Favorite Works From Our Staff - Lisa Carter, Part 2

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Favorite Works From Our Staff - Lisa Carter, Part 2

The great thing about classical music and many contemporary pieces of music is that one can imagine one’s own stories and scenes to go along with the piece. Of course, it’s always good to research the meaning behind a piece of music so you can understand what the composer was intending; but putting your own story to a piece is also one of the most entertaining and inspiring things I can think of doing. Whether I’m writing a story or a piece of music, this is something that never fails to inspire me.

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Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto

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One thing I enjoy about classical music is how much contrast you can experience in a short time. There are a lot of ways composers guide the audience through a wide variety of emotions, sounds, colors, etc. Peter Tchaikovsky’s music takes the listener on a journey from the quaint and straightforward to the extraordinary and lavish.

Today, I am highlighting the first movement from Piano Concerto in Bb-Major by Tchaikovsky. Enjoy the wide range of dynamics, contrasting tone colors, tempos, and emotions that inhabit this work. Find the song at the top of the playlist to the right.

Be sure to follow M3 Creative Academy on social media for updates, listening recommendations, and more information to help you and your children enjoy classical music.

Benjamin Britten, British composer and musician

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Benjamin Britten, British composer and musician

Throughout the 20th century, many musicians perceived the importance of educating the young about classical music. This effort was not only undertaken in the west but was also given precedence in the Soviet Union. Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev is one of the most notable works seeking to introduce young people to the orchestra and classical music. In the west, several pieces ventured to accomplish this task. One was written by a composer I would like to introduce today, Benjamin Britten.

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Classical Christmas Music

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Classical Christmas Music

Is there a better way to enjoy Christmas Music? YES! This year, I encourage you to help your kids enjoy some of the most excellent Christmas music ever written and appreciate the diversity and variety that we currently have available.  Plus, I have several resources to help your kids enjoy making their own Christmas music this year.

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America: Classical Music Around The World, Sousa, Ives, and Joplin

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America: Classical Music Around The World, Sousa, Ives, and Joplin

“Of the people, for the people, and by the people.” - Abraham Lincoln

President Lincoln was not discussing music in the United States, but his statement about government could apply. Music in the United States has always been driven by what the people want. At the turn of the 20th century (1900), many American composers began to create great music that is held as both art and entertainment.

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America: Classical Music Around The World

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America: Classical Music Around The World

When most people think about classical music, they immediately think about Europe. There is good cause for this, but a lot of artful music has been composed in other cultures around the world. Today, we will take a look at American classical music, how it got started, and how it developed.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas and Symphony Fantastique : Music For Halloween

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The Nightmare Before Christmas and Symphony Fantastique : Music For Halloween

Today is Halloween, and we are completing our playlist with two excellent selections. First, is Hector Berlioz’ Symphony Fantastique, and second some selections from the animated classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas. These two pieces may seem random, but they share something in common.

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Death And The Maiden Quartet: Music For Halloween

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Death And The Maiden Quartet: Music For Halloween

Death And The Maiden Quartet by Franz Schubert. Halloween reveals our fascination with mortality. Death is something that frightens us and motivates us. Schubert composed this second to the last quartet not long after being diagnosed with an incurable disease. This work is about a young woman facing her death, but there is the underlying reality that Schubert is also contemplating his mortality at the young age of 25.

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The Phantom of the Opera: Music For Halloween

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The Phantom of the Opera: Music For Halloween

The Phantom of the Opera was originally a book from 1909 by Gaston Leroux, published a few chapters at a time in the French magazine Le Gaulois. The tale takes place at the Palais Garnier when a mysterious figure who lives in tunnels surrounding a lake beneath the opera house begins to terrorize the performers and managers.

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Erlkönig: Music For Halloween 2019

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Erlkönig: Music For Halloween 2019

Day 5. Franz Schubert and Johann Von Goethe tell the tale of chase, mystery, and death. This masterpiece for voice and piano weaves a tale with five characters. Watch the video post on my blog and learn how Schubert does this miraculous feat. Also, I have provided a worksheet with translation for you and your kids to follow.

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Dies Irae, Verdi's Requiem: Classical Music For Halloween

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Dies Irae, Verdi's Requiem: Classical Music For Halloween

Day 3 of Classical Halloween Music. Giuseppe Verdi composed one of the greatest Requiem Masses even. A requiem is typically used for a funeral service, but this one was so grand that it is only performed in concert. The Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) is actually speaking about God’s wrath upon all evildoer at the end of time, but it makes for a dramatic piece for Halloween as well. The first words are “Day of Wrath and Doom Impending…” Be sure to listen for the promenade bass drum part.

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