Music Appreciation Book 2: for the Middle Grades - Crew Review

Music Appreciation Book 2: for the Middle Grades from Zeezok Publishing will introduce students to seven great men who devoted their lives to composing and performing amazing pieces of music. Music Appreciation Book 2 includes one Student Book and the following nine composer biographies: Frederic Chopin Early Years, Frederic Chopin Later Years, Robert Schumann and Mascot Ziff, Adventures of Richard Wagner, Stephen Foster and His Little Dog Tray, The Young Brahms, The Story of Peter Tchaikovsky, Peter Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker Ballet, and Edward MacDowell and His Cabin in the Pines. Each composer’s childhood and adult life are vividly described in these individual biographies. Every important incident is mentioned and every detail of the stories is true. Each book contains written music and delightful pictures throughout.

In the Student Book, there is a weekly outline for each composer followed by activity pages filled with comprehension questions, character qualities, tidbits of interest, vocabulary words to learn, family history, music theory, composer quiz, and so much more. The answer key follows each composer quiz. Students can choose to create a journaling notebook or a lapbook which will allow them to connect with the lives of these musicians in a hands-on way. Directions for each journal activity are provided throughout the Student Book. Students can purchase the lapbook separately to create one lapbook for all seven composers using easy-to-assemble pre-printed pages. Parents may also purchase a package of coloring pages that include over 80 professional drawn illustrations – so younger students can participate during the weekly activities.

Music Appreciation Book 2 includes QR codes which provide easy access to all the songs from the biographies. It also includes App Alerts which provide a variety of additional website links and interactive quizzes to enhance the learning experience.

Our family has especially enjoyed the added recipes throughout the Music Appreciation Book 2. We like trying new recipes, and it’s a great way to get a taste of culture from the life and time of each composer.

Our favorite composer from Music Appreciation Book 2 is Peter Tchaikovsky. Our family has a ballerina who has performed several times in The Nutcracker. Although the original production in St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 18, 1892 was not a success, The Nutcracker eventually gained worldwide popularity. In our opinion, this ballet contains some of Tchaikovsky’s finest compositions. The ballet Swan Lake is also another family favorite. This composition was written for Peter’s nieces and nephews; and it was very interesting to learn that it took him three years to finish the full length ballet.

Music Appreciation Book 2 is structured to be a thorough music appreciation program, with an introduction to music theory. It has been written to meet all the national standards for teaching grades 5-8 music appreciation. Through the individual biographies and accompanying activity book, students hear multiple songs by each classical composer, learn about their lives, and discover the history of their homeland; which promote an appreciation for classical music and the composer. Visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about Music Appreciation Book 2: for the Middle Grades from Zeezok Publishing.