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Mimip
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Posted: July 09 2012 at 5:22pm | IP Logged Quote Mimip

Ladies,

I feel like we have covered the Music and Art Appreciation side of things really well but the actual practicality of teaching Music has been sorely neglected. I have been doing some research but am at a stand still with a purchase.

Any ideas???

Just as a side note, my oldest was in a local choir that taught her a bit about notes and tone and melody and she will be starting guitar in the fall but I am most concerned about my 6 and 10 year olds. And an instrument is not an option for my 10 year old for a lot of reasons.

TIA!

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CrunchyMom
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Posted: July 09 2012 at 7:57pm | IP Logged Quote CrunchyMom

Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts are excellent. The set of DVDs is pricey, but our library has them.

You might also like Classics for Kids. The free radio shows are well done, and the site offers materials for building on them.



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Posted: July 09 2012 at 8:07pm | IP Logged Quote TracyFD

Mimi - do mean more the theory of music and note reading? Have you tried the recorder? Or the MODG recommendation of Ready to Use Music Activities Kit? We have done both in addition to piano and violin lessons and found them worthwhile!

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Mimip
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Posted: July 09 2012 at 8:19pm | IP Logged Quote Mimip

TracyFD wrote:
Mimi - do mean more the theory of music and note reading? Have you tried the recorder? Or the MODG recommendation of Ready to Use Music Activities Kit? We have done both in addition to piano and violin lessons and found them worthwhile!


Yes, yes, yes, totally what I was thinking Tracy! Thank you!

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pumpkinmom
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Posted: July 09 2012 at 8:49pm | IP Logged Quote pumpkinmom

I use Our Musical Year. It doesn't have much instruction in it, but gives a brief overview of music terms and has ideas for music lessons. I use it mostly for the songs it teaches. It come with cds to sing the song along with (music only, no voice on cd). It is arranged by months and has Catholic music and just good old fashioned kid songs. But, even though I have liked this resource, I am looking for something that teaches more about music.

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SuzanneG
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Posted: July 09 2012 at 11:36pm | IP Logged Quote SuzanneG

LOVE LOVE LOVE Penny Gardner's Nine Note Recorder Method!!!!!

Recorders are totally cheap and ANYONE can play them. They are GREAT for doing ensembles and group playing. We LOVE playing duets and ensemble music!

Penny has very easy music available here. We play from her DUETS AND TRIOS book all the time. And, have her "Catholic music book" also...although I didn't see it listed....she may have a few hard copies still available.

A child who makes it through the nine note recorder method has a very good understanding of music and you've spent less than $20.00!

If they want to continue on with another instrument after this, they have a basis and you're not paying $20-40/hour for them to learn to read notes and how many beats a half-note gets.


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Posted: July 10 2012 at 10:50am | IP Logged Quote Mackfam

SuzanneG wrote:
LOVE LOVE LOVE Penny Gardner's Nine Note Recorder Method!!!!!

I agree!

We have not enrolled in any formal music courses outside the home, not because we don't find them valuable, just because they haven't fit in various ways (budget, distance, availability, etc.). We've used teach-at-home courses exclusively. I have always felt that basic music instruction was so important so I wanted to do something!

We use Alan Jemison's piano series, and Penny Gardner's Nine Note Recorder series. That has been it. We don't even have a real piano (sad, and we wish we did...but alas, you work with what you have!) - we do have a very nice electric piano with full size keyboard. I just wanted to mention that in case you don't have room for a full piano, or don't have the budget, you can consider an electric keyboard, and though it isn't the same, it is a very good substitute! We have a Yamaha Portable Grand and it has a nice sound. Another benefit has been the ability to move it around the home with relative ease - we bring it out into the living spaces especially during Advent as the children and dad really enjoy learning new music for Advent and Christmas.

My children can pick up any instrument and play it, and it astounds me! They play piano, recorder, guitar, banjo, drums, mandolin, harmonica, bagpipes (but just barely!)...and more! They love music! I am always amazed at their ability to pick up an instrument and just play! I'll admit that my husband is very musical and that does help, but he would credit Alan Jemison's series and the Nine Note recorder series with really bringing music into our home and providing instruction that the kids have really used universally.

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SuzanneG
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Posted: July 10 2012 at 11:14am | IP Logged Quote SuzanneG

I woke up this morning wanting to mention the KEYBOARD option too. EVERY Black Friday Target has a really great keyboard that goes on sale for about $70. It's a $150-200 keyboard and it totally is sufficient!

We start out with Faber Piano Adventures---primer.

I don't AT ALL think that you need a musical background to teach beginning piano with these books. It's totally for beginners, so if you're learning alongside your child with no music background, I think it's totally do-able.

Two of my girls have learned beginning piano in addition to the recorder...two have chosen to only do recorder. They generally like the recorder, mainly because it's more portable and they can play anywhere. I really want someone to take to the piano, though....it would be so nice for someone other than me to be able to accompany these instruments! I'm quite rusty and lack time to play with them all the time.

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SuzanneG
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Posted: July 10 2012 at 11:18am | IP Logged Quote SuzanneG

Also, wanting to mention.....encouraging "group playing" can be a motivator.

:: find videos and attend concerts of small groups playing together. Specifically families/siblings playing together. I've encouraged from an early age "Won't it be so great when you can play together?" etc.

:: we have family friends whose 3 girls all play violin....they put on little impromptu concerts for us when we see them, and it's been a huge motivator! If you know of a family like that, encourage them to do a little concert for your kids.

The GROUP PLAYING is so FUN!!!! So, encourage that aspect of it. And, really you can have TOTALLY BASIC recorder skills and play really fun duets.

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Posted: July 10 2012 at 11:53am | IP Logged Quote SuzanneG

Oh my goodness, totally serial posting about recorders....oh well....that's better than serial posting about WOOL NURSING PADS.....

There is an American Recorder Society that has many local chapters and we have one in Seattle. Their meetings are AMAZING and offer free recorder lessons and group playing once someone can read basic music. The more experienced players play great music together with all the different kinds of recorders which is so neat to see. In Seattle these meetings are 100+! Who knew???!! We have gone and it's so fun!

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Mackfam
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Posted: July 10 2012 at 7:51pm | IP Logged Quote Mackfam

SuzanneG wrote:
Also, wanting to mention.....encouraging "group playing" can be a motivator.

:: find videos and attend concerts of small groups playing together. Specifically families/siblings playing together. I've encouraged from an early age "Won't it be so great when you can play together?" etc.   

This has been fantastic for us, too! The kids really like giving little concerts for the family! They heard some period pieces in a tv series, Lark Rise to Candleford, and without the music on paper, they undertook the pieces: learning them, playing them, singing them. And they enjoyed every minute! And so did I! They often do this with musicals we watch! The house here is always filled with music! I really think that the piano basics taught the kids to read and know their way around music!

And....one other benefit of having a home that is open to music has been that it crosses barriers where other things won't, especially when it comes to teens! Music unites the family - the teen dd likes to bring the middle school age brother in when she needs harmony and guitar backup, and vice versa! When my son is looking for a soprano lead in something he's learning, or a piano accompaniment, my dd is thrilled to join him. Dad is musical so he can usually just pick up wherever they are. Teen dd is giving the 7yo piano lessons now. All of the family is connected through music!

Music is one of those common points I love fostering in the home! And fostering it need not hinge on whether or not YOU (the parent) know music! There are such great resources out there now. Between the recorder and the piano, the world of music has opened for my children!

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Posted: July 10 2012 at 9:28pm | IP Logged Quote SallyT

Don't discount singing, too, if you can carry a tune at all (or even if you think you can't). Talk about an instrument that's free and portable . . .

Simple rounds like "Dona Nobis Pacem" can be great fun, for example, and there's no end to pieces like this that can be learned "straight" (not as a round) and enjoyed until such time as you have a number of singers who can hold up a part.

We've been very undisciplined instrumental musicians (except for my 18yo, who has taken violin for the last 10 years), but we do find singing easy and natural. Not the von Trapps, but we have fun.

Sally

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