In article ,
"Donna Metler" wrote:

Sounds like there's a timbre preference growing there . At his age, I'd
recommend group music classes like Kindermusik or Musicgarten (or those held
at community centers, without the franchise name), for at least a few years
before starting private lessons.

I'll investigate -- thanks for the tip! I think there's a Kodaly program
somewhere nearby; would that be of use?

Actually, what this means is that you're giving a good environment for music
appreciation to grow. And since preferences seem to be set very young,
you're creating someone who, while he may or may not BE a musician, probably
will have a lifelong love for classical music, at least programmatic songs.

It's mostly from the radio. He actually hears a wide variety of classical
music, but names that he can relate to obviously provide the peg on which to
hang them in his memory! He seemed taken with "Non piangere, Liu" (Yep, same
CD as "E lucevan le stelle" -- Jose Cura singing Puccini arias) simply because
"Don't cry" is something he can understand. Thus references to the moon,
birds, water, bees, flowers, and simple emotions. Come to think of it, he
*would* hear shorter works more often -- we're usually near the radio during
the breakfast programme and the afternoon drive programme. The radio is
usually on ABC Classic FM when we're home, and I'll drop everything if I hear
something I particularly like. DS is showing a leaning to vocal music, I
think; perhaps because *he* can do it. Sort of. It was rather painful
listening to him "singing along" with "Nessun dorma" the other day! He
displayed an unusual interest in a Fritz Wunderlich recording of "An Die
Musik" last week, and wanted the man to "sing some more". Alas, it was the
encore from Wunderlich's last concert.

I'm also telling him the names of musical instruments if they are played
alone, so he now identifies piano, trumpet and guitar (I'm a bit shaky on
differentiating oboe/clarinet and violin/viola, so I won't attempt those!).

DS sings a lot -- in the car, in the shopping trolley, and whenever he picks
up some text (he thinks it's a hymnbook). The word "Jesus" pops up a lot --
that's what regular church attendance does! Bit embarrassing in the shops,
though.

There is a really nice children's video version of "The Magic Flute" which
many of my younger kids find enthralling.

Oooh, please give details.

Other good classical works with nice stories:
Pictures at an Exhibition (most are explainable, and the sections are short)
The Animals
Peter and the Wolf
In the Hall of the Mountain King

I have a CD of Carnival of the Animals and Peter & the Wolf, but haven't tried
it out on him yet. All suggestions are welcome!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the astonishing
creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider one*
grows back..." -- MJ, cam.misc