Handel's Messiah, the oratorio that tells the story of Christ from the prophecy of His birth all the way through His death and resurrection, is a piece of music that is so very simple, yet complex at the same time.
For this very reason, it is the PERFECT piece of music to study with children of ALL ages.
The youngest of children are capable of ...
Dynamics - the louds and softs in a piece of music - are a great entrance point for listening. Children are easily able to distinguish between loud and soft.
In each SQUILT lesson, we use the Italian terminology for different dynamic levels. (You would be amazed at the command of this vocabulary many of our students have!)
This simple Dyna...
Classical Music (with a capital C) is defined as music composed specifically between the years of 1750-1820.
The era falls between the Baroque and Romantic eras and is characterized by elegant, stylized forms.
If you hear music spoken about in more general terms - "classical" music can then be any music that is in opposition to pop or folk music...
Do you want to give your children a truly BEAUTIFUL music education, but don't know where to start?
The SQUILT LIVE! community is a vibrant group of children and parents who are learning tremendous amounts about composers, music history, music theory, instruments, the grammar of music, and MUCH more.
It is a community where children as young a...
Fifty years ago man landed on the moon.
As we teach our children about the astronauts who made the historic landing and the science surrounding the Apollo missions, we can also include something many people may overlook - the artists, composers, and other creatives who have been inspired by the moon.
Long before man landed on the moon, c...
I've written before about the many beautiful picture books for children about composers and music. Having a variety of books in your home builds a sense of curiosity and interest in your children.
What happens, however, when our children get older?
Finding quality literature (in any subject area) can be a bit of a challenge. You need to look a b...
I teach at a Christian school to very small classes, and both my older group (11-14) and younger group (5-10) loved the amount of options for the Christmas carol listening calendar! Carol of the Bells and O Come, O Come Emmanuel especially led to lots of great discussion about what makes music sound victorious, joyful, and rich. Thank you Mary!
