Music Appreciation

Do you like playing and listening to music? Do you like learning about history? Have you ever wondered what life was like for famous composers and musicians such as J.S. Bach, A. Vivaldi, W. A. Mozart, L. v. Beethoven, N. Paganini, J. Brahms or P. Tchaikovsky? What were they like as people? Would you like to know what is so special about Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony or Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker?

Instructor Anna's answer to all of the questions above is “Yes!” She so much enjoyed playing the violin and viola and learning about music history that she spent years studying music and earned a Doctorate Degree in music. For over twenty years, she has been performing orchestral music in larger ensembles like symphony orchestras and performing chamber music in smaller ensembles like string quartets. During this time, she has also been teaching people of all ages how to play the violin or viola and how to better appreciate the music that they are playing.

She welcomes you to join with a small group of other music students for a Music Appreciation class! Knowing more about the historical time periods, the composers’ personalities and life stories, the technological developments of musical instruments over time, and the various forms pieces were written in can make playing and listening to music even more fun!

Ages: 4th-6th grade, 6th-8th grade, 9th-12th grade

Class length: one hour, once/week plus some (enjoyable!) listening and reading to prepare for class.

Curriculum: Musical eras covered include the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century.

Books and Listening Materials:

• 4th-8th grade students: Meet the Great Composers by Maurice Hinson and June C. Montgomery

• High school and optional parent book: How to Listen to Great Music: A Guide to its History, Culture and Heart by Robert Greenberg

The storylines of some of the most famous operas have been set in the comic book style of a graphic novel. Check out these Illustrated Opera Synopses on Metropolitan Opera's website.

Illustrated Synopses