Classical Music for Children - BBC Ten Pieces

[nannynick]

Today the BBC aired a programme aimed at school aged children which adds modern visuals to ten classical pieces of music.

BBC Ten Pieces website contains links to various resources including lesson plans like this one for In The Hall Of The Mountain King (pdf).

Iplayer Link (available until end of October 2014)

"Ten Pieces aims to open up the world of classical music to children – and inspire them to develop their own creative responses to the pieces through music, dance or digital art."

Will it do that? I hope it may encourage some children to at least listen to classical music on occasion without moaning. Whenever I put classical music on whilst doing the school run, one child nearly always moans about it, but actually they do tend to like it after a while.

I have one child who naps better if classical music is playing

I think the best way to get your kids into classical music, alongside playing it at home of course, is to take them to a concert and get good seats. And with a good orchestra. I can still remember the first time I saw a professional orchestra play and it was wonderfully exciting - all of those musicians going at full pelt, at the height of their artistic powers - amazing stuff.

Also, I wouldn't assume that they'll only like the 'lighter' or more popular pieces - if you get them young enough, before they've formed any preconceptions, children will listen to anything. It's only as you get older that your tastes get set. Although having said that, ime there are some clear winners - 20th century stuff goes down very well, especially the Russians like Prokofiev and Shostakovich with their percussive rhythms and gorgeous scrunchy chords - kids love that kind of thing. You might think that it's all about the big tunes but actually if it's music you can jump up and down to then you're onto a winner. Part is a good bet too, although in a different way.

My kids are still more cbeebies than cbbc but they have also done some classical things, there was a cbeebies prom and a cbeebies ballet (which is touring the country). When I searched for this on my iplayer app there was also a programme aimed at children with learning difficulties called Dance with the Elements.

My kids have loved the cbeebies stuff despite not having much exposure to classical music, apart from me playing it in the car sometimes - they'd rather listen to Frozen or They Might Be Giants or The Wombles .