CBC radio: Peter and the Wolf

12 Jan 2013 2 Comments

by Kim in Classical Music, Introduction to...

Peter, Ivan and Sasha realize that they have c...

The Disney version – from Make Mine Music (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We were listening to CBC radio a while back and caught a great children’s concert by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bramwell Tovey. It ended with this terrific version of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. There are many versions of this piece available on CD, with a great variety of narrators (from John Gielgud to Dame Edna) and it’s a nice way to introduce your child to classical music.

Perhaps a good choice for a snow-bound winter afternoon sitting cozy by the fire?

(Everything you ever wanted to know about Peter and the Wolf c/o Wikipedia.)

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Fantasia (1940)

27 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by Kim in Ballet, Classical Music, Introduction to..., Movies, movies 3+, movies 5+, Parenting Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fantasia (film)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 1940

Rated: G

Length: 120 – 124 min. (varies depending on what version you have)

Age: some parts 3+, others 5+ (see below)  Commonsense Media sez: 6 +

Scary Factor: Mickey attacks renegade broom with an axe and savagely chops it to bits; battle to the death between two dinosaurs; a gigantic devil rises over a mountain commanding a host of demons, the dead rise from their graves

Also: some modest (dare I say artful) nudity among fairies and mythological creatures; much wine drunk by very tipsy god Bacchus

Interests: classical music, fairies, mythology, dinosaurs, ballet

Next: the movie Fantasia 2000; live symphony concerts for children; Nutcracker ballet live or movie version
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Sing a song. Seriously. Right now!

14 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by Kim in Classical Music, Introduction to..., Just Fun Stuff, Parenting Tags:

Here’s an interesting article about the many benefits of singing: “It sounds and feels good” by Hema Vijay.

What particularly interested me was how “MOP” performs –

In his concerts, he simplifies a classical song, breaking it up into phrases, so that even lay persons can pick up the melody and sing it.

I would love to go to a concert like that!

As a related tidbit, when my daughter was a mere baby I remember singing everything as I carried her around, ie. “Now we’re going downstairs” or “Oh the phone is ringing” etc. Now I’m thinking it was doing me as much good as it was entertaining her. (Or maybe I’m overestimating the entertainment properties of my voice…)

All writings posted here are © Kim Thompson, unless otherwise indicated. For all artwork on this site, copyright is retained by the artist.