Books and More 4 Kids

TEACHING READING, MATH, HISTORY, AND SCIENCE

2008-03-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

This site, Books and More 4 Kids, is on Blogger. It has information about art education and music education. I have a second site, by the same name, on Google Pages. That site has information about: Teaching Reading (also Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, and Writing), Teaching Math, Teaching History, and Teaching Science. Why two sites? I'm quite new to all of this. Blogger and Google Pages have some similarities and some differences. Some things are much easier to do at a Blogger site; other things are far easier to do at Google Pages.

You may notice that I mention a company called Veritas Press at both sites. Veritas is associated with the Christian, Logos School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Veritas publishes some of the materials they use and makes available to homeschoolers the Logos School curriculum and educational materials. I have been very impressed by the things I have purchased from Veritas Press. I fault them on only one thing. The Logos School does not teach any science until the students are in 9th grade!

I also mention a company called Christian Book Distributors which is located in Peabody, Massachusetts. Yes, they sell Christian Bibles and Jewish Bibles as well. They also sell to homeschoolers the materials necessary to teach: art, music, science, history, geography, math, reading, grammar, spelling, and writing. If I fault them on anything, it is that sometimes there are too many choices. You aren't sure what to purchase.

MUSIC EDUCATION

2008-03-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

As schools face budget problems, music classes are often cut from the curriculum.
Do you hope your child will one day play a musical instrument?
Do you want your child to be able to read music?
Do you want your child to appreciate different types of music?
Do you want your child to know something about music history?
Do you want your child to recognize the sound of each different instrument?
Do you want your child to recognize such names as: Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Barry Tuckwell, Heinz Holliger, James Galway, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Luciano Pavarotti, and Placido Domingo?

I. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
A. Very young children love to play marching band. Consider giving them a variety of percussion instruments: triangle, tambourine, hand castanet, tone block with stick, two maracas, and two very small cymbals.
B. A plastic B flat recorder is a very inexpensive instrument. Recorder Method for Young Beginners Book 1 and Book 2 by Andrew Scott and Gary Turner are very useful for young children.
C. Consider a harmonica. They are small and relatively inexpensive.
D. Before purchasing a more expensive instrument for your child, consider renting. Your child may change his/her mind about those lessons.
E. I wanted a piano, but they are very difficult to move. An uncle who is a professional musician and an aunt who is a retired music teacher both recommended an electric piano. I'm thrilled with it! I was able to bring it home from the store and set it up by myself! It has a built in metronome and in addition to piano, I can make it sound like an organ or harpsichord.

II. MUSIC CURRICULUM
The Calvert School in Maryland has created a 32 lesson music curriculum on video/DVD. They suggest it be used in K-3. They were limited to 32 lessons because of the length of the school year. Homeschoolers are not limited in this way. The Logos School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania uses the Melody Lane curriculum in first grade. Veritas Press which is associated with the Logos School sells Melody Lane as part of a package known as Discoveries in Music. The information below is a supplement to the 32 videos of the Melody Lane curriculum. By using different supplemental materials each time, the Melody Lane curriculum could be used several times throughout more grades.

The following books are to be used throughout the 32 lessons:
Lives of the Musicians by Kathleen Krull (short bios of some of the musicians)
Usborne: Understanding Music by Judy Tatchell (great for music history)
I wonder why flutes have holes by Josephine Paker (very high interest)
DK Eyewitness Books: Music
Kingfisher Young People's Book of Music, editor Clive Wilson

LESSON 1 - THE STRING FAMILY (which should not include piano)
The mayor of Melody Lane introduces us to the violin, viola, and cello. We hear each separately and then together.
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video) The translation of this title is: Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, and Percussion. My aunt used this video when she was teaching music.
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone; ISBN 9780375824302/CD) Each character in the story is represented by a different instrument. Peter is represented by the violins.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes - In this orchestra, each instrument is played by a different kind of animal. The illustrations are wonderful.
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD) There are short bits of music for each different type of instrument. Can you recognize each instrument you hear by its sound? In general, the larger the instrument, the lower the sound. The smaller the instrument, the higher the sound. For strings read pages 42-49 and listen to tracks 13-18.
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

DVD Appalachian Journey - Concert by Mark O'Connor, bluegrass fiddler, Edgar Meyer on bass, and classically trained Yo-Yo Ma on cello (SONY)

Bach Violin Concertos (In order to organize your CD's, file this one with Lesson 22B. Similar suggestions will be given below.)
Pachbel's Canon (Lesson 22B)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Pathetique (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Brahms Violin Concerto in D Op. 77, with soloist Itzhak Perlman (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)Julian Bream Adagios (Classical guitar; file this CD under Miscellaneous; RCA)
Rough Guide to Bluegrass (Banjo, mandolin, and dobro are also string instruments, but typically are only heard in bluegrass music. Lesson 14)
Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall (This group includes 3 guitars, fiddle, double bass; Track 10 banjo and a plucked double bass; Track 20 fiddle and banjo. Lesson 14. KOCH.)

LESSON 2 - THE PERCUSSION FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The hunters are represented by the percussion.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD) pages 70-83 and tracks 30-34
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Dvorak Symphony No. 9 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Orff Carmina Burana (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Ravel Bolero (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Shostakovich Jazz Suites 1 and 2; The Bolt Ballet Suite; Tahiti Trot (Tea for Two) (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Copland Appalachian Spring (Lesson 25B) listen for the xylophone
John Philip Sousa - Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, The Thunderer, The Liberty Bell (Really Modern 25C)
Leroy Anderson - The Syncopated Clock, Sleigh Ride, Waltzing Cats, The Typewriter, Irish Washer Woman (File this CD under Miscellaneous)

LESSON 3 - THE BRASS FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The wolf is represented by the French horn.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Mozart Horn Concertos 1 - 4 by Barry Tuckwell on French horn
Vaughan Williams' Concerto in F for Bass Tuba (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mahler Symphony No. 5 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B) listen for French horn
Strauss, Richard - Till Eulenspeigel's Merry Pranks; listen for French horn
The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart with a cameo by Louis Armstrong.
Glenn Miller CD (Lesson 25D)
Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra CD (Lesson 25D)
Dizzy Gillespie Jazz Casual DVD and CD (Lesson 25D)
Miles Davis Kind of Blue (Lesson 25D; muted trumpet)
John Philip Sousa - Corcoran Cadets, The Gladiator, Washington Post, On Parade, Stars and Stripes Forever (Lesson 25D. LONDON.)
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man (Lesson 25D)

LESSON 4 - THE WOODWIND FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The bird is represented by a flute; the duck is an oboe; and the cat is a clarinet.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Vivaldi Oboe Concerto
Bach Oboe Concerto by Heinz Holliger
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Mozart Concertos for Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon
James Galway on flute (File this CD under Miscellaneous)
Pete Fountain's New Orleans CD (Jazz clarinet; Lesson 25D)
Benny Goodman CD (Jazz clarinet; Lesson 25D)
John Coltrane DVD Jazz Casual (Jazz saxophone)
Charlie Parker CD (Jazz alto and tenor saxophone; Lesson 25D)

LESSON 5 - THE ORCHESTRA
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Growing Up with Music CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
Camille Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals (This book by Barrie Turner and the CD will remind you of Peter and the Wolf. Each animal is represented by a different instrument.)
Daydreams and Lullabies CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series)Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 Pastorale
Haydn Symphony in G Major Surprise (Lesson 23A)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Pathetique (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Overture, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture
Orff Carmina Burana (Modern Era Lesson 25A)

LESSON 6 - THE CONDUCTOR
Maestro Mouse by Peter W. Barnes (a truly delightful children's picture book)
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra
Beethoven's 9th Symphony on DVD; Conductor Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker (SONY)

LESSON 7 - BANDS
The Music Man DVD
John Philip Sousa (Lesson 25C)
The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart with a cameo by Louis Armstrong
Duke Ellington CD
Count Basie CD
Glenn Miller CD
Benny Goodman CD
Tommy Dorsey CD

LESSON 8 - KEYBOARDS
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra
Growing Up with Piano CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta ESA PEKKA SALONEN (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Bach Concertos for One and Two Harpsichords
Bach Toccato in D Minor
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Lesson 24A)
Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes 2 Pianos Together (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies and Piano Pieces (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Schumann Kinderszenen and Kreisleriana Op. 15 and Op. 16 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Scott Joplin CD (Ragtime piano)
Jelly Roll Morton CD (Jazz piano)
Thelonius Monk CD (Jazz piano)
Duke Ellington DVD (Jazz piano)
Count Basie DVD Jazz Casual
Count Basie CD (Jazz piano)

LESSON 9 - INTRODUCTION TO RHYTHM
Sesame Street - Let's Make Music DVD

LESSON 10 - RHYTHM, BEAT, AND TEMPO
Compare the tempo of a funeral requiem (slow) to a polka (fast). For beat or measure, compare a waltz in 3/4 time to jazz in either 2/4 or 4/4 time.
Vivaldi Four SeasonsDvorak Slavonic Dances (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Debussy Le Mer (Modern Era 25A)
Ravel Bolero (Modern Era 25A)
Gershwin An American in Paris (Lesson 25C)
John Philip Sousa CD's (Lesson 25C)

LESSON 11 - RHYTHM AND DURATION
LESSON 12 - INTRODUCTION TO MELODY
LESSON 13 - MELODY BY STEPS AND LEAPS

LESSON 14 - AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC (AND MORE!)
My aunt, a retired music teacher, says that if we know who wrote the music and/or lyrics, then it is not folk music. Therefore, much of the music from the 1950's and 1960's which we call folk music isn't.
Old Songs and Singing Games, Richard Chase editor
I Hear America Singing by Kathleen Krull (Book and CD)
Rough Guide: Cajun/Zydeco - Cajun music is from the descendants of the Acadians and, therefore, has a modified version of French. Zydeco is the music of the Creole people and uses an accordion. Both are common in Louisiana.
Polish Polkas (Lawrence Welk and Myron Floren; also uses an accordion)
Life and Times: Stephen Foster by Peggy Pancella
Stephen Foster Beautiful Dreamer CD (American Roots Pub.)
History of Country Music by Stuart A. Kallen
Rough Guide to Bluegrass CD
Blue Ribbon Bluegrass CD (ROUNDER)
Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys ("Father of Bluegrass") Live recordings 1956-1969 (Smithsonian Recordings)
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs at Carnegie Hall (KOCH)
The Essential Bob Wills CD (He is credited with starting Western Swing Music, a combination of Black Blues, traditional Mexican, big band swing, and country-western music. Instruments used include: fiddle, guitar, banjo, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, double bass, and piano. The influence of big band in the rhythm section is obvious. COLUMBIA.)
Sacred Spirit - Chants and Dances of the Native Americans (Virgin Records)

LESSON 15 - SONGS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
Jewish Odyssey CD (Jewish folk music from various countries)
Vintage Music from India CD
Rough Guide: Music of Japan CD
Rough Guide: Music of Africa CD
Rough Guide: Scottish Folk CD
Scottish Bagpipes and Drums CD
Rough Guide: Irish Folk CD
Celtic Legacy CD
Riverdance DVD - Irish Step Dancers

LESSON 16 - MOVING TO MUSIC
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances CD (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Borodin Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Dvorak Slavonic Dances (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Strauss Waltzes (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
John Philip Sousa CD's

LESSON 17 - LET'S PRETEND DRAMATIC IMPROVISATION
Mendelssohn Songs Without Words (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Schubert 6 Moments Musicaux and 8 Impromptus (Romantic Period 24B)
Schumann Kinderszenen (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)

LESSON 18A - DANCE: BALLET
Consider ballet lessons for your little girl. Before you respond that your little one did not inherit the genes necessary for a body suited to a career in ballet, I must ask one question. Did you make your career choice at age three? Little ones enjoy the social interaction. They love moving to the music. They learn poise. They develop a love of the music. Does it really matter if they don't become ballerinas?

Angelina's Ballet Class by Katharine Holabird
There are more books in the Angelina Ballerina Series by Katharine Holabird.
Tanya Treasury by Patricia Lee Gauch
Tanya and the Magic Wardrobe by Patricia Lee Gauch - It's about a little girl who is going to attend the ballet, Coppelia.
Tanya and the Red Shoes by Patricia Lee Gauch - Tanya is finally getting her toe shoes.
Bravo, Tanya by Patricia Lee Gauch
Dance, Tanya by Patricia Lee Gauch
The Little Ballerinas by Jillian Harker
I am a dancer (as photographed by Jane Feldman; the story of Eva Lipman, a young student, at the School of American Ballet in New York)
I dreamed I was a ballerina - the story of Anna Pavlova
Dance of the Swan - a more thorough story of Anna Pavlova
Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina by Rosemary Wells - This story of Maria Tallchief is a picture book. Though this book does not mention it, she was one of many who danced with Nureyev.
Usborne Beginners: Ballet by Susan Meredith
Hooray for Ballet by Margaret Frith
The Illustrated Book of Ballet Stories by Barbara Newman
Ballet stories (DK) This book explains plots of several ballets including Giselle.
A Young Dancer's Apprenticeship by Olympia Dowd - The story of 14 year old Olympia Dowd who spent one year touring with the Moscow City Ballet.
Ballet of the Elephants by Leda Schubert -This is the true story of the ballet Circus Polka, music by Stravinsky, choreographed by George Balanchine, in which circus elephants danced!
The Dancer who Flew: A Memoir of Rudolf Nureyev by Linda Maybarduk - Although this book does mention that Nureyev died from AIDS, it does not discuss his colorful private life.
Mikhail Baryshnikov Dance Genius by Bruce Glassman - This book does mention that he shares a daughter with Jessica Lange and three other children with a ballerina from the American Ballet though he was not married to either.

Growing Up with Ballet CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
Peter and the Wolf DVD from the Royal Ballet School - This is an excellent first ballet for kids since it is only 30 minutes; it features children in costumes doing almost all of the roles; and the story is narrated as it occurs. (Image Entertainment.)
Beatrix Potter DVD from the Royal Ballet. (Anchor Bay.) This is a delightful ballet for children. Adults in animal costumes act out scenes from the classic tales of Beatrix Potter.
Muppets 2nd Season DVD's Rudolf Nureyev appeared in the 13th episode that season. In addition to the Ballet "Swine Lake", he did a wonderful tap routine.
Cinderella by Prokofiev with the Bolshoi DVD. (ABC Entertainment/Universal.)
Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky DVD featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Veronica Tennant. He also choreographed this one for the National Ballet of Canada. Video Artists International/CBC Home Video.
Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky DVD with Baryshnikov as prince. The role of Clara is danced by Gelsey Kirkland and Alexander Minz is Drosselmeyer. Baryshnikov choreographed this one for the American Ballet Theater. KULTUR.
Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky DVD with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. A narrator explains the story. Nureyev choreographed this one for the Vienna State Opera Ballet. John Lanchbery conducts the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Deutsche Grammophon.
Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev DVD with The Royal Ballet featuring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. A narrator explains the story. KULTUR.
Giselle by Adolphe Adam DVD featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Lynn Seymour. (KULTUR.)
Coppelia by Delibes with Fernando Bujones and Ana Maria Castanon. (KULTUR.)
Don Quixote DVD choreographed and danced by Rudolf Nureyev. His partner is Lucette Aldous. KULTUR
Petrushka by Stravinsky included on the DVD entitled Return of the Firebird. Can also be spelled Petrouchka. DECCA.
Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov is also included on the DVD entitled Return of the Firebird. Rather violent. Lots of people are killed. One commits suicide. DECCA.Firebird by Stravinsky is based in part on a Russian folk tale. This DVD also includes Les Noces (The Wedding) choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska. Royal Ballet. (BBC Opus Arte.)

LESSON 18B - DANCE: MODERN DANCE
Did you know that Rudolf Nureyev studied with Martha Graham and he danced the role of the Preacher in Appalachian Spring? Baryshnikov danced the role of the groom in the same ballet.
Martha Graham DVD (KULTUR.)
Martha Graham by Paula Bryant Pratt
Alvin Ailey, Celebrating African-American Culture in Dance by Barbara Cruz
An Evening with Alvin Ailey DVD (Image Entertainment.)

LESSON 18C - DANCE: AFRICAN DANCE
African Dance for Children DVD created by Julio T. Leitao (Step by step, surrounded by young children, Julio teaches us how to do a variety of dance steps. Very well done.)
African Dance Book: Drum Beat in Our Feet by Patricia A. Keeler

LESSON 18D - DANCE: TAP DANCE AND MORE
Rap A Tap Tap Here's Bojangles Think of That! by Leo Dillon
Stormy Weather is a very loose version of the life of Bojangles. In fact, Bill Robinson did not have a lost love in his life. In addition to tap by Bojangles, you will see the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold). Fred Astaire once said that their tap routines impressed and influenced his dance. Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and Lena Horne also appear. (20th Century Fox.)
The Little Colonel DVD has some very well celebrated tap dance routines featuring Bojangles and Shirley Temple. Check tracks 19 and 22 which are kid-safe. Caution this film is set post Civil War and was filmed at a time of racism. The grandfather refers to some black children by an offensive term. I'd still show it, but with some appropriate explanations. Let's not re-write history. Let's change the future. (20th Century Fox.)
That's Entertainment is a compilation of short numbers from almost 100 MGM musical films. I'm more interested here in the dance routines by such as: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Donald O'Connor, Clark Gable, Anne Miller, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Buddy Ebsen, Frank Sinatra, Fayard Nicholas, Harold Nicholas, and more. Astaire dances with a coat rack in one scene and in another up the wall, across the ceiling, and down the wall again. Gene Kelly dances with a bunch of shoes with no feet in them. I can't even describe what O'Connor does! It's long, but watching it in 15-20 minute parcels would be good. (Warner Brothers.)
Easter Parade DVD starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland along with Anne Miller. It has fantastic dance routines.
Riverdance, Live from New York City's Radio City Music Hall DVD has Irish Step Dancers (2-sided disc; Columbia Tristar Home Video.)

LESSON 19 - INSTRUMENT MAKERS
LESSON 20 - MAKE YOUR OWN INSTRUMENTS

LESSON 21 - TEMPO AND DYNAMICS
Haydn Surprise Symphony No. 94 in G Major

CAUTION: The lesson 22 video discusses the Baroque Period. Due to time limitations of the school schedule they skipped the Medieval Age. I've found the perfect thing to rectify that omission. You will find similar problems in the next three lessons.

LESSON 22A - MEDIEVAL AGE (THEY SKIPPED THIS TIME PERIOD.)
Song of the Unicorn CD and Teachers' guide. (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series)

LESSON 22B - BAROQUE PERIOD: CORELLI, VIVALDI, BACH, HANDEL, AND TELEMANN
Baroque Highlights (Baroque Treasures Disc 10 - Laser Light DELTA; available from Christian Book Distributors.)

Corelli Concerti grossi (Baroque Treasures Disc 7)

Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). Vivaldi did indeed teach music at a girls' orphanage in Venice. The background music for the story is Vivaldi and has several great examples of piccolo.)Vivaldi's 4 Seasons/Concerto for 2 Trumpets (Baroque Treasures Disc 1)
Life and Times: Antonio Lucio Vivaldi by Jim Whiting (This is part of the Masters of Music Series)
Introducing Vivaldi by Roland Vernon

Bach's Fight for Freedom DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. It is excellent. There is one teachers' guide for the series.
Mr. Bach Comes to Call CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Famous Children: Bach by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Bach by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Johann Sebastian Bach by Jim Whiting
[Johann] Sebastian Bach, The Boy from Thuringia by Wheeler and Deucher CD and Study Guide Bach and Baroque (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Glory and Honor, The Musical and Artistic Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach by Gregory Wilbur
Bach's Goldberg Variations (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) The variations were written for the harpsichord, but are played here on the piano. Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Bach's Concertos for One and Two Harpsichords 2 CD's PHILIPS
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 1-4 (Baroque Disc 2)
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 4-6 CD PHILIPS
Bach's Super Hits CD: Minuet in G Major, Toccata, Fugue, Air, Prelude and Fugue No. 1, Italian Concerto SONY CLASSICAL
Bach's Orchestral Suites 1-3 (Baroque Treasures Disc 5)
Bach's Violin Concertos (Baroque Treasures Disc 8)
Bach's Toccata in D Minor (Baroque Treasures Disc 10)
Bach's Oboe Concertos by Heinz Holliger CD PHILIPS

Handel's Last Chance DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. It is excellent. There is one teachers' guide to the series.
Hallelujah Handel CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Handel's Water Music (Baroque Treasures Disc 3)
Handel's Royal Fireworks (Baroque Treasures Disc 6)
Handel's Hallelujah (Baroque Treasures Disc 9)
Handel's Messiah DVD James Levine conducting
Getting to Know Handel by Mike Venezia
Famous Children: Handel by Ann Rachlin
Life and Times: George Frederic Handel by Jim Whiting

Telemann (Baroque Treasures Disc 4)

LESSON 23A - HAYDN (THEY LEFT HIM OUT. HE SHOULD BE BEFORE MOZART.)Farewell Symphony (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) The book discusses No. 45, but the CD includes both No. 45 (Tracks 5-8) and No. 31
Haydn Symphony No. 94 in G Major (Surprise), Symphony No. 100 in G Major (Military), Symphony 104 in D Major (London Symphony) DECCA
Haydn The London Symphonies (Nos. 95, 96, 98, 102, 103 (Drum Roll), and 104) 2 CD's PHILIPS
Haydn Symphony No. 101 in D Major (Clock Symphony - Listen for the Tick Tock in the Second Movement Adante) SERAPHIM
Franz Joseph Haydn - He used his middle name, but was affectionately known as Papa Haydn.
Joseph Haydn, The Merry Little Peasant by Wheeler and Deucher CD with Study Guide
Famous Children: Haydn by Ann Rachlin

LESSON 23B - MOZART
Mozart's Magic Fantasy CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). This is the story of the Opera, The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute (Book by Anne Gatti; ISBN 9780811849746/CD)
Mozart's Magic Flute DVD of the Opera. This is an example of "singspiel", singing interspersed with spoken dialogue. You might want to select just a few scenes at first. My favorite track has Papagena and Papageno singing together. It is near the end. (Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). This includes Eine Kleine and Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. This tells us something about Mozart's life.

Mozart Chamber Music CD (Quartet in F Major, Quintet in E flat Major, and A Musical Joke. The last is a very odd piece.) NAXOS
Mozart's Horn Concertos 1-4 by Barry Tuckwell on French Horn CD EMI CLASSICS
Mozart Concertos for Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon CD EMI CLASSICS
Famous Children: Mozart by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Mozart by Mike Venezia
Who was Mozart? by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Mozart, The Wonder Boy by Wheeler and Deucher CD and with Study guide

Mozart's Opera: Marriage of Figaro DVD (Euro Arts Musik.)
Mozart's Opera: Cosi fan tutte DVD (Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart's Opera: Don Giovanni DVD (Don Giovanni is rake with no conscience. You might want to wait 'til Jr. High on this one. I didn't like this one until I got to the end and found out that justice won out. Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart Requiem K626 CD Deutsche Grammophon

LESSON 24A - BEETHOVEN
Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Book, CD, Video, and Teachers' Guide - Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series) The CD includes: Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, and Minuet in G. Major. The video is quite good.
Famous Children: Beethoven by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Beethoven by Mike Venezia
Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells by Wheeler CD with Study guide
Lifetimes: Ludwig van Beethoven by Richard Tames

Beethoven's Heroic Symphony No. 3 (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 CD (This is the most easily recognized piece of music ever written!) Deutsche Grammophon
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 Pastoral CD Deutsche Grammophon
Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 DVD (conductor Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker; SONY.) and CD
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Pathetique, Moonlight, Tempest, Waldstein-Sonate, Appassionata, and Grosse Sonate for the Hammerklavier0) 2 CD's TELDEC

LESSON 24B - ROMANTIC PERIOD (THEY ALSO SKIPPED THIS!)
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances; Concerto for Orchestra; Violin Concerto No. 2; Music for Strings, Percussions and Celesta!; Piano Concerto No. 3 (Track 5 raucous brass) NAXOS
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta ESA PEKKA SALONEN SONY

Berlioz Opera: The Trojans (Les Troyens) CD LONDON
Berlioz DVD La Damnation de Faust. This opera is almost never performed as an opera.
Life and Times: Hector Berlioz by Jim Whiting

Borodin Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor; Symphony No. 2; Symphony No. 3 LONDON

Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes for 2 Pianos CD SONY
Brahms Symphony No. 1 and Variations on a Theme by Haydn CD SONY
Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 73 CD DECCA
Brahms Symphonies 3 and 4 CD Deutsche Grammophon
Brahms Violin Concerto in D Op. 77 by Itzhak Perlman CD EMI
Brahms Choral Works: German Requiem, Song of Destiny, Alto Rhapsody 2 CD's PHILIPS
Famous Children: Brahms by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Brahms by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Johannes Brahms by Jim Whiting

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor CD CEDAR
Chopin Greatest Hits: Minute Waltz. Raindrop Prelude, Funeral March, Military Polonaise, Mazurka in C Major, Fantasie SONY
Chopin Favorite Piano Works by Vladimir Ashkenazy: Mazurka in D Major, Mazurka in B flat Major Op. 7 LONDON
Chopin Waltzes including Cat Waltz Track 4 Op. 34 No. 3 in F Seraphim Classics
Famous Children: Chopin by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Chopin by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Frederic Chopin by Jim Whiting
Chopin and Romantic Music by Carlo Cavalletti (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)

Dvorak Symphony No. 9; Slavoic Dances CD TELDEC

Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suites CD Deutsche Grammophon

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies (especially 2, 5, 6, 7) 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Liszt's Rhapsody DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. There is one teachers' guide for the series. It is excellent.
Liszt Biography Masters of Music by Michael Lane
Life and Times: Franz Liszt by Jim Whiting

Mahler Symphony No. 5 Deutsche Grammophon

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64 CEDAR
Mendelssohn Songs without Words (Complete) 2 CD's PHILIPS
Mendelssohn Italian Symphony, Violin Concerto, and A Midsummer Night's Dream 2 CD's PHILIPS

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain; Boris Godunov 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Mussorgsky Opera: Boris Godunov DVD

Rimsky-Korsakov 2 CD's including Flight of the Bumblebee (CD 1, Track 14) PHILIPS
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade (with Return of the Firebird) DVD

Schubert Impromptus and Moments musicaux 2 CD's EMI
Schubert Symphony No.8 The Unfinished Symphony CEDAR
Schubert Biography Masters of Music by Michael Lane

Schumann, Robert Kinderszenen and Kreisleriana Op. 15 and Op. 16 CD Deutsche Grammophon
Schumann, Clara by Susanna Reich

Strauss, Johann II (The Younger) Waltzes including Blue Danube DECCA
Strauss, Johann II (The Younger) Opera: Die Fledermaus DVD (BBC Opus Arte.)
Strauss: The King of Three-Quarter Time DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. There is one teachers' guide to the series. It is excellent.

Tchaikovsky Discovers America CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1/Nutcracker Suites CD SONY
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5/Romeo and Juliet CD Deutsche Grammophon
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 CD RCA
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture (Napoleon's retreat from Moscow - Listen for Marseillaise) CEDAR
Swan Lake DVD with Nureyev
Sleeping Beauty DVD with Nureyev
Nutcracker DVD with Baryshnikov
Famous Children: Tchaikovsky by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Tchaikovsky by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky by Jim Whiting

Verdi Opera: Rigoletto DVD (My rating PG-13; Universal Classics.)
Verdi Opera: Falstaff DVD (My rating PG-13; Euro Arts Musik.)
Verdi Opera: Otello by Verdi DVD (My rating PG-13; Four main characters die! MGM.)
Verdi Opera: La Traviata by Verdi DVD (My rating PG-13; DECCA.)
Verdi Opera: Aida DVD (Image Entertainment.)
Verdi Opera: Don Carlo 2 DVD's very long (My rating PG-13)
Life and Times: Guiseppe Verdi by Jim Whiting
Verdi by Greta Cencetti
Introducing Verdi by Roland Vernon

Wagner, Siegfried CD CEDAR
Life and Times: Richard Wagner by Michael Lane
Wagner by Greta Cencetti

LESSON 25A - MODERN ERA (THEY HAVE COPLAND, BUT OMITTED MANY.)Britten Opera: Peter Grimes DVD (See comments under Opera Lesson 29. KULTUR.)

Debussy: Nocturnes, Prelude a l'apres midi d'un faune, and La Mer CD Penguin Classics DECCA

Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite, Mississippi Suite, and Niagara Falls Suite CD NAXOS

Orff Carmina Burana CD Deutsche Grammophon

Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD/DVD)
Prokofiev Ballet: Romeo and Juliet with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn (KULTUR.)Prokofiev Ballet: Cinderella (ABC Entertainment/Universal.)

Rachmaninov Symphony No. 1 CD DECCA

Ravel Bolero CD DECCA

Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals (Book by Barrie Turner/CD)
Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Le Carnaval des Animaux, Danse macabre, Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, Piano concerto No. 4 in C minor, Symphony No. 3 in C Minor 2 CD's PHILIPS

Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 CD PHILIPS
Shostakovich Jazz Suites 1 and 2; The Bolt Ballet Suite; and Tahiti Trot (Tea for Two) Some great percussion; very different. CD NAXOS

Sibelius Finlandia; Karelia Suite Op. 11; and Lemminkainen Suite Op. 22 CD NAXOS

Stravinsky: Firebird, Rite of Spring, Symphony of Psalms, Pulcinella Suite, Petrouchka (Petrushka), and Concerto in E flat, Circus Polka 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Firebird (and Les Noces) DVD of 2 Ballets (BBC Opus Arte.)
Firebird and Petrushka DVD entitled Return of the Firebird (DECCA.)
Getting to Know: Stravinsky by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Igor Stravinsky by Jim Whiting

Strauss, Richard - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier CD

Ralph (pronounced RAFE) Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6 and Tuba Concerto in F minor CD CHANDOS

LESSON 25B - AARON COPLAND
Aaron Copland: Three American Ballets - Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, and Rodeo as well as Fanfare for the Common Man CD TELARC
Aaron Copland: The Young Pioneers. These are Piano Solos including CAT AND MOUSE. 2 CD's SONY
Getting to know: Copland by Mike Venezia

LESSON 25C - NOW THIS IS REALLY MODERN!
John Philip Sousa Stars and Stripes Forever CD LONDON
John Philip Sousa: Famous Sousa Marches CD CHANDOS
Getting to Know: Sousa by Mike Venezia

Irving Berlin Easter Parade on DVD
Life and Times: Irving Berlin by Jim Whiting

Gershwin: Cuban Overture, Funny Face Overture, Rhapsody in Blue, and An American in Paris. Fantastic! CD Penguin Classics DECCA
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess and Blue Monday (I'd wait until Jr. High for this one.) CD TELARC
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Getting to Know: Gershwin by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: George Gershwin by Jim Whiting
West Side Story CD ONLY! The DVD is, in my opinion, inappropriate until they are 18. Columbia
On the Town DVD (See Lesson 29 for comments regarding this one.)
Getting to Know: Bernstein by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Leonard Bernstein

The History of Rock Music by Andrea Bergamini (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Shake, Rattle, and Roll, Founders of Rock and Roll (Book)
Buddy, The Story of Buddy Holly by Anne Bustard
Buddy Holly CD (Millenium Collection MCA)
Elvis #1 Hits CD RCA
Getting to Know: Beatles by Mike Venezia

LESSON 25D - JAZZ (ALL SORTS ! THEY ALSO LEFT OUT JAZZ.)
Jazz would be an interesting topic for black history month.In jazz, trumpets are usually muted.
All That Jazz by Daphne Morgan is a great simple explanation for kids of jazz history. Note: In classical music, a double bass is bowed; in jazz it is strummed. It will be a very low, steady beat usually in the background.
Jazz and Its History by Giuseppe Vigna (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Concise Guide to Jazz by Mark C. C. Gridley
Jazz ABZ by Wynton Marsalis is a very interesting book done in a rather unusual way.
USBORNE: Understanding Music
The Best of Jazz and Blues: Hollywood Rhythm. This DVD has cuts from very old Paramount Movies. It features a very young Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and more. (KING VIDEO.)

Scott Joplin Greatest Hits CD RCA VICTOR
Scott Joplin by Janet Hubbard-Brown

Jelly Roll Morton: Doctor Jazz CD ACADEMY

Pete Fountain's New Orleans CD MCA

The Essentail Louis Armstrong CD. Louis Armstrong (from New Orleans) was a cornet and trumpet player who because of a bad heart was forced to give up his horn and become a singer. He had a very low, gravelly voice. Did you know he appeared in the movie Hello, Dolly? Do you know why his nickname was Satchmo?
If I Only Had a Horn: Young Louis Armstrong by Roxanne Orgill
Louis also has a cameo appearance in the Glenn Miller DVD

Duke Ellington CD CEDAR
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Duke was a band leader, composer, and piano player.
Duke Ellington DVD on the piano with various others. (IMAGE Entertainment.)
Getting to Know: Ellington by Mike Venezia

Count Basie CD CEDAR
DVD Jazz Casual has Basie on piano as well as Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and John Coltrane on saxophone. (RHINO Home Video.)
Count Basie: Bandleader and Composer by Bud Kliment. He was a piano player and band leader.
Dizzy by Jonah Winter
John Coltrane's Giant Steps by Chris Raschka

Bessie Smith and the Night Riders by Sue Stauffacher
Bessie Smith, African-American Biographies by Alexandria Manera
Martin Scorsese Presents Bessie Smith from the PBS series The Blues. CAUTION: Track 9 is very suggestive. I rate this PG-16. This track should not be played in a public school.

Billie Holiday (Singer) Loveless Love CD CEDAR

Hollywood Rhythm Big Bands and Swing Volume 2. DVD. Artie Shaw's Class in Swing is particularly interesting. It presents a wonderful explanation of exactly what swing music is. (KING Video.)

The Sounds of Glenn Miller CD CEDAR. Miller was a trombone player and band leader.

The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart. Miller's band appears along with a cameo by Louis Armstrong on his horn. Miller volunteered to serve during WW II and his plane was lost somewhere over the English Channel. UNIVERSAL

Benny Goodman The King of Swing CD CEDAR
Once Upon a Time in Chicago by Jonah Winter (short biography)
The Benny Goodman Story DVD UNIVERSAL

Best of Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra CD CURB. Tommy played trombone; his brother, Jimmy played clarinet.

Ella Fitzgerald, The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Ella Fitzgerald CD CEDAR (The male voice you hear on this CD is Louis Armstrong.)

Charlie Yardbird Parker at Dewey Square CD CEDAR. Parker played alto and tenor saxophone. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka

The Best of Thelonius Monk CD BLUE NOTE. Monk was a piano player.Mysterious Thelonius by Chris Raschka

Miles Davis Kind of Blue. CD COLUMBIA. Davis, a trumpet player, was considered the best at improvisation.

Art Blakey A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 CD BLUE NOTE. Blakey was a drummer.

Muddy Waters Greatest Hits CD CEDAR. Waters is a jazz guitarist.

The Best of B. B. King CD MCA. King is also a jazz guitarist.

The Great American Songbook DVD is a review of the history of American music from the Minstrel Shows and Stephen Foster all the way up through Elvis. It is excellent. Track 22 includes the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold). WARNING: Track 31 uses the word homosexual twice in referring to life styles of certain musicians. Also the words bordello and whorehouse are used on this DVD so you may want to wait until your children are older to view this one. Personally, there are some words I do not want to have to explain to very young children. If you are going to use this DVD in a public school, you will have to preview and select which tracks you will use very carefully. (Warner Brothers.)

LESSON 26 - SINGING TOGETHER
Philadelphia Chickens by Sandra Boynton. My niece and nephew love this one!Also check out the "WEE-SING" Series

LESSON 27 - PLAYING TOGETHER

LESSON 28 - MUSIC EXPRESSION
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage (Eine Kleine) CD and Teachers' Guide
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (Feels happy!)
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

LESSON 29 - MUSIC TELLS A STORYI
Hear America Singing (Book by Kathleen Krull/CD)
Haydn Symphony 101 in D Major (The Clock; 2nd movement)
Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain (This was a part of Fantasia.)
Rimsky-Korsakov Flight of the Bumblebee (CD 1, Track 14)
Chopin Cat Waltz Track 4 Op. 34 No. 3 in F (Seraphim Classics)
Grofe Grand Canyon Suite - Listen as the mules descend into the canyon.Copland Cat and Mouse (Check the 2 CD set of Piano Solos)
Sorcerer's Apprentice (on the CD with Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra) This was part of Fantasia which is currently out of print.
Mozart's Magic Fantasy (CD and Teachers' Guide) This is the story of the Opera The Magic Flute.
Mozart's Magic Flute (Book/CD)
Mozart Opera: Magic Flute DVD This is sung in German with English subtitles. (Art Haus Musik.)
Haydn Farewell Symphony No. 45 (Book/CD)
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 PastoraleTchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 Winter Dreams
Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Baroque Treasures Disc 1)

Growing Up with Broadway CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Mary Poppins DVD

The Music Man DVD (If you are unfamiliar with this one, there is a marching band in uniform.

Easter Parade DVD Music by Irving Berlin; starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland

CATS DVD Once a year the jellico cats meet and Deuteronomy selects one cat who will get a new life. They have 9. Young children will not understand the various pieces, but they may get a kick out of adults dressed as cats.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat DVD (The story of Joseph and Pharaoh)

Sound of Music DVD

The King and I DVD

Brigadoon DVD Gene Kelly has a great tap routine in this one.

On the Town DVD - This is an old movie so you may not be familiar with the story. Three sailors (including Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly) are on leave for just one day in New York City. Each meets a girl. The kids will love the scene where the dinosaur skeleton in the museum collapses.

Pirates of Penzance DVD (Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta; my rating is PG-10) There is a surprise ending to this story. (Acorn Media.)

H.M.S. Pinafore DVD (Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta or Comic Opera; my rating is PG-10) This one also has a surprise ending. (Acorn Media.)

Life and Times: Gilbert and Sullivan by Jim Whiting

The Dog Who Sang at the Opera by Jim West and Marshall Izen - This is actually the true story of a dog who joined in singing with the soprano, Renee Fleming. The kids will love it.
The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera by Shahrukh Husain
Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera by Anne Siberell

Bizet's Dream (DVD from Devine Entertainment) This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. This one is about the Opera Carmen and is excellent. There is one teachers' guide to the series.

Rossini's Ghost (DVD from Devine Entertainment) This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. This particular story is about the Opera The Barber of Seville and is excellent. There is one teachers' guide to the series.

OPERA by Alessandro Taverna (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
At the Opera, Tales of the Great Operas by Ann Fiery

Life and Times: Verdi by Jim Whiting. He is best known for his operas.
Life and Times: Wagner by Jim Whiting. He is also primarily known for operas.
Verdi by Greta Cencetti
Wagner by Greta Cencetti
The 3 Tenors: Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti with Mehta in Concert 1994. DVD (Atlantic Recording Corporation, a Time Warner Company.)
Luciano Pavarotti: A Live Performance CD CEDAR

Growing Up with the Opera CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
More Growing Up with the Opera CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck DVD. This is usually sung in German, but in this instance it is in English. That makes it especially good for kids. It is also a story familiar to most children. The performers who play the roles of Hansel and Gretel are excellent and the witch is quite amusing. Opera Australia. (IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT.)

La Cenerentola by Rossini DVD (Cinderella the Opera, sung in Italian with English subtitles) This is Cinderella with a few twists. First, it is a stepfather rather than a stepmother. Also, there is a bracelet instead of a glass slipper. Finally, for a time the Prince is posing as a servant while his valet poses as the Prince. This is an excellent opera for children. There is a short synopsis provided so that the children can understand the changes in the story. The costumes here are fantastic (especially the stepsisters and stepfather). Cecilia Bartoli is excellent in the role of Cinderella. However, it is the man who sings the role of stepfather who made the whole thing wonderful. This is my favorite opera DVD. In addition to Bartoli, you will see Dara, Gimenez, Corbelli, Pertusi, and Campanella. (Houston Grand Opera; DECCA.)

Barber of Seville by Rossini DVD (This is opera buffa, a comic opera, so it should be okay for 5th or 6th grade. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. No implied infidelity and no one dies! A man wants to marry his ward in order to get control of her inheritance. She is in love with the Count and he with her. The Barber, Figaro, intervenes to bring about their wedding thus thwarting her guardian. A synopsis is provided. (Image Entertainment.)

La Boheme by Puccini DVD with Luciano Pavarotti singing male lead. Four students live together in a Paris garret. The female lead dies at the end from tuberculosis. I rate this PG-12. This was the first role Pavarotti sang and is one of those for which he was best known. Though the story is set in France, it is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A brief synopsis is provided. (KULTUR.)

Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky DVD. This opera is performed at the Kirov and sung in Russian with English subtitles. You will notice that Russian audiences clap differently than Americans. Also note that the performers take their bows differently. A synopsis is provided. I rate this PG-12. Kirov Opera with Sergei Leyferkus, Yuri Marusin, and Tatiana Novikova. (KULTUR.)

Otello by Verdi DVD with Placido Domingo singing lead (Opera adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello) I rate it PG-13. Four main characters die! This was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and is an opera filmed as a movie rather than on a stage. It's wonderful! It is one of the roles for which Placido Domingo is best known. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A short synopsis is provided. (MGM.)

Tosca by Puccini DVD. This one is sung in Italian with English subtitles. It is filmed as a movie rather than on a stage. It also stars Placido Domingo. You will also see Raina Kabaivanska, Sherrill Milnes, Giancarlo Luccardi, Mario Ferrara, Alfredo Mariotti, Bruno Grella, Domenico Medici, and Placido Domingo, Jr. A synopsis is provided and you will find another in the opera book by Siberell. I rate this one PG-13. (Deutsche Grammophon.)

Der Fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman by Wagner DVD) This is sung in German with English sustitles. This opera was filmed outdoors in the huge courtyard of Finland's 500 year old Olavir Castle, a majestic and impressive setting. The Dutchman is condemned to roam the seas perpetually in search of a woman who will be faithful unto death. A good synopsis is provided in the opera book by Husain. This is an excellent example of what is known as grand opera. I rate this PG-13. (Deutsche Grammophon available through the Metropolitan Opera.)

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by Mozart is a continuation of the characters from the Barber of Seville. The Count now bored with his wife is attempting unsuccessfully to seduce Figaro's fiancee. There is a wonderful surprise at the end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. It stars Knut Skram, Ileana Cotrubas, Kiri Te Kanawa, Benjamin Luxon, Frederica von Stade, Marius Rintzler, and Nucci Condo. I rate this PG-13. (Euro Arts Musik.)

Cosi fan tutte (Women are like that) by Mozart in which Don Alfonso for his own amusement attempts to stir up trouble for two engaged couples. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. This Glyndebourne Festival Opera performance stars Helena Doese, Sylvia Lindenstrand, Daniele Perriers, Thomas Allen, Anson Austin, and Frantz Petri. I rate this PG-13. There is some debate as to whether Mozart intended for the original couples to re-unite in the end or for the newly formed couples to marry. It has been performed with both possible endings. (Art Haus Musik.)

Falstaff by Verdi DVD is based upon Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. Falstaff, sung by Ambrogio Maestri, attempts unsuccessfully to seduce married women. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (Euro Arts Music.)
La Traviata by Verdi DVD starring Angela Gheorghiu. This mistress dies of lung cancer in the end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (DECCA.) NOTE: The true story upon which this is based is the same one Ashton used when he choreographed the ballet Marguerite and Armand for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.

Rigoletto by Verdi from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by James Levine DVD. The Duke is a cad who seduces every woman in sight. Rigoletto is his jester and fond of making fun of those men who have been cuckolded. An innocent is murdered in the end. I've read that the role of the Duke is a favorite for tenors. In this case, we have Placido Domingo. You will also see and hear Cornell MacNeil, Ileana Cotrubas, Isola Jones, and Justino Diaz. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A good synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (Universal Classics.)

Madame Butterfly by Puccini (DVD starring Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, and Robert Kerns from Deutsche Grammophon.) A man marries two different women from two different continents. The first has his son and he wants to take the son with him for wife number two to raise. Wife number one commits suicide for the sake of her son! A picture book illustrated by Renata Fucikova tells this story.

Aida by Verdi DVD. This one is set in Egypt; sung in Italian with English subtitles. There is a short synopsis provided. It is GRANDE! The stars are Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Chiara, Ghena Dimitrova, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Juan Pons, and Paata Burchuladze. The costumes are wonderful though I should warn you that some boys have costumes you would expect to see in National Geographic. The staging is spectacular, especially the Sphinx which is rolled out onto the stage. I rate this one PG-13 and it is one of my favorites. (Image Entertainment.)

Die Fledermaus (The Bat) by Johann Strauss II from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. DVD has 2 discs, 159 minutes! This one strikes me as funny. The plot is a bit twisted, but a synopsis is provided. You will definitely need to read this before viewing. There is a bit of infidelity. CAUTION: Someone gets drunk at a party and we see a very brief flash of a backside so I rate this PG-13. NOT TO BE SHOWN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. It is sung primarily in German with a bit a French thrown in and there are English subtitles. (BBC Opus Arte.)

Faust by Gounod DVD. This opera is sung in French with English subtitles. You will find a synopsis in the opera book by Siberell. Dr. Faust makes a deal with the devil because he wants to be young again. This one is long, 190 minutes. Also, it was not filmed for distribution, but rather for the archives only. There are a few problems with film quality. Nevertheless, it features Alfredo Kraus in his signature role of Dr. Faust. I rate this one PG-13. (Hardy Classic Video.)

Carmen by Bizet DVD. This opera is set in Spain; sung in French with English subtitles. Carmen, sung by Maria Ewing, is a lusty gypsy with no lack of attention from the men. There is some excellent Flamenco dancing. You will find a short syopsis in the opera book by Siberell. I rate this one PG-13. (Image Entertainment.)

Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten DVD. It is in English, but I advise using English subtitles anyway. It's rather dark so wait until at least Jr. High. Peter Grimes, sung by Jon Vickers, is a fisherman. Two young boys working for him die accidentally, though no one believes Grimes. Royal Opera. (KULTUR.)

Don Giovanni by Mozart from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and starring Benjamin Luxon. DVD. He is a rake with no conscience at all. He seduces every woman he meets and kills the father of one when the father attempts to interfere. I rate this one PG-15. I really did not like this one until the very end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. There is a brief description provided. (Art Haus Musik.)

Don Carlo by Verdi is very, very long 2 yes e discs. The booklet gives the history of this opera, but no synopsis. It took me a while to figure it out. The female lead (Elisabeth) was in love with the Prince (Don Carlo) and he with her, but she was forced to marry his father, King Phillip II instead. Because of its length only I rate this one PG-16. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. I'm still searching for a good synopsis. (EMI Classics.)

Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky DVD is based upon historical fact. This one is sung in Russian and there are no subtitles provided. This is opera as purists think it should be. I'd rather have some subtitles. The costumes are incredible and the staging impressive. Fortunately, a detailed synopsis is provided, but for lack of subtitles I rate this one PG-16. If I find a different copy, I will post an update. This one is from the Bolshoi. (UNIVERSAL.)

LESSON 30 - MUSIC IN RELIGION
The Real Complete Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party CD
The Joy of Passover: A Family Seder. Only some of the tracks are songs. A narrator describes the Seder in detail.
Handel's Messiah DVD
Hallelujah Handel CD and Teachers' Guide (Classics for Kids)
Handel's Hallelujah (File with Lesson 22B Baroque Treasures Disc 9)
Mozart Requiem CD (Lesson 23B)Gregorian Chants CD CEDAR
Palestrina Pope Marcellus Mass (Missa Papae Marcelli) POLYDOR
The Great Gospel Women (generally Southern Black Gospel) Shanachie
Mahalia Jackson Sings America's Favorite Hymns (Black Gospel) COLUMBIA
White Dove (Gospel Bluegrass) also known as Stained Glass Bluegrass ROUNDER

LESSON 31 - REVIEW AND SUMMARY
LESSON 32 - CHILDREN MAKING MUSIC

III. PERFORMANCES
Do you live in or near either a college town or a major city? Consider taking your children to the symphony, a jazz performance, the ballet, or even an opera. Although DVD's are an excellent way to familiarize your children with the arts, a live performance is unforgettable.

ART EDUCATION

2008-03-15T07:21:00.001-07:00

When there are budget problems in the school systems, art programs are often cut.
Do you want your children to have wonderful experiences in the art classroom?
Do you want your children to have the confidence to draw well?
Do you want your children to know something about art history and the great masters?
Do you want your children to enjoy visiting an art gallery?
Do you want your children to be able to recognize the works of the great master?

I. PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT GREAT ART AND
GREAT ARTISTS (PRE-K THROUGH GRADE 4)
Bijou, Bonbon, and Beau by Joan Sweeney (A story about Degas)
The Boy Who Loved to Draw: Benjamin West by Barbara Brenner
Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt (A story about van Gogh)
Come Look with Me: Enjoying Art with Children by Gladys S. Blizzard
Dancing with Degas by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt (A story about a famous statue)
Famous Children: da Vinci byAnn Rachlin
Famous Children: Michelangelo by Tony Hart
The First Starry Night by Joan Shaddox Isom
Georgia's Bones by Jen Bryant (A story about Georgia O'Keeffe)
Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors
In the Garden with van Gogh by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew
Katie and Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew ( A story about van Gogh)
Katie's Sunday Afternoon by James Mayhew (A story about Seurat)
Klimt and his cat by Berenice Capatti
Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt
Magical Day with Matisse by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt
Matisse: The King of Color by Laurence Anholt
Picasso and the Girl with a ponytail by Laurence Anholt
Picnic with Monet by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Sharing with Renoir by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Sunday with Seurat by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Suzette and the Puppy: A Story about Mary Cassatt by Joan Sweeney
Tigers and Sails and ABC Tales by Malcolm Cormack
van Gogh and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt

II. ART FUN!
This book is by North Light Books; Kim Solga is the editor. It is a fantastic book of art projects as follows: painting with tempera paints, drawing, making prints, sculptures, and paint adventures. I highly recommend this book! Visit your favorite hobby and craft shops, as well as the big box stores to gather: fingerpaint, watercolors, facepaint, tempera or poster paint, colored construction paper, white computer paper, blunt scissors, glue, tape, colored pencils, markers, and other materials. Remember to check labels carefully for the word WASHABLE.

III. DRAWING WITH CHILDREN BY MONA BROOKS
Why do we assume that all children can learn to print and write cursive, yet we believe only the chosen few can draw? This book will convince you otherwise. Pay particular attention to the captions. Most of the pictures are drawn by children and their ages are given in the captions. The drawing of the sailing vessel is incredible. Be sure to note the age of the child who drew it.
This book will allow you to teach your child to draw birds, horses, tigers, frogs, people, ships, and more. The technique are easy and effective.

The following books are suggested as references to be used with this book:
Pages 75-79 Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni
Pages 99- 106 Zoobooks: Parrots and Amazing Birds of the Rain Forest
Pages 106-112 A Field Full of Horses
Pages 230-233 Who is the Beast by Keith Baker, The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, Zoobooks: Tigers, Tiger Tales and Big Cat Stories, and Tiger by Judy Allen which is out of print.
Pages 240-243 Mama, Do you love me? and Ka-ha-si and the Loon, an Eskimo (Inuit) Legend which is also out of print
Another multicultural lesson could be based upon: Ashanti to Zulu, African Traditions
Pages 246-248 The Umbrella by Jan Brett (A story about the rain forest, look for the tree frogs); First Thousand Words in French; and A Walk in the Rain Forest which is also out of print. Pages 248-252 How I Became a Pirate; Boats and Ships of Rhode Island (page 13); and Ships and How to Draw Them which is out of print.

IV. HOW TO TEACH ART TO CHILDREN
BY JOY EVANS AND JO ELLEN MOORE
A. Part One: Learning About the [7] Elements of Art (Line, Shape, Color, Value, Texture, Form, and Space) . Recommended References are listed below:
For Color: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
For Value: Black and White by David Macaulay
For Texture: Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse by Leo Lionni

B. Part Two: Using the Elements of Art (This section focuses on 24 famous artists or cultures.) References for each chapter are listed below.

1. Twittering Machines: Paul Klee - Getting to Know Paul Klee by Mike Venezia

2. Prints: Piet Mondrian - Mondrian by Susanne Deicher

3. Sunflowers: Vincent van Gogh - Getting to Know van Gogh by Mike Venezia, van Gogh by Dieter Beaujean; Famous Artists: van Gogh by Andrew Hughes; Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story about Vincent van Gogh by Laurence Anholt; Vincent van Gogh Sunflowers and Swirly Stars by Brad Bucks and Joan Holub; and The First Starry Night by Joan Shaddox Isom

4. Clay Cartouches: Ancient Egyptians - Fun with Hieroglyphs by Catharine Roehrig

5. Adinkra Cloth: Ashanti Peoples - Ashanti to Zulu African Art; African Designs from Traditional Sources by Geoffrey Williams; and African Designs Coloring Book by Gregory Mirow

6. Pop-up Collage Cards: Henri Matisse - A Bird or Two: A Story about Henri Matisse by Bijou Le Tord and Famous Artists: Matisse by Antony Mason

7. Drawing an Invention: Leonardo da Vinci - Getting to Know da Vinci by Mike Venezia; Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley; and Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt

8. Circus Mobiles: Alexander Calder - Calder by Jacob Baal-Teshuva

9. Ballerina Paintings: Degas - Paintings that Dance by Kristin N. Cole; Degas and the Dance by Susan Rubin; Degas by Linda Bolton; and Getting to Know Degas by Mike Venezia

10. Accordion Books: Chinese bookmakers - Behold ... the Dragon! by Gail Gibbons

11. Story Quilts: Faith Ringgold - Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

12. Still Lifes: Paul Cezanne - Getting to Know Cezanne by Mike Venezia and Famous Artists: Cezanne by Antony Mason; and Cezanne by Richard Kendall

13. Pattern Portraits: Henri Matisse - A Bird or Two: A Story about Henri Matisse by Bijou Le Tord and Famous Artists: Matisse by Antony Mason

14. Musician Collages: Pablo Picasso - Getting to Know Picasso by Mike Venezia; Famous Artists: Picasso by Antony Mason; Pablo Picasso: Breaking all the Rules by True Kelly; and Picasso by Ingo F. Walther

15. Black-and-White Pottery - The Lost World of the Anasazi by Peter Lourie

16. Tessellations: M.C. Escher - M.C. Escher, Visions of Symmetry by Doris Schattschneider

17. Pop Art Sculptures: Claes Oldenburg - Bottle of Notes Claes Oldenburg by Richard Cork

18. Bark Paintings: Australian Aborigines - Aboriginal Art of Australia by Carol Finley

19. Mosaics: Roman Tile Workers - The Complete Mosaic Handbook by Sarah Kelly

20. Flowers: Georgia O'Keeffe - Georgia O'Keeffe by Nancy Frazier and Getting to Know O'Keeffee by Mike Venezia

21. Pop Art Food Posters: Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein - Getting to Know Warhol by Mike Venezia and Getting to Know Lichtenstein

22. Self-portraits: Vincent van Gogh - van Gogh by Dieter Beaujean (see others listed above)

23. Rock Art: Prehistoric Peoples - Stories in Stone Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans by Caroline Arnold

24. Gargoyles: Medieval Architects and Builders - Holy Terrors Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings by Janetta Rebold Benton

V. DISCOVERING ART
This program was developed by the Calvert School in Maryland. It is intended to be used in the lower elementary grades, but can be repeated every few years. There are 32 lessons. It is a one year course, but certainly homeschoolers are not limited by school schedules. Students will learn about the 7 elements of art. They will not only create a variety of art projects, but learn something about art history. The Logos School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania uses this curriculum and Veritas Press which is associated with the Logos School sells the materials.

In addition to references already listed above the following would be useful with this curriculum:

Degas and the Dance: The Man Behind the Easel DVD from Devine Entertainment
Goya: Awakened in a Dream DVD from Devine Entertainment
Mary Cassatt: A Brush with Independence DVD from Devine Entertainment
Monet: Shadows and Light DVD from Devine Entertainment
Rembrandt: Fathers and Sons DVD from Devine Entertainment
Winslow Homer: An American Original DVD from Devine Entertainment
These DVD from Devine are intended specifically to introduce children to the great masters. There is one teachers' guide for the artists' specials.

Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel V.I.E.W. VIDEO. This is perfect for those who can't actually visit the Sistine Chapel.

Museum Guide: American Art by Ruthie Knupp and Janice Lehmberg
Museum Guide: Egyptian Art by Ruthie Knupp and Janice Lehmberg
Museum Guide: Greek and Roman Art by Ruthie Knupp and Janice Lehmberg

Getting to Know: Botticelli by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Pieter Bruegel by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Mary Cassatt by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Salvador Dali by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: El Greco by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Giotto by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Winslow Homer by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Frida Kahlo by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Michelangelo by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Monet by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Grandma Moses by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Raphael by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Rembrandt by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Frederic Remington by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Pierre Auguste Renoir by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Henri Rousseau by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Georges Seurat by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Diego Velazquez by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Johannes Vermeer by Mike Venezia

Famous Artists: Michelangelo by Jen Green (BARRON'S)
Famous Artists: Monet by Antony Mason (BARRON'S)

History and Technique of Great Masters: Bruegel by Penelope Le Fanu Hughes
History and Technique of Great Masters: Gaugin by Linda Bolton
History and Technique of Great Masters: Goya by Michael Howard
History and Technique of Great Masters: Manet by Linda Bolton
History and Technique of Great Masters: Rembrandt by Andrew Morrall
History and Technique of Great Masters: Renoir by Guy Jennings
History and Technique of Great Masters: Toulouse-Lautrec by Christopher Ackroyd
History and Technique of Great Masters: Turner by William Hardy
History and Technique of Great Masters: Whistler by Michael Howard

Activity Pack: Cezanne by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Degas by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Matisse by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Monet by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Picasso by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Renoir by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: van Gogh by Mila Boutan

Smart About - Mary Cassatt: Family Pictures by Jane O'Connor
Smart About - Frida Kahlo: The Artist who Painted Herself by Margaret Frith
Smart About - Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies by Steven Packard
Smart About - Pierre Auguste Renoir: Paintings that Smile by True Kelley

Ansel Adams by Barry Pritzker
Mary Cassatt by Sophia Craze
Georgia O'Keeffe by Nancy Frazier
Grandma Moses, An American Original by William C. Ketchum, Jr.
The Story of Sculpture from Prehistory to the Present by Francesca Romei
Leonardo by Frank Zollner
Michelangelo by Gilles Neret
Monet by Birgit Zeidler
Renoir by Peter H. Feist
Cezanne by himself, editor Richard Kendall
Gaugin by himself, editor Belinda Thomson
Manet by himself, editor Juliet Wilson Bareau
Monet by himself, editor Richard Kendall
Vincent by himself, editor Bruce Bernard
Vermeer by Norbert Schneider
Gustav Klimt by Gilles Neret
Rousseau by Cornelia Stabenow
Rodin by Gilles Neret

The Annotated Mona Lisa by Carol Strickland
The Art Book for Children (PHAIDON PUB)
Art Fraud Detective by Anna Nilsen
The Art Gallery Faces by Philip Wilkinson
Art Auction Mystery by Anna Nilsen
Artist of the Reformation, The Story of Albrecht Durer by Joyce McPherson
Artists and their Art by Michael Medearis
A Boy Named Giotto by Paolo Guarnieri
Dan's Angel by Alexander Sturgic
DK Eyewitness Books: Goya by Patricia Wright
DK Eyewitness Books: Renaissance with Medieval History
The Great Art Scandal by Anna Nilson
Discovering Great Artists by MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga
The History of Art from Ancient to Modern Times by Claudio Merlo
History of Art for Young People by H.W. Jansen and Anthony F. Jansen
Jackson Pollack by Leonie Bennett
Leonardo da Vinci for KIDS by Janis Herbert
Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz
Lives of the Artists by Kathleen Krull
Monet and the Impressionists for KIDS by Carol Sabbeth
Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork
Charlotte in Giverny by Joan MacPhail Knight
Peanuts: A Golden Celebration by Charles Schulz
Renaissance: The Invention of Perspective by Lillio Canto
USBORNE: The Children's Book of Art by Rosie Dickens

VI. FURTHER DRAWING LESSONS
I Can Draw Cars and Trucks by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Creepy Crawlies by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Dinosaurs by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Flying Machines by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw On the Farm by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw People by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Sharks, Whales, and Dolphins by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Wild Animals by Terry Longhurst

How to Draw ANYTHING - The Complete Guide by Angela Gair
How to Draw Birds by John Green
How to Draw Forest Animals by Barbara Soloff Levy
How to Draw People (Usborne) by Alastair Smith
How to Draw 1 by Walter Foster
How to Draw 2 by Walter Foster
Animals by Walter Foster
Landscapes with Gene Franks
Still Lifes with Gene Franks
Cartooning for Kids by Mike Artell

VII. ART GALLERIES AND ART MUSEUMS
Do you live near one of the following?
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C.
Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D. C.
Museum of Modern Art in New York City
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
Philadelphia Musem of Art
Seattle Art Museum
Denver Art Museum

If not, you probably do live near some other art gallery or art museum. When my niece was just 5 years old, she already knew who Jackson Pollack and Alexander Calder were and she could recognize their work. Her kindergarten class had a field trip to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C. Consider such a trip. Also, though most of us can not afford original art, be sure to visit the gift shop. Many art galleries and museums, including the National Gallery of Art, sell poster and postcards of the great works.

RECENT READING

2008-01-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

I should explain first that my niece and nephew are, respectively, six and five years old. I have already given them hundreds of books and have many more books already purchased for them. However, I read each book to be certain it is appropriate. Conclusion: I read a lot more children's literature than most adults who are not parents.

Cornelia Funke:
In Dragon Rider, the dragons in a valley somewhere in the British Isles have been warned that the humans are coming into their valley to build. One silver dragon, Firedrake, and a brownie named Sorrel set out to find the legendary "Rim of Heaven" where dragons can live in peace. They are assisted in their quest by a rat who draws maps of the world. Along the way, Firedrake and Sorrel meet a human named Ben, a homunculus named Twigleg, four dwarfs, a very unusual archaeologist, and some monks. They also encounter, Nettlebrand, a giant golden dragon who wants to destroy all other dragons. But is Nettlebrand really a dragon? This book would be particularly good for grades 4 - 8.

Christopher Paolini:
In the first book, Eragon, young Eragon finds a mysterious blue stone in the forested mountains above his home in Aagaesia. Along with his blue dragon, Saphira, Eragon is stumbling about because things are happening to him which he does not understand. His inner goodness and common sense enable him to muddle through and he has some help from a couple of humans and some dwarfs. In the second book, Eldest, the dwarfs, elves, humans, Eragon, and Saphira have joined forces against evil. Eragon and Saphira have begun training to understand and improve their skills. A new, red dragon makes an appearance. I've been told that in the third book a golden dragon will appear. It has just been announced that the third book, Brisingr, will be available on September 20, 2008. Originally planned as a trilogy, Paolini has recently decided that there will be four books in his Inheritance Cycle.

John Beachem:
Storms of Vengeance is John's first novel and I've been told that it is part of a series of 8 to 10 books. There is a murder mystery to be solved. Who did it and why? There is a mythical Lorradda Stone to locate. There are three parallel stories as we follow the actions of three different groups of people. There are also some ogres, two elves, several sorcerers, a troll, and one very impressive river monster. One reason that young people gave for liking Harry Potter was the detail in the stories. They will find plenty of detail here as well.

David Eddings:
There are three stories in Volume I of The Belgariad: Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, and Magician's Gambit. Volume II of The Belgariad has two stories: Castle of Wizardry and Enchanters' End Gambit. If you are looking for grand adventure and plenty of detail it is here. Some may object to the slow progression and limited action of this tale. A sorcerer and his daughter, a sorceress, have gathered together a group of individuals to fight evil. It seems that the particular make-up for this group is necessary based upon an ancient prophecy. The group includes: the Nimble Thief, the Man with Two Lives, the Blind Man, the Dreadful Bear, the Knight Protector, the Horse Lord, the Bowman, the Queen of the World, and the Mother of the Race that Died. A young boy named Garion, who was raised by his Aunt Pol, is caught up in all of this, though he doesn't know why. But then, is she really his Aunt? There is so much detail that I have not as yet confirmed there are no mistakes in the mapping of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed The Belgariad and look forward to reading the sequel, The Mallorean.

Ken Follett:
The Pillars of the Earth was written many years ago, but is currently on the bestseller lists for two reasons. First, the sequel set 200 years later has recently been released and Oprah has placed Pillars on her book list. The Pillars of the Earth is a historical fiction set in the Middle Ages. It gives a very realistic portrayal of life at that time. It also describes the conflict between Church and Crown as well as the struggle over the succession to the English throne. The detailed descriptions of Cathedral building would make David Macaulay proud. I strongly encourage any high school or college student studying World History/Western Civilizations to read this book. It is an extremely impressive work. Having said that, I did not like this book. I don't want to go into detail about my reasons because I don't want to ruin the ending. I will say only that I truly disliked William. He is a vile, despicable character. I will also add that, I suspect a higher percentage of men than women will like this book, though all should be impressed.

BOOKS I RECALL READING AS A CHILD

2008-01-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

My childhood is now at some distance. Obviously, any specific book I recall reading as a child made a big impression. So, I welcome you to my memories.

1. I enjoyed biography and Grosset and Dunlap had a series they called "Signature Biographies." I read biographies about the following people and most were from that series.

Abraham Lincoln
Amelia Earhart
Andrew Jackson
Annie Oakley
Beethoven
Benjamin Franklin
Buffalo Bill
Christopher Columbus
Clara Barton
Crazy Horse
Daniel Boone
Davy Crockett
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Eleanor Roosevelt
Florence Nightingale
Francis Marion ("Swamp Fox")
Franklin D. Roosevelt
General George Armstrong Custer
George Washington
Geronimo
Good Queen Bess (Elizabeth I)
Helen Keller
Jim Thorpe (*not signature series)
Joan of Arc
John J. Audubon
John Paul Jones
Lafayette
Leif Ericson
Louis Pasteur
Louisa May Alcott
Madame Curie
Marco Polo
Mark Twain
Mozart
Napoleon Bonaparte (*not signature series)
Pocahontas
Robert E. Lee
Stephen Foster
Theodore Roosevelt
Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Jefferson
Ulysses S. Grant
Winston Churchill

Though this series is now out of print, the individuals in this list are all quite famous and other biographies are available. If there are any names on the list you do not recognize, perhaps you would enjoy learning about them. Happy reading.

2. Grosset and Dunlap also published a series of historical fictions (We Were There ....). I don't remember nearly as many of these, though I know I read many. The ones I do remember were about:

Traveling on the Oregon Trail
The Driving of the Golden Spike (After the Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad)
The Launch of the Nautilus (The 1st Nuclear Submarine)
The Battle of the Bulge (War not Dieting!)

3. I read all of the Nancy Drew, Trixie Beldon, and Cherry Ames books which were available at that time. More Nancy Drew books have since been written. Trixie Beldon books are being republished. Cherry Ames books are unfortunately out of print. The American Nursing Association would do well to try to have those republished.

4. Fantasy/Science Fiction - I know that I read lots of science fiction, especially those by Heinlein and Asimov, but these are the only specific titles I recall reading as a child.
Gammage Cup by C. Kendall (Fantasy)
Podkayne on Mars by Robert Heinlein
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

5. Books I read as a teen:

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (This book is told from the perspective of the horse. It will definitely make you cry. By the way, the movie follows the book closely.)

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (This is on many "banned books" lists.)

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

Hiroshima by John Hersey (Warning: This is very descriptive of the horrors the victims of the bombing endured.)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (This is an extremely funny book, unless you have been in the military and know first-hand some of the senseless things that happen. As I think back on it, this book is in many ways like the TV show M.A.S.H. Hawkeye needed an incubator to run bacterial cultures, so the Army offered a pizza oven. In the middle of winter, they needed boots so the Army sent hundreds of ladies' high heels.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles (Warning: Very Sad)

The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain (The Chalice is the cup which Jesus drank from at the Last Supper.)

The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas (This refers to the robe Jesus was wearing on the way to his Crucifixion.)

Essays by Francis Bacon - I was particularly fond of his essay "Of Books".

New Atlantis by Francis Bacon - He described a utopia and many inventions and devices which didn't exist in his time, but which we now take for granted.

ART EDUCATION

2007-11-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

When there are budget problems in the school systems, art programs are often cut.
Do you want your children to have wonderful experiences in the art classroom?
Do you want your children to have the confidence to draw well?
Do you want your children to know something about art history and the great masters?
Do you want your children to enjoy visiting an art gallery?
Do you want your children to be able to recognize the works of the great master?

I. PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT GREAT ART AND
GREAT ARTISTS (PRE-K THROUGH GRADE 4)
Bijou, Bonbon, and Beau by Joan Sweeney (A story about Degas)
The Boy Who Loved to Draw: Benjamin West by Barbara Brenner
Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt (A story about van Gogh)
Come Look with Me: Enjoying Art with Children by Gladys S. Blizzard
Dancing with Degas by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt (A story about a famous statue)
Famous Children: da Vinci byAnn Rachlin
Famous Children: Michelangelo by Tony Hart
The First Starry Night by Joan Shaddox Isom
Georgia's Bones by Jen Bryant (A story about Georgia O'Keeffe)
Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors
In the Garden with van Gogh by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew
Katie and Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew ( A story about van Gogh)
Katie's Sunday Afternoon by James Mayhew (A story about Seurat)
Klimt and his cat by Berenice Capatti
Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt
Magical Day with Matisse by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt
Matisse: The King of Color by Laurence Anholt
Picasso and the Girl with a ponytail by Laurence Anholt
Picnic with Monet by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Sharing with Renoir by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Sunday with Seurat by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Suzette and the Puppy: A Story about Mary Cassatt by Joan Sweeney
Tigers and Sails and ABC Tales by Malcolm Cormack
van Gogh and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt

II. ART FUN!
This book is by North Light Books; Kim Solga is the editor. It is a fantastic book of art projects as follows: painting with tempera paints, drawing, making prints, sculptures, and paint adventures. I highly recommend this book! Visit your favorite hobby and craft shops, as well as the big box stores to gather: fingerpaint, watercolors, facepaint, tempera or poster paint, colored construction paper, white computer paper, blunt scissors, glue, tape, colored pencils, markers, and other materials. Remember to check labels carefully for the word WASHABLE.

III. DRAWING WITH CHILDREN BY MONA BROOKS
Why do we assume that all children can learn to print and write cursive, yet we believe only the chosen few can draw? This book will convince you otherwise. Pay particular attention to the captions. Most of the pictures are drawn by children and their ages are given in the captions. The drawing of the sailing vessel is incredible. Be sure to note the age of the child who drew it.
This book will allow you to teach your child to draw birds, horses, tigers, frogs, people, ships, and more. The technique are easy and effective.

The following books are suggested as references to be used with this book:
Pages 75-79 Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni
Pages 99- 106 Zoobooks: Parrots and Amazing Birds of the Rain Forest
Pages 106-112 A Field Full of Horses
Pages 230-233 Who is the Beast by Keith Baker, The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, Zoobooks: Tigers, Tiger Tales and Big Cat Stories, and Tiger by Judy Allen which is out of print.
Pages 240-243 Mama, Do you love me? and Ka-ha-si and the Loon, an Eskimo (Inuit) Legend which is also out of print
Another multicultural lesson could be based upon: Ashanti to Zulu, African Traditions
Pages 246-248 The Umbrella by Jan Brett (A story about the rain forest, look for the tree frogs); First Thousand Words in French; and A Walk in the Rain Forest which is also out of print.
Pages 248-252 How I Became a Pirate; Boats and Ships of Rhode Island (page 13); and Ships and How to Draw Them which is out of print.

IV. HOW TO TEACH ART TO CHILDREN
BY JOY EVANS AND JO ELLEN MOORE
A. Part One: Learning About the [7] Elements of Art (Line, Shape, Color, Value, Texture, Form, and Space) . Recommended References are listed below:
For Color: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
For Value: Black and White by David Macaulay
For Texture: Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse by Leo Lionni

B. Part Two: Using the Elements of Art (This section focuses on 24 famous artists or cultures.) References for each chapter are listed below.

1. Twittering Machines: Paul Klee - Getting to Know Paul Klee by Mike Venezia

2. Prints: Piet Mondrian - Mondrian by Susanne Deicher

3. Sunflowers: Vincent van Gogh - Getting to Know van Gogh by Mike Venezia, van Gogh by Dieter Beaujean; Famous Artists: van Gogh by Andrew Hughes; Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story about Vincent van Gogh by Laurence Anholt; Vincent van Gogh Sunflowers and Swirly Stars by Brad Bucks and Joan Holub; and The First Starry Night by Joan Shaddox Isom

4. Clay Cartouches: Ancient Egyptians - Fun with Hieroglyphs by Catharine Roehrig

5. Adinkra Cloth: Ashanti Peoples - Ashanti to Zulu African Art; African Designs from Traditional Sources by Geoffrey Williams; and African Designs Coloring Book by Gregory Mirow

6. Pop-up Collage Cards: Henri Matisse - A Bird or Two: A Story about Henri Matisse by Bijou Le Tord and Famous Artists: Matisse by Antony Mason

7. Drawing an Invention: Leonardo da Vinci - Getting to Know da Vinci by Mike Venezia; Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley; and Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt

8. Circus Mobiles: Alexander Calder - Calder by Jacob Baal-Teshuva

9. Ballerina Paintings: Degas - Paintings that Dance by Kristin N. Cole; Degas and the Dance by Susan Rubin; Degas by Linda Bolton; and Getting to Know Degas by Mike Venezia

10. Accordion Books: Chinese bookmakers - Behold ... the Dragon! by Gail Gibbons

11. Story Quilts: Faith Ringgold - Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

12. Still Lifes: Paul Cezanne - Getting to Know Cezanne by Mike Venezia and Famous Artists: Cezanne by Antony Mason; and Cezanne by Richard Kendall

13. Pattern Portraits: Henri Matisse - A Bird or Two: A Story about Henri Matisse by Bijou Le Tord and Famous Artists: Matisse by Antony Mason

14. Musician Collages: Pablo Picasso - Getting to Know Picasso by Mike Venezia; Famous Artists: Picasso by Antony Mason; Pablo Picasso: Breaking all the Rules by True Kelly; and Picasso by Ingo F. Walther

15. Black-and-White Pottery - The Lost World of the Anasazi by Peter Lourie

16. Tessellations: M.C. Escher - M.C. Escher, Visions of Symmetry by Doris Schattschneider

17. Pop Art Sculptures: Claes Oldenburg - Bottle of Notes Claes Oldenburg by Richard Cork

18. Bark Paintings: Australian Aborigines - Aboriginal Art of Australia by Carol Finley

19. Mosaics: Roman Tile Workers - The Complete Mosaic Handbook by Sarah Kelly

20. Flowers: Georgia O'Keeffe - Georgia O'Keeffe by Nancy Frazier and Getting to Know O'Keeffee by Mike Venezia

21. Pop Art Food Posters: Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein - Getting to Know Warhol by Mike Venezia and Getting to Know Lichtenstein

22. Self-portraits: Vincent van Gogh - van Gogh by Dieter Beaujean (see others listed above)

23. Rock Art: Prehistoric Peoples - Stories in Stone Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans by Caroline Arnold

24. Gargoyles: Medieval Architects and Builders - Holy Terrors Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings by Janetta Rebold Benton

V. DISCOVERING ART
This program was developed by the Calvert School in Maryland. It is intended to be used in the lower elementary grades, but can be repeated every few years. There are 32 lessons. It is a one year course, but certainly homeschoolers are not limited by school schedules. Students will learn about the 7 elements of art. They will not only create a variety of art projects, but learn something about art history. The Logos School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania uses this curriculum and Veritas Press which is associated with the Logos School sells the materials.

In addition to references already listed above the following would be useful with this curriculum:

Degas and the Dance: The Man Behind the Easel DVD from Devine Entertainment
Goya: Awakened in a Dream DVD from Devine Entertainment
Mary Cassatt: A Brush with Independence DVD from Devine Entertainment
Monet: Shadows and Light DVD from Devine Entertainment
Rembrandt: Fathers and Sons DVD from Devine Entertainment
Winslow Homer: An American Original DVD from Devine Entertainment
These DVD from Devine are intended specifically to introduce children to the great masters. There is one teachers' guide for the artists' specials.

Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel V.I.E.W. VIDEO. This is perfect for those who can't actually visit the Sistine Chapel.

Museum Guide: American Art by Ruthie Knupp and Janice Lehmberg
Museum Guide: Egyptian Art by Ruthie Knupp and Janice Lehmberg
Museum Guide: Greek and Roman Art by Ruthie Knupp and Janice Lehmberg

Getting to Know: Botticelli by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Pieter Bruegel by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Mary Cassatt by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Salvador Dali by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: El Greco by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Giotto by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Winslow Homer by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Frida Kahlo by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Michelangelo by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Monet by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Grandma Moses by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Raphael by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Rembrandt by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Frederic Remington by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Pierre Auguste Renoir by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Henri Rousseau by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Georges Seurat by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Diego Velazquez by Mike Venezia
Getting to Know: Johannes Vermeer by Mike Venezia

Famous Artists: Michelangelo by Jen Green (BARRON'S)
Famous Artists: Monet by Antony Mason (BARRON'S)

History and Technique of Great Masters: Bruegel by Penelope Le Fanu Hughes
History and Technique of Great Masters: Gaugin by Linda Bolton
History and Technique of Great Masters: Goya by Michael Howard
History and Technique of Great Masters: Manet by Linda Bolton
History and Technique of Great Masters: Rembrandt by Andrew Morrall
History and Technique of Great Masters: Renoir by Guy Jennings
History and Technique of Great Masters: Toulouse-Lautrec by Christopher Ackroyd
History and Technique of Great Masters: Turner by William Hardy
History and Technique of Great Masters: Whistler by Michael Howard

Activity Pack: Cezanne by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Degas by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Matisse by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Monet by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Picasso by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: Renoir by Mila Boutan
Activity Pack: van Gogh by Mila Boutan

Smart About - Mary Cassatt: Family Pictures by Jane O'Connor
Smart About - Frida Kahlo: The Artist who Painted Herself by Margaret Frith
Smart About - Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies by Steven Packard
Smart About - Pierre Auguste Renoir: Paintings that Smile by True Kelley

Ansel Adams by Barry Pritzker
Mary Cassatt by Sophia Craze
Georgia O'Keeffe by Nancy Frazier
Grandma Moses, An American Original by William C. Ketchum, Jr.
The Story of Sculpture from Prehistory to the Present by Francesca Romei
Leonardo by Frank Zollner
Michelangelo by Gilles Neret
Monet by Birgit Zeidler
Renoir by Peter H. Feist
Cezanne by himself, editor Richard Kendall
Gaugin by himself, editor Belinda Thomson
Manet by himself, editor Juliet Wilson Bareau
Monet by himself, editor Richard Kendall
Vincent by himself, editor Bruce Bernard
Vermeer by Norbert Schneider
Gustav Klimt by Gilles Neret
Rousseau by Cornelia Stabenow
Rodin by Gilles Neret

The Annotated Mona Lisa by Carol Strickland
The Art Book for Children (PHAIDON PUB)
Art Fraud Detective by Anna Nilsen
The Art Gallery Faces by Philip Wilkinson
Art Auction Mystery by Anna Nilsen
Artist of the Reformation, The Story of Albrecht Durer by Joyce McPherson
Artists and their Art by Michael Medearis
A Boy Named Giotto by Paolo Guarnieri
Dan's Angel by Alexander Sturgic
DK Eyewitness Books: Goya by Patricia Wright
DK Eyewitness Books: Renaissance with Medieval History
The Great Art Scandal by Anna Nilson
Discovering Great Artists by MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga
The History of Art from Ancient to Modern Times by Claudio Merlo
History of Art for Young People by H.W. Jansen and Anthony F. Jansen
Jackson Pollack by Leonie Bennett
Leonardo da Vinci for KIDS by Janis Herbert
Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz
Lives of the Artists by Kathleen Krull
Monet and the Impressionists for KIDS by Carol Sabbeth
Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork
Charlotte in Giverny by Joan MacPhail Knight
Peanuts: A Golden Celebration by Charles Schulz
Renaissance: The Invention of Perspective by Lillio Canto
USBORNE: The Children's Book of Art by Rosie Dickens

VI. FURTHER DRAWING LESSONS
I Can Draw Cars and Trucks by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Creepy Crawlies by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Dinosaurs by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Flying Machines by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw On the Farm by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw People by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Sharks, Whales, and Dolphins by Terry Longhurst
I Can Draw Wild Animals by Terry Longhurst

How to Draw ANYTHING - The Complete Guide by Angela Gair
How to Draw Birds by John Green
How to Draw Forest Animals by Barbara Soloff Levy
How to Draw People (Usborne) by Alastair Smith
How to Draw 1 by Walter Foster
How to Draw 2 by Walter Foster
Animals by Walter Foster
Landscapes with Gene Franks
Still Lifes with Gene Franks
Cartooning for Kids by Mike Artell

VII. ART GALLERIES AND ART MUSEUMS
Do you live near one of the following?
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C.
Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D. C.
Museum of Modern Art in New York City
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
Philadelphia Musem of Art
Seattle Art Museum
Denver Art Museum

If not, you probably do live near some other art gallery or art museum. When my niece was just 5 years old, she already knew who Jackson Pollack and Alexander Calder were and she could recognize their work. Her kindergarten class had a field trip to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C. Consider such a trip. Also, though most of us can not afford original art, be sure to visit the gift shop. Many art galleries and museums, including the National Gallery of Art, sell poster and postcards of the great works.

MUSIC EDUCATION

2007-11-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

EAs schools face budget problems, music classes are often cut from the curriculum.
Do you hope your child will one day play a musical instrument?
Do you want your child to be able to read music?
Do you want your child to appreciate different types of music?
Do you want your child to know something about music history?
Do you want your child to recognize the sound of each different instrument?
Do you want your child to recognize such names as: Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Barry Tuckwell, Heinz Holliger, James Galway, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Luciano Pavarotti, and Placido Domingo?

I. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
A. Very young children love to play marching band. Consider giving them a variety of percussion instruments: triangle, tambourine, hand castanet, tone block with stick, two maracas, and two very small cymbals.
B. A plastic B flat recorder is a very inexpensive instrument. Recorder Method for Young Beginners Book 1 and Book 2 by Andrew Scott and Gary Turner are very useful for young children.
C. Consider a harmonica. They are small and relatively inexpensive.
D. Before purchasing a more expensive instrument for your child, consider renting. Your child may change his/her mind about those lessons.
E. I wanted a piano, but they are very difficult to move. An uncle who is a professional musician and an aunt who is a retired music teacher both recommended an electric piano. I'm thrilled with it! I was able to bring it home from the store and set it up by myself! It has a built in metronome and in addition to piano, I can make it sound like an organ or harpsichord.

II. MUSIC CURRICULUM
The Calvert School in Maryland has created a 32 lesson music curriculum on video/DVD. They suggest it be used in K-3. They were limited to 32 lessons because of the length of the school year. Homeschoolers are not limited in this way. The Logos School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania uses the Melody Lane curriculum in first grade. Veritas Press which is associated with the Logos School sells Melody Lane as part of a package known as Discoveries in Music. The information below is a supplement to the 32 videos of the Melody Lane curriculum. By using different supplemental materials each time, the Melody Lane curriculum could be used several times throughout more grades.

The following books are to be used throughout the 32 lessons:
Lives of the Musicians by Kathleen Krull (short bios of some of the musicians)
Usborne: Understanding Music by Judy Tatchell (great for music history)
I wonder why flutes have holes by Josephine Paker (very high interest)
DK Eyewitness Books: Music
Kingfisher Young People's Book of Music, editor Clive Wilson

LESSON 1 - THE STRING FAMILY (which should not include piano)
The mayor of Melody Lane introduces us to the violin, viola, and cello.
We hear each separately and then together.

Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video) The translation of this title is: Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, and Percussion. My aunt used this video when she was teaching music.
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone; ISBN 9780375824302/CD) Each character in the story is represented by a different instrument. Peter is represented by the violins.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes - In this orchestra, each instrument is played by a different kind of animal. The illustrations are wonderful.
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD) There are short bits of music for each different type of instrument. Can you recognize each instrument you hear by its sound? In general, the larger the instrument, the lower the sound. The smaller the instrument, the higher the sound. For strings read pages 42-49 and listen to tracks 13-18.
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

DVD Appalachian Journey - Concert by Mark O'Connor, bluegrass fiddler, Edgar Meyer on bass, and classically trained Yo-Yo Ma on cello (SONY)

Bach Violin Concertos (In order to organize your CD's, file this one with Lesson 22B. Similar suggestions will be given below.)
Pachbel's Canon (Lesson 22B)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Pathetique (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Brahms Violin Concerto in D Op. 77, with soloist Itzhak Perlman (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Julian Bream Adagios (Classical guitar; file this CD under Miscellaneous; RCA)
Rough Guide to Bluegrass (Banjo, mandolin, and dobro are also string instruments, but typically are only heard in bluegrass music. Lesson 14)
Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall (This group includes 3 guitars, fiddle, double bass; Track 10 banjo and a plucked double bass; Track 20 fiddle and banjo. Lesson 14. KOCH.)

LESSON 2 - THE PERCUSSION FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The hunters are represented by the percussion.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD) pages 70-83 and tracks 30-34
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Dvorak Symphony No. 9 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Orff Carmina Burana (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Ravel Bolero (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Shostakovich Jazz Suites 1 and 2; The Bolt Ballet Suite; Tahiti Trot (Tea for Two) (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Copland Appalachian Spring (Lesson 25B) listen for the xylophone
John Philip Sousa - Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, The Thunderer, The Liberty Bell (Really Modern 25C)
Leroy Anderson - The Syncopated Clock, Sleigh Ride, Waltzing Cats, The Typewriter, Irish Washer Woman (File this CD under Miscellaneous)

LESSON 3 - THE BRASS FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The wolf is represented by the French horn.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Mozart Horn Concertos 1 - 4 by Barry Tuckwell on French horn
Vaughan Williams' Concerto in F for Bass Tuba (Modern Era Lesson 25A)
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mahler Symphony No. 5 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B) listen for French horn
Strauss, Richard - Till Eulenspeigel's Merry Pranks; listen for French horn

The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart with a cameo by Louis Armstrong.
Glenn Miller CD (Lesson 25D)
Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra CD (Lesson 25D)
Dizzy Gillespie Jazz Casual DVD and CD (Lesson 25D)
Miles Davis Kind of Blue (Lesson 25D; muted trumpet)
John Philip Sousa - Corcoran Cadets, The Gladiator, Washington Post, On Parade, Stars and Stripes Forever (Lesson 25D. LONDON.)
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man (Lesson 25D)

LESSON 4 - THE WOODWIND FAMILY
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Disney Educational Video)
Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD) The bird is represented by a flute; the duck is an oboe; and the cat is a clarinet.
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Vivaldi Oboe Concerto
Bach Oboe Concerto by Heinz Holliger
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Mozart Concertos for Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon
James Galway on flute (File this CD under Miscellaneous)
Pete Fountain's New Orleans CD (Jazz clarinet; Lesson 25D)
Benny Goodman CD (Jazz clarinet; Lesson 25D)
John Coltrane DVD Jazz Casual (Jazz saxophone)
Charlie Parker CD (Jazz alto and tenor saxophone; Lesson 25D)

LESSON 5 - THE ORCHESTRA
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Growing Up with Music CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
Camille Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals (This book by Barrie Turner and the CD will remind you of Peter and the Wolf. Each animal is represented by a different instrument.)
Daydreams and Lullabies CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series)
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 Pastorale
Haydn Symphony in G Major Surprise (Lesson 23A)
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Pathetique (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet Overture, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture
Orff Carmina Burana (Modern Era Lesson 25A)

LESSON 6 - THE CONDUCTOR
Maestro Mouse by Peter W. Barnes (a truly delightful children's picture book)
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra
Beethoven's 9th Symphony on DVD; Conductor Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker (SONY)

LESSON 7 - BANDS
The Music Man DVD
John Philip Sousa (Lesson 25C)
The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart with a cameo by Louis Armstrong
Duke Ellington CD
Count Basie CD
Glenn Miller CD
Benny Goodman CD
Tommy Dorsey CD

LESSON 8 - KEYBOARDS
Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Robert Levine's The Story of the Orchestra (Book/CD)
Bruce Koscielniak's The Story of the Incredible Orchestra

Growing Up with Piano CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta ESA PEKKA SALONEN (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Bach Concertos for One and Two Harpsichords
Bach Toccato in D Minor
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Lesson 24A)
Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes 2 Pianos Together (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies and Piano Pieces (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Schumann Kinderszenen and Kreisleriana Op. 15 and Op. 16 (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)

Scott Joplin CD (Ragtime piano)
Jelly Roll Morton CD (Jazz piano)
Thelonius Monk CD (Jazz piano)
Duke Ellington DVD (Jazz piano)
Count Basie DVD Jazz Casual
Count Basie CD (Jazz piano)

LESSON 9 - INTRODUCTION TO RHYTHM
Sesame Street - Let's Make Music DVD

LESSON 10 - RHYTHM, BEAT, AND TEMPO
Compare the tempo of a funeral requiem (slow) to a polka (fast).
For beat or measure, compare a waltz in 3/4 time to jazz in either 2/4 or 4/4 time.
Vivaldi Four Seasons
Dvorak Slavonic Dances (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Debussy Le Mer (Modern Era 25A)
Ravel Bolero (Modern Era 25A)

Gershwin An American in Paris (Lesson 25C)
John Philip Sousa CD's (Lesson 25C)

LESSON 11 - RHYTHM AND DURATION
LESSON 12 - INTRODUCTION TO MELODY
LESSON 13 - MELODY BY STEPS AND LEAPS

LESSON 14 - AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC (AND MORE!)
My aunt, a retired music teacher, says that if we know who wrote the music and/or lyrics, then it is not folk music. Therefore, much of the music from the 1950's and 1960's which we call folk music isn't.

Old Songs and Singing Games, Richard Chase editor
I Hear America Singing by Kathleen Krull (Book and CD)

Rough Guide: Cajun/Zydeco - Cajun music is from the descendants of the Acadians and, therefore, has a modified version of French. Zydeco is the music of the Creole people and uses an accordion. Both are common in Louisiana.

Polish Polkas (Lawrence Welk and Myron Floren; also uses an accordion)

Life and Times: Stephen Foster by Peggy Pancella
Stephen Foster Beautiful Dreamer CD (American Roots Pub.)

History of Country Music by Stuart A. Kallen
Rough Guide to Bluegrass CD
Blue Ribbon Bluegrass CD (ROUNDER)
Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys ("Father of Bluegrass") Live recordings 1956-1969 (Smithsonian Recordings)
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs at Carnegie Hall (KOCH)
The Essential Bob Wills CD (He is credited with starting Western Swing Music, a combination of Black Blues, traditional Mexican, big band swing, and country-western music. Instruments used include: fiddle, guitar, banjo, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, double bass, and piano. The influence of big band in the rhythm section is obvious. COLUMBIA.)

Sacred Spirit - Chants and Dances of the Native Americans (Virgin Records)

LESSON 15 - SONGS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
Jewish Odyssey CD (Jewish folk music from various countries)
Vintage Music from India CD
Rough Guide: Music of Japan CD
Rough Guide: Music of Africa CD
Rough Guide: Scottish Folk CD
Scottish Bagpipes and Drums CD
Rough Guide: Irish Folk CD
Celtic Legacy CD
Riverdance DVD - Irish Step Dancers

LESSON 16 - MOVING TO MUSIC
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances CD (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Borodin Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Dvorak Slavonic Dances (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Strauss Waltzes (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
John Philip Sousa CD's

LESSON 17 - LET'S PRETEND DRAMATIC IMPROVISATION
Mendelssohn Songs Without Words (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)
Schubert 6 Moments Musicaux and 8 Impromptus (Romantic Period 24B)
Schumann Kinderszenen (Romantic Period Lesson 24B)

LESSON 18A - DANCE: BALLET
Consider ballet lessons for your little girl. Before you respond that your little one did not inherit the genes necessary for a body suited to a career in ballet, I must ask one question. Did you make your career choice at age three? Little ones enjoy the social interaction. They love moving to the music. They learn poise. They develop a love of the music. Does it really matter if they don't become ballerinas?
Angelina's Ballet Class by Katharine Holabird
There are more books in the Angelina Ballerina Series by Katharine Holabird.
Tanya Treasury by Patricia Lee Gauch
Tanya and the Magic Wardrobe by Patricia Lee Gauch - It's about a little girl who is going to attend the ballet, Coppelia.
Tanya and the Red Shoes by Patricia Lee Gauch - Tanya is finally getting her toe shoes.
Bravo, Tanya by Patricia Lee Gauch
Dance, Tanya by Patricia Lee Gauch
The Little Ballerinas by Jillian Harker
I am a dancer (as photographed by Jane Feldman; the story of Eva Lipman, a young student, at the School of American Ballet in New York)

I dreamed I was a ballerina - the story of Anna Pavlova
Dance of the Swan - a more thorough story of Anna Pavlova
Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina by Rosemary Wells - This story of Maria Tallchief is a picture book. Though this book does not mention it, she was one of many who danced with Nureyev.
Usborne Beginners: Ballet by Susan Meredith
Hooray for Ballet by Margaret Frith
The Illustrated Book of Ballet Stories by Barbara Newman
Ballet stories (DK) This book explains plots of several ballets including Giselle.
A Young Dancer's Apprenticeship by Olympia Dowd - The story of 14 year old Olympia Dowd who spent one year touring with the Moscow City Ballet.
Ballet of the Elephants by Leda Schubert -This is the true story of the ballet Circus Polka, music by Stravinsky, choreographed by George Balanchine, in which circus elephants danced!

The Dancer who Flew: A Memoir of Rudolf Nureyev by Linda Maybarduk - Although this book does mention that Nureyev died from AIDS, it does not discuss his colorful private life.
Mikhail Baryshnikov Dance Genius by Bruce Glassman - This book does mention that he shares a daughter with Jessica Lange and three other children with a ballerina from the American Ballet though he was not married to either.

Growing Up with Ballet CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Peter and the Wolf DVD from the Royal Ballet School - This is an excellent first ballet for kids since it is only 30 minutes; it features children in costumes doing almost all of the roles; and the story is narrated as it occurs. (Image Entertainment.)

Beatrix Potter DVD from the Royal Ballet. (Anchor Bay.) This is a delightful ballet for children. Adults in animal costumes act out scenes from the classic tales of Beatrix Potter.
Muppets 2nd Season DVD's Rudolf Nureyev appeared in the 13th episode that season. In addition to the Ballet "Swine Lake", he did a wonderful tap routine.

Cinderella by Prokofiev with the Bolshoi DVD. (ABC Entertainment/Universal.)

Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky DVD featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Veronica Tennant. He also choreographed this one for the National Ballet of Canada. Video Artists International/CBC Home Video.

Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky DVD with Baryshnikov as prince. The role of Clara is danced by Gelsey Kirkland and Alexander Minz is Drosselmeyer. Baryshnikov choreographed this one for the American Ballet Theater. KULTUR.

Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky DVD with Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. A narrator explains the story. Nureyev choreographed this one for the Vienna State Opera Ballet. John Lanchbery conducts the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Deutsche Grammophon.

Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev DVD with The Royal Ballet featuring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. A narrator explains the story. KULTUR.

Giselle by Adolphe Adam DVD featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Lynn Seymour. (KULTUR.)

Coppelia by Delibes with Fernando Bujones and Ana Maria Castanon. (KULTUR.)

Don Quixote DVD choreographed and danced by Rudolf Nureyev. His partner is Lucette Aldous. KULTUR

Petrushka by Stravinsky included on the DVD entitled Return of the Firebird. Can also be spelled Petrouchka. DECCA.

Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov is also included on the DVD entitled Return of the Firebird. Rather violent. Lots of people are killed. One commits suicide. DECCA.

Firebird by Stravinsky is based in part on a Russian folk tale. This DVD also includes Les Noces (The Wedding) choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska. Royal Ballet. (BBC Opus Arte.)

LESSON 18B - DANCE: MODERN DANCE
Did you know that Rudolf Nureyev studied with Martha Graham and he danced the role of the Preacher in Appalachian Spring? Baryshnikov danced the role of the groom in the same ballet.
Martha Graham DVD (KULTUR.)
Martha Graham by Paula Bryant Pratt
Alvin Ailey, Celebrating African-American Culture in Dance by Barbara Cruz
An Evening with Alvin Ailey DVD (Image Entertainment.)

LESSON 18C - DANCE: AFRICAN DANCE
African Dance for Children DVD created by Julio T. Leitao (Step by step, surrounded by young children, Julio teaches us how to do a variety of dance steps. Very well done.)
African Dance Book: Drum Beat in Our Feet by Patricia A. Keeler

LESSON 18D - DANCE: TAP DANCE AND MORE
Rap A Tap Tap Here's Bojangles Think of That! by Leo Dillon

Stormy Weather is a very loose version of the life of Bojangles. In fact, Bill Robinson did not have a lost love in his life. In addition to tap by Bojangles, you will see the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold). Fred Astaire once said that their tap routines impressed and influenced his dance. Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and Lena Horne also appear. (20th Century Fox.)

The Little Colonel DVD has some very well celebrated tap dance routines featuring Bojangles and Shirley Temple. Check tracks 19 and 22 which are kid-safe. Caution this film is set post Civil War and was filmed at a time of racism. The grandfather refers to some black children by an offensive term. I'd still show it, but with some appropriate explanations. Let's not re-write history. Let's change the future. (20th Century Fox.)

That's Entertainment is a compilation of short numbers from almost 100 MGM musical films. I'm more interested here in the dance routines by such as: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Donald O'Connor, Clark Gable, Anne Miller, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Buddy Ebsen, Frank Sinatra, Fayard Nicholas, Harold Nicholas, and more. Astaire dances with a coat rack in one scene and in another up the wall, across the ceiling, and down the wall again. Gene Kelly dances with a bunch of shoes with no feet in them. I can't even describe what O'Connor does! It's long, but watching it in 15-20 minute parcels would be good. (Warner Brothers.)

Easter Parade DVD starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland along with Anne Miller. It has fantastic dance routines.

Riverdance, Live from New York City's Radio City Music Hall DVD has Irish Step Dancers (2-sided disc; Columbia Tristar Home Video.)

LESSON 19 - INSTRUMENT MAKERS
LESSON 20 - MAKE YOUR OWN INSTRUMENTS

LESSON 21 - TEMPO AND DYNAMICS
Haydn Surprise Symphony No. 94 in G Major

CAUTION: The lesson 22 video discusses the Baroque Period. Due to time limitations of the school schedule they skipped the Medieval Age. I've found the perfect thing to rectify that omission. You will find similar problems in the next three lessons.

LESSON 22A - MEDIEVAL AGE (THEY SKIPPED THIS TIME PERIOD.)
Song of the Unicorn CD and Teachers' guide. (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series)

LESSON 22B - BAROQUE PERIOD:
CORELLI, VIVALDI, BACH, HANDEL, AND TELEMANN
Baroque Highlights (Baroque Treasures Disc 10 - Laser Light DELTA; available from Christian Book Distributors.)

Corelli Concerti grossi (Baroque Treasures Disc 7)

Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). Vivaldi did indeed teach music at a girls' orphanage in Venice. The background music for the story is Vivaldi and has several great examples of piccolo.)
Vivaldi's 4 Seasons/Concerto for 2 Trumpets (Baroque Treasures Disc 1)
Life and Times: Antonio Lucio Vivaldi by Jim Whiting (This is part of the Masters of Music Series)
Introducing Vivaldi by Roland Vernon

Bach's Fight for Freedom DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. It is excellent. There is one teachers' guide for the series.
Mr. Bach Comes to Call CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Famous Children: Bach by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Bach by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Johann Sebastian Bach by Jim Whiting
[Johann] Sebastian Bach, The Boy from Thuringia by Wheeler and Deucher CD and Study Guide Bach and Baroque (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Glory and Honor, The Musical and Artistic Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach by Gregory Wilbur
Bach's Goldberg Variations (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) The variations were written for the harpsichord, but are played here on the piano. Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Bach's Concertos for One and Two Harpsichords 2 CD's PHILIPS
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 1-4 (Baroque Disc 2)
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos 4-6 CD PHILIPS
Bach's Super Hits CD: Minuet in G Major, Toccata, Fugue, Air, Prelude and Fugue No. 1, Italian Concerto SONY CLASSICAL
Bach's Orchestral Suites 1-3 (Baroque Treasures Disc 5)
Bach's Violin Concertos (Baroque Treasures Disc 8)
Bach's Toccata in D Minor (Baroque Treasures Disc 10)
Bach's Oboe Concertos by Heinz Holliger CD PHILIPS

Handel's Last Chance DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. It is excellent. There is one teachers' guide to the series.
Hallelujah Handel CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Handel's Water Music (Baroque Treasures Disc 3)
Handel's Royal Fireworks (Baroque Treasures Disc 6)
Handel's Hallelujah (Baroque Treasures Disc 9)
Handel's Messiah DVD James Levine conducting
Getting to Know Handel by Mike Venezia
Famous Children: Handel by Ann Rachlin
Life and Times: George Frederic Handel by Jim Whiting

Telemann (Baroque Treasures Disc 4)

LESSON 23A - HAYDN (THEY LEFT HIM OUT. HE SHOULD BE BEFORE MOZART.)
Farewell Symphony (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) The book discusses No. 45, but the CD includes both No. 45 (Tracks 5-8) and No. 31
Haydn Symphony No. 94 in G Major (Surprise), Symphony No. 100 in G Major (Military), Symphony 104 in D Major (London Symphony) DECCA
Haydn The London Symphonies (Nos. 95, 96, 98, 102, 103 (Drum Roll), and 104) 2 CD's PHILIPS
Haydn Symphony No. 101 in D Major (Clock Symphony - Listen for the Tick Tock in the Second Movement Adante) SERAPHIM
Franz Joseph Haydn - He used his middle name, but was affectionately known as Papa Haydn.
Joseph Haydn, The Merry Little Peasant by Wheeler and Deucher CD with Study Guide
Famous Children: Haydn by Ann Rachlin

LESSON 23B - MOZART
Mozart's Magic Fantasy CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). This is the story of the Opera, The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute (Book by Anne Gatti; ISBN 9780811849746/CD)
Mozart's Magic Flute DVD of the Opera. This is an example of "singspiel", singing interspersed with spoken dialogue. You might want to select just a few scenes at first. My favorite track has Papagena and Papageno singing together. It is near the end. (Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage CD and Teachers' guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series). This includes Eine Kleine and Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. This tells us something about Mozart's life.
Mozart Chamber Music CD (Quartet in F Major, Quintet in E flat Major, and A Musical Joke. The last is a very odd piece.) NAXOS
Mozart's Horn Concertos 1-4 by Barry Tuckwell on French Horn CD EMI CLASSICS
Mozart Concertos for Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon CD EMI CLASSICS
Famous Children: Mozart by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Mozart by Mike Venezia
Who was Mozart? by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Mozart, The Wonder Boy by Wheeler and Deucher CD and with Study guide
Mozart's Opera: Marriage of Figaro DVD (Euro Arts Musik.)
Mozart's Opera: Cosi fan tutte DVD (Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart's Opera: Don Giovanni DVD (Don Giovanni is rake with no conscience. You might want to wait 'til Jr. High on this one. I didn't like this one until I got to the end and found out that justice won out. Art Haus Musik.)
Mozart Requiem K626 CD Deutsche Grammophon

LESSON 24A - BEETHOVEN
Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Book, CD, Video, and Teachers' Guide - Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series) The CD includes: Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, and Minuet in G. Major. The video is quite good.
Famous Children: Beethoven by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Beethoven by Mike Venezia
Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells by Wheeler CD with Study guide
Lifetimes: Ludwig van Beethoven by Richard Tames

Beethoven's Heroic Symphony No. 3 (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 CD (This is the most easily recognized piece of music ever written!) Deutsche Grammophon
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 Pastoral CD Deutsche Grammophon
Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 DVD (conductor Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker; SONY.) and CD
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Pathetique, Moonlight, Tempest, Waldstein-Sonate, Appassionata, and Grosse Sonate for the Hammerklavier0) 2 CD's TELDEC

LESSON 24B - ROMANTIC PERIOD (THEY ALSO SKIPPED THIS!)
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances; Concerto for Orchestra; Violin Concerto No. 2; Music for Strings, Percussions and Celesta!; Piano Concerto No. 3 (Track 5 raucous brass) NAXOS
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta ESA PEKKA SALONEN SONY

Berlioz Opera: The Trojans (Les Troyens) CD LONDON
Berlioz DVD La Damnation de Faust. This opera is almost never performed as an opera.
Life and Times: Hector Berlioz by Jim Whiting

Borodin Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor; Symphony No. 2; Symphony No. 3 LONDON

Brahms Hungarian Dances and Waltzes for 2 Pianos CD SONY
Brahms Symphony No. 1 and Variations on a Theme by Haydn CD SONY
Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 73 CD DECCA
Brahms Symphonies 3 and 4 CD Deutsche Grammophon
Brahms Violin Concerto in D Op. 77 by Itzhak Perlman CD EMI
Brahms Choral Works: German Requiem, Song of Destiny, Alto Rhapsody 2 CD's PHILIPS
Famous Children: Brahms by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Brahms by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Johannes Brahms by Jim Whiting

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor CD CEDAR
Chopin Greatest Hits: Minute Waltz. Raindrop Prelude, Funeral March, Military Polonaise, Mazurka in C Major, Fantasie SONY
Chopin Favorite Piano Works by Vladimir Ashkenazy: Mazurka in D Major, Mazurka in B flat Major Op. 7 LONDON
Chopin Waltzes including Cat Waltz Track 4 Op. 34 No. 3 in F Seraphim Classics
Famous Children: Chopin by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Chopin by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Frederic Chopin by Jim Whiting
Chopin and Romantic Music by Carlo Cavalletti (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)

Dvorak Symphony No. 9; Slavoic Dances CD TELDEC

Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suites CD Deutsche Grammophon

Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies (especially 2, 5, 6, 7) 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Liszt's Rhapsody DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. There is one teachers' guide for the series. It is excellent.
Liszt Biography Masters of Music by Michael Lane
Life and Times: Franz Liszt by Jim Whiting

Mahler Symphony No. 5 Deutsche Grammophon

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64 CEDAR
Mendelssohn Songs without Words (Complete) 2 CD's PHILIPS
Mendelssohn Italian Symphony, Violin Concerto, and A Midsummer Night's Dream 2 CD's PHILIPS

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD)
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain; Boris Godunov 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Mussorgsky Opera: Boris Godunov DVD

Rimsky-Korsakov 2 CD's including Flight of the Bumblebee (CD 1, Track 14) PHILIPS
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade (with Return of the Firebird) DVD

Schubert Impromptus and Moments musicaux 2 CD's EMI
Schubert Symphony No.8 The Unfinished Symphony CEDAR
Schubert Biography Masters of Music by Michael Lane

Schumann, Robert Kinderszenen and Kreisleriana Op. 15 and Op. 16 CD Deutsche Grammophon
Schumann, Clara by Susanna Reich

Strauss, Johann II (The Younger) Waltzes including Blue Danube DECCA
Strauss, Johann II (The Younger) Opera: Die Fledermaus DVD (BBC Opus Arte.)
Strauss: The King of Three-Quarter Time DVD from Devine Entertainment. This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. There is one teachers' guide to the series. It is excellent.

Tchaikovsky Discovers America CD and Teachers' Guide (Susan Hammond's Classical Kids Series).
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1/Nutcracker Suites CD SONY
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5/Romeo and Juliet CD Deutsche Grammophon
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 CD RCA
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture (Napoleon's retreat from Moscow - Listen for Marseillaise) CEDAR
Swan Lake DVD with Nureyev
Sleeping Beauty DVD with Nureyev
Nutcracker DVD with Baryshnikov
Famous Children: Tchaikovsky by Ann Rachlin
Getting to Know: Tchaikovsky by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky by Jim Whiting

Verdi Opera: Rigoletto DVD (My rating PG-13; Universal Classics.)
Verdi Opera: Falstaff DVD (My rating PG-13; Euro Arts Musik.)
Verdi Opera: Otello by Verdi DVD (My rating PG-13; Four main characters die! MGM.)
Verdi Opera: La Traviata by Verdi DVD (My rating PG-13; DECCA.)
Verdi Opera: Aida DVD (Image Entertainment.)
Verdi Opera: Don Carlo 2 DVD's very long (My rating PG-13)
Life and Times: Guiseppe Verdi by Jim Whiting
Verdi by Greta Cencetti
Introducing Verdi by Roland Vernon

Wagner, Siegfried CD CEDAR
Life and Times: Richard Wagner by Michael Lane
Wagner by Greta Cencetti

LESSON 25A - MODERN ERA (THEY HAVE COPLAND, BUT OMITTED MANY.)
Britten Opera: Peter Grimes DVD (See comments under Opera Lesson 29. KULTUR.)

Debussy: Nocturnes, Prelude a l'apres midi d'un faune, and La Mer CD Penguin Classics DECCA

Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite, Mississippi Suite, and Niagara Falls Suite CD NAXOS

Orff Carmina Burana CD Deutsche Grammophon

Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf (Book illustrated by Peter Malone/CD/DVD)
Prokofiev Ballet: Romeo and Juliet with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn (KULTUR.)
Prokofiev Ballet: Cinderella (ABC Entertainment/Universal.)

Rachmaninov Symphony No. 1 CD DECCA

Ravel Bolero CD DECCA

Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals (Book by Barrie Turner/CD)
Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Le Carnaval des Animaux, Danse macabre, Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, Piano concerto No. 4 in C minor, Symphony No. 3 in C Minor 2 CD's PHILIPS

Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 CD PHILIPS
Shostakovich Jazz Suites 1 and 2; The Bolt Ballet Suite; and Tahiti Trot (Tea for Two)
Some great percussion; very different. CD NAXOS

Sibelius Finlandia; Karelia Suite Op. 11; and Lemminkainen Suite Op. 22 CD NAXOS

Stravinsky: Firebird, Rite of Spring, Symphony of Psalms, Pulcinella Suite, Petrouchka (Petrushka), and Concerto in E flat, Circus Polka 2 CD's Deutsche Grammophon
Firebird (and Les Noces) DVD of 2 Ballets (BBC Opus Arte.)
Firebird and Petrushka DVD entitled Return of the Firebird (DECCA.)
Getting to Know: Stravinsky by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Igor Stravinsky by Jim Whiting

Strauss, Richard - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier CD

Ralph (pronounced RAFE) Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6 and Tuba Concerto in F minor CD CHANDOS

LESSON 25B - AARON COPLAND
Aaron Copland: Three American Ballets - Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, and Rodeo as well as Fanfare for the Common Man CD TELARC
Aaron Copland: The Young Pioneers. These are Piano Solos including CAT AND MOUSE. 2 CD's SONY
Getting to know: Copland by Mike Venezia

LESSON 25C - NOW THIS IS REALLY MODERN!
John Philip Sousa Stars and Stripes Forever CD LONDON
John Philip Sousa: Famous Sousa Marches CD CHANDOS
Getting to Know: Sousa by Mike Venezia

Irving Berlin Easter Parade on DVD
Life and Times: Irving Berlin by Jim Whiting

Gershwin: Cuban Overture, Funny Face Overture, Rhapsody in Blue, and An American in Paris. Fantastic! CD Penguin Classics DECCA
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess and Blue Monday (I'd wait until Jr. High for this one.) CD TELARC
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (Book by Anna Harwell Celenza/CD) Read the book first, then listen to the CD.
Getting to Know: Gershwin by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: George Gershwin by Jim Whiting

West Side Story CD ONLY! The DVD is, in my opinion, inappropriate until they are 18. Columbia
On the Town DVD (See Lesson 29 for comments regarding this one.)
Getting to Know: Bernstein by Mike Venezia
Life and Times: Leonard Bernstein

The History of Rock Music by Andrea Bergamini (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Shake, Rattle, and Roll, Founders of Rock and Roll (Book)
Buddy, The Story of Buddy Hollly by Anne Bustard
Buddy Holly CD (Millenium Collection MCA)
Elvis #1 Hits CD RCA

LESSON 25D - JAZZ (ALL SORTS ! THEY ALSO LEFT OUT JAZZ.)
Jazz would be an interesting topic for black history month.
In jazz, trumpets are usually muted.

All That Jazz by Daphne Morgan is a great simple explanation for kids of jazz history. Note: In classical music, a double bass is bowed; in jazz it is strummed. It will be a very low, steady beat usually in the background.

Jazz and Its History by Giuseppe Vigna (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
Concise Guide to Jazz by Mark C. C. Gridley
Jazz ABZ by Wynton Marsalis is a very interesting book done in a rather unusual way.
USBORNE: Understanding Music

The Best of Jazz and Blues: Hollywood Rhythm. This DVD has cuts from very old Paramount Movies. It features a very young Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and more. (KING VIDEO.)

Scott Joplin Greatest Hits CD RCA VICTOR
Scott Joplin by Janet Hubbard-Brown

Jelly Roll Morton: Doctor Jazz CD ACADEMY

Pete Fountain's New Orleans CD MCA

The Essentail Louis Armstrong CD. Louis Armstrong (from New Orleans) was a cornet and trumpet player who because of a bad heart was forced to give up his horn and become a singer. He had a very low, gravelly voice. Did you know he appeared in the movie Hello, Dolly? Do you know why his nickname was Satchmo?
If I Only Had a Horn: Young Louis Armstrong by Roxanne Orgill
Louis also has a cameo appearance in the Glenn Miller DVD

Duke Ellington CD CEDAR
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Duke was a band leader, composer, and piano player.
Duke Ellington DVD on the piano with various others. (IMAGE Entertainment.)
Getting to Know: Ellington by Mike Venezia

Count Basie CD CEDAR
DVD Jazz Casual has Basie on piano as well as Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and John Coltrane on saxophone. (RHINO Home Video.)
Count Basie: Bandleader and Composer by Bud Kliment. He was a piano player and band leader.

Dizzy by Jonah Winter
John Coltrane's Giant Steps by Chris Raschka

Bessie Smith and the Night Riders by Sue Stauffacher
Bessie Smith, African-American Biographies by Alexandria Manera
Martin Scorsese Presents Bessie Smith from the PBS series The Blues. CAUTION: Track 9 is very suggestive. I rate this PG-16. This track should not be played in a public school.

Billie Holiday (Singer) Loveless Love CD CEDAR

Hollywood Rhythm Big Bands and Swing Volume 2. DVD. Artie Shaw's Class in Swing is particularly interesting. It presents a wonderful explanation of exactly what swing music is. (KING Video.)

The Sounds of Glenn Miller CD CEDAR. Miller was a trombone player and band leader.
The Glenn Miller Story DVD starring Jimmy Stewart. Miller's band appears along with a cameo by Louis Armstrong on his horn. Miller volunteered to serve during WW II and his plane was lost somewhere over the English Channel. UNIVERSAL

Benny Goodman The King of Swing CD CEDAR
Once Upon a Time in Chicago by Jonah Winter (short biography)
The Benny Goodman Story DVD UNIVERSAL

Best of Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra CD CURB. Tommy played trombone; his brother, Jimmy played clarinet.

Ella Fitzgerald, The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Ella Fitzgerald CD CEDAR (The male voice you hear on this CD is Louis Armstrong.)

Charlie Yardbird Parker at Dewey Square CD CEDAR. Parker played alto and tenor saxophone.
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka

The Best of Thelonius Monk CD BLUE NOTE. Monk was a piano player.
Mysterious Thelonius by Chris Raschka

Miles Davis Kind of Blue. CD COLUMBIA. Davis, a trumpet player, was considered the best at improvisation.

Art Blakey A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 CD BLUE NOTE. Blakey was a drummer.

Muddy Waters Greatest Hits CD CEDAR. Waters is a jazz guitarist.

The Best of B. B. King CD MCA. King is also a jazz guitarist.

The Great American Songbook DVD is a review of the history of American music from the Minstrel Shows and Stephen Foster all the way up through Elvis. It is excellent. Track 22 includes the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold). WARNING: Track 31 uses the word homosexual twice in referring to life styles of certain musicians. Also the words bordello and whorehouse are used on this DVD so you may want to wait until your children are older to view this one. Personally, there are some words I do not want to have to explain to very young children. If you are going to use this DVD in a public school, you will have to preview and select which tracks you will use very carefully. (Warner Brothers.)

LESSON 26 - SINGING TOGETHER
Philadelphia Chickens by Sandra Boynton. My niece and nephew love this one!
Also check out the "WEE-SING" Series

LESSON 27 - PLAYING TOGETHER

LESSON 28 - MUSIC EXPRESSION
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage (Eine Kleine) CD and Teachers' Guide
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (Feels happy!)
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

LESSON 29 - MUSIC TELLS A STORY
I Hear America Singing (Book by Kathleen Krull/CD)

Haydn Symphony 101 in D Major (The Clock; 2nd movement)
Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain (This was a part of Fantasia.)
Rimsky-Korsakov Flight of the Bumblebee (CD 1, Track 14)
Chopin Cat Waltz Track 4 Op. 34 No. 3 in F (Seraphim Classics)
Grofe Grand Canyon Suite - Listen as the mules descend into the canyon.
Copland Cat and Mouse (Check the 2 CD set of Piano Solos)

Sorcerer's Apprentice (on the CD with Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra) This was part of Fantasia which is currently out of print.

Mozart's Magic Fantasy (CD and Teachers' Guide) This is the story of the Opera The Magic Flute.
Mozart's Magic Flute (Book/CD)
Mozart Opera: Magic Flute DVD This is sung in German with English subtitles. (Art Haus Musik.)
Haydn Farewell Symphony No. 45 (Book/CD)
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 Pastorale
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 Winter Dreams
Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Baroque Treasures Disc 1)

Growing Up with Broadway CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Mary Poppins DVD
The Music Man DVD (If you are unfamiliar with this one, there is a marching band in uniform.
Easter Parade DVD Music by Irving Berlin; starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland
CATS DVD Once a year the jellico cats meet and Deuteronomy selects one cat who will get a new life. They have 9. Young children will not understand the various pieces, but they may get a kick out of adults dressed as cats.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat DVD (The story of Joseph and Pharaoh)
Sound of Music DVD
The King and I DVD
Brigadoon DVD Gene Kelly has a great tap routine in this one.
On the Town DVD - This is an old movie so you may not be familiar with the story. Three sailors (including Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly) are on leave for just one day in New York City. Each meets a girl. The kids will love the scene where the dinosaur skeleton in the museum collapses.

Pirates of Penzance DVD (Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta; my rating is PG-10) There is a surprise ending to this story. (Acorn Media.)
H.M.S. Pinafore DVD (Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta or Comic Opera; my rating is PG-10) This one also has a surprise ending. (Acorn Media.)
Life and Times: Gilbert and Sullivan by Jim Whiting

The Dog Who Sang at the Opera by Jim West and Marshall Izen - This is actually the true story of a dog who joined in singing with the soprano, Renee Fleming. The kids will love it.
The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera by Shahrukh Husain
Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera by Anne Siberell
Bizet's Dream (DVD from Devine Entertainment) This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. This one is about the Opera Carmen and is excellent. There is one teachers' guide to the series.
Rossini's Ghost (DVD from Devine Entertainment) This series aims to introduce children to great musicians. This particular story is about the Opera The Barber of Seville and is excellent.
There is one teachers' guide to the series.
OPERA by Alessandro Taverna (BARRON'S Masters of Music Series)
At the Opera, Tales of the Great Operas by Ann Fiery
Life and Times: Verdi by Jim Whiting. He is best known for his operas.
Life and Times: Wagner by Jim Whiting. He is also primarily known for operas.
Verdi by Greta Cencetti
Wagner by Greta Cencetti

The 3 Tenors: Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti with Mehta in Concert 1994. DVD (Atlantic Recording Corporation, a Time Warner Company.)

Luciano Pavarotti: A Live Performance CD CEDAR
Growing Up with the Opera CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)
More Growing Up with the Opera CD (available from the Metropolitan Opera)

Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck DVD. This is usually sung in German, but in this instance it is in English. That makes it especially good for kids. It is also a story familiar to most children. The performers who play the roles of Hansel and Gretel are excellent and the witch is quite amusing. Opera Australia. (IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT.)

La Cenerentola by Rossini DVD (Cinderella the Opera, sung in Italian with English subtitles) This is Cinderella with a few twists. First, it is a stepfather rather than a stepmother. Also, there is a bracelet instead of a glass slipper. Finally, for a time the Prince is posing as a servant while his valet poses as the Prince. This is an excellent opera for children. There is a short synopsis provided so that the children can understand the changes in the story. The costumes here are fantastic (especially the stepsisters and stepfather). Cecilia Bartoli is excellent in the role of Cinderella. However, it is the man who sings the role of stepfather who made the whole thing wonderful. This is my favorite opera DVD. In addition to Bartoli, you will see Dara, Gimenez, Corbelli, Pertusi, and Campanella. (Houston Grand Opera; DECCA.)

Barber of Seville by Rossini DVD (This is opera buffa, a comic opera, so it should be okay for 5th or 6th grade. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. No implied infidelity and no one dies! A man wants to marry his ward in order to get control of her inheritance. She is in love with the Count and he with her. The Barber, Figaro, intervenes to bring about their wedding thus thwarting her guardian. A synopsis is provided. (Image Entertainment.)

La Boheme by Puccini DVD with Luciano Pavarotti singing male lead. Four students live together in a Paris garret. The female lead dies at the end from tuberculosis. I rate this PG-12. This was the first role Pavarotti sang and is one of those for which he was best known. Though the story is set in France, it is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A brief synopsis is provided. (KULTUR.)

Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky DVD. This opera is performed at the Kirov and sung in Russian with English subtitles. You will notice that Russian audiences clap differently than Americans. Also note that the performers take their bows differently. A synopsis is provided. I rate this PG-12. Kirov Opera with Sergei Leyferkus, Yuri Marusin, and Tatiana Novikova. (KULTUR.)

Otello by Verdi DVD with Placido Domingo singing lead (Opera adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello) I rate it PG-13. Four main characters die! This was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and is an opera filmed as a movie rather than on a stage. It's wonderful! It is one of the roles for which Placido Domingo is best known. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A short synopsis is provided. (MGM.)

Tosca by Puccini DVD. This one is sung in Italian with English subtitles. It is filmed as a movie rather than on a stage. It also stars Placido Domingo. You will also see Raina Kabaivanska, Sherrill Milnes, Giancarlo Luccardi, Mario Ferrara, Alfredo Mariotti, Bruno Grella, Domenico Medici, and Placido Domingo, Jr. A synopsis is provided and you will find another in the opera book by Siberell. I rate this one PG-13. (Deutsche Grammophon.)

Der Fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman by Wagner DVD) This is sung in German with English sustitles. This opera was filmed outdoors in the huge courtyard of Finland's 500 year old Olavir Castle, a majestic and impressive setting. The Dutchman is condemned to roam the seas perpetually in search of a woman who will be faithful unto death. A good synopsis is provided in the opera book by Husain. This is an excellent example of what is known as grand opera. I rate this PG-13. (Deutsche Grammophon available through the Metropolitan Opera.)

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by Mozart is a continuation of the characters from the Barber of Seville. The Count now bored with his wife is attempting unsuccessfully to seduce Figaro's fiancee. There is a wonderful surprise at the end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. It stars Knut Skram, Ileana Cotrubas, Kiri Te Kanawa, Benjamin Luxon, Frederica von Stade, Marius Rintzler, and Nucci Condo. I rate this PG-13. (Euro Arts Musik.)

Cosi fan tutte (Women are like that) by Mozart in which Don Alfonso for his own amusement attempts to stir up trouble for two engaged couples. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. This Glyndebourne Festival Opera performance stars Helena Doese, Sylvia Lindenstrand, Daniele Perriers, Thomas Allen, Anson Austin, and Frantz Petri. I rate this PG-13. There is some debate as to whether Mozart intended for the original couples to re-unite in the end or for the newly formed couples to marry. It has been performed with both possible endings. (Art Haus Musik.)

Falstaff by Verdi DVD is based upon Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. Falstaff, sung by Ambrogio Maestri, attempts unsuccessfully to seduce married women. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles and a synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (Euro Arts Music.)

La Traviata by Verdi DVD starring Angela Gheorghiu. This mistress dies of lung cancer in the end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (DECCA.) NOTE: The true story upon which this is based is the same one Ashton used when he choreographed the ballet Marguerite and Armand for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.

Rigoletto by Verdi from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by James Levine DVD. The Duke is a cad who seduces every woman in sight. Rigoletto is his jester and fond of making fun of those men who have been cuckolded. An innocent is murdered in the end. I've read that the role of the Duke is a favorite for tenors. In this case, we have Placido Domingo. You will also see and hear Cornell MacNeil, Ileana Cotrubas, Isola Jones, and Justino Diaz. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. A good synopsis is provided. I rate this one PG-13. (Universal Classics.)

Madame Butterfly by Puccini (DVD starring Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, and Robert Kerns from Deutsche Grammophon.) A man marries two different women from two different continents. The first has his son and he wants to take the son with him for wife number two to raise. Wife number one commits suicide for the sake of her son! A picture book illustrated by Renata Fucikova tells this story.

Aida by Verdi DVD. This one is set in Egypt; sung in Italian with English subtitles. There is a short synopsis provided. It is GRANDE! The stars are Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Chiara, Ghena Dimitrova, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Juan Pons, and Paata Burchuladze. The costumes are wonderful though I should warn you that some boys have costumes you would expect to see in National Geographic. The staging is spectacular, especially the Sphinx which is rolled out onto the stage. I rate this one PG-13 and it is one of my favorites. (Image Entertainment.)

Die Fledermaus (The Bat) by Johann Strauss II from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. DVD has 2 discs, 159 minutes! This one strikes me as funny. The plot is a bit twisted, but a synopsis is provided. You will definitely need to read this before viewing. There is a bit of infidelity. CAUTION: Someone gets drunk at a party and we see a very brief flash of a backside so I rate this PG-13. NOT TO BE SHOWN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. It is sung primarily in German with a bit a French thrown in and there are English subtitles. (BBC Opus Arte.)

Faust by Gounod DVD. This opera is sung in French with English subtitles. You will find a synopsis in the opera book by Siberell. Dr. Faust makes a deal with the devil because he wants to be young again. This one is long, 190 minutes. Also, it was not filmed for distribution, but rather for the archives only. There are a few problems with film quality. Nevertheless, it features Alfredo Kraus in his signature role of Dr. Faust. I rate this one PG-13. (Hardy Classic Video.)

Carmen by Bizet DVD. This opera is set in Spain; sung in French with English subtitles. Carmen, sung by Maria Ewing, is a lusty gypsy with no lack of attention from the men. There is some excellent Flamenco dancing. You will find a short syopsis in the opera book by Siberell. I rate this one PG-13. (Image Entertainment.)

Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten DVD. It is in English, but I advise using English subtitles anyway. It's rather dark so wait until at least Jr. High. Peter Grimes, sung by Jon Vickers, is a fisherman. Two young boys working for him die accidentally, though no one believes Grimes. Royal Opera. (KULTUR.)

Don Giovanni by Mozart from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and starring Benjamin Luxon. DVD. He is a rake with no conscience at all. He seduces every woman he meets and kills the father of one when the father attempts to interfere. I rate this one PG-15. I really did not like this one until the very end. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. There is a brief description provided. (Art Haus Musik.)

Don Carlo by Verdi is very, very long 2 yes e discs. The booklet gives the history of this opera, but no synopsis. It took me a while to figure it out. The female lead (Elisabeth) was in love with the Prince (Don Carlo) and he with her, but she was forced to marry his father, King Phillip II instead. Because of its length only I rate this one PG-16. It is sung in Italian with English subtitles. I'm still searching for a good synopsis. (EMI Classics.)

Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky DVD is based upon historical fact. This one is sung in Russian and there are no subtitles provided. This is opera as purists think it should be. I'd rather have some subtitles. The costumes are incredible and the staging impressive. Fortunately, a detailed synopsis is provided, but for lack of subtitles I rate this one PG-16. If I find a different copy, I will post an update. This one is from the Bolshoi. (UNIVERSAL.)

LESSON 30 - MUSIC IN RELIGION
The Real Complete Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party CD
The Joy of Passover: A Family Seder. Only some of the tracks are songs. A narrator describes the Seder in detail.
Handel's Messiah DVD
Hallelujah Handel CD and Teachers' Guide (Classics for Kids)
Handel's Hallelujah (File with Lesson 22B Baroque Treasures Disc 9)
Mozart Requiem CD (Lesson 23B)
Gregorian Chants CD CEDAR
Palestrina Pope Marcellus Mass (Missa Papae Marcelli) POLYDOR
The Great Gospel Women (generally Southern Black Gospel) Shanachie
Mahalia Jackson Sings America's Favorite Hymns (Black Gospel) COLUMBIA
White Dove (Gospel Bluegrass) also known as Stained Glass Bluegrass ROUNDER

LESSON 31 - REVIEW AND SUMMARY

LESSON 32 - CHILDREN MAKING MUSIC

III. PERFORMANCES
Do you live in or near either a college town or a major city? Consider taking your children to the symphony, a jazz performance, the ballet, or even an opera. Although DVD's are an excellent way to familiarize your children with the arts, a live performance is unforgettable.