Bring on the Bach, baby!

We’ve had over twelve inches of rain so far this month, with still a few days remaining. Swarms of mosquitoes viciously attack us the moment we step outside ( Jonah got 23 mosquito bites in the car during twenty minutes it took me to figure out how to put the covers back on the #X!&$% car seats after washing them) and here is the forecast for the rest of the week:

Wednesday: isolated thunderstorms

Thursday: thundershowers

Friday: heavy thunderstorms

Saturday: scattered thundershowers

Even though we’ve discovered new indoor activities (we just found a great toddler story time at the library), the “no television” policy was quickly tossed out the window. We watch a Baby Einstein DVD most days, because – as my friend Amy aptly put it - “Sometimes they just need to chill.”

But sometimes we have to just get out of the house, even if it’s just to drive around listening to music for half an hour in the rain. One of the great finds at a recent library trip was the book/CD combination called “ Themes to Remember” by Marjorie Kiel Persons.

As a teaching tool, it’s appropriate for preschoolers through high school. For now, the boys and I just listen to the CD, but the book has explanations of music terms, brief composer biographies, descriptions of genres, ideas for corresponding activities such as art, dance, and games.

It also has recommendations for CDs and books for exploring each genre further. And the author’s web site has a suggested schedule for introducing all 128 themes over a six-year period. It is truly a wonderful way to introduce children (and their ignorant parents in my case!) to classical music.

Another resource I just found is the Classics For Kids radio show – six minutes focusing on one work by a classical composer. You can access all past shows on their site (a new one comes out each month) as well as corresponding activity sheets, games, and a musical dictionary.