Students at the University of Michigan enrolled in a computer science and music course called "Building a Mobile Phone Ensemble" will be presenting a live concert on December 9th using only their iPhones as instruments. The class teaches the students how to program a custom application, in this case an instrument, from scratch. The concert is the culmination and showcase of what they learned. For the full story, including videos of the rehearsal, check out wired.com.

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it's time to get out the Christmas tree and holiday decorations (if you haven't done so already). And while you're hanging your Christmas lights and putting ornaments on the tree, why not put one of these classical music Christmas albums in your CD player? I'm sure you'll love these Top 10 Classical Christmas Music CDs as much as I do!

This Thanksgiving, PBS will broadcast one of two Christmas concerts: Andrea Bocelli and David Foster's My Christmas or Sting's A Winter's Night. Check your local PBS listings to get a schedule of the upcoming presentations.

Andrea Bocelli and David Foster's star-studded My Christmas will feature special guests including Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, Katherine Jenkins, Reba McEntire, The Muppets, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. You'll hear performances of Christmas classics like "O Holy Night," "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," and more. Apart from the English selections, you'll also hear songs in Italian and German.

Recorded in one of England's most famous cathedrals (Durham Cathedral), Sting's A Winter's Night features familiar Christmas songs as well as works from many centuries past, and even new songs. Sting's Christmas concert will prove to be folksy, enchanting, and quite mellow - a perfect conclusion to a day of great food, family, and friends.

Learn more about PBS's Great Performances.

Since it is National Opera Week, after all, I've posted the Italian lyrics and English translation of Violetta's aria "Sempre Libera" from Verdi's opera, La Traviata. I first heard this aria about twelve years ago, sung non other by the great Dame Joan Sutherland. Do you remember the first time you heard "Sempre Libera"?