Music Resources for CC Cycle 2 - With a Bonus Giveaway!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 5:00AM *This post contains affiliate links.
Last week our local CC community began our musical studies with a drama of Peter and The Wolf. It was so much fun! Learning about the instruments through this musical classic is the perfect way to kick off any child's study of great music.
{Stick around and at the end of the post you can win a copy of Peter and the Wolf from Maestro Classics!}
One thing I have learned through being involved with Classical Conversations is that less really is more. The material is of such a high quality, that if I find one or two good supplements to the memory work/art and music suggestions then we're good.
This post won't be a huge list of music resources. Rather, it's just a few things we are using (and will use) to supplement the music portion of Cycle 2.
Learn About The Orchestra
Peter & The Wolf from Maestro Classics: This recording is extremely well done and gives children a look into the instruments as well as the life of Prokofiev, the composer. In addition to having a giveaway at the end of this post, Maestro Classics is running a $5 sale for the .mp3 download of Peter & The Wolf right now. That's a great deal! The sale is only good until March 24, so don't wait.
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra: This piece, by Benjamin Britten, is one of the best ways to introduce your children to every single instrument of the orchestra. Listen to the piece online (Part 1 and Part 2), and then play some free online games to reinforce. We liked the game from Carnegie Hall and also this interactive website with all of the instruments while the piece is playing.
Individual Pieces of Music Studied in Weeks 20-24
SQUILT: If you are a member of CC Connected, you can find my SQUILT for Cycle 2 there. Look for user musicalmary and you can download a full listening guide and notebooking pages for each of the pieces suggested in the Foundations guide.
For additional listening practice (or if you don't subscribe to CC Connected), my SQUILT Volume 2: Classical Era fits quite nicely with Cycle 2.
In the SQUILT curriculum I teach children the GRAMMAR of music, and then they apply that knowledge through "Super Quiet UnInterrupted Listening" of great pieces of music. I happen to think it works really well with kids!
Books
I love to supplement each area of memory work/fine arts work with good books. I have a few favorites for learning about the orchestra and composers:
- Opal Wheeler composer biographies - these are just SO good. The one about Beethoven is one of our favorites and fits nicely with Cycle 2.
- Thomas Tapper composer biographies - these are a touch more simple, but very good for younger children. You can also find them for free at Project Gutenberg.
- The Story of the Orchestra - this book includes a CD and is a staple for any fine arts library for children.
Miscellaneous
I've written other posts about composer and instrument study that might be of help:
Ultimate Guide to Composer Study
Composer Unit Studies (Bach & Gershwin)
What are your plans for studying music during the last several weeks of Cycle 2? Does your tutor or community do anything fun and interesting with the fine arts component during this time? I'd love to hear about it!!
(Initial image courtesy NPR.org)
The Giveaway
Maestro Classics is giving one lucky reader a free download of Peter & The Wolf. Simply follow the Rafflecopter widget instructions below to enter.
*This giveaway is open to ALL readers and ends Sunday, March 23 at midnight!
Reader Comments (31)
Yes we are in Classical Conversations.
Yes, we are familiar with CC - we love it!!
This is our first year in CC and we LOVE it! I am amazed at how many connections my children have made from their memory work. Shocked really as I was hesitant about how much they would retain. When I first heard about CC a few years ago I didn't agree with the method, thinking it was just a bunch of random facts that kids would never piece together. Boy, was I wrong!
This is our first year in CC and we LOVE it! I am amazed at how many connections my children have made from their memory work. Shocked really as I was hesitant about how much they would retain. When I first heard about CC a few years ago I didn't agree with the method, thinking it was just a bunch of random facts that kids would never piece together. Boy, was I wrong!
We're joining CC for the first time this fall. We're very excited! And we're on the wait list at the library for Peter and the Wolf :)
We absolutely love CC. I am directing for my first year. :)
Familiar with Peter and the Wolf. Have been looking into CC for my oldest (the only one really in school yet). Excited!
We are not in CC but like Peter and the Wolf.
Not in CC, but we love the story of Peter and the Wolf.
Wow! What a neat resource. We love Peter and the Wolf.
We are not in Classical Conversations, but we are considering it for next year. I have heard of Peter and the Wolf. My daughter heard a sample of Maestro Classics at a conference one year and really enjoyed it. Thank you for the opportunity to win!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and resources. :)
We are in our first year of CC and love it. We got to see a production of Peter and the Wolf recently and attended a "Musical Petting Zoo" to try lots of instruments. A GREAT intro to this last 6 weeks in CC.
I am very interested in Classical Conversations but we do not have any groups close to the area in Maryland that we live in.
We are not a part of CC but I've loved the story of Peter and the wolf -I listened to it on a record while growing up!
I am not, but interested in learning about it.
I'm not in CC, but I am familiar with the story of Peter and the Wolf. It's one I tell my kids frequently. ;-)
We are starting CC with my soon to be 4 and 6 year olds this fall! Looking forward to Cycle 3. This blog is such a great tool!
I used to have a Peter and the Wolf record when I was a kid. :)
I used to have a Peter and the Wolf record when I was a kid. :)
We are not in CC, but I enjoy hearing about your experiences! :) I can remember having an "album" of Peter and the Wolf when I was little and I had a little red plastic record player and I would sit on the floor and listen to that record over and over, When the wolf would come, it was so scary! :) I would love for my daughter to have a chance to listen too!
We love Peter and the Wolf!
We'll be starting CC again in the fall and cannot wait!
I'm not in CC but myself and kids LOVE Peter and the Wolf. My 8 yo son, was humming it after we saw a performance of it , for days!
I've heard of CC, but we aren't a part of it this year.