A former neighbor in our building is a concert pianist and during a recent visit I asked him how he discovered the piano. He told me that when he was a boy he found some old photos of instruments and vividly recalls spending time studying each photo, eventually gravitating to the piano.
Since this conversation, I have been on the hunt for some instrument cards. I had grand visions of finding instrument photos and making my own cards to be reminiscent of the ones my neighbor described. I didn't have much success with a homemade version, but I ended up purchasing these instrument cards online. I have already seen how M enjoys playing with them and perhaps it will help her to discover which instrument, if any at all, is meant for her down the road.
My kids always loved cards, whether with instruments, animals, shapes, they were always a hit. For music, there's a great book/cd called The Story of the Orchestra, by Robert Levine. It features some of the big composers with listening examples of their works and fun anecdotes about them (not at all dry) and drawings, as well as discussing individual instruments.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing we do is go to the Instrument Petting Zoos that happen around town, usually in the Spring and Fall. Chameleon Arts Ensemble does one every year, and less often the Longy School of Music, and sometime there's one at the New England Conservatory with members of the BSO. Chameleon is our favorite, because it always starts with a kid-oriented concert that involves the kids in the performance, after which you can talk to the players, and try all of the instruments for yourself. The bonus is of course that the concert is at the Arnold Arboretum, so afterwards you can walk about the grounds, enjoy the fresh air and woods full of sculpture.