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Introduction to Classical Music?


savmom
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My dd is 8 and has had very little exposure to classical music. She not only has some learning delays from Epilepsy but she has a Sensory Perception Disorder and possibly Aspegers (we are still in the diagnostic stage on this one).

 

Anyway, music is VERY soothing for her (and I feel terrible that I have never pursued this avenue before :(). She already has dozens of cd's with everything from bible songs to 80's music and it really never occurred to me to try classical music. Well, until I came across a thread where someone suggested it for a child with disabilities.

 

So, I did a quick google search and WOW! :blink: Information overload! I was so overwhelmed that I almost fried my brain. I did find a site with clips of classical music and she LOVED it (classics for kids I think?) but the cd's they have did not specifically state if it was partial or complete songs (can you tell I have no experience with classical music :blush5:) or what.

 

I have NO idea where to start. :001_huh: I am not really looking for lesson plans/worksheets. What I really want are cd's with Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, etc.

 

 

:confused: Any suggestions? I would appreciate any ideas or links to cd's your dc have loved! Classical Music for Dummies maybe? :001_unsure:

 

Thank so much!

 

 

Cindy

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I went to a convention seminar on classical music a couple of months ago. The speaker recommended this Top 100 list of the Most Popular Classical Music. She suggested downloading 1 song per week (99cents each) to build your classical music library.

 

We have a classical music box set, something like this. I have no idea where dh got it from, but it has about 30 cd's. My plan is to have dh put it in chronological order and play one a week, repeating the cd several times a week while we are doing other things.

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I haven't bought any CD's as I have found everything on YouTube. What I like about YouTube is that you can listen to the original, as well as other musicians interpretation of the music. Plus, the kids enjoy watching the musicians play the piece. They especially enjoy watching pianists as they are frequently amazed that someones fingers can move that fast:)

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My ds8 loves the Classical Kids collection, but they are partial pieces of the music. There is actually a Book and cd Classical Music For Dummies from the "For Dummies" series. :D

 

 

:lol: LOL! I was just kidding! I had NO idea there was a Classical Music for Dummies book

 

 

 

I never thought about you tube. Maybe a book WOULD be a good idea so I knew which pieces to look for (I am clueless when it comes to this stuff :tongue_smilie:)

 

 

:001_smile: Thank you for the links/suggestions! I am checking in to them all right now (thank you so much).

 

 

Cindy

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We follow the UIL schedule (and compete in a similar contest for Private Schools that uses the same materials for the competition). My dh has a masters in Music and has been very happy with the choice of selections over the years and feels that ds is getting a very well-rounded music history/listening education.

 

http://www.aeideas.com/musicmem.cfm

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When I was a little girl, I listened to ballet music all the time just for fun. Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker are all by Tchaikovsky and are very pleasant and listenable. He is also the composer of the 1812 Overture and that schmaltzy romantic Romeo and Juliet overture.

 

Stories and music make a great combo. Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf is a classic and I see there is a recording with Patrick Stewart doing the story telling! Another classic is Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals. There is a collection of wonderful story books with complete cds of the music by Anna Harwell Celenza. Each book is about a specific work -- Bach's Goldberg variations, Beethoven's Eroica Symphony.

 

Mozart is always soothing to listen to and you can't go wrong. His later symphonies are perhaps the most well known -- #42 is the Jupiter, for instance. He wrote Eine Kleine Nacht Music (which I may have mispelled!!). I personally enjoy listening to his string quartets and trios.

 

We've listened to lots of movie soundtracks over the years. Lion King (not just the songs but the orchestral background music) Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars. It is a great way to listen to how music tells a story or sets a mood.

 

Have fun with it!! It is terrific that you can preview things on YouTube these days. Pick what you like, don't feel it has to be "important" music, or educational somehow.

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My Aspie daughter lived and breathed Mozart's Magic Flute for several years. There's a lovely version that presents the story as a play, with many of the numbers sung in English; I think it's the Classical Kids version. Another poster mentioned that series and I second it, particularly if your child also likes stories. Music and story make a wonderful combination.

 

By listening to a few "Best of the Classics" types of CDs you can begin to pick out what type of classical music best calms your child. Some, like Bach, are very orderly; Romantic music is of course much different. Your child may gravitate toward different periods of music for different moods or needs.

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Well, many people have used CDs with the titles like "The Story of [name of composer] in Words and Music". I think that The Well Trained Mind recommmends them, and I first found out about them from Michael Olaf. Some of the titles include:

 

The Story of Mozart in Words and Music

The Story of Bach in Words and Music

The Story of Beethoven in Words and Music

The Story of Haydn in Words and Music

The Story of Handel in Words and Music

The Story of Chopin in Words and Music

The Story of Tchaikovsky in Words and Music

The Story of Vivaldi and Corelli in Words and Music

The Story of Schubert in Words and Music

The Story of Brahms in Words and Music

The Story of Mendelssohn in Words and Music

 

There are many others! Maybe these would appeal to your daughter. If your local library has them, you could try them out before buying them. They are cheaper on amazon.com than on other websites.

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My son has epilepsy, too. And I don't know if this is related or not, but he often (not always) finds music very soothing.

 

Here are two resources that've worked well for us in both learning about classical music and creating a soothing atmosphere in our home:

 

The Classical Kids CDs. The story of the composer's life is interwoven with his music. We have the ones for Bach, Beethoven, Mozart (there are 2 for him), Vivaldi, Handel, and Tchaikovsky. They're excellent. http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1282500524-1068186&subject=17&category=5618

 

There's also a series called ________ [composer's name] For Relaxation. The ones we have are: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, and Debussy. I think there are probably others. You can find them at Amazon. The selections on these CDs are designed to be a gentle, peaceful introduction to classical music. http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Relaxation-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B000003G7C/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282500414&sr=1-1-catcorr

Edited by Maverick_Mom
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