The way we do Music Study in our home is very simple, and though it is definitely Charlotte Mason-inspired, I am not sure if I could call it Charlotte Mason-style.
We listen to one or two composers a term, which translate to four to eight composers a year. In the early years, we listened to the same composer longer.
The children do not need to know much about the lives of the composers to appreciate their works and be acquainted with their music. We are saving the in-depth study for the higher years. Listening to past shows at Classics for Kids is sufficient for now. In the meantime, we are mainly enjoying the music. This is what I believe would benefit the young children the most anyway, and I don’t feel like they are missing out at all.
But I must also mention that we treasure books from the Great Musician series by Opal Wheeler for reading aloud. These are beautiful books and the words so lovely! No child should not be exposed to an Opal Wheeler book.
I don’t know how Miss Mason would feel about YouTube, but something we have added to our music appreciation is watching a performance of the piece we are listening to. And wouldn’t you know, the kids love it!
Our composer for this term is Gioachino Rossini. Week One, we played Classics for Kids. Right now, we are listening to the Barber of Seville. This is our first time using Opera for music appreciation, so I am keeping it open if we are proceeding with Cinderella or another piece. The children are very familiar with the William Tell overture, but the performance here is a real treat to them.
Usually, when I first introduce the music to the children, I give them a blank piece of paper or a sketchbook and a drawing medium to freely work with while listening. There are times when I would ask them to perform a dance, which my four-year old would gladly lead! More often, we just clear the floor and dance!
Of the different resources and books we have about composers, my favorite is the Fandex Family Field Guides COMPOSERS. This should carry us through the years, and what more, I don’t have to panic and wonder who we are going to listen to next. What an awesome and novice-friendly resource!
We have a humble collection of classical music CDs, but we mostly use online and library resources for music appreciation. We listen even as we do our chores during the day, when the children are playing, or for my ten-year old, when she is doing math.
We also talk about the music, but in a very casual way. I often ask the oldest how the music make her feel or what the composer is trying to communicate. This usually starts a full conversation. Music should be inspiring!
We give as much importance to music study as with our other lessons. It is not hard since we could easily integrate it with our other activities. And it is like a supplement to our soul! It gives us something to love, something to imagine, and something to think about.
When to start, you ask? Even before the child is born. Turn it up!
I love this post. Thanks for all of the great links!
I started playing different classical cd’s when the boys were really young. I would put the CD in to play on repeat and then sit the cover upright (on display) somewhere nearby, so the kids could see who they were listening to. After about 2 or 3 weeks of hearing the background music and seeing the cover over and over, they would ‘know’ which music went with which composer.
We got our cd set very, very cheap, at http://www.cbd.com. Every once in a while they will put them on sale. And thank you, thank you, thank you, for reminding me about Classics For Kids. I had let the boys listen to some of those a while back, but since wiping out my hard drive, and moving and all the other craziness…….. I lost my favorites link to it and I forgot all about it!
Since the baby has been born, we’ve been keeping the classical cd’s playing in her room, and it gets filtered all over the house, thanks to the baby monitor.
God Bless!
[...] Yielded Heart offers tips for music study from home. [...]
Music is such a gift. God created us to love it.
I wish I had done what you are doing when my children were younger. The years are flying by until they are gone. Although our lives are filled with music, they haven’t been exposed to particular composers in such a way. We always listened so randomly and without thought to the composer.
I do have some precious memories of the kids making up stories as a song played out. We would be driving in the car, listening to classical music, and they would take turns telling a glorious tale that the music made them imagine. That was so fun.
amanda
Thanks for the music study ideas. They are appreciated!
I have been reading to the boys from The Story of the Orchestra, which I really like. We did the instrument section first and now we are starting the composers. I’ll be checking out Classics for Kids!
And nice to see you ‘back.’
What a great post
I agree, your approach with the younger children sounds very much like my own. I’ve never heard of the Opal Wheeler series before tonight, though. Those look wonderful. You can bet I’ll be utilizing the library for a few of those! And I had no idea Fandex made a composers guide. What a terrific stocking stuffer for my oldest. She’d LOVE that! Thanks!!!
I love the Opal Wheeler books!
I also like the Classical Kids series.
I can get them at my library.
Hi! I was just wondering how to start music classes at home, and that is a good idea, try to focus on a composer and let the kids feel the music and enjoy it. Just today we were working with music and it was lovely, specially for my two-year-old. he loves music so much… it’s the first thing he asks for when he gets up in the morning. He can’t speak yet, but he comes to me ands points to the cd player and starts dancing , he’s so funny!Thanks for sharing your experiences, they are always such an inspiration to me!
I forgot to tell you, I started a blog! I have not much time to blog, but it’s something really good for practid¡isng my written English!! as well as sharing our homeschool experiences. Kisses
Esther Quiles
OOps! I forgot… http://www.xiulamaula.wordpress.com