We all know that buying the perfect gift for everyone on your Christmas list can be quite the challenge. And now, with only five days left until the big day, those of you still shopping will find yourselves hard-pressed for time. So to make the task easier for you, I've compiled a short and sweet list of gift cards that would make perfect gifts for any music lover on your list. Better yet, these gift cards can be purchased online and printed immediately or emailed to any email address!

239 years ago today, the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born! Beethoven is best known for his nine symphonies, but he's also famous for composing the Moonlight Sonata. Happy Birthday Beethoven!

More About Beethoven

• A Profile of Beethoven
• Recommended Beethoven CDs
• Beethoven's Music Used in Movies

This week will will be a busy week for symphonies across the US, as many are presenting a variety of Christmas concerts. If you're looking for an event to attend, here's something that may help you. I've put together a list of ten popular symphony orchestras and their concerts for the 2009 holiday season. Read more...

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.