For many composers, we have added suggested pieces.  However, if it is too difficult to get these in your circumstances, use a “Best of” CD from Amazon or the library, or simply find a single CD or youtube playlist with the chosen composer.

(*Check out our Wildwood Youtube Playlists, though they are still under development)

2023-2024

Term 1

Here is a good, brief post by RaeAnna Goss on Gregorian Chants and Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard’s Gift, a picture book

Term 2

Term 3

Our composer rotation is a mix of classical styles from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and around the world.  We’ve mixed Jazz and Swing in with Beethoven and Puccini, as well as set aside a few terms for purely fun music studies.  In these ‘fun’ terms, we give suggestions but leave the choice up to you and what would appeal to your family.   For those who want a strictly classical study, we also suggest a traditional composer that is not otherwise in the rotation.

Sneak peak at the next year:

2024-2025

  • Fun Choice
  • Debussy
  • Mendelsohn

 

‘Fun’ choices do not need to be strictly instrumental.  We heard from members that occasionally, they want permission to deviate from traditional classical music and just take a break.  To that end, we scheduled in a Fun Term approximately every four years.  Here are some ‘Fun choice’ suggestions:

  • Elvis
  • 1920/30s/40s  novelty songs (Mairzy Doats, Ugly Child, etc)
  • The Beatles
  • John Williams (film scores)
  • gaming tracks (click here to see Nadine’s gaming study)
  • history of rock ‘n’ roll
  • WWII music
  • music of a decade (80’s, 90s music, etc)
  • Lindsey Sterling
  • TransSiberian Orchestra
  • musical theater (West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, etc)
  • movie musicals (Singin’ in the Rain, etc)
  • blues
  • Classical – Spooky Classics
    • Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Bach)
    • Ride of the Valkyries (Wagner)
    • In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg)
    • Mars The Bringer Of War [Allegro] (Hoist)
    • Danse Macabre (Camille Saint-Saens)
    • Night On Bald Mountain (Mussorgsky)
    • Bacchanaele [From “Samson Et Delilah”]
    • Infernal Dance [From “The Firebird”]
    • Central Park In The Dark (Charles Ives)
    • Music For Strings Percussion And Celesta (Béla Bartók)
  •  Classical – Children’s Classics —
    • Britten’s “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”
    • Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf”
    • Dukas’s “The Sorceror’s Apprentice”
    • Biget’s “Jeux d’Enfants”
    • Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” (this is quite religious, and while delightful, could easily be omitted)
    • Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”
    • Ridout’s “Ferdinand”
    • Coates’s “Three Bears Suite”
    • Ravel’s “Mother Goose”
    • Camille Saint-Sean – Carnival of the Animals
    • Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”
    • Rossini’s “Duet for Two Cats”  students will also enjoy  this version

*Note – Children’s Classics should be experienced by everyone at some point.  Use it as a “fun option”, or as free listening (outside of composer study).  If your children have not had much exposure to classical music, consider using these for the entire first year to ease them into it, then pick up with the regular composer study the following year.

To download our entire 12 year composer rotation in pdf:   Composer Framework

Previous Years:

2020-2021

Term 1: Fun Choice- scroll down for ideas (or study Schubert) 

Term 2: Bach

  • Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 – Gigue
  • Musette in D major, BWV Anh. 126
  • Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
  • Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F – Allegro
  • Oboe Concerto in D minor, S D935 – Adagio
  • Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011 – Gavotte

RaeAnna Goss, one of our music contributors, has a free Bach composer study using these pieces. 

Term 3: Opera – Pirates of Penzance, The Magic Flute, your choice of Peter and the Wolf OR Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” (this is quite religious, and while delightful, could easily be omitted)

— We are aware that Peter and the Wolf isn’t an opera, but it is a wonderful narrative story in music.
— Peter and the Wolf and Amahl and the Night Visitors are both scheduled in 1B.  If you did them then, you can either choose another opera, skip these two entirely, or simply watch them again.  There is no harm in repeating the experience.

2021-2022

Term 1

  • Haydn
    • Surprise Symphony
    • String Quartet 46
    • Farewell Symphony
    • Palindrome Symphony
    • String Quartet 62
    • Emperor’s Hymn

RaeAnna Goss, one of our music contributors, has some free Haydn Resources using these pieces. 

Term 2

  • Count Basie
    • Lester Leaps In
    • One O’Clock Jump
  • Benny Goodman
    • Stompin’ at the Savoy
  • Glenn Miller
    • Blue Moon
    • Tuxedo Junction
    • Chattanooga Choo Choo

Term 3

  • Florence Price
    • Symphony Number 1 (movement 3)
    • Piano Sonata in E Minor
    • Violin Concerto No 2
    • Concerto in One Movement
    • The Oak, or Songs of the Oak
    • Mississippi River Suite

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