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Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. Camille Pissarro

Home > My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: Music

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: Music

25 July 2022

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Charlotte Mason Music Resources - ahumbleplace.com

In April, I introduced a series of blog posts that I have been going through over the last few months, sharing some of my favorite Charlotte Mason homeschool resources broken down by subject. These are the ones we’ve tried and have been so helpful in making our days run more smoothly. They have also engaged my kids in whatever subject we’re covering. In some cases, they’re resources that have been made by other homeschooling moms or are from reputable homeschooling companies, and sometimes they’re just different items that have been helpful to us in a specific subject.

These are by no means the only resources out there, and I will offer others in some subjects that I have heard of but haven’t had the chance to try yet, or I have friends who have used them and appreciate them. But the main list will be the resources we’ve used in our homeschool over the last six years that have been so helpful to us.

Today I’m sharing my favorite resources for music! This includes composer study, folksongs, and hymns. I was also going to discuss music lessons, but up to this point, the only thing we’ve done in that vein is two years of Hoffman Academy online piano lessons, so I don’t feel like I can contribute much to that part of the conversation. The online lessons worked well for us, so if you’re looking for an option for piano lessons, check out Hoffman Academy!

I have one resource to mention in this category that covers all parts. A Touch of the Infinite: Studies in Music Appreciation with Charlotte Mason is a book I first heard about several years ago on the Mason Jar Podcast. In it, Megan Hoyt discusses all aspects of music in a Charlotte Mason education. I have not been able to look at it myself, but I have heard good things about it, so I wanted to list it here.

Composer Study

With Musical Appreciation the case is different; and we cannot do better than quote from an address made by Mrs. Howard Glover at the Ambleside Conference of the Parents’ Union, 1922:––

“Musical Appreciation––which is so much before the eye at the present moment––originated in the P.N.E.U. about twenty-five years ago. At that time I was playing to my little child much of the best music in which I was interested, and Miss Mason happened to hear of what I was doing. She realised that music might give great joy and interest to the life of all, and she felt that just as children in the P.U.S. were given the greatest literature and art, so they should have the greatest music as well. She asked me to write an article In the Review on the result of my observations, and to make a programme of music each term which might be played to the children. From that day to this, at the beginning of every term a programme has appeared; thus began a movement which was to spread far and wide.

“Musical Appreciation, of course, has nothing to do with playing the piano. It used to be thought that ‘learning music’ must mean this, and it was supposed that children who had no talent for playing were unmusical and would not like concerts. But Musical Appreciation had no more to do with playing an instrument than acting had to do with an appreciation of Shakespeare, or painting with enjoyment of pictures. I think that all children should take Musical Appreciation and not only the musical ones, for it has been proved that only three per cent of children are what is called ‘tone-deaf’; and if they are taken at an early age it is astonishing how children who appear to be without ear, develop it and are able to enjoy listening to music with understanding.”

Charlotte Mason (Philosophy of Education)

This Lesson is somewhat more difficult to give in the country home, if there are no musicians in the family. But what a sad home it is for the child when there is no music! A pianola, a gramophone must be bought if possible, or still better, find some neighbour who can play.

About six works by some great composer are chosen for study each term. These compositions are played or sung to the children constantly and studied carefully. The children are taught something about the form, harmonic structure, thematic development of the composition and some information is given about the life of the composer. An article appears every term in the Parents’ Review on the composer and his works, which is a great help to the teacher or parent who is giving the musical appreciation lessons.

Boys and girls living in London have great opportunities. Concerts are often arranged especially for them, and sometimes professional musicians are engaged to perform the works at some private house where there is a branch of the Parents’ Union School. Children can be taken to the Sunday Concerts at the Queen’s Hall or Albert Hall. It is not necessary for them to stay all through the performance—take them out after the finest composition has been played. But, as I said before about pictures, it is not much use taking them to concerts unless they have some previous idea of what they are going to hear. Familiarity with the work means enjoyment of the finished performance. A musical home is a happy place. Encourage your children to learn instruments so that there may be Chamber Music in the home in after years. Teach them to listen and discriminate between good music and what is inferior: form, in fact, such a love of it that it will be a necessary part of their leisure in after life.

Marjorie F. Ransom (Parents’ Review)

Resources

Tillberry Table
The Complete Book of the Great Musicians
(also available on Archive – this book was also listed in PNEU Programme 94 for Form II)
AmblesideOnline Composer Study Resources
Freegal

Articles

Myth: The Point Of Composer Study And Picture Study Is To Know About Composers And Artists As Individual Persons

Because composer study, as with art in picture study, is about getting to know the music itself, our composer study time is very simple. I pick the music of one composer to learn about per term. This is usually based on the AmblesideOnline rotation; however, I really appreciate the Tillberry Table guides for our composer study, so if she does not offer that particular composer, I might look for a contemporary of that composer whom she does provide and use that person instead.

Over the term, we focus on six of that composer’s pieces (again, from AO or Tillberry Table). If I have access to a brief biography (either through the Tillberry Table guides or the book linked above), I might read that or summarize it during our first week. I also usually like to print out a picture of our composer and artist for the term and hang them in our school area.

Tillberry Table offers YouTube playlists with recordings for each artist, or I search for a live recording before the lesson if we’re not using a Tillberry Table guide. Then I let my kids know the title of the piece we’ll be listening to that day, and we watch the performance together for about five minutes. Afterward, we spend some time discussing what we heard, and that’s it. I’ll add whatever piece we listened to that day to our general school music playlist on Plex (I like to use Freegal to download the MP3s for free) and then play it after we finish our morning lessons, in the car when we’re driving somewhere, or whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Charlotte Mason Music Resources - ahumbleplace.com

Hymn/Folksong

I must close, with the disappointing sense that subjects of importance in the child’s education have been left out of count, and that no one matter has been adequately treated.

Certain subjects of peculiar educational value, music, for instance, I have said nothing about, partly for want of space, and partly because if the mother have not Sir Joshua Reynold’s ‘that!’ in her, hints from an outsider will not produce the art-feeling which is the condition of success in this sort of teaching. If possible, let the children learn from the first under artists, lovers of their work: it is a serious mistake to let the child lay the foundation of whatever he may do in the future under ill-qualified mechanical teachers, who kindle in him none of the enthusiasm which is the life of art. I should like, in connection with singing, to mention the admirable educational effects of the Tonic Sol-fa method.

Children learn by it in a magical way to produce sign for sound and sound for sign, that is, they can not only read music, but can write the notes for, or make the proper hand signs for, the notes of a passage sung to them. Ear and Voice are simultaneously and equally cultivated. (Home Education)

CHARLOTTE MASON (HOME EDUCATION)

Perhaps we do not attach enough importance to the habit of praise in our children’s devotion. Praise and thanksgiving come freely from the young heart; gladness is natural and holy, and music is a delight. The singing of hymns at home and of the hymns and canticles in church should be a special delight; and the habit of soft and reverent singing, of offering our very best in praise, should be carefully formed. Hymns with a story, such as: ‘A Little Ship Was on the Sea,’ ”I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old,’ ‘Hushed Was the Evening Hymn,’ are perhaps the best for little children.

Charlotte Mason (School Education)

Resources

Children of the Open Air YouTube Channel (she has a lovely introduction to solfège here)
Hymns and Folksongs YouTube Channel
Andrew Remillard YouTube Channel
(for instrumental versions of hymns)
Hymnary
Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales & America
Freegal

Articles

What Hymns Look Like

When we were still in our homeschool co-op, two of the moms were assigned the task of picking and teaching our hymns and folksongs for the term. Fortunately, the mom who taught our hymns the last two years that we were in the co-op (I taught folksongs during this time) was more musically inclined, so she implemented some singing lessons, which were somewhat along the lines of solfège. I linked to a YouTube channel above that includes many videos about solfège, which Charlotte Mason mentioned specifically in Volume 1. I’m not particularly musically inclined, I like to keep our Morning Time simple, and solfège was part of our piano lessons, so I chose not to include it during our hymn/folksong time. It’s a lovely way to help your children learn more about music and singing, though, if it’s something you feel would fit well in your homeschool!

Now that we are no longer in the co-op, I pick our hymns and folksongs. Last year, I chose the hymns based on the liturgical year, a practice we also did in our co-op. I chose our folksongs based on the time periods in which we were studying. I have not decided whether to do this again next year or follow the AmblesideOnline schedule.

We sing our hymn and folksong twice per week during Morning Time. For our first “lesson,” I’ll play a recording of the song on YouTube so we can listen to it together. Then the next time, we’ll read and narrate the words of the song, and I’ll briefly share any background about it. In the following “lesson,” we’ll listen to it again, then listen once more while we hum along with the tune. After that, we’ll sing along with a recording (I usually try to find instrumental-only) as we feel comfortable with that. This was the general pattern we had in our co-op, and it worked well for us, so I also chose to implement it at home.

The Hymns and Folksongs YouTube channel is so helpful as she records beautiful versions of the AO rotation hymns and folksongs. I also appreciate Andrew Remillard’s channel as he offers instrumental recordings of hymns, which is what I prefer to use as our accompaniment for most of the term. Hymnary is where I research and find hymns when picking them myself. And the last link for the Folk Music of England. etc., is especially helpful when looking for folksongs from specific time periods.

So these are most of the music-related resources we use in our homeschool. Again, though I appreciate music and have my favorite composers, I am not enormously musically inclined, but these resources have helped. What indispensable music resources would you add to this list?

In my next post in this series, I’ll be sharing our favorite homeschool supplies! If you’re not signed up for my newsletter, click here to get a notification when the new post is available!


Other posts in this series:

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: Bible and Shakespeare

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: History and Plutarch

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: Language Arts

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: Geography and Math

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: Nature Study and Science

My Favorite Resources for Charlotte Mason Homeschooling: Art and Handicrafts

Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, Favorites Series, Homeschooling
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Hello! I'm Rebecca. Wife to E, homeschooling mother to B and C, and currently living in Colorado. I have a degree in art history and find joy in being able to offer art-related resources to homeschooling families as well as a gentle, Charlotte Mason-Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum. I also share our own homeschooling journey in the hope that it can be a help to others! Read More…

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Summer is almost over, but there's still some time Summer is almost over, but there's still some time for more adventures! It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of our National Park Service. In particular, I love the Junior Ranger Program they offer, and any family vacations we take usually revolve around going to new parks and collecting more Junior Ranger badges for B and C. The parks are one of my happy places, and I love visiting them.​​​​​​​​
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The Park Service does have a page with a list of Junior Ranger programs at different parks, but in the past, it has not been complete, and I like to see them broken down by state and region. So this week on the blog, I thought I'd offer a list of all the Junior Ranger programs at parks in the Western region, which includes Arizona, California, and Nevada. I'm also including an interactive map so you can figure out which ones are closest to you. If you happen to be taking a vacation this summer in any of these states, I highly recommend stopping at a park to earn a badge!​​​​​​​​
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You can find the list at the link in my profile!
"It is well that we should choose our authors with "It is well that we should choose our authors with judgment, as we choose our friends, and then wait upon them respectfully to hear what they have to say to us" (Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education). One of my favorite CM quotes. 😊​​​​​​​​
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Patreon friends, your monthly printables are ready!​​​​​​​​
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"For we are an overwrought generation, running to "For we are an overwrought generation, running to nerves as a cabbage runs to seed; and every hour spent in the open is a clear gain, tending to the increase of brain power and bodily vigour, and to the lengthening of life itself. They who know what it is to have fevered skin and throbbing brain deliciously soothed by the cool touch of the air are inclined to make a new rule of life, Never be within doors when you can rightly be without." Charlotte Mason (Home Education)​​​​​​​​
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I like to revisit this entire quote in Home Education every so often because what she said was true in 1886 is also acutely accurate today: we are an overwrought generation. And it feels that each successive generation is becoming more so. I know that when I feel overwhelmed and think there is no time for a hike or a walk or even some time out in the backyard with my feet in the grass, that is precisely when I need those things the most. I have experienced firsthand the calming effects of being out in nature, away from screens and radios and all the distractions this world shoves in our faces. I think her suggestion for a new rule of life is an excellent one.​​​​​​​​
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This has become my favorite hiking shirt, and it's available in my shop! You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonquotes #homeschoollife #homeschoolingfamily #homeschoolgear #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation"
"Musical Appreciation, of course, has nothing to d "Musical Appreciation, of course, has nothing to do with playing the piano. It used to be thought that 'learning music' must mean this, and it was supposed that children who had no talent for playing were unmusical and would not like concerts. But Musical Appreciation had no more to do with playing an instrument than acting had to do with an appreciation of Shakespeare, or painting with enjoyment of pictures. I think that all children should take Musical Appreciation and not only the musical ones, for it has been proved that only three per cent of children are what is called 'tone-deaf'; and if they are taken at an early age it is astonishing how children who appear to be without ear, develop it and are able to enjoy listening to music with understanding." Charlotte Mason (Philosophy of Education)​​​​​​​​
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Continuing with the series I began in April listing my favorite resources for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, this week I'm sharing my favorite resources for music! This includes composer study, folksongs, and hymns. You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonmusic #charlottemasoncomposerstudy #composerstudy
If Vincent van Gogh had what he considered a "happ If Vincent van Gogh had what he considered a "happy place," this bedroom in the yellow house at Arles was one of them. About it he wrote in 1888: “This time it’s simply my bedroom, but the colour has to do the job here, and through its being simplified by giving a grander style to things, to be suggestive here of rest or of sleep in general. In short, looking at the painting should rest the mind, or rather, the imagination.​​​​​​​​
The walls are of a pale violet. The floor — is of red tiles.​​​​​​​​
The bedstead and the chairs are fresh butter yellow.​​​​​​​​
The sheet and the pillows very bright lemon green. The blanket scarlet red.​​​​​​​​
The window green.​​​​​​​​
The dressing table orange, the basin blue.​​​​​​​​
The doors lilac.​​​​​​​​
And that’s all — nothing in this bedroom, with its shutters closed.​​​​​​​​
The solidity of the furniture should also now express unshakeable repose. Portraits on the wall, and a mirror and a hand-towel and some clothes.​​​​​​​​
The frame — as there’s no white in the painting — will be white.”​​​​​​​​
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After he left Arles and admitted himself to an asylum in 1889, he revisited this room in his imagination and repainted it two more times.​​​​​​​​
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I made a picture study video walking through this piece a few years ago that you can find at the link in my profile. I also have a Vincent van Gogh Picture Study Aid and art prints available there as well!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasonpicturestudy #picturestudy #arthistoryforhomeschoolers #homeschoolarthistory #homeschool #homeschooling
Sealed into an album somewhere in my house is a ph Sealed into an album somewhere in my house is a photograph of an art gallery wall. In the middle of this gold-toned wall is a tiny rectangle with the barely-discernible image of a woman enclosed in it. She is behind thick glass, and her green-hued features are difficult to see in detail at such a distance. However, the lack of proximity is explained by the sea of people in the bottom part of the photograph. Even at that distance, however, her unmistakable form is easily recognized.
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This was as close as I got when I visited the Louvre 23 years ago to a Leonardo da Vinci original. The oft-professed "most famous painting in the world." La Giaconda. The Mona Lisa.
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I would honestly love to see more of his pieces. The only one in all of the Americas is Ginevra de' Benci's pale face at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I have read in various places, and believe entirely based on what I've seen with paintings by other artists, that reproductions can not even remotely give his originals justice. There is something about experiencing a piece in person, not only the true colors with my own eyes but seeing the brushstrokes. The fingerprints. The work itself.
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Leonardo himself was the ultimate tortured genius, and this is part of what I truly appreciate about him: the frenetic pace of his mind. He moved from one project to another project, from one medium to another medium, from one study to another study, from one city to another city. He was so consumed by the myriad paths his mind traveled that many of his pieces were unfinished. Aside from the creations we have in his journals, had he been gifted with more regular patrons or even a little more self-discipline, it's incredible to think about the things he may have accomplished.
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Today I'm excited to announce that I am now offering a Leonardo da Vinci Picture Study Aid and art prints! You can find it at the link in my profile!
A month or two ago, I posted about how I've been a A month or two ago, I posted about how I've been adding more recipes from Nourishing Traditions to my meal plan lately. It's a book I've had for over a decade now, but there are still so many recipes I haven't tried.​​​​​​​​
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In that same post, a few of you asked what some of my favorite recipes from that book are and I tried to list them in the comments, but I don't think IG liked how long it was. 🥴 So, I'm replying with pictures of the tried-and-true recipes we've been using from Nourishing Traditions for several years!​​​​​​​​
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Today's is breakfast. Clockwise from the left we have homemade yog(h)urt (p. 85) which is what my kids get with their breakfast. We top it with honey from a local beekeeper for the added seasonal allergy benefits. On the top is milk kefir (p. 86) which is what I have with my breakfast or first thing in the morning if it'll be a while before we have breakfast. For both of these, I use vat-pasteurized milk (Kalona Supernatural Whole Milk) because our raw milk is pretty expensive and the yogurt is being heated anyway. (I do have a recipe for raw milk yogurt on my website if you're interested in that too!)​​​​​​​​
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On the bottom is oatmeal (p. 455). I soak this in water and a little kefir overnight in our microwave which is above our stove and stays nice and warm from the stove surface light. In the morning, I dump it all in a pan, cook it until it's thick, add a pat of butter and 1 tb of ground flax seeds and mix it together until the butter melts. I then scoop it into bowls and add more butter, then everyone can add however much cinnamon or maple syrup they want.​​​​​​​​
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This isn't all we have with breakfast, but these are the specific recipes from Nourishing Traditions that we have nearly every day!​​​​​​​​
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#nourishingtraditions #westonaprice #wapf
I am a firm believer that the kindergarten year sh I am a firm believer that the kindergarten year should not be complicated. In fact, there is a lot of evidence that suggests taking a "better late than early" approach to beginning more formal lessons with your kids is more beneficial to them than starting too early. (I linked to a post on my website about this last month with the studies I found, but it's back up at the link in my profile if you're interested in reading it!)​​​​​​​​
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You’ve probably heard the saying that childhood is not a race, and this is especially true for kindergarten. Children at this age don’t need worksheets, flashcards, and standardized tests, they need unstructured time (especially outside!), open-ended toys, art supplies, and good books read to them. They need to be allowed to take in the world in their own ways. They need to be allowed to be little kids for a little while longer.​​​​​​​​
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With all this in mind, I feel like we kind of need a kindergarten revolution to break away from the idea that we have to do "all the things" during the kindergarten year. If you're interested in how simple it can be, I have a printable book list available on my website to help you build your own kindergarten year! You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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(Also, the 2022-2023 Charlotte Mason-Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum is back in stock! Those on the waitlist should've received an email notification. You can also find it at the link in my profile!)​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonkindergarten #cminspiredkindergarten #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolingkindergarten #kindergartenhomeschool
"...we know that the human hand is a wonderful and "...we know that the human hand is a wonderful and exquisite instrument to be used in a hundred movements exacting delicacy, direction and force; every such movement is a cause of joy as it leads to the pleasure of execution and the triumph of success. We begin to understand this and make some efforts to train the young in the deft handling of tools and the practice of handicrafts. Some day, perhaps, we shall see apprenticeship to trades revived, and good and beautiful work enforced. In so far, we are laying ourselves out to secure that each shall 'live his life'; and that, not at his neighbour's expense; because, so wonderful is the economy of the world that when a man really lives his life he benefits his neighbour as well as himself; we all thrive in the well-being of each." Charlotte Mason (Philosophy of Education)​​​​​​​​
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I love, love, love this quote, especially the last part...."not at his neighbor's expense." ❤️​​​​​​​​
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Continuing with the series I started in April going over our favorite resources for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, this week I wrote about art (a subject dear to my heart!) and handicrafts! You can find read all about it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonhomeschool #picturestudy #handicrafts #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolhandicrafts

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