When I was in school, one of my favorite classes was music. I enjoyed singing all styles, playing instruments, and everything that encompassed this great form of art. My joy for this class was reignited when this review provided the opportunity to teach our oldest Music Appreciation I from Memoria Press.
Music Appreciation I introduces your child to great pieces of Western classical music and their historical context. It also covers various foundational musical concepts including notion, pitch, rhythm, form, and melody. The materials for this course consist of the student book (one per child) and audio companion CD set. The provided materials are pretty much ordered chronologically to portray both the history and evolution of music overall.
During this course Bear enjoyed delving into the popular pieces of music and breaking them down. We used this material three times a week and even the preschoolers enjoyed how each lesson started by listening to a piece of music. After listening on Tuesdays he would read the chapter and follow up with the corresponding tracks on the compact disc. If the reading portion of the chapter was long then I would have him split it up over two days. On the third day, usually Friday, we would listen to the initial piece of music again, review the information learned as well as any important terms, and complete any review questions provided in the text. Every few chapters I was able to test his comprehension using the provided exams. The book includes seven review tests and their answer keys.
Overall I was amazed at how Bear enjoyed listening to and learning about classical music. After a few lessons, he was able to recognize popular pieces from commercials, movies, and some of the video games that he plays. I’ve also noticed him using the terms in regular conversation with his siblings, father, and I. I do believe that he has grasped the concept of this course which is to truly appreciate music. Having the younger children watch an episode of Little Einsteins while brother completed his assignment helped keep them engaged. They were also introduced to the same various music vocabulary and popular pieces by famous composers. At the end of this month, our family will be attending the local Arts & Jazz Festival to hear the various musicians and bands play. I’m also making plans to attend a school Orchestra concert with Bear next month as an additional music-related field trip.
Since 1994, Memoria Press has continued to produce easy-to-use classical Christian education materials for home and private schools. Music Appreciation I and the other various items used by the Homeschool Review Crew are definitely no exception. The company’s standard, commitment to excellence, and sincerity are the reason why we will continue to use their products.
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Make this week musical,
Ta’Neisha K.
Marriage, Motherhood, & Homeschool 
I really want to get my own boys to a “real” performance! It makes it so much more exciting to see the actual instruments being played!