For the exploration of a Web 2.0 application, I selected Pandora. This site is a music introduction company that allows the user to list a composer, genre or artist that they like. It then plays a selection by that person and then begins to offer suggestions of pieces that the listener may enjoy. The listener is encouraged to vote and Pandora uses that vote as a basis for selecting another piece of music to play. There are advertisements and restrictions such as a limit on how many new pieces one can listen to per hour. It also offers an option to purchase the recordings being played.
I absolutely love Pandora. I believe that it can offer an exciting alternative for students wanting to explore all aspects of music. Should a student find a composer or a genre he/she likes, Pandora can provide countless examples of works that the student would not find otherwise. When I became a classical music addict in middle school, my family and friends were of no help. They didn't share my love for it and could not recommend anything to listen to. I approached band directors, tutors and other musicians but would constantly have to wade through their prejudices on composers, artists, etc. I bought records at yard sales and flea markets. I followed the "classical guy" around at tower records for hours at a time. I began a lifelong obsession with discovering music. Students now have the ability to access an endless supply of music through Pandora. They can then use the information they get from the site to discover music for themselves. If I had Pandora when I was young, there is no telling how much further my discovery of music could have taken me.
http://www.pandora.com/
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