Lets talk music.

[Milseain]

What are you using? What do you like or dislike about it. This will be for a 2nd grader - and a 7th grader.
Thank you :)

[ArwenA]

Are you thinking for appreciation or learning an instrument?
We love Harmony Fine Arts (http://www.harmonyfinearts.com/) for music appreciation.

[ELaurie]

We like a program called Classical Magic (http://www.classicalmagic.net/). It contains a series of 4 books, each with a CD to accompany it. The first three books each introduce approximately 40 Classical composers each, with a brief biographical sketch, and some information about the featured selection from the composer's music. The CD contains the opening theme, or another familiar theme for each featured piece, along with a song, set to the same tune, that included the composer's name, the name of the piece, and other details. It's easy to implement, fun to use, and you will find yourself humming classical tunes from memory throughout the day (and hear your children humming them too :)) It has been a big hit at our house.

The fourth book features Dvorak's New World Symphony

[momtolgd]

I second Themes to Remember by Classical Magic. I think it is great for multiple ages too...I even enjoy it!

[Milseain]

I'm sorry, it's for music appreciation. We all ready have the Artistic Pursuits for art.

[Kathy in MD]

With Story of the Orchastra, I added CD's by the composer we were studying that week. Some might think it's too light for a 7th grader, but I don't stress out on indepth music appreciation. This program was fun, easy and developed a love of classical music in ds. Of course the last can't be guarenteed :p

[Rhesa]

I also use Themes to Remember from Classical Magic. It is very simple to implement, and there are many other library resources you could use alongside it if your children need a little more depth.

Also, have you seen
http://classicsforkids.com/

[Michele B]

Saturday at Borders, I found The Great Composers by Jeremy Nicholas on the Bargain table for 8$. It is hardback. It has 50 Composers from Palestrina to Britten. There is a b&w portrait of each composer, around 3 pages of bio and some quotations by or about the composer. I have been searching the library and internet for bio info, but this will do and be at my fingertips. We are doing Monteverdi now and here is the quotation from him "The end of all good music is to affect the soul."

200 pages of text

Michele