MUSIC LINKS & BOOKS

Finding interesting resources for music has been one area of homeschooling that has required more effort than usual. But, it certainly can be done!


My just-turned-10 year old, Sophia, just loves playing the harmonica.  She has a few songs down pat and we enjoy being her audience.  


Here are some links that I've found; music sheets, online piano and guitar &  harmonica lessons, etc.  I'll post the info on some of my favorite books, too.




MUSIC - FREE MUSIC SHEETS TO PRINT OUT
Link HERE.




LEARN TO PLAY THE PIANO
free online lessons
Link HERE.




GUITAR LESSONS JUST FOR KIDS - online
Link HERE.




HOW TO PLAY THE HARMONICA
Link HERE.

The books above all have CD's that go along with them. My kids aren't too crazy about the Carnival of the Animals set, but they do listen to it.  The other two, on the top, are fantastic resources !  I found both of them in libraries and once we listened to them, I was certainly willing to buy them.  The Children's Book of Music is particularly good for kids that are 10 and up.  My 15 year old son, who couldn't care less about music in any academic sense, listened to the CD twice and read the entire book.  It's my favorite one, too.  The Story of the Orchestra, is just that.  Each section of the orchestra is introduced, the instruments are, too - and all with famous music compositions that highlight the different orchestra sections.  Good for all ages.

I just took pix of a few of or story books with CD's or "how-to" books here, along with the Gross Songs (and they are funny gross to most kids).  We have lots of storybooks with CD/tapes.  Yes, I have the OLD tapes with matching books from many moons ago !  =-)  Whatever works !

Here are some plain ol' books about music.  The white one on the bottom left is a coloring book and the top middle one is similar. But, the coloring pages all introduce music on some level, whether it's reading notes, G-clefs, stanzas, etc.  The bottom right book, Lives of the Musicians is a must have !  It's just hysterical.  Many musicians are featured and it's easy to remember with this book, because rather than the "textbook-y" feel to it, which for some of us can be perceived as borrrring...this book actually talks a little about the artist's music, but a LOT about their personal lives, their likes, their dislikes, funny things that happened to them, etc.  It really makes them "real".  So there you have it - enjoy the resource suggestions !


Last but not least, here are some good websites for music printable worksheets !  In no particular order, here they are so you can see if they are of interest in your kiddos.


http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit_notename.htm
http://www.kididdles.com/
http://musiced.about.com/od/freestuff/Free_Resources.htm
http://www.preschoollearningonline.com/preschoolprintablecoloringpages_musical.html
Sing-A-Longs http://www.nickjr.com/printables/all-shows/song-lyrics/all-ages/index.jhtml


That's all, folks !