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I have told you time and again that one of the best ways to get your kids into music is by incorporating music appreciation into their daily activities and composer studies is one such way. 

While I’m sure you might be able to find tons of books on composers at your local library, I thought that there might be many of you, who are really unsure of what books are best. 

So in this post I’m sharing a short list of books containing composer biographies and series’ that you can look at, adding to your personal library if you wish. 

Ages 7 to 9

 

Meet The Great Composers Bk 1: 

In this book, each unit on a famous composer takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and can be used in group teaching, homeschool or as an assignment for individual upper elementary or middle school students. 

The Classroom Kit contains the book and CD combo and reproducible activity sheets. The companion repertoire book contains simplified arrangements of famous themes.

There is a book 2, once you’ve tried book 1 and like it, you can move on to book 2. 

Pros: 

– Lessons can be completed in a very short time

– There are fun games

– Ideal for introductory composer studies

– Can be used by tweens as well.

Cons:

– Book is not for in-depth composer studies and my not be suitable for older teenagers.

– Music in the CD is not reflective of the compositions noted in the book for each composer, rather the music in the CD is for compositions that are less known. 

Usborne Books Famous Composers Reference Book

I believe the name is self explanatory, so I will not go into more details.

Pros: 

– Beautifully written

– Colourful illustrations

– Ideal for young kids as well as older kids

Cons:

  Nothing I can think of. However, as always I suggest you check out the sneak preview provided on Amazon, before purchasing. 

Getting To Know The World’s Greatest Composers (Series)

Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers series combines a delightful mix of full-color historical reproductions, photos, and hilarious cartoon-style illustrations that bring to life the works of renowned composers, combining poignant anecdotes with important factual information for readers

Pros: 

– Very colourful and lively

– Includes fun facts, quizzes, jokes and much more

– Even though it is said to be right for kids in 2nd or 3rd grade, older kids will enjoy the books too.

Cons:

– Nothing I can think of. However, as always I suggest you check out the sneak preview provided on Amazon, before purchasing. 

Ages 9 – 14

Lives Of The Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What The Neighbour’s Thought

It’s no secret that Beethoven went deaf, that Mozart had constant money problems, and that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote musicals. But what were these people—and other famous musicians—really like? What did they eat? What did they wear? How did they spend their time? And—possibly most interesting of all—what did their neighbors think?

Discover the fascinating and often humorous stories of twenty famous musicians—people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods. Beginning with Vivaldi and ending with Woodie Guthrie, Lives of the Musicians brings musical history to life!

Warning: This is a book that some parents simply love, while others hate. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground, so please check out the sneak preview on Amazon before you order it. 

Pros: 

– Beautiful illustrations

– Lots of hilarious facts

– Will keep kids engaged for a long time

– Covers the stories of composers from the Classical to the Contemporary era.

Cons:

– Not everyone will like this book. 

– Language maybe considered as inappropriate by some parents

– Not sufficiently in-depth for kids’ hoping to do a deep dive into the lives of composers.

Famous Composers Sticker Book

I believe the name is self explanatory, however, before you think it will be very babyish for your tweens, let me assure you that it is not. The ideal age for this book is the 9 – 12 year old bunch. 

Pros: 

– Beautifully written

– Colourful illustrations

– Can be used by teenagers as well. 

Cons:

  Nothing I can think of. However, as always I suggest you check out the sneak preview provided on Amazon, before purchasing. 

Once you select the ideal composer studies books for your kids, you can expand their knowledge further with these strategies, 4 ‘Unimaginably’ Easy Ways To Incorporate Composer Studies Into Your Homeschool Curriculum.

Don’t have the budget right now to purchase these books and can’t find them in your local library either? Then you might like my post on 7 ‘Genius’ Ways To Add Movie Musicals To Your Homeschool Library, which you can then use to add books to your library. 

Will read it but can’t wait that long and want to get started on composer studies right now? Then sign up for my FREE mini Composer Study course and have your kids immersing themselves in music appreciation right now. 

Karen Cadera

Karen Cadera

Founder/Creator

Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.

My daughter loved the games, but there were also worksheets and videos. The weekly lesson plans were complete, and I never questioned what I should be doing next.

Lisa Tanner

Homeschool Mom

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This program reminded me (and allowed me to teach my son) how to read music. To me, that was the most important thing that we learned together. Of course, it was very rewarding for me to watch my son play the piano with both hands at the same time, while reading sheet music. His favorite parts of the course were actually playing the songs and doing the worksheets provided.

Carrie M.

Stay At Home Mom

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