March 27, 2020

Favorite Works From Our Staff - Lisa Carter, Part 2

March 27, 2020/ Matthew Murray

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.

March 20, 2020

What Inspired Our Staff - from Lisa Carter

March 20, 2020/ Matthew Murray

Find out what inspired our staff when we were young.

March 10, 2020

Favorite Works From Our Staff - Matt Murray

March 10, 2020/ Matthew Murray

Today, M3 Creative Academy’s owner, Matt Murray, will help you explore a work that greatly inspired him as a teenager.

March 06, 2020

Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto

March 06, 2020/ Matthew Murray

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.

February 25, 2020

Beethoven and Sonata Form

February 25, 2020/ Matthew Murray

Today’s blog post will help you and your children explore one of the most common forms used by the world’s greatest composers: Sonata-Allegro form.

February 18, 2020

Benjamin Britten, British composer and musician

February 18, 2020/ Matthew Murray

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.

February 10, 2020

Classical Music: More Thrilling Than You Think

February 10, 2020/ Matthew Murray

Born in Hungary in 1811, Lizst proved himself to be one of the greatest talents at the piano during the 1800s and in many ways served as a type of rock star. Indeed, he was a celebrity and an extravagant showman.

February 03, 2020

Classical Music: More Exciting Than A Super-bowl Half-time Show

February 03, 2020/ Matthew Murray

Sadly, when most students think about Classical music, they think it’s boring. As parents and educators, we can open the world of classical music to them and show them that it is often more exciting than a raucous Super-Bowl halftime show.

December 09, 2019

Classical Christmas Music

December 09, 2019/ Matthew Murray

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.

November 14, 2019

America: Classical Music Around The World

November 14, 2019/ Matthew Murray

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.

November 05, 2019

13 Reasons Why Classical Music is Essential for Every Music Student

November 05, 2019/ Matthew Murray

When faced with the choice of good or better, which do you choose? Clearly, we want to choose the better. Classical music is better music for a lot of reasons. Here are 13.

October 22, 2019

Night On Bald Mountain: Classical Music For Halloween

October 22, 2019/ Matthew Murray

Set the mood for Halloween! Classical Music In (About) A Minute will highlight music that is spooky, sinister, eerie, and just plain fun. Day 1 starts with Night on Bald Mountain.

October 18, 2019

Russia Part 2: Classical Music Around The World

October 18, 2019/ Matthew Murray

In Part 2 of my focus on Russian classical music, I hope to give you a taste of great music written after the Mighty Handful. (Who are they? Read about them in Part 1)

October 15, 2019

Russia: Classical Music Around The World, Part 1

October 15, 2019/ Matthew Murray

Russia sought to become a world power in the 1700s, and a century later, music and the arts were breaking into the music scene. Composers like Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Borodin, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov all helped to create a Russian style of music that is heard and loved worldwide.

October 04, 2019

Classical Music Around The World: Italy

October 04, 2019/ Matthew Murray

Continuing a tour of the world’s best classical music, we arrive in Italy. There is no doubt that Italian composers have led the way in the world of classical music. Most major musical developments through the 1700s came…

September 25, 2019

Music History: Creating The Rule Book and Throwing It Out

September 25, 2019/ Matthew Murray

Classical Music takes us on a short ride through history and culture. Discover how the rule book was created and then thrown out in the modern era.

September 23, 2019

Who Makes Better Music, Beethoven or Lady Gaga?

September 23, 2019/ Matthew Murray

This week, I will briefly discuss the four periods of modern music (roughly 1600 - now). Hopefully, you will understand how Beethoven and Lady Gaga have more in common than we might think.

FOLLOW @m3creativeacademy on social media and JOIN IN on the conversation to help our kids understand culture and the world through Classical Music.

September 16, 2019

What Is A Symphony?

September 16, 2019/ Matthew Murray

Why are all new movies, either a sequel or a remake? It’s because we like what we like and Hollywood knows it. The symphony is similar. Nearly every composer from the late 1700s through the early 1900s composed symphonies. It was a form that people knew and loved. In today’s post, discover Mozart’s Little G Minor Symphony, written when he was just 17.

September 13, 2019

Für Elise, The World's Most Famous Rondo

September 13, 2019/ Matthew Murray

Our brains notice things more when patterns are used. Music uses repetition to draw us in and help us engage. Help your kids become great listeners by watching this video, reading this post, and helping them learn about music. In this post, we discover how the rondo works by repeating the same section several times.

September 09, 2019

Mozart on the Brain: Listening In Ways That Engage Our Minds

September 09, 2019/ Matthew Murray

If we understand how music works, it is easier to enjoy. One of the primary

tools music uses to help engage the listener is repeating musical ideas.

Watch my video where I describe how composers do this and listen to a couple

examples where it is easy to hear the repeated melodies.

Classical Music In About A Minute