We recently received 2 CDs of classical music for children from Maestro Classics for review in our homeschool. I wasn’t sure what to expect they arrived. I was pleasantly surprised once we opened up the packaging and got right to listening! The London Philharmonic Orchestra performs these wonderful classical music compositions on each CD. The two CDs we got to review were The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and My Name is Handel: The Story of Water Music.
Teaching my children about classical music and composers felt like a daunting task to me. I told myself earlier this year that I would do it, since they won’t be exposed to it without my explicit instruction. It felt like it was going to be a lot of extra work! However, with Maestro Classics, it’s actually simple and the kids enjoy it!
Classical Music for Children
The first CD that we listened to was The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. With a combination of the actual music composition, as well as a retelling of the story of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, my kids were hooked. Not only that, but we got to learn about the history of the story itself. I didn’t realize how long the story had been in existence, or that the moral of it had changed over time. We got to learn about Paul Dukas and how he came to compose this well-known classic. We also learned about how the music has since been used, including in the Disney film Fantasia.
We did a few of the activities from the included activity booklet when we got home. My children loved the addition of this full-color CD insert and liked how it tied to what they just heard. It was good for my very visual daughter to be able to see it, as she has retained a lot of the information by combining listening and reading together.
More Classical Music for Children
A few days later, we listened to My Name is Handel: The Story of Water Music. The format for this one was a little different, because the musical piece wasn’t based on a classical story. Rather, the CD emphasized the story of Handel himself. It addressed how he composed the piece, and also sampled some of the other music that he composed over the years.
My kids enjoyed listening to this one, because they got to learn more about life back in Handel’s day. They were especially interested in learning about his career, and the activity booklet provided some extra information as well. My kids thought it was cool that he was emerging as a paid, freelancing musician in a time immediately following musicians having to work through a church. This man was an entrepreneur and was wealthy. (If there’s one thing my kids like, it’s learning about how other people got rich!)
More About Maestro Classics
Maestro Classics CDs are designed for children and families to enjoy. The CDs I received said they were for 5 and up and for 6 and up, but even my 2 year old enjoyed them! Sure, he didn’t retain the vast amount of information, but he was able to enjoy the music right alongside his older siblings.
The CDs retail for $16.98 for a physical copy, each containing a 24 page activity booklet. There is also the option to purchase the MP3 version for just $9.98 and it includes a PDF copy of the activity book.
Each CD includes several tracks, including one of the musical composition in full without any narration, and also tracks that teach about the history of the composer and time period in which the music was introduced. They also include a section encouraging listeners to get involved and interact with the music themselves. For The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, that included teaching them how they might play a section of the music using pots and pans in the kitchen. For My Name is Handel, it was giving listeners the lyrics to a song set to his music and allowing them to sing along.
There are several CDs available. I’m highly considering purchasing The Tortoise and the Hare, The Story of Swan Lake, and Peter and the Wolf.
A Final Note
We really enjoyed these CDs and I highly recommend them to other families trying to fit in some classical music education. It does the teaching for you, yet leaves it completely open to further study. In fact, Maestro Classics has an awesome section on their website of educational materials, including curriculum guides. These guides incorporate history, geography, art, language arts, science, art, and music with the use of the Maestro Classics CD series. How cool is that? You can also find sheet music and music appreciation guides.
For even more educational material, check out the Maestro Classics Pinterest boards. They have over 3,000 pins on there, including all sorts of music appreciation resources, homeschool music education ideas, and even homemade instrument ideas.
Keep up with Maestro Classics news and information by checking out the Maestro Classics Facebook page. You can also follow the Maestro Classics Twitter account.
LauraOinAK says
We love these products, too. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is probably my favorite of them.
LauraOinAK recently posted…Teaching Kids the Gospel with Iesodo DVDs