This article is part of a series discussing interdisciplinary approaches and resources in the introductory astronomy classroom. Previous articles in the series have covered the use of poetry (Fraknoi 2002) and science fiction (Fraknoi 2003). In the present article, we discuss ways to incorporate music in classes and labs. And, more than the other interdisciplinary topics, music can be used outside the classroom as well—in museums, summer camps, community fairs, youth groups, amateur club meetings, and other informal education settings.

The relationship between astronomy and music was explored in a series of four papers in the 1970s (Fraknoi 1977, 1979; Ronan 1975, 1976), but not much has been written about it in the recent educational literature. Laurie Reed gave a brief paper on the subject at Cosmos in the Classroom 2004 (Reed 2004), and the editors of Physics Today organized a showcase of songs inspired by physics and astronomy in their July 2005 issue. With the advent of CDs, MP3 files, and other technologies for formally disseminating and informally sharing music, it's probably time for a new look at what kind of music educators might find both useful and available.