Secular Charlotte Mason

I'll admit it, I'm completely cluesless about great music.  I bought 12 Opal Wheeler Books for the composers along with their sample CDs (short selections that are tied to page numbers).  The books are a bit sappy but I think it will spark my child's interest.  I hope they are accurate and not just dolled up biographies.

What I am looking for now is CD recommendations to play while playing games, etc.  I'd like something upbeat and it would be helpful to have one CD per composer (any will do).  A set would be fine.  Even a Reader's Digest of music so to speak. LOL 

My Aunt used to jam to Hooked on Classics while she cleaned her house and I really liked that but I'm thinking I need something more true to composers original work in order to inspire true appreciation.

Can anyone recommend a nice CD set or a good producer/publisher (whatever it's called).   I'm lost in this area.

I went to Borders today and found CD pack with an A to Z Guide to Classical Music.  It came with 2 CDs of popular classical music.  I played one and it's a nice variety.   I also got a CD of relaxing Chopin music on the piano.  Very nice also.  So I found something.  Borders is offering 30% off for educators until October 7th.

I would still like a popular CD for each composer.  I saw brand of "Best of" CD's for several composers but the cover looked kinda hokey.  Maybe the music is really well done tho...  Don't know. 

I have enough to hold us for a while.

I'm glad you found something that works. I have to admit that other than using the Classical Kids "curricula" most of our music appreciation happens in the van. We have an excellent classical station and another that plays a lot of folk music plus my hubby and daughter are way into rock, punk, etc. . And if the kids don't pay attention I threaten to make them listen to reggae the rest of the day lol.

Cori at 08:50PM on Sep 29, 2009

I'll admit it, I'm completely cluesless about great music.  I bought 12 Opal Wheeler Books for the composers along with their sample CDs (short selections that are tied to page numbers).  The books are a bit sappy but I think it will spark my child's interest.  I hope they are accurate and not just dolled up biographies.

 

What I am looking for now is CD recommendations to play while playing games, etc.  I'd like something upbeat and it would be helpful to have one CD per composer (any will do).  A set would be fine.  Even a Reader's Digest of music so to speak. LOL 

 

My Aunt used to jam to Hooked on Classics while she cleaned her house and I really liked that but I'm thinking I need something more true to composers original work in order to inspire true appreciation.

 

Can anyone recommend a nice CD set or a good producer/publisher (whatever it's called).   I'm lost in this area.

 

 

Chai Mama, you might have a look at Wendy Carlos' "Switched On" series.  I have always loved Carlos' work -- she arranges classical music for the moog synthesizer, giving it a more modern feel, but the arrangements are true to the composer's vision, so that when you hear a more traditional arrangement, it coems with the thrill of familiarity.

The pattern Jack and I have coime to for our music appreciation might be of some interest:

1) I find a movie featuring the composer (largely Classical kids -- but that series is very limited).  As long as it feature's the composer's music and one of the characters is the composer with a reasonable facsimile of the personality of the composer, I don't worry too much aboput authenticty.  Jack is six, and what I want is to associate the music with the person in Jack's mind. 

2) I find two or three children's biographies of the composer.

3) I check a bunch of CD's of that composer's music out of the library.

First, Jack and I read one biography, then we watch the movie.  The  we read the rest of the biographies looking for details we didn't already know.  Finally, I start playing the music at odd moments during the day.  Invaiably, jack will call out at some point "Hey!  I know that song!" and he pulls out a biography.

We also have a copy of The Great Composers board game, which we play every so often - -and Jack gets really excited when he can get the cards of a composer "he knows".   

sadly, Jack has chosen Grieg for our next composer, so my method may have to change this time. 

Thanks for sharing Misti! I like your system. Think I'll be asking members for some help once I am ready to work on the music appreciation page for the website. And in the meantime I may borrow some of your ideas for the folk studies I hope to get to this year.

You're very welcome, Gina!  It's so good to have you "back"! 

Please do share your folk studies ideas...we haven't really gone there yet and I have no idea how to approach it.