Have you ever seen a 3 year old head bang to Bach? Or, have you ever heard a 5 year old listen to a piece of classical music and tell you instinctively if it was written by Bach or Handel? I have. And it was no thanks to my Music Education degrees either. It was thanks to Zeezok Music Appreciation Curriculum.
Happy National Music in Our Schools Month! I know–I homeschool so why bring up something often only celebrated in public schools? Well, quite honestly because I’m a music teacher, and I just can’t myself. But even so, it’s still Music in Our Schools Month whether we go to public, private, charter, independent, or home school. Each are schools, and each can enjoy music. So…what better way to celebrate the month of music than share with you a music curriculum that has changed the way this house views music?
Introducing Zeezok Music Appreciation Curriculum!
What is Zeezok Music Appreciation? Zeezok Elementary Music Appreciation is a living approach to music appreciation. I happen to think that Charlotte Mason would have LOVED this approach to music education. It encompasses everything from living literature chapter books, hands-on lapbooks, to the listening of quality recordings and written reinforcement via colorful worksheets. We started using this curriculum in our own homeschool this semester and have really enjoyed learning more about Bach and Handel and look forward to learning about many more composers in the coming months.
Who is this curriculum good for?
First off, even though I used my 3 and 5 year olds as guinea pigs in the study of this curriculum, I need to preface this review with the fact that I WOULD NOT recommend this curriculum for primarily preschool students, BUT the benefits my younger children received was still well worth it, and it is a curriculum we will be able to use again and again thanks to it’s tiered possibilities. So who IS this curriculum good for?
- Homeschool families with children covering a wide range of ages. This is a tiered curriculum meaning there is something available and appropriate for nearly any age group, K-12.
- Homeschool elementary and middle school students. Although this curriculum says its for the elementary grades, I found the content therein very thorough and beyond what I ever required of my 4th through 6th grade students in the public school setting.
- Piano students with 3 or more years of piano lessons under their belts wishing to learn more about classical composers and possibly play some of the classics. By using this curriculum they will gain the knowledge of when, where, why, and who wrote the pieces as well as be provided with an excerpt of the music for them to try on the piano.
- Public and/or private school music teachers wanting to try a living literature and lapbook approach to Music Appreciation. Many of the activities provided would also make for great centers for musical reinforcement.
What about this music teacher? Has she learned anything?
Oh my yes! It has been so much more interesting to teach and learn about Bach and Handel through living literature than any textbook I had in high school or college. Even my oldest chooses to take up one of the chapter books to read just for fun at times. And the integration of listening selections throughout helps to make the composer’s life come even more to life.
Would you believe my children’s first choice for music listening in the homeschool room is now Zeezok Disc 1?! They love the variety of music and the instrumentation let’s them imagine everything from a royal wedding to a military parade. Yes, even this mom has changed her radio station to classical music in the kitchen, since everyone is enjoying it so much. And no, prior to what people often think about music education majors, this musician never much enjoyed listening to classical music before starting this study with her children. Playing it? Yes. Listening to it? No. So what made the difference? I now know the story behind the music and that in turn helps to make the music come alive and lets the imagination soar!
Do you music stream?
If you are looking for some streaming music to enhance your Zeezok Music Education, check out some of these new favorites of ours:
On Songza:
- Basically Baroque
- Classical for Kids
- Getting to Know You: Bach
- Welcome to Classical!
On Pandora:
- George Frederic Handel Radio
- Johann Sebastian Bach Radio
- Baroque Radio
- Classical
Get Zeezok for Your Family
If you are looking to add a music appreciation course to your school this next year, I highly recommend Zeezok Elementary Music Appreciation Curriculum. It is definitely the most thorough all-in-one music appreciation bundle I have come across, and one you can use over and over again for several years to come.
Find Zeezok on social media:
Zeezok curriculum received two 2015 Practical Homeschooling Magazine awards
- 1st Place Music Appreciation – Great Musician Series (the biographies the curriculum is based on)
- 2nd Place Music Appreciation – Music Appreciation for the Elementary Grades
I hope you will check them out as you plan your new school year and let music come alive in your school with Zeezok!
