Review: A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers

I sometimes get caught in a rut and focus only on the 3 R’s, neglecting topics that may fall in the fine arts or other area.  Making way in the schedule to study something that doesn’t fall within the basic skill set needed as an adult is sometimes difficult, especially if your student is struggling with things like writing a decent paragraph or other necessary skills.  After all, some may reason that writing skills as an adult are more important than knowing whether Bach was from the Baroque or the Classical period.  If only there were unlimited hours in the day with which to learn! My other obstacle is *my* time.  Not only am I often lacking knowledge in such areas, I don’t have time to put something together. Those homeschool moms that “just put together a study” on whatever subject you’ve always wanted to know more about, happily scouring the internet, creating timelines from scratch, and creating thought-provoking questions and activities always awe me and make me want to send my deprived kids to their house!

I realized I didn’t have to after receiving A Young Scholar’s Guide to the Composers by Bright Ideas Press. This program is a study of music for homeschoolers, regardless of previous knowledge of the subject.  Everything is done for the busy (and intimidated) homeschooling mom.  Furthermore, each lesson is completed over a short days three days a week.

A Young’s Scholar’s Guide to the Composers includes 32 weekly lessons covering 6 periods of music and 26 composer biographies.  The first few lessons cover give an overview of the Ancient through Baroque periods.  Once a broad understanding of the early periods is obtained, focus on particular composers starts with Lesson 4 and the Baroque period. The composer lessons are grouped and studied according to the period. 

This program is intended for grades 4-8, but is very adaptable. In fact, while I used it with my 7th grade son, I already have some materials on my shelves that would be a wonderful supplement to make it a comprehensive high school course for credit for my high school daughter.  The Appendix also makes many suggestions for resources to explore, including books, CDs, DVDs, and websites, as well as gives ideas for games and folderbooks (simplified lapbooks).

The schedule is very easy to follow and not overly involved in preparation. The suggested schedule is:

Day 1: read-aloud, note-taking or student review, listen to music (links provided). The student pages are all provided. The lesson/read-aloud takes about 15 minutes to read. Students can also read this to themselves.

Day 2: timeline, map work, and composer info card, listen to music again.  All of the prep work is done for you.  This is hands-on work and mostly involves highlighting lines, drawing a line from a picture to a map location, and using provided graphics and prompts to complete informational cards.

Day 3: listen to music selections again.

As noted, links to music selections for each lesson are provided, along with questions and things to which particular attention should be paid for each piece.

The music selections, graphics, timeline and map printouts, glossary, answer key, and other supplemental resources are all provided in the Appendix. While I see this is a very organized way to do things (e.g. all composer graphics together), I would have preferred to have some of it right within the lesson.  The lesson portion includes the reading and the student or note-taking pages.  The schedule information and hands-on instructions and printables are located elsewhere.

For the map work, students draw a color-coded line, which correlates to certain periods, from the composer to the country.

 We’ve never done a study like this and I was pleasantly surprised at how much my son seemed to enjoy it.  I had him complete the note-taking pages while I was reading, which helped him maintain focus on the material.  I thought he might not want to listen to the selections, since they are much different from his preferred music, but this was not at all the case.

For the hands-on component, we decided to use a blank spiral book, that will keep all of the composer information, in one place rather than individual folders.  I was shocked at how into the cutting, pasting, and deciding on the design he was.  Truly shocked. I am heavily considering more hands-on work in his studies.

We reduced the size of the timeline and map so they would fit on one page.  Composer cards are kept in a pocket on the opposite page.  Terms, designs, mini-books and more are planned to fill in the pages. At the end of the study, the completed notebook will be a great review and memory of the study.

Overall, I thought A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers was very nicely done and made this normally stick-to-the-3Rs mom want to branch out a bit.  It just took a snippet of our week and was extremely easy to execute with everything at my finger tips. My son has really enjoyed this study, and I have too.

 A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers is available from Timberdoodle. Visit their website or request a free homeschool catalog to browse other products.

Disclaimer: As a part of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team. I was provided this product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I have received no other compensation. I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.

Review: Kinderbach

Finding a quality music program for young children is difficult. Formal one-on-one lessons are often too much for little ones, requiring longer attention spans that most preschoolers have to give. Yet, many little ones are ready to move beyond just appreciating music and start learning rhythm, note identification, and music patterns. Kinderbach is a music instruction program for ages 2-7, with lessons available through an online membership or on DVD. If you have a budding musician in your house, Kinderbach may be just the answer to get them started.

I reviewed Kinderbach last year for the 2008-2009 review season. I'm not going to repeat myself on all the details; you can read my original review here. However, I would like to highlight some of the additions from last year.

You can read a full Scope and Sequence by Level at the website to get an idea of all this curriculum covers.

Since my review last year, more lessons have been added and now include Levels 5 and 6.

New features include:


Student DVDs forLevel 1-3

The new student DVDs run $9.95 each and include entertaining songs and stories from the corresponding levels




Crafts and Games for Level 1-3

A floor keyboard, flash cards, posters and games are all available as PDF downloads. Costs range from free - $9.95.



Coloring Pages

Also available as a PDF download, coloring pages corresponding to the lesson are available with costs ranging from free - $3.95.

Below is an introductory video that will tell you more about this program:



A free 2-week trial is also available so you can try before you buy.

An online Kinderbach membership is available for $19.99/month or at a discount for $95.88/year. If you'd like to fully check out all lessons, you can purchase a day pass for $5.95. Also available are a variety of DVD packages, which may be a better value if you'd like to use the lessons over the years with younger siblings. This would also be the preferred option if you are on dial-up. Kinderbach comes with a no-risk 30 day money back guarantee.

Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew's blog to read more reviews on this product and others.

Disclaimer: This review was provided as a result in my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew in exchange for my honest review. I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to read reviews of other Crew members and research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.

Review: Worship Guitar Class

A year or two ago, my son expressed that he would like to learn to play guitar. While I try to honor such requests when presented, guitar lessons were neither in our schedule nor budget. Music education was being covered through private piano lessons already. I put the request off, with a promise that I would consider it for the future.

About six months ago, a grandparent gifted my son with an electric guitar for his birthday. After a few rounds on the electric guitar it was apparent that not only did interest remain, but that lessons were certainly in order if our ears were ever to be safe again. Since the original request, piano lessons had been stopped temporarily for budget reasons. I had already been tossing around the idea of starting guitar instead when the budget allowed again.

Needless to say, when Worship Guitar Class on DVD arrived for review, I had a very willing test subject. Worship Guitar is the creation of Jean Welles, who has a master's degree in Guitar Performance from USC. There are four volumes of the course available, as well as a version for younger kids. I received Volume One, intended for ages 10 and up. A small booklet with the songs is included with the DVDS. A larger 16-page student book, also provided for review, covers the material from the lessons and the musical notations for the songs used.

The DVD starts with an explanation of the parts of the guitar and how to tune your instrument. After this introduction, students are ready to start the first of the seven lessons included on the DVD. Lesson one teaches two chords, A and E7. At the end of the lesson, Jean Welles leads in playing He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. A dozen chords, seven worship songs, and a half dozen strums and picking patterns are taught over the course of the seven lesson. Each lesson lasts for about 3-5 minutes. There is also a practice section that covers the songs more slowly than during the lessons. The DVD includes the option of Spanish subtitles with each lesson.

The video below will give you an overview of the complete 4-volume program.




The first lesson for Volume One is also available for viewing.




Our Experience

Welles appears to be a very patient teacher. Her voice is calming and her focus is praise and worship through playing music. She has a professional presentation and a lovely voice.

I liked that the lessons were short, which was beneficial to my son. Only having two chords to practice after the first lesson was manageable and allowed for obtainable progress. I could tell immediately that it was going to take some time to get the finger muscles trained before playing cords would not be awkward.

The added benefit of learning at home is not having to be on a teacher's time schedule. Some lessons are going to require more practice than others. One of the difficulties we ran into with private piano lessons was getting suitable practice in when schedules became hectic, resulting in children not being prepared for the next lesson. The simplicity and clear instruction of Worship Guitar Class makes learning together at home possible.

Considerations

Instrument Availability

I wanted to have my son learn on an acoustic guitar, rather than his electric, so we borrowed a guitar from a friend. Unfortunately, my son only completed one lesson before that guitar needed to be returned. We borrowed a second guitar, but I had difficulty tuning it. I'm unsure if it was the instrument or user error, but it was an added complication to inexperienced playing. In the end, it was decided that the electric guitar we already owned was easier for practicing the chords and sounded better for now.

While a top-of-the-line guitar isn't necessary for a beginner, I might be beneficial to borrow or rent a quality instrument if possible, especially it you think your child will have a lasting interest. It will make the initial learning experience more enjoyable. Lesson and guitar packages are available at the Worship Guitar website if you are ready to make the initial investment. Welles also makes recommendations of starter guitars.

Hand Dominance

Another consideration is hand dominance. Guitar instruction is further indication that it is a right-hand world out there. As a lefty who wanted to learn along with my son, I had the additional obstacle of feeling like I was doing everything backwards. After a little practice, it felt a bit more natural. While this won't be an issue for most, I thought it might be worth mentioning if you have a lefty in the house. I didn't even consider it until I picked up my son's guitar and realized it was upside-down! Left-handed guitars are available, but many lefties simply learn to play right-handed.

Worldview

This is a Christian course and the focus of this course is on praising and worshiping God while learning guitar. While that is rather evident in the name of the course and suits my family just fine, it may not be the best choice for completely secular users.

Conclusion

Overall, I think the DVDs are an excellent and affordable way to get started playing guitar. The cost of each DVD and student book package isn't much more than one 30-minute private lesson in our area. Lessons are simple and can be played over and over again, allowing students to progress at their own pace and timetable. Furthermore, I like that there is no traveling involved and we can easily learn together. A total of 28 songs, 60 chords and 30 strumming and finger picking patterns are taught over the course of the four volumes, for a great head start in playing guitar. If you or your child are interest in learning guitar, this DVD series may be a great way to gauge lasting interest and learn the basics before investing in expensive private lessons.

No extra licensing is needed to use these DVDs in a group setting and Welles encourages them to be used in this manner. It is obvious that she enjoys teaching and uses her talents as a ministry.

Single volumes of Worship Guitar Class are $29.95 and come with a 1-year money-back guarantee. This price includes the student book, which is also available separately for $5.95. There are various discount packages available, including those with guitars. The Worship Guitar Class on DVD can be purchased from the Worship Guitar website or at select retail and music stores.

Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew's blog to read more reviews on this product and others.

Disclaimer: This review was provided as a result in my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew, a team of 100+ homeschooling parents. While the product was provided at no expense to me in order to provide this review, I have not received any other compensation. Furthermore, receipt of the product does not guarantee a positive review. I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to read reviews of other Crew members and research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.

Review: Maestro Classics' The Tortoise and the Hare

What do you get when you combine great story telling with the London Philharmonic Orchestra? Maestro Classics.

Maestro Classics produces CDs that are a wonderful story-telling experience and music education rolled into one. Classical music need not be unobtainable nor boring to young audiences. Maestro Classics strives to bring the magic of music to all ages.

Mission Statement

Maestro Classics™ is the ambassador of great music for both children and adults, helping them experience the art form in new and exciting ways. Through wondrous new recordings, innovative educational and performance materials, and uplifting live performances, Maestro Classics™ guides audiences as they expand their listening horizons and discover the magic that can only be called music.

Each story is told in the tradition of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf for a perfect blend of story and music. The merging talents of Yadu, narrator, and Stephen Simon, conductor and composer, make for an enjoyable delivery of each story adaptation by Bonnie Ward Simon. More about the CD series and the reasoning behind the structure can be read at http://www.magicmaestromusic.com/whatwedo.html.

Titles available are:

• The Tortoise and the Hare
• Peter and the Wolf
• The Story of Swan Lake
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice
• Casey at the Bat
• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
• Juanita the Spanish Lobster
• Juanita la longosta espanola

The title I received for review was The Tortoise and the Hare.

I'll be honest; I wasn't expecting much from this product. My children have always enjoyed listening to stories on tape. Over the years, we have become pretty loyal to two different series and I wasn't sure how this one would compare. I was also a bit suspicious that the music element would seem a bit forced.

If packaging accounts for anything, it gives an impression of quality. The colorful three-fold cardboard sleeve contains an introduction from the Simons, a 23-page guide, and CD. The guide has general music information such as instruments of the orchestra, notes and fractions, and time signatures. Also included is story specific information. For example, in the guide for The Tortoise and the Hare, there is a one-page spread explaining the differences between a turtle and tortoise and a rabbit and a hare, music to a song in the story and related puzzles.

There are 7 tracks on the CD. The first is the story itself, lasting 20.43 minutes. While I've heard the story of The Tortoise and the Hare many times, this version was quite enjoyable. I've never heard of the narrator, Yadu, but he did a fabulous job. This is not a dumbed down version; the vocabulary is rich and despite my original concerns, the music component is not forced.

The following three tracks, approximately 10 minutes long, tell a bit about the story, feature a song from the story, and explain the included music. The latter was my favorite portion. Conductor Stephen Simon shares how and why he selected various instruments, rhythm, and music to portray the characters and various events. He highlights a component that might otherwise be taken for granted with an unexplained listening.

I particularly liked that the music discussion took place after the story track, so listeners could simply enjoy the story performance without an initial dissection of parts. After learning more about the story and music included, the listener is directed to listen to the story once again on the next track. The listener, with more information on both the story and music, is then better equipped to understand the purpose of the story, to recognize the interaction of the music and story, and hear the individual instruments. The following few minutes to the CD highlight the "Pretzel Vendor of Paris" song and encourage the listener to participate in a sing-along.

I was pretty impressed with this product. My only issue wasn't about the product, but that my kids were a bit too old for it. I think they actually enjoyed it, but associate The Tortoise and the Hare as being for much younger children. It was a bit of a stumbling block for my tweens. However, this is an excellent CD for younger children, especially if they are involved in music lessons of any kind. It would be a great starting point to get them to notice music around them in general, whether its use in a favorite movie or what type of story it tells on its own. I would love to see this same concept applied to stories more appealing to older kids. I noticed that my oldest perked up during the portion explaining the music choices as I'm sure it wasn't something she considered during the first listen.

Individual titles run for $16.98 or you can take advantage of the current 3 for $45 special. Listening samples of Peter and the Wolf and The Story of Swan Lake are available at the Maestro Classic website, http://www.magicmaestromusic.com/.

Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew's blog to read more reviews on this product and others.

Disclaimer: This review was provided as a result in my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew, a team of 100+ homeschooling parents. While the product was provided at no expense to me in order to provide this review, I have not received any other compensation. Furthermore, receipt of the product does not guarantee a positive review. I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to read reviews of other Crew members and research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.

A Review of Kinderbach

Even when my kids were tiny, I knew that I wanted them to study piano. Not only did I want them to have the joy of playing a musical instrument, the study of music has been linked to academic success in other areas. As soon as my daughter turned 4, I started to inquire at local studios about lessons. My musical ability is very limited and I did not feel I could give instruction at home. Much to my surprise, starting formal music lessons before age 7 was discouraged. Ability to read is often a prerequisite, but even though my daughter could read at 4, there was still some hesitancy. However, I believe that children can enjoy learning music even before they are ready for formal academics. We did eventually wait until my daughter was about 5 1/2, with my son starting about the same age. However, I wish a resource to teach preschoolers music at home had been available to us in those early years of learning the basics.


Kinderbach is an online music instructional program for ages 2-7. Karri Gregor, Kinderbach founder, teaches children the basic principles of note reading, rhythm, singing, identifying patterns and playing the piano through over 300 web-based video lessons. The 60 lessons included are considered to be 2 years of instruction. You can view a syllabus of the curriculum by level here. The weekly lessons are further broken down in four sessions, each approximately 3-5 minutes long. Printable PDF coloring pages and worksheets accompany the video instruction (see below). All that is needed is a piano or keyboard. Even an inexpensive toy keyboard will be sufficient.


The video presentation is a combination of real people (and animals!) and simple cartoon drawings. With Karri directing information and questions toward the child from a cartoon room, the look reminded me somewhat of the popular PBS show, Blue's Clues. However, keeping distractions at a minimum, the characters are not animated. Characters are used as visual aids, either as drawings or puppets with Karri, in the story line. Frisco and friends, starting with Dodi the donkey, who lives at the two black keys, explain musical concepts and note reading in a way that a young child can understand and apply to future music training. For example, the first letter of each character's name corresponds to a letter key and each character has a place on the keyboard. Children who can neither read nor have letter recognition can experience beneficial music instruction. Lessons can be repeated at any time during the subscription period.

There are several levels of programs and payment options. I reviewed the Bronze online membership.

Bronze Membership, includes 60 lessons and PDF worksheets
1-year subscription, payable monthly, $14.95
1-year subscription, payable in one payment, $85 (over 50% savings)

Other online membership options are in development and can be viewed here.

The first year Kinderbach curriculum is also available in DVD for $214, which includes the following:

Lessons 1-30
6 - Instructional DVDs
6 - Activity E-Books
6 - Activity Audio CDs
Patriotic, Everyday, Hymns and Christmas Songbook Package
4 - E-Songbooks
4 - Corresponding Audio CDs

The DVD option is the best choice if you have a slow internet connection or if you have younger children who could benefit from the program at a later date. It is at a much higher cost, but you could also resell the program to another homeschooler when completed, reducing your expense. There are several other DVD packages, which can be viewed here.

Compared to private instruction, Kinderbach is a steal with a one-time payment of $85 for a yearly subscription. In private lessons, the rate for young students learning the basics is the same for the experienced student studying complicated classical pieces. Learning the basics at home will save you the expense of those first private lessons. For comparison, we currently pay $24 for a 30-minute lesson. The 1-year Bronze online membership is equivalent in cost to less than four weekly private lessons in our area. For 60 lessons, our annual cost for one child would be $1440! If you have more than one child in the targeted age, Kinderbach can be used by both for even more savings. Furthermore, lesson are done in the privacy of your own home, at your child's pace, and with no parental experience in music required.

At ages 9 and 11, my children have been studying piano for 4 and 6 years respectively. They are a bit too old and experienced to test run this product for review. However, I believe they would have both enjoyed this program at the preschool age as an introduction to formal lessons. I did feel that the lessons were too short for a child on the older end of the targeted range and that the content and presentation was geared more towards preschool or early K. Do not expect your child to be playing Bach at the end of this program; Kinderbach is an introduction to music study. Some sessions were devoted to listening to songs and the progress was slow going. However, all 4 sessions could easily be watched in one sitting, for a weekly 20 minute lesson. Most private lessons are about 30 minutes, with probably a good 10 minutes devoted to items other than direct instruction.

Kinderbach will appeal to most young children and engage them with its fun presentation. If you are considering formal lessons for your young child, this would be an excellent resource to give them an early start. If you aren't sure your child will have enough interest in studying music, Kinderbach would be a good way to try out readiness and interest without seeking out a private teacher and making a purchase of an expensive piano. The Bronze online membership is the most economical way to try the program and will give your child(ren) a full year to explore music.

Try out the first two lessons for free here and see if Kinderbach is the resource for your family to introduce your young child to the joy of music. All products carry a 30-day no hassle return policy.

Visit the Official Blog of the TOS Crew to read more reviews on Kinderbach.