Build A Classical Music Library For Children
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Classical Music - Start Your Music Collection and Share A Love Of Music With Your Children
Many of the choices listed here can be purchased to have in CD format or they can be downloaded in MP3 format for you personal listening device or for your computer. I like to purchase the CD and then have the flexibility to load it onto my computer and then to my MP3 player as well.
Contents at a Glance
How Did I Pick These Composers?
And How To Listen With Children
One composer at a time, listen to the music and begin to train your ear to appreciate the sound and the style of each one. Repetition is the key to training your ear and to start a love for classical music.
There is no right or wrong way to listen. I choose to listen on my computer which is not the best sound quality but it is very enjoyable. I also like to listen to CDs when I am in the car driving around town and on longer road trips. You can load the music on your iPod or MP3 player and listen when you take walks or when you exercise. Slip a few of your favorite pieces in with your regular playlists and soon you will be anticipating these songs as they come up to play.
Composers To Listen To With Your Family
My Top Ten Suggestions
Do You Need Children's Versions of the CDs?
No....listen to real recordings with great artists.
I don't like a lot of gimmicks when listening to classical composers. The music all by itself will be enough to get you started. You can tell your children the composer's name and a little bit about the composer if you wish but the important part of all is the listening to the music as often as possible.The CDs listed on this page are ones that you can listen to with young children and still enjoy as adults. You will be listening to theses CDs for a long time to come and are wonderful choices for a beginning classical music library.
What Are Your Goals While Listening to Classical Music?
How Can You Help Your Children?
Your goal is to offer the music on a regular basis, tell a little about the composer that you think the children might be interested in, and then listen together. This is a perfect opportunity to work on narration skills with your children. After you listen to a piece, ask them what they thought of it. If your children need help getting started you can ask them basic questions like these:1. Was it loud or soft?
2. Was it fast or slow?
3. Could they hear any particular musical instruments? (piano and violins are easy to hear usually)
4. Did the music remind them of something? Did any pictures come to mind?
5. What emotions did it bring up into their hearts? (Happy, sad, angry, etc)
Charlotte Mason
Joseph Haydn
Papa Haydn
The Best of Haydn
Amazon Price: $4.02 (as of 05/29/2012)
The selections included with the CD include most of our family's favorite Haydn pieces. Don't miss the Surprise Symphony!
Amadeus Mozart
Two Disk Set!
Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces
Amazon Price: $7.14 (as of 05/29/2012)
This is a wonderful sampling of Mozart's music and will give your family lots of enjoyable listening for many years. Of course this will only get you started...some of the best conductors and performers throughout this CD set.
Ludwig von Beethoven
Beethoven: Greatest Hits
Amazon Price: $4.62 (as of 05/29/2012)
To finish off the big three composers, I have included this collection of Beethoven's best loved works. You will recognize many of the melodies in these popular choices.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach: Greatest Hits
Amazon Price: $4.60 (as of 05/29/2012)
It is so hard to pick just one CD for Bach but this really is the one that I have on my shelf that gets played the most...okay I admit we listen to the Fugue tracks more than anything else but it is an excellent compilation for beginners. It will leave you wanting to listen to more Bach.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Modern Era
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Greatest Hits
Amazon Price: $4.61 (as of 05/29/2012)
This is a refreshing, uplifting collection of Rachmaninoff. Great introduction to music from the Modern Era. The Cello Sonata played by Yo-Yo Ma is heavenly.
Favorite Classical Composer
Peter Tchaikovsky
2 Disk Set
Essential Tchaikovsky
Amazon Price: $7.06 (as of 05/29/2012)
You will enjoy hearing all your favorite Tchaikovsky pieces including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and so much more.
Antonio Vivaldi
It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This!
The Best of Vivaldi
Amazon Price: $4.50 (as of 05/29/2012)
You will find yourself listening to this CD over and over again. There is so much music to love!
Frederic Chopin
Piano At Its Best
Essential Chopin
Amazon Price: $6.83 (as of 05/29/2012)
Lovely, lovely collection of Chopin pieces. This CD set is a wonderful example of music during the Romantic Period.
Robert Schumann
2 Disk Set - Also Available As MP3 Downloads
Schumann: Complete Piano Trios
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/29/2012)
I love this set because it gives you a complete look at his piano works. Brilliant sounds and wonderful music to listen to all day long.
Anton Dvorak
Dvorak : Best Of Dvorak (The)
Amazon Price: $4.51 (as of 05/29/2012)
I love the quality and the selection of music on this CD and it will give you a taste of another composer you will want to get to know better.
Looking For Classical Music Plans?
Check Out My Harmony Fine Arts Plans
The idea behind this program came from my own home schooling experience. I was always searching for a plan for picture study and composer study. It seemed simple enough to do myself but I just never did it. I also wanted to use the classical style and Charlotte Mason's ideas for our art and music. I wanted all the great resources organized in the four-year cycle of history. I wanted it to be flexible and easy to use. I never found what I was searching for so I decided to do it myself!
This is the art and music appreciation program for busy people. We have done all the research and organizing. You are able to open our plan and offer a great program for your children.
Looking for More Information on Composers?
Check Out These Squidoo Lenses
Children's Books About Composers
Other Lenses You May Find Helpful
About Me
I would love to hear your comments!
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Gabriel360
Feb 28, 2012 @ 3:55 pm | delete
- Great lens! Good job!
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TheArtLibrarian
Jan 18, 2012 @ 1:47 pm | delete
- Great introduction -- thanks!
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Friederike
Dec 7, 2011 @ 3:23 pm | delete
- I had a hard time to decide between JSBach and Vivaldi. I play violin myself( my children learning too), always wanted to learn it, it is my favorite instrument( beside the viola da amore,that I would love to learn..). Classical music is my favorite music.I grew up w/ it, my mom always had it playing on the radio.Thanks for putting this on, classical music is so important. Blessings Friederike
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thecrabbynook
Oct 6, 2011 @ 11:15 pm | delete
- My granddaughters and I make music a big part of our get togethers. I love the idea that you have a kit available with everything we need!
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angielichtenstein
Sep 16, 2011 @ 5:40 pm | delete
- I played classical music to my son all the time when he was born. Now he loves playing musical instruments and conducting the orchestra on our Wii system. It's really great to watch! Hopefully it will give him a life long love for classical and all types of music. Great lens!
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by HarmonyArtMom
Mom of four, fourteen years of homeschooling, passionate about art, music, and nature study. See Harmony Fine Arts and my Squidoo Bio for more about me... more »
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Introduce Your Children to Famous Composers
If you really want a child-oriented introduction for your library, check this one out.
Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies
Amazon Price: $8.26 (as of 05/29/2012)
So many families love this music to introduce their young children to great composers! Check it out on Amazon.com.
Here's Volume Two
Beethoven's Wig 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies
Amazon Price: $6.25 (as of 05/29/2012)
Can't get enough? Try this one too!
Harmony Art Mom's Blog
