New Sesame Street Initiative
Brings Music Making to Kids and Parents

The creators of one of the best-loved children’s shows in television history have teamed up with top representatives of the music education and music products fields to launch Sesame Street Music Works, a multimedia initiative designed to show young children that making music is for everybody.

Sesame Street’s Bob McGrath and Elmo learn about making music together in the new multimedia program “Sesame Street Music Works”

Comprising an interactive website, a bilingual toolkit for home or school use, and music-oriented content on Sesame Street broadcasts, the three-year program was launched in early November with a live Muppet webcast on America Online and a nationwide series of television interviews featuring Sesame Street characters Bob, Elmo, Luis and Rosita.

Sesame Street Music Works uses familiar Sesame Street themes, music, and characters to convey that children grow and learn with music; that everyone, everywhere, can celebrate with music; that we express ourselves through music; and that children learn about music by enjoying and making music.

This initiative takes place amid mounting scientific evidence that active participation in music helps young people develop their brainpower in other areas. A development team of music education experts, led by Dr. Linda Page Neelly of the University of Connecticut, infused the program with the latest discoveries and techniques from this expanding field.

Muppets and kids alike learn that making music is for everybody in the new multimedia program “Sesame Street Music Works”

“We think this is going to be as revolutionary now as the original Sesame Street was 33 years ago,” Bob (original cast member Bob McGrath) told television audiences.

The video included with the home toolkit depicts Elmo and other Muppet friends getting together to make music with whatever’s handy-in Elmo’s case, an oatmeal can and a wooden spoon. The lesson is that making music isn’t just for certain people with certain equipment.

“Elmo loves to sing and to dance and to make music with all his friends on Sesame Street,” Elmo exclaims. “Hoots the Owl says it’s called peanutbuttering... oh wait, no, maybe it was jamming. Elmo loves to jam!”

The Music Zone website, accessible as part of www.sesamestreet.com, contains four Muppet-filled areas-Musical Places, Song Bites, Global Groove, and Sesame Street Operas-that offer educational fun and games while exploring music concepts such as sound, rhythm, form, melody, and musical expression.

NAMM-International Music Products Association is the program’s founding sponsor. Major support for the creation and development of the Sesame Street Music Zone website was provided by the ChevronTexaco Foundation. The initiative is also co-sponsored by the National Association for Music Education (MENC), The Heckscher Foundation for Children and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

NAMM has provided special materials to dealers in its membership to allow them to tie into the program with in-store displays and activities.