children's music and jokes. They also offer Pipsqueaks, a place for fun with music. You can sing along with silly songs.

Joni: Tired of "Greasy, Grimy Gopher Guts?" They have lots more silly songs and links to lyric databases. Here are some favorites, "Do your ears hang low?" or "On top of spaghetti."

Peggy: You can also sing along with children from San Francisco schools. You need RealAudio to listen to the music. You can also listen to Pickleberry Pie, a radio show for children. For younger children, take a look at

www.kids-space.org/HPT

Joni: You need LiveAudio and Shockwave to play. You can click and make animals play sounds with your friends at Hoppy Hill. You can also record and play back the tune you make.

Peggy: Or you can play the Singing Leaves, something like a keyboard with leaves and flowers representing keys. You can play anything, one octave or less. Joni did a passable job at "Doe a dear" on the musical leaves.

Joni: OK, so I'm not quite Carnegie Hall. You can also play the Sounds of the Streets. You can sing a song and get applause. They offer some sheet music for favorite songs. Now, let's head to Hawaii for some online piano lessons for kids or adults.

www.primenet.com~/(tilde)hawaii/

Peggy: This is hands-on, interactive and totally free. We tried lessons at home with our electronic keyboard. We followed along with several of the lessons. My older daughter did remind me that she would need "real" piano lessons too.

Joni: I can see her face. She probably thought this was all she would get. It doesn't replace a piano teacher, but it might help if you were trying to decide if lessons were for you.

Peggy: We love the Internet, but some things can't be replaced online. The guestbook shows quite a variety of people. Most are beginners. Someone said she couldn't find her keyboard and asked for flute lessons. She received some advice on where to go.

Joni: Another piano education site is designed just for kids.

www.unm.edu/(tilde)loritaf/pnokids.html

You can travel back in time and visit Bach. You can also read other Meet the Composer interviews with Chopin, Liszt and others. The site also talks about the importance of practicing and gives a tip of the month.

Peggy: This month's tip is about memorizing music. There are also lots of links to music sites. For something a little louder, take a look at the virtual drums at

cybertown.com/virtdrum.html

Joni: Parents, we are not responsible for the noise level. You play a drum set using your mouse. Sorry, Peggy, I'm must too busy playing to talk.

Peggy: You can download the fully interactive drum kit that you can play with your mouse to your hard drive for drumming at all hours. You need Shockwave.

Joni: Listen, I've recorded a drum solo. I have no rhythm, but you only get one stick.

Peggy: It's OK, Joni. Your drum solo sounds great. What's your favorite music site? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

Joni Adams and Peggy Scott are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.