Happy Top 10 Tuesday, friends and Happy New Year, too!
To start our first Top 10 Tuesday of 2014, I thought it would be fun to talk to parents about introducing your children to the job of a musical conductor with Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.” It is such a majestic and powerful piece that Neil Armstrong even took a recording of it up into space on his 1969 moon mission.
I think exposing children to classical music is such a smart choice. They will be forced to listen to the complexities of the music itself rather than bogged down with lyrics. To begin with, however, I suggest giving your children a visual to get their imaginations going.
Mickey Mouse conducting with his magic-filled fingers in the classic film, ”Fantasia” is a great introduction into classical music for children. Click HERE to watch “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” scene from this delightful film. Explain to your child how Mickey’s fingers are not only creating magic, but they are also directing the sounds of the music.
When you have finished watching “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” it is time to turn on Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.” (Click HERE to go to Youtube to listen to the “New World Symphony.”) Ask your child to direct the music with their fingers just as Mickey did. When the music gets louder, their fingers should, too. When it gets softer, so should their fingers. Help them out with suggestions is if they are getting lost.
I hope you all have enjoyed this week’s Top 10 Tuesday music activity. For a complete list of the Top 10 Tuesday music instruments under $40 that will help promote music education in the home, click HERE. For an archive of all previous Top 10 Tuesday music activities, click HERE. Please don’t forget to check back every Tuesday for some more musical fun, and until next week, play on!
