Pandora is an interactive internet radio service that uses the Music Genome Project to create personalized radio stations based on songs and artists a user likes. The Music Genome Project analyzes over 400 musical attributes of each song using experts to create personalized stations. Teachers can use Pandora in the classroom by playing stations to set moods, introduce genres related to topics, and have students research genres and the attributes used by the Music Genome Project.

1. Pandora“It’s a new kind of radio- stations that play only the music you like”

2. Pandora – Internet RadioPandora is a free interactive internet radio that helps you discover music that you like.

3. What Makes Pandora Special?Other Internet radio sites such as Last.fm, Slacker.com, and TagWorld use ratings, genre, and user connections to determine what music you will like. Pandora takes a more academic approach and uses The Music Genome Project.

4. The Music Genome ProjectBegan in January, 200030 experts in music theory worked together to create a system to analyze musicSpending 20-30 minutes on each song, the Project considers up to 400 musical attributes including qualities of melody, harmony, rhythm, form, and lyrics

5. Getting StartedGo to http://www.pandora.com

6. Create a username and password if you would like Pandora to save your stations

7. Enter a song title or artist you enjoy in the box under “create a station”

8. Pandora will play songs with similar attributes based on The Music Genome Project dataCreating a Station:

9. What you CAN do…Explore 18 genre categories (blues, Latin, reggae, rock)Find upcoming music festivals“Station Gifting”Mobile phone accessibleAccess videosHelp Pandora understand what you like (thumbs up/down)Bookmark songs you likePurchase music through iTunes and Amazonhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Thumbs_up_by_Wakalani.jpg

10. What you CANNOT do:Choose the exact song you would like to playSkip more than 10 songs in 1 hourPredict what Pandora will playhttp://beyondtheblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/alpha-thumbs-down.jpg

11. Sounds Great!But how do I use this in my classroom? http://www.norcalblogs.com/watts/images/net_radio.jpg

12. Pandora in the ClassroomPlay a “classical” station to create a relaxing environment during down timeCreate stations for artists or songs that relate to topics you are studyingIntroduce your students to new music genres

13. Pandora in the Classroom IIExpand your students understanding of music by learning about the attributes used by the Music Genome ProjectCreate your own music projectChallenge students to do research projects on their favorite music genresTake an interest in your students musical likes and integrate them into the classroom