Sphinx+Kids!

=__**Sphinx Kids! Classical Music and Interactive Learning Games**__=http://www.sphinxkids.org/index.html

=Authority= =Instructional Content=
 * Sphinx Kids! is an .org site. It was produced by a nonprofit organization whose aim is to increase minority awareness in music.
 * This site is sponsored by an [|SBC Excelerator Grant.]
 * It is also sponsored by the New York Philharmonic Kidzone, AT&T, CitiFoundation, [[image:http://www.sphinxkids.org/images/Tommy_Hilfiger.jpg width="100" height="26" caption="Tommy Hilfiger"]] Lula C. Wilson Trust [[image:http://www.sphinxkids.org/images/Ruth_Mott_logo.gif width="108" height="44" align="absmiddle" caption="Ruth Mott Foundation" link="http://www.ruthmottfoundation.org/"]] Con Edison [[image:http://www.sphinxkids.org/images/Xerox.gif width="80" height="19" caption="Xerox Foundation"]]
 * The site is operated by The Sphinx Organization
 * On the website you may find information on
 * Minority Composers
 * Minority Performers
 * General listing of Instruments and Composers (linked to the NY Phil Kidzone site)
 * Creating a rhythm band or orchestrating an orchestral piece
 * Music Match Instrument and Composers
 * This website is maintained by the Sphinx Organization whose purpose is to bring classical music into under-served schools nationwide


 * National Standards met by this website
 * Standard 4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
 * Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
 * Standard 9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

=Purpose, Viewpoint=
 * This page was created to inform students on minority contributions to classical music. It contains a wealth of information regarding minority composers and performers of past and present including biographies, and video.
 * The site is linked with the New York Philharmonic's Kidzone where students can learn of composers of any descent and also learn about the Instruments of the Orchestra by viewing the Instrument Storage Room.

=Reputation=
 * This site is maintained by the Sphinx Organization and has a sponsor list that includes Coca-Cola, Kresge Foundation, almost every Major orchestra in the USA, Target, Ford, GM, just to name a few. They are widely regarded as a leader in diversity learning in classical music.

=Overall Evaluation=
 * This site is a valuable resource for music educators. Using this website is a great way to encourage diversity and cultural learning. The design of the site is immediately accessible and user friendly. It is linked up with the New York Philharmonic's Kidzone website, which enables students who have already used that program to "jump in" to this site.  The site includes video of minority performers and the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra. The orchestration page is fun but limiting in that their is only one piece to orchestrate, "The Old Castle," from Pictures at an Exhibition. The Music Match and Composer Match games are  based on a basic matching game and provide a good variety of composers and pieces, however, there are no minority composers in the matching game. Probably the most interesting section of the site is the Minority Composers Forum, where one gets to read short biographies of minority composers, and hear audio of some of their work.  I think this is a very interesting site and worth checking out for use in a classroom activity.

Craig Wohlschlager http://www.sphinxkids.org/index.html