# Children's books to introduce them to classical music/composers?



## Zauberfloete (Dec 2, 2020)

Can you recommend any good children's books about classical music or classical composers?

I know of a series for toddlers authored by Émilie Collet: each book is about an individual composer (Mon Petit Haendel, Mon Petit Vivaldi, Mon Petit Chopin...) and includes text and sound, so the children can also listen to samples of the composer's music. They have been translated in a couple of languages (German and Italian for sure).









Are there an other books out there, especially for school-age kids? Whether a simple fictionalised biography of a famous composer's life, or non-fiction...

Thanks!


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

There are a lot of them that I've given as gifts in recent years. Some kids like them, some don't.

This first I especially like because this orchestra has three (!) contrabassoons. I'm still trying to figure out what they're playing with that particular requirement.








An animal-loving neighbor's girl loves this book:








This one is pretty good, and supports a good cause.








And this one introduces kids to a lot of different composers:


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## mark6144 (Apr 6, 2019)

I'll second the above recommendation of the Story Orchestra. There are multiple books in the series - Nutcracker, Four Seasons, Swan Lake etc. - with buttons to press to play the tunes. My kids like them, and have since recognised some of the melodies when they have heard them elsewhere.


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## chu42 (Aug 14, 2018)

I have found that the best way to introduce children to classical composers is by blasting their music nonstop...that's how I became a classical lover, anyways.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

chu42 said:


> I have found that the best way to introduce children to classical composers is by blasting their music nonstop...that's how I became a classical lover, anyways.


I used pretty much the same method, and we also played "guess the composer" at the dinner table until my kids went off to college. While neither child is as musically obsessed as I am, at least they have an appreciation of what constitutes good music, and occasionally go to concerts even if I'm not visiting them.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

Only for rich kids, classical composers were born in antiquity for a reason, just to make us free from such obligations so we can do our best to fight for freedom and dignity. I am teaching my niece to become a professional fighter, and my younger cousin how to become a billonaire. I am not going to dump my musical ideals onto my younger generations if their safety and dignity can not be guaranteed. In a commie nation, the most necessary music is the iron fist and bullet.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Ariasexta said:


> Only for rich kids, classical composers were born in antiquity for a reason, just to make us free from such obligations so we can do our best to fight for freedom and dignity. I am teaching my niece to become a professional fighter, and my younger cousin how to become a billonaire. I am not going to dump my musical ideals onto my younger generations if their safety and dignity can not be guaranteed. In a commie nation, the most necessary music is the iron fist and bullet.


Beethoven might disagree with your premise, that classical is only for rich kids. Look at the extraordinary success in Venezuela's Il Sistemo. Brought poor kids out of the slums into making great music. Until...then the commies took over and messed it all up. One thing I've always found amusing is that some the worst people in the 20th c, like Hitler and Stalin, actually liked good music and music that I, too, enjoy.


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## Ariasexta (Jul 3, 2010)

mbhaub said:


> Beethoven might disagree with your premise, that classical is only for rich kids. Look at the extraordinary success in Venezuela's Il Sistemo. Brought poor kids out of the slums into making great music. Until...then the commies took over and messed it all up. One thing I've always found amusing is that some the worst people in the 20th c, like Hitler and Stalin, actually liked good music and music that I, too, enjoy.


We are living with devils today, if not for those music I could have join any guerrila of the right, yoyoyo. 
Poor kids just have nothing to prop up their integrity other than their own fist and life today, I am not sure classical music 
can serve ordinary kids, I have not been ordinary since Highschool even if I am not that rich.

My advice, if neither rich nor musician family: Get the kids be with their own peers first is important, before learning how to protect themselves, do not get them into the Arts.


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## Zauberfloete (Dec 2, 2020)

chu42 said:


> I have found that the best way to introduce children to classical composers is by blasting their music nonstop...that's how I became a classical lover, anyways.


That certainly worked for me as a kid - casual exposure to it (it wasn't actually plotted by my parents, I just happened to find their CM cassettes and loved most of the music... at least the "cheerful" pieces). I can also thank animation films like Fantasia and the Silly Symphonies.


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