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Looking for music appreciation ideas


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My 5th grader and 2nd grader just finished Story of the Orchestra.  I actually thought the 2nd grader might cry when we got to the last page.  OK, keeping in mind that my kids are a little strange...they enjoyed it so much that they're planning to have a Story of the Orchestra party where they listen to all the songs again (they're making a banner for it and I'm sure they're making the Shih Tzu attend).

 

Did I mention my kids are strange (maybe we've been homeschooling too long)?

 

Is there anything else out there similar to Story of the Orchestra?  I browsed through the recommendations in TWTM, but they seem to get mixed reviews.  They're both auditory learners and really enjoy classical music.  I was thinking even a ballet for kids or something...  

 

Thank-you for any replies!         

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My 2nd grader LOVES the Maestro Classics CDs. As someone with a Music Performance degree, I was seriously impressed with how well-done they are and also very appealing and accessible to young children. 

 

My dd is also very auditory, and we just listen to them in the car. I would buy the whole set if I could. 

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BTW, we have Story of the Orchestra, and I have it planned for our morning time this spring. Feeling like I made a good decision now.  :lol:

 

It actually took us months to get through that book, because they would want me to take requests every time we did music.  They would ask to listen to songs we've already covered over and over again.  LOL.   :tongue_smilie: I thought we would never finish it.

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I think the Classical Music for Dummies book with accompanying CD is excellent. There is a lot there to keep you occupied for awhile. The writing style is also accessible for younger kids.

I really like how they break down a famous piece of music into small bits and help you train your ear for what you are supposed to hear. We have made listening maps that help guide our listening.

I also really love The Story of the Orchestra and think that Classical Music for Dummies might be a great next step.

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When my older kids were younger, we spent a lot of time in the car. There were two audiobooks that they LOVED. Both are available on Audible and include clips of the music. The first one was a particular favorite!

 

"The History of Classical Music" by Richard Fawkes

"The Story of Classical Music" by Darren Henley

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Seconding Classical Kids series and The Story of Classical Music. My kids also like the web radio show Classics for Kids. Beethoven's Wig, while somewhat annoying, really helps my kids recognize many different classical pieces. Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are of course super popular. We love a lot of picture books, too: The Composer Is Dead, The 39 Apartments of Ludwig van Beethoven, Zin Zin Zin a Violin, Jack Prelutsky's The Carnival of the Animals, When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky, Ballet for Martha, and The Man with the Violin are favorites.

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I'm not sure if this is along the lines of what you are looking for but my kids love the Classics for Kids radio show. There is a new show every week and in general the shows are about the same composer for a month. There is a breif question session at the end of each show and an activity sheet available if you are interested. It's available online or through iTunes.

 

I'm going to see if my library has Story of the Orchestra.

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