Music

[dsbrack]

How do you approach music in your classical homeschool?  I'm not finding much in the way of formal curriculum and I have absolutely no idea where to start and very little background in music myself.  In general, I would like to expose my children to a variety of music from whatever area of history we are studying (as applicable), learn about basic rhythm, music terminology and the parts of the orchestra in the elementary years.  In a year or two, we will probably attempt piano lessons as well. Am I missing anything that you would consider important in these early years? Any help on where to go for music curriculum?  Do you have books or videos that you love?  Thanks in advance for any help!

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Check with your local or regional orchestra.  Many run concerts for kids (one hour, no intermission works well), and some may even have teacher material.   Leonard Bernstein did an acclaimed young person's guide that might be on DVD at your library, and there are similar newer versions if you poke around.

[Occasionally]

We LOVE the Leonard Bernstein young people's concerts, and a good number of them are available on youtube at ArtfulLearning's channel. More concerts were just released on DVD this fall, too, but they're pricey.

 

After we're done with the young people's concerts I have Opera for Everyone queued up. We haven't used it yet, so no review on that one.

 

Also worth checking out are Classics for Kids, the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (my kids love this game!) and for a no-cost piano lesson to dip your toes in, Hoffman Academy. (which used to be freepianolessons4kids)

 

Hope something will work for you!

[MinivanMom]

How do you approach music in your classical homeschool?  I'm not finding much in the way of formal curriculum and I have absolutely no idea where to start and very little background in music myself.  In general, I would like to expose my children to a variety of music from whatever area of history we are studying (as applicable), learn about basic rhythm, music terminology and the parts of the orchestra in the elementary years.  In a year or two, we will probably attempt piano lessons as well. Am I missing anything that you would consider important in these early years? Any help on where to go for music curriculum?  Do you have books or videos that you love?  Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Joyfully.

 

We try to emphasize meaningful, positive experiences with music. We don't follow any kind of curriculum or schedule. This has generally meant that our music exposure is somewhat sporadic: a children's concert here, a free concert in the park there. My goal was always just to keep it positive. We were planning on music lessons so I always figured that would fill in any theory gaps down the line. My oldest two both started with piano, so that has been a great foundation for music theory. My oldest now studies a second instrument in addition to piano. My second has just stuck with piano. We also take advantage of all choir opportunities at our church, which has filled in an area where I am sorely lacking.

 

For littler ones I like:

The Story of the Orchestra

Peter and the Wolf

Fantasia

Fantasia 2000

Children's Concert Series (put on by our local Symphony with matinee performances & very reasonable tickets)

Musical Zoos (put on several times a year by our local Symphony where kids can try out different instruments)

[Hunter]

Is there a 4 year 36 week music curriculum, that is good enough?

 

I'm putting together a good enough 4 year 36 week schedule to use as a "box". "Afterschooling" or "unschooling" or whatever can be done after the "box" is done each week. Or not. :lol:

 

I need something compatible to my SOTW, Mr Q, Grapevine Bible, LLtL curricula. It needs to plug right in there as the missing puzzle piece. It doesn't need to be the "best", it just needs to fit.

 

Oh, and it needs to be an eBook.

[scrapbabe]

Just listening in. :)

[MommytoFour]

Is there a 4 year 36 week music curriculum, that is good enough?

 

I'm putting together a good enough 4 year 36 week schedule to use as a "box". "Afterschooling" or "unschooling" or whatever can be done after the "box" is done each week. Or not. :lol:

 

I need something compatible to my SOTW, Mr Q, Grapevine Bible, LLtL curricula. It needs to plug right in there as the missing puzzle piece. It doesn't need to be the "best", it just needs to fit.

 

Oh, and it needs to be an eBook.

 

Maybe Harmony Fine Arts (Music and Art).

[Hunter]

Maybe Harmony Fine Arts (Music and Art).

I'm checking out the free high school 4 year program to see if it can be adapted to lower grades. Thanks!

[Hunter]

I found some good resources to put together a nice harmonica practice schedule.

 

Here are some free worksheets from Australia. Of special note is the "Teacher Resource Pack". Plan by term, daily practice, etc.

http://www.musicfun.net.au/resources.htm

 

Free Harmonica lessons. No need to know how to read music. I have used these since the 1990s.

http://www.volcano.net/~jackmearl/Lesson-1.php

or

http://harmonicacountry.net

 

Songs tabbed for the harmonica. No need to know how to read music

http://www.volcano.net/~jackmearl/Links.html

 

Harmonica Tab Rulers if you want to start learning how to read music. Start with C, and ignore the rest for now.

http://www.harmonicacountry.com/tabrulers/instructions.html

 

Learning the note names worksheet.

http://www.musicfun.net.au/pdf_files/junior_nn2.pdf

 

More Notes Worksheet

http://www.musicfun.net.au/pdf_files/note_names.pdf

 

These were designed for the piano, but will work for the harmonica, with the C harmonica tabs (link above)

http://www.musicfun.net.au/pdf_files/Playsheets.pdf

 

Easy Hymn Fake Book. Works with the C harmonica tabs (link above)

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Hymn-Fake-Book-Songs-ebook/dp/B00G958GNS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388761972&sr=8-2&keywords=fake+hymn+book

[shukriyya]

It is woven in to the fabric of our day. We often have music on through Pandora, sometimes baroque, sometimes opera, sometimes Indian classical tabla pieces. We talk a lot about the different styles, what we like or don't like and why. Pandora allows you to create different stations based on artists you like and dc has done a lot of this which gives us more discussion opportunities. We attend live performances when we can. Dc also takes lessons for two different instruments. In the car when we hear a piece we try and guess who the composer is. As I said it's woven into our day.

 

If you want curric try Connect the Thoughts for their music program.

[Hunter]

If you want curric try Connect the Thoughts for their music program.

 

Looks good but intense.

 

Sigh! about woven into the day. I wish I knew more about music.

[Hunter]

Currclick has some workbooks by Carson-Dellosa with pages that could be a quick read aloud.

 

http://www.currclick.com/browse.php?keywords=carson+dellosa+music&x=26&y=25&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=&sdate_from=&sdate_to=&stime_from=&stime_to=

[shukriyya]

 

 

Sigh! about woven into the day. I wish I knew more about music.

 

I wouldn't say I know I a lot about music, it's more about interest and following that into more and more detail. So, for example, take something easily accessible like Vivaldi's, 'Four Seasons'. You can listen to each season, you can compare them, you can listen for different instruments and moods, talk about why the composer might have chosen to convey that particular mood with that instrument and so on. Then you can go further and explore the life of Vivaldi, listen to other pieces of his and from there branch out to the era he lived in and other musicians of the time. But it can all be done in the spirit of curiosity and that is the point, to cultivate an interest in the beauty of music, not to try and fit it into something academic to be checked off the list :D

 

[Hunter]

I wouldn't say I know I a lot about music, it's more about interest and following that into more and more detail. So, for example, take something easily accessible like Vivaldi's, 'Four Seasons'. You can listen to each season, you can compare them, you can listen for different instruments and moods, talk about why the composer might have chosen to convey that particular mood with that instrument and so on. Then you can go further and explore the life of Vivaldi, listen to other pieces of his and from there branch out to the era he lived in and other musicians of the time. But it can all be done in the spirit of curiosity and that is the point, to cultivate an interest in the beauty of music, not to try and fit it into something academic to be checked off the list :D

 

:lol: I don't think you realize how musically illiterate some of us are. :lol:

[dsbrack]

In my ideal world, we would listen to pieces of music from the era of history we are studying and then have the "what instrument is being used here to convey this, what is the mood in this part, what do you like or not like" conversation naturally.  I just do not have those skills right now.  I would love some help in knowing what to ask about the different pieces we are listening to, how to build a musical vocabulary, etc.  I can find resources that tell me what composers line up with what area of history and then go to the library to get the music (or find it online) but then I say "what now?  Uh, that was pretty." 

 

I'll definitely check out the resources mentioned above.  Thanks for everyone's input. 

[MomatHWTK]

The Great Courses has some nice titles. 

[rachelpants]

Check out the music sections of the "What Your --- Grader Needs to Know" books. :) They cover the basics and also suggest activities etc...

[Hunter]

Music is harder to teach than the new new math, for some of us. We can spend a ton of time and money and still not accomplish much more than feeling ashamed, or we can admit the paucity of our resources/education and just seek SOMETHING that CAN be accomplished.

 

With art, we are told the process is more important than the product. I'm going to take that advice and apply it towards music. If the process is enjoyable for the student and mom/teacher is not so overwhelmed she wants to cry or skips it altogether, then it's good enough.

 

I just want a "box" for music that fits into the whole 4 year rotation "box" that can be stored on my iPad. If necessary I'll piece together some easy resources into my own equivalent to a "box".

 

I wish the teacher resource pack worksheet I linked above had 12 week terms, but they are only up to 10 weeks long. I guess I'll just write weeks 11 and 12 on the back.

 

I think I'm just going to teach reading music enough to use an easy fake book keyed in C, and singing/harmonica of the choruses for some well known songs/hymns.

 

And use some of the Carson Dellosa worksheets as read alouds, for some history and vocabulary and whatever all the rest of that is called.

 

And I guess I need a list of works to listen to. I know they will not fit historically, and am fine with that. I just want a nice steady and triaged list. The harmony list is based on a hardcopy book I don't want to purchase, so I'm not sure I want to use that list.

 

Another option for some, is the lessons in the What Your Grader Needs to Know series. It's just not the easiest to schedule into a 4 year rotation, and is a lot to store/afford just for the music, if you are not using it for anything else.

 

In PS, we had what? 40 minutes a week of music instruction? Minus absences and assemblies.

 

As I create my "box" I'm trying to be ultra realistic, and then add the TWTM library list and student unschooling/afterschooling/extracurricula with the expectation that will be the grace that fills in the missing pieces. The box needs to be the box, though.

 

Forty minutes or an hour a week. It's not much. I'm wondering how to schedule the learning to read music and the harmonica practice. Maybe as just a unit in the beginning of each year, and then leaving it up to the student to continue on their own time only if there is interest. Maybe year one as just tabbed music. And year 2 introducing reading music and just a few super easy songs that only use SOME of reading music. Maybe year 3 finally getting to a enough reading music to introduce the easiest songs in the easy fake books. And year 4 try to get the student to be able to use more of the easy fake books.

[Hunter]

The Great Courses has some nice titles.

 

Are any of the Great Courses available as Audible.com credits? I don't qualify for reduced price subscription again for almost a year, but when I do, credits are $7.50 I think.

 

 

Check out the music sections of the "What Your --- Grader Needs to Know" books. :) They cover the basics and also suggest activities etc...

I have a few of these in Kindle. I need to really look at these again, but don't really want to buy the rest of the series just for the music, since I'm not USING anything else right NOW. Maybe...they will be worth it though. But I remember the music being kind of integrated into the other subjects. I don't know. I really like NtK when I am using ALL of it, but not so much as single subjects.

[Sally Day]

I am a classical musician by profession. I really recommend .amazon.com/Story-Classical-Music-Darren-Henley/dp/9626343109 set of cds in the car.  For littlies this book http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Classical-Music-Book/dp/1843791188/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388862692&sr=1-2&keywords=my+first+book+of+classical+music is great.   I second Fantasia  too. If you want to tie in the 4-year cycle you could easily do that using the Darren Henley cds as a start and follow up with more recordings of the composers he highlights. Have fun! x

 

[Hunter]

I am a classical musician by profession. I really recommend .amazon.com/Story-Classical-Music-Darren-Henley/dp/9626343109 set of cds in the car. For littlies this book http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Classical-Music-Book/dp/1843791188/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388862692&sr=1-2&keywords=my+first+book+of+classical+music is great. I second Fantasia too. If you want to tie in the 4-year cycle you could easily do that using the Darren Henley cds as a start and follow up with more recordings of the composers he highlights. Have fun! x

I saw the Story Of Classical Music audio and was wondering about it. Currclick and Amazon both have it. Thanks for the review.

 

Today, I discovered the Hohner S502 harmonica. It only has 4 holes that are widely placed. I would think a student could play single notes and learn to read music earlier with this harmonica than a regular one. I figure the sound isn't all the great, though. I'd love to be able to try one of these before paying for it and the shipping.

[FO4UR]

Pick a composer, any composer.  Choose a quality recording to listen to at home or in the car.  Read about the composer from a library book.

 

 

Next week or next month, pick a different composer.  Lather Rinse Repeat.  Talk about similarities and differences in the composers.

 

 

I recommend starting with some vastly different composers rather than merging music completely with history.  Mozart vs Gershwin is easy, two composers of the same time period will be harder to define.

 

 

It's OK to use basic, common terms when discussing music.  Learn the vocab slowly.  "Loud" is a valid word. :lol:

 

 

You have arrived when a child asks, "Can we do Beethoven today?"  

[dsbrack]

I am a classical musician by profession. I really recommend .amazon.com/Story-Classical-Music-Darren-Henley/dp/9626343109 set of cds in the car.  For littlies this book http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Classical-Music-Book/dp/1843791188/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388862692&sr=1-2&keywords=my+first+book+of+classical+music is great.   I second Fantasia  too. If you want to tie in the 4-year cycle you could easily do that using the Darren Henley cds as a start and follow up with more recordings of the composers he highlights. Have fun! x

I ordered the Darren Henley resource from the library.  The other looks like a perfect way to start.  I added it to my amazon wish list for the next time I order resources.  Thanks!

[dsbrack]

Pick a composer, any composer.  Choose a quality recording to listen to at home or in the car.  Read about the composer from a library book.

 

 

Next week or next month, pick a different composer.  Lather Rinse Repeat.  Talk about similarities and differences in the composers.

 

 

I recommend starting with some vastly different composers rather than merging music completely with history.  Mozart vs Gershwin is easy, two composers of the same time period will be harder to define.

 

 

It's OK to use basic, common terms when discussing music.  Learn the vocab slowly.  "Loud" is a valid word. :lol:

 

 

You have arrived when a child asks, "Can we do Beethoven today?"  

I didn't think about how it might be easier to compare composers from different periods of time.  Thanks for this insight.  I'm going to grab a couple of the resources suggested here and just get started listening with my kiddos and supplement with books on composers we hear.

[LilBearsMama]

This might be useful: http://www.squiltmusic.com/

[Hunter]

This might be useful: http://www.squiltmusic.com/

This looks very promising. The second two books are due out this year. I hope they actually are published.

 

This looks doable. 10 pieces a year, and a few weeks on vocabulary, instruments, etc. That would leave time for an instrument introduction and practice. And maybe one musical, and one ballet, and one opera a year. I need a short doable list for this type of thing too.

 

I want balance, but don't know enough about music to have any idea how to triage and balance.

[scrapbabe]

This looks very promising. The second two books are due out this year. I hope they actually are published.

. I could be wrong but she used to have some of these on her blog as free downloads. She only recently published them into a digital book format. So maybe the final two books are already written but just need reformatting and revision. I think there's a really good chance that the last two will get published.

[FO4UR]

This looks very promising. The second two books are due out this year. I hope they actually are published.

 

This looks doable. 10 pieces a year, and a few weeks on vocabulary, instruments, etc. That would leave time for an instrument introduction and practice. And maybe one musical, and one ballet, and one opera a year. I need a short doable list for this type of thing too.

 

I want balance, but don't know enough about music to have any idea how to triage and balance.

 

 

I've not seen that link, but I'd recommend doing several pieces from one composer at a time.  You want to get a feel for the composer, not just one piece.  Spend as long as you need per composer, and don't worry so much about memorizing the names of the pieces.  (If they catch a student's interest, they will want to know the names.  If they don't, they won't.)  It's OK if the student gravitates towards (or away from) a piece, but expose them to an entire CD of one composer at a time.

 

Something like this set will make it simple.  http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Classical-Music-Various-artists/dp/B007EAIRZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1388889619&sr=8-3&keywords=classical+music+CD+set

 

 

The composer/appreciation lessons should not take up schoolish energy.  Let it be relaxed.  Listen over tea.  Listen while drawing or painting. Listen as a break from mental work, and let the mind wander.  (Don't ask insipid questions. Do discuss as if you were discussing with another adult.)

 

 

 

There once was a 3yo who stood up in his chair at a restaurant, hushing everyone around.  "I'm listening to my Mozart!"  Too little to give technical answers, but he clearly formed a living relationship with a composer.  That is the goal of music appreciation.  (I'm CM through to the core.  Ha!)

[Hunter]

. I could be wrong but she used to have some of these on her blog as free downloads. She only recently published them into a digital book format. So maybe the final two books are already written but just need reformatting and revision. I think there's a really good chance that the last two will get published.

That is just what I want to hear. Thanks!

[Hunter]

I've not seen that link, but I'd recommend doing several pieces from one composer at a time. You want to get a feel for the composer, not just one piece. Spend as long as you need per composer, and don't worry so much about memorizing the names of the pieces. (If they catch a student's interest, they will want to know the names. If they don't, they won't.) It's OK if the student gravitates towards (or away from) a piece, but expose them to an entire CD of one composer at a time.

 

Something like this set will make it simple. http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Classical-Music-Various-artists/dp/B007EAIRZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1388889619&sr=8-3&keywords=classical+music+CD+set

 

The composer/appreciation lessons should not take up schoolish energy. Let it be relaxed. Listen over tea. Listen while drawing or painting. Listen as a break from mental work, and let the mind wander. (Don't ask insipid questions. Do discuss as if you were discussing with another adult.)

 

There once was a 3yo who stood up in his chair at a restaurant, hushing everyone around. "I'm listening to my Mozart!" Too little to give technical answers, but he clearly formed a living relationship with a composer. That is the goal of music appreciation. (I'm CM through to the core. Ha!)

Thank you! $2.19 is very affordable. There are reviews that list the music by each of the 10 composers.

 

Mozart - tracks 1 to 11 (Nachtmusik to Cassation K99),

Bach - tracks 12 to 25 (Suite No. 4 to Violin Concerto No. 2),

Beethoven - tracks 26 to 35 (Symphony No. 5 to Egmont Overture),

Strauss - tracks 36 to 43 (Die Fledermaus to Gypsy Baron einzugmarsch),

Wagner - tracks 44 to 51 (Tannhauser overture to Tannhauser guests),

Tchaikovsky - tracks 52 to 61 (Piano Concerto No. 1 to Eugene Onegin),

Vivaldi - tracks 62 to 70 (Spring to Winter),

Chopin - tracks 71 to 85 (Scherzo No. 1 to Mazurka No. 4),

Schubert - tracks 86 to 95 (Ave Maria to Unfinished Symphony),

Verdi - tracks 96 to 106 (Nabucco overture to La forza Overture)

 

If I were to cover 12 composers in depth, what other 2 composers should I add to this list?

 

Would it be too much to try and memorize the names to the 40 Squilt pieces of music? Not like memorize memorize like life depended on it, but make a point of listening to that piece of music more than others and repeating the name over and over.

 

I know I'm not being very CM here, but I just want to get these four 36 week good enough plans made out. Music just has never gotten adequately done for my own self-education and in teaching. I'm hoping that if I have a short lesson planned for each week, that I'll make sure I do it before moving onto the next "week", even if it means taking more than a week to do a "week".

 

I have a habit of downplaying the arts to keep up with a brisk pace in skills, and it's been unbalanced. I can make the listening unschoolish, I think. But I think I need to know who the composer of the term is, and have the music right there on my phone.

[Hunter]

Or maybe my last two shouldn't be "composers" but some other type of musician? Balance. What would provide some balance to the 10 composers?

[FO4UR]

Or maybe my last two shouldn't be "composers" but some other type of musician? Balance. What would provide some balance to the 10 composers?

 

 

Scot Joplin and Gershwin would add some balance. 

 

You could skip Verdi and Strauss and add it another couple of newer composers.  I wouldn't skip the others.  Base this on what you think will delight your students.  

 

A study on folk music, culminating with Aaron Copeland is a rich experience.

[scrapbabe]

Scot Joplin and Gershwin would add some balance.

 

You could skip Verdi and Strauss and add it another couple of newer composers. I wouldn't skip the others. Base this on what you think will delight your students.

 

A study on folk music, culminating with Aaron Copeland is a rich experience.

. Could I just hire you to teach my children music appreciation? There, problem solved. ;)

[Hunter]

I spent so much of my life in ultraconservative churches, that didn't allow much variety in music. I just don't know what others take for granted knowing. 4blessingmom, this really helps. Thank you everyone.

[Hunter]

Are Rogers and Hammerstein composers? Or just organizers of some type? There! Now you can see how little I know.

 

With my boys I just mostly took potshots at music, in the short breaks we sometimes took between churches. I remember seeing videos at the library and grabbing them in desperation. I remember Rogers and Hammerstein stuff.

 

Other times we mostly studied singing acappella hymns and Psalms.

 

And the boys had clay ocarinas from their favorite video game, The Legend of Zelda.

 

I grabbed kids books and videos off the shelf about composers. Process got done, I guess. I'd like to do better now, though, if I can.

[FO4UR]

. Could I just hire you to teach my children music appreciation? There, problem solved. ;)

 

 

Sure!  I love teaching music!   :thumbup1: 

 

 

 

 

Are Rogers and Hammerstein composers? Or just organizers of some type? There! Now you can see how little I know.

 

With my boys I just mostly took potshots at music, in the short breaks we sometimes took between churches. I remember seeing videos at the library and grabbing them in desperation. I remember Rogers and Hammerstein stuff.

 

Other times we mostly studied singing acappella hymns and Psalms.

 

And the boys had clay ocarinas from their favorite video game, The Legend of Zelda.

 

I grabbed kids books and videos off the shelf about composers. Process got done, I guess. I'd like to do better now, though, if I can.

 

 

R&H are American Icons.  Gotta love Oklahoma and Sound of Music!   They did musicals together.  One man wrote the music and the other wrote the lyrics.

 

R&H are to music as Norman Rockwell is to painting.  imho

 

 

If you can find an inexpensive production in your area, it would be worth your while to put R&H on your list.  Lots of high schools and colleges put on these old musicals still.  In fact, that might be a better way to plan a music course.  See what *live* music opportunities abound and then pair with other resources.  It's not cut and dry, simple, or even easy.  But, it's whimsy and meaningful to the student who enjoys the experience. 

[~Victoria~]

This coming year I will rotate a weekly pic study and musical instrument study using Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. It will be very laid back. Here is where we can listen http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/kamien9e/part01/chapter02/youngpersonsguide/brittenguideinteractive.htm

Here is a game he can play to introduce new sections http://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/ypgto/index.aspx

 

There is also a composer study that I'm sure is good and is available for download for cheap. http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2012/01/worlds-greatest-composers-vol-1.html

 

We will probably do instruments for year 1, then composer studies based on the 2-4 sotw time period for a four year rotation. Plus piano and later guitar lessons from my husband.

[Hunter]

I think I'm going to get the Carson-Dellosa American Popular Music.

http://www.currclick.com/product/84027/American-Popular-Music-by-Mark-Twain-Media

 

I just don't know how to organize all these resources in to a nice whole.

 

Maybe I'll just read American Popular Music and not use it for students. It looks like a quick easy way to get ME up to speed. Well maybe not up to speed, but just not totally illiterate.

[Hunter]

Hmm...yes, live. At least one live performance should be scheduled a year. I was thinking videos, but you are right.

 

I'm trying to figure out what is realistic, and I do think one live performance a year is doable.

 

I think I need to make a list for each year of "field trips" that should be completed. A very short list, but a list.

[Hunter]

This coming year I will rotate a weekly pic study and musical instrument study using Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. It will be very laid back. Here is where we can listen http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/kamien9e/part01/chapter02/youngpersonsguide/brittenguideinteractive.htm

Here is a game he can play to introduce new sections http://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/ypgto/index.aspx

 

There is also a composer study that I'm sure is good and is available for download for cheap. http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2012/01/worlds-greatest-composers-vol-1.html

 

We will probably do instruments for year 1, then composer studies based on the 2-4 sotw time period for a four year rotation. Plus piano and later guitar lessons from my husband.

I don't have flash on the iPad. I'll try and check out those links later.

 

I don't think the series of books the composer curriculum are based on comes in eBooks and I'm really running out of money for book series. That looks good though.

 

When I was looking at the available Carson-Dellosa books, that is what I was thinking. To do musical instruments before starting composer study. I think I want to jump into SQUILT right away, though.

[Hunter]

Mozart - tracks 1 to 11 (Nachtmusik to Cassation K99),

Bach - tracks 12 to 25 (Suite No. 4 to Violin Concerto No. 2),

Beethoven - tracks 26 to 35 (Symphony No. 5 to Egmont Overture),

Strauss - tracks 36 to 43 (Die Fledermaus to Gypsy Baron einzugmarsch),

Wagner - tracks 44 to 51 (Tannhauser overture to Tannhauser guests),

Tchaikovsky - tracks 52 to 61 (Piano Concerto No. 1 to Eugene Onegin),

Vivaldi - tracks 62 to 70 (Spring to Winter),

Chopin - tracks 71 to 85 (Scherzo No. 1 to Mazurka No. 4),

Schubert - tracks 86 to 95 (Ave Maria to Unfinished Symphony),

Verdi - tracks 96 to 106 (Nabucco overture to La forza Overture)

 

I'm thinking if I just skip one of these, then I could use the nine others for years 1-3, and then use something entirely different for year 4. Something maybe put together from the Carson Dellosa American Popular Music pdf.

 

I'm taking a poll. Skip Verdi, Strauss, or someone else? I know I should know this, but are any of these composers modern, or part of American popular music? So maybe the 10th could get pushed to year 4.

 

Does anyone know how these fit into the SQUILT breakdown of baroque, classical, romantic, modern?

[FO4UR]

 

I just don't know how to organize all these resources in to a nice whole.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I like to throw all the resources into a bucket (figuratively), and set aside time for the learning, and then just pick from the bucket.  To do this, be really picky about what goes into your bucket up front, and then completely relax and purposely not organize, letting the children make the connections they make.  It's messy.  But it's often the most fruitful way to do it.  ime

[Hunter]

Sometimes I like to throw all the resources into a bucket (figuratively), and set aside time for the learning, and then just pick from the bucket. To do this, be really picky about what goes into your bucket up front, and then completely relax and purposely not organize, letting the children make the connections they make. It's messy. But it's often the most fruitful way to do it. ime

I know you are right, Good things have happened when I have done this. It works best when I know more about subjects myself. But even when I knew next to nothing, good things happened.

 

One of the problems I have now, is that I often get called on homework questions. Aunties with nieces and nephews. Students enrolled in GED classes, who whip out their homework when they see me in a doctor waiting room.

 

I feel like I need to section off some priority topics and narrow MY studies down to mastering those basics. And then say, THIS is all I'm studying and being responsible for. If your question is on my mastery list, I can fully help you. If it's not, I'll offer a few ideas of who else to ask, or what section of the library to look, but pass the student on.

 

I get overwhelmed with all the questions on one side, and all the resources on the other side, and I'm in the middle overwhelmed. A student wants help with advanced maths, and I told her, "No." I'm not brushing up on or teaching advanced maths right now. I want to pick a math curriculum and decide how far I want to study through it, and have a definite stop point. I want to master teaching just those topics, whatever they are, and let that be good enough.

 

I don't usually get on the spot music questions for homework, but it does come up at mealtime conversations and such, especially from women that come from domestic abuse and rigid churches that we are really musically illiterate. I just want to carve out a small chunk for self-education and I don't know. But a carved out definite chunk.

[FO4UR]

I know you are right, Good things have happened when I have done this. It works best when I know more about subjects myself. But even when I knew next to nothing, good things happened.

 

One of the problems I have now, is that I often get called on homework questions. Aunties with nieces and nephews. Students enrolled in GED classes, who whip out their homework when they see me in a doctor waiting room.

 

I feel like I need to section off some priority topics and narrow MY studies down to mastering those basics. And then say, THIS is all I'm studying and being responsible for. If your question is on my mastery list, I can fully help you. If it's not, I'll offer a few ideas of who else to ask, or what section of the library to look, but pass the student on.

 

I get overwhelmed with all the questions on one side, and all the resources on the other side, and I'm in the middle overwhelmed. A student wants help with advanced maths, and I told her, "No." I'm not brushing up on or teaching advanced maths right now. I want to pick a math curriculum and decide how far I want to study through it, and have a definite stop point. I want to master teaching just those topics, whatever they are, and let that be good enough.

 

I don't usually get on the spot music questions for homework, but it does come up at mealtime conversations and such, especially from women that come from domestic abuse and rigid churches that we are really musically illiterate. I just want to carve out a small chunk for self-education and I don't know. But a carved out definite chunk.

 

 

"I don't know." is a perfectly acceptable answer.  Maybe music isn't something you can *teach* this year.  Maybe it's something you self-educate.  And, maybe it's something that you invite someone else to join you in your self-education journey as the facilitator rather than teacher.

 

 

It's OK to admit that you don't know how this relates to anything, but it's interesting....and maybe we'll figure it out, place it into it's importance in culture, or otherwise dismiss it later.

 

(I've got a BSE Music Education, and I don't know even half of everything there is to know.  It's kinda like what you said in the history thread about knowing enough to know I don't know much at all.)

 

If you have students who are uncomfortable with that self-education journey, then I'd put it in the "I don't know." category.

 

 

 

What *I* do when I'm learning new music is get sort of obsessed with it for a while.  I will listen or play something over and over and over again.  Or I will search youtube high and low for every piece by someone...or every performance of a piece...  It's more of a leisure than an academic pursuit in feel, but without that leisurely pursuit it would not be art/music.

[Hunter]

Yes, of course it needs to be more of learn along side instead of teach, BUT I don't want to continue a haphazard schedule, where too often minutiae is covered instead if the basics, because I don't know the difference.

 

There are many people that can sight read that don't know any phonics. Some people infer and learn phonics backwards and apply those rules to new words. But there are others that only know the words taught to them and don't even know what phonics is.

 

So I know I can go to the children's section and pick a composer that is on the shelf. Okay Vivaldi, and I can even branch out into a unit study. And I might EVENTUALLY infer some things, little by little about music in general. Or someone can give me a phonics workbook, even a cheap grocery store type workbook, and it will get me farther so much faster.

 

I know so little, that anything organized is better than nothing. Anything that supplies some context, and prioritization of the basics. I had a student once that didn't know George Washington was the first president. If she asked for a self-education plan, or something to teach her niece with, I wouldn't tell her to just grab any old thing off the library shelves. I would give her something that I knew provided a balanced OVERVIEW of the basics. Of course it would be biased and have all sorts of shortcomings, but at least at the end, she would know who George and Abe were and which wars they were involved in. Even if she read off the shelves for 500 hours she might still not know who George and Abe were, or the difference between the revolutionary and civil wars.

 

I got to see the full sample of Carson-Dellosa American Popular Music. It's on my wish list. There are 32 one page summaries, each of a composer/performer/style. Skipping all the worksheets and busywork, it can just be used as a reading book, not curriculum, if necessary.

[RosieCotton]

Hunter,

 

I encourage you to do more than once a week for your plan. I think you'll be surprised once you get going how easy it is!

 

I'm not saying full unit study level by any means. I've been guilty of not wanting to do something unless it's "everything" for that topic and that shoots me in the foot so I can't get started, or I think what I'm doing is not meaningful to them. But every time I've been wrong.

 

We all have time during the day we can be listening to things. Pick 5 pieces from the composer of the week and listen to a different one each day together alone with no distractions. Put the composer on during art or drawing time.  Then play it in the background during chores or simple work like handwriting practise at other times that week. Play it in the car. Write the name of the composer on the board and post their picture up that week. Talk about what they are hearing and feeling. Ask them what it makes them think of when they hear it. Ask yourself and share it! Go to the net and pull up something about the piece or composer and read it quickly. No memorization required. Exposure exposure exposure. The resources you've listed are all great - so grab from your basket and run with what inspires.Then as another said - rinse lather and repeat.

 

I'm sure you look back on something now that you started with that you were unsure about teaching - like when I started history - gosh how am I going to do all this? Where so I start? I started slow with SOTW, then added, added, added. I added the library book references (and others I found in searching), and then looked up pics and references on the internet, then added more, incorporated geography with it, more mapping, and culture study and religion and now today --- I have to step back or we'll do history for 2+ hours before looking up! And they love it!

 

Music can be just as easy.

 

Definately check out performances in your area. If you can find the Magic Flute offered anywhere go and see it. It's super fun, (hilarious when done right).  Yes to Sound of Music and Oklahoma also! Check out what local smaller run productions are performing and take advantage of them.

 

Many orchestras offer young people concerts and programs. Check them out. There are days at the local orchestras where kids can try out instruments and watch a demonstration where they will fire up each instrument section individually, then add one by one to hear the changes. . .

 

And as another already said, mix up your composers so your not studying the same time period for a year - there will be much more variety this way in what you are hearing.

 

Squilt and Henley are a great start to your basket as is Dellosa - then just keep adding and keep listening.

 

Have fun with it!

 

 

 

 

[dewdropfairy]

This is information I found really helpful in music study in college. Many of the major composers have a catalog designation which refers back to a master listing of all their works. (As in, someone made a master list of everything Mozart composed and gave it a number) so if you know these, you can translate the titles of the pieces you see. Anything with a K. is Mozart; BWV is Bach; WWV is Wagner, etc.

 

 

ETA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalogues_of_classical_compositions

[Hunter]

This is information I found really helpful in music study in college. Many of the major composers have a catalog designation which refers back to a master listing of all their works. (As in, someone made a master list of everything Mozart composed and gave it a number) so if you know these, you can translate the titles of the pieces you see. Anything with a K. is Mozart; BWV is Bach; WWV is Wagner, etc.

 

 

ETA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalogues_of_classical_compositions

Cool!

[AimeeM]

Well, it doesn't really apply to classical education, I guess (although you could spin it that way, I imagine, with some creativity), but we love Making Music, Praying Twice (it is a Catholic program).

[Hunter]

Hunter,

 

I encourage you to do more than once a week for your plan. I think you'll be surprised once you get going how easy it is!

 

I have no problem adding more more more. The problem is triaging and balancing and selecting.

 

I need to figure out the bones. Maybe I'll pad the bones, and maybe I won't, but I need to figure out the bones. More more more isn't going to be the answer, without bones to secure it all to.