Starting this September, music educators from across Canada will be able to find and download the best available digital music resources for free.

The Digital Resource Exchange About Music (DREAM) is an online space created by collaborators at Queen’s University, Concordia University and The Royal Conservatory that can be used in French or English on all devices including computers, tablets and smartphones.

“The real strength of DREAM is that the resources are of high quality and relevance to music teachers. For example, teachers will often spend time sorting through a whole page of recordings trying to find one that is good enough to share – our website has done that work for them,” says Dr. Rena Upitis, a professor in the Queen’s Faculty of Education and project director of DREAM.

DREAM, which took two years to develop, also allows users to listen to high quality recordings of popular repertoire. Kingston piano teacher Jodie Compeau says that functionality will augment her students’ learning experiences.

“DREAM is a fantastic tool that streamlines my search for useful apps, websites and recordings that enhance the quality of my studio,” she says. “DREAM means quickly finding a game to help my students learn to read music, or locating an app to help students mix their newest musical creations. It’s a real time saver for music educators.”

Additionally, users who sign up for a free DREAM account are able to rate, review and add resources to the website. All resources are approved the DREAM team.

“DREAM aims to change the way that teachers learn by facilitating the exchange of information free from the constraints of distance or time,” says Dr. Upitis. “This means teachers can do what they do best: teach.”

DREAM belongs to a suite of digital tools developed by Queen’s, Concordia and The Royal Conservatory. Research leading to the development of DREAM was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. For more information, visit www.musictoolsite.ca.