How we do it - Composer Study

We are finishing up our latest composer and I decided to combine two posts into one - How we do it and what we've done for Tchaikovsky.

Here is a wonderful Squidoo Lens on How to do Composer Study - Charlotte Mason style.

First, I pick a composer that we will study for 3 to 4 months, depending on interest. Over the last couple years, we have studied Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, and now Tchaikovsky.

The only resource I have personally purchased for composer study is "The Story of . . ." cd series, such as this one for Tchaikovsky, and at the time I bought them they were on sale for about $3 each. These give short biographies and a small selection of the composer's work. Most of these are available through our library so I don't know that I'll be purchasing more once we start to run out.

All other resources I get through our library system starting with a search using the composer's name. The most powerful way my kids have connected with the different composer's is through stories - stories about the composer, or stories the composer wrote or composed music for.

For example, Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky's interest in music began after the death of his mother. He found comfort in composing. His father found a teacher for him and at one point asked the teacher if Tchaikovsky could potentially have a career in music. The teacher advised the father that Tchaikovsky should pursue a career in civil services, which Tchaikovsky did. He later quit his job, attended a music university, became a professor when he graduated, and of course went on to become TCHAIKOVSKY!!

We have also long LOVED the story of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and many other stories he composed music for, such as Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet.

A great series of cds is the Classical Kids series mixing a fictional story with authentic details of the composer's life and of course, the composer's music. Tchaikovsky Discovers America is based on a picture book of the same name which we also read.

Another great cd I found for Tchaikovsky was the Story of Swan Lake, part of the Maestro Classics/Stories in Music series.

And there were a variety of music cd's that we checked out and listened to as well.

I try to find picture books for us to read as well. This is a little more challenging because we just aren't interested in reading a "biography" with all the boring names, dates, and places that don't really tell you about the person who is the composer. We like picture books, fiction or non-fiction, that tell a story. Tchaikovsky Discovers America is a good example.

I will also look for videos or opportunities for us to watch a performance related to the composer that are geared for children. Earlier this year we attended a children's production of The Magic Flute by Mozart and next month we will be attending a children's production of The Nutcracker.

I think we will study Sergei Prokofiev next . . . Peter and the Wolf, Cinderella, Pincus and the Pig, The Love for Three Oranges . . . Doesn't it sound fascinating?