Log on to the sound of music

15th December 2006, 12:00am

Share

Log on to the sound of music

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/log-sound-music
You know how it is. You’re taking a lesson on Indonesian culture and you forgot to pack that Sounds of Gamelan CD that for years you’ve been meaning to find a use for. Or you need to compare and contrast different versions of Moon River (there comes a time when everyone has to).

Playtime is a new resource which could provide everything you might ever conceivably need to play to your class. It is endorsed by the National Association of Music Educators and the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber and offers schools and universities access to a huge online music library.

Access to music is one of the most essential aspects of teaching, yet the costs and legal implications of possible copyright infringements often prevent schools from fulfilling their potential.

Playtime was launched this month by Broadchart Limited, which sources and delivers music online.

It is based on the music collection of Phil Swern, former record promoter and producer and now a radio producer on BBC Radio 2, who donated his vinyl and CD archive of more than a million recordings amassed over about 45 years.

The collection covers every type of music imaginable, and is updated constantly. It includes every track that has made the UK Top 40 since the chart’s inception in 1952, as well as everything from the US Top 100, and a huge amount of jazz, classical, soundtracks and music from around the world. Type “India” into the search engine to find many examples of the subcontinent’s music. Or see what music is available to accompany your school production of Hair.

It’s a streaming service, so you can play tracks off the website but not download them. Playlists put together by one teacher can also be accessed and modified by others elsewhere. The price depends on the number of users.

For example, for between 250 and 1,000 it’s pound;650. This covers the local computer, software, copyright payments, and access to the remote digital online music library

www.broadchart.comPlaytime

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared