| In Bach's day he was not known as a great composer, he was known as the greatest organist of his day. Bach and the Organ tells the story of his unusual life. Following the Stories in Music™ format, Track One is a musical biography of Johann Sebastian Bach narrated by Yadu, Track Two is how his music was almost lost to history by Bonnie Ward Simon, Track Three is a musical surprise, Track Four is About the Organ with David Enlow, professor of organ at the Juilliard School of Music, Track Five will be musical selections by JSB, and Track Six will be a Sing-Along. Learn About Bach! Learn About the Organ! |  child's sculpture of J.S. Bach |
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Bonnie Simon, President of Maestro Classics, was recently interview by Justin Pennington from "The Cultural Aficionado." Read the full interview at http://www.theculturalaficionado.com/cultural-insights-with-bonnie-simon/
Maestro Classics is proud to be sponsoring a new season of the Classical Classroom Podcast!
Hosted by Dacia Clay, The Classical Classroom started in 2013 at Houston Public Radio and is now affiliated with KING FM 98.1 in Seattle, WA. In the show, Dacia, (a self-admitted newbie to classical music) interviews some of the biggest names in the genre to learn more about the art form. Listen to the latest episodes featuring violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who has released 37 albums to-date and was Billboard’s top selling classical instrumentalist in 2014, and Grammy Award-Winning guitarist Sharon Isbin, head of the Classical Guitar Department at the Juilliard School. The Classical Classroom also offers free downloadable lesson plans and teacher study guides to accompany many of the episodes. New episodes come out every Monday and will feature guests like Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn, and the Miro Quartet. Listen to Classical Classroom on iTunes.
 Local festival at a Buddhist Temple  exotic bird in Bhutan Imagine my surprise when out of the blue we at Maestro Classics received an email from The Netherlands asking if we would donate a set of Maestro Classics CDs to the Kilu Music School in Thimpu, Bhutan. The email began: The Bhutan Music Foundation, a non-profit organization formed in 2011, is based in The Netherlands for the creation and promotion of musical activity and education in Bhutan, with an emphasis on traditional Bhutanese cultural heritage. They also support general musical education and promote Bhutanese music abroad.
Konrad Czynski, the narrator known as "Yadu" in the Maestro Classics Stories in Music series, has received the 2018 Excellence in Service to Students Award from Minnesota State University-Moorhead! Dr. Czynski is a very popular professor of humanities at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Learn more about Dr. Czynski and watch this short video by his students:
Getting started
There are many different types of guitar that you can learn. Your choice will generally be decided by the type of music that you wish to play. It could be a good idea to make a trip to a local music shop to try the different models and decide which one you like the feel of. When trying to get your child interested, consider ways to make practicing the guitar into a game to keep them engaged. Acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is played by picking at the strings with fingers or a pick. The vibration of the strings makes the sound which is made louder by the hollow body of the guitar. A nylon string acoustic guitar is a common choice for beginners as the strings are easier on fingers tired from all that practice. Steel strings are also an option - these are louder to play. There are many affordable models of acoustic guitars on the market that are perfect for those getting started. Electric guitar In the past decade, sales of electric guitars have fallen from 1.5 million to 1 million, but don’t let that put you off giving it a go yourself. They are great fun to play but do need to be accompanied by an amplifier or some software with an audio interface and headphones. Electric guitars can be easier to play because they have a smaller body and thinner neck. Also as the amplifier is used to control the sound, it requires a lighter touch on the strings. Whichever instrument you choose to learn, it is important to remember that you will need to put in many hours of practice to perfect the art. If you are learning an instrument as a family, try to make the learning fun by getting everyone involved. And remember the effort is worth it because music really can help make you smarter.  Use these new music appreciation lesson plans created by Bonnie Ward Simon, to supplement the "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" and "Casey at the Bat" CD/MP3.
These lesson plans are designed to introduce the sounds of the symphony orchestra, and meet the national standards for music education which include:
Enjoy!
If you would like to some quiet, no work for you, time with your kids, try listening to the Maestro Classics’ Stories in Music series together. Children love stories and music, and parents and older children will enjoy the composer biographies and friendly talks about music by the conductor. Not sure where to begin? Start with the listening guide.
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