New DVD Makes College-Level Music Education
As Easy as A-B-C
The A to Z Symphony" Waltzes Into Stores August 10, 2004
Receives Dr. Toys Best Vacation Products Award!
Clearwater, FL (August 6, 2004)--Mozart at age six was considered a note-perfect prodigy of music. Mendelssohn was an accomplished composer by age nine. But any child of any age and mind can bring the beauty and art that is classical music into their lives and develop a solid appreciation, even a love for it. And, thanks to a unique new video, they can do so while learning one of the key basics of education: the alphabet.
The A to Z Symphony," created by Classical Fun Music, consists of 26 independent, one-minute videos set to the melodies of some of historys greatest composers, including Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach and Strauss. Each vignette is preceded by a letter of the alphabet (for the youngest viewer), a sample of vocabulary words (for the early reader) and the title and composer of the accompanying music (for everyone).
Parents will delight in concertos for their children! Operas for their offspring! Adagios for their adolescents! Waltzes for their wee-ones and choruses for their cradle-set!
The DVD was recently named one of Dr. Toys Best Vacation Products of the year. The Dr. Toy awards are part of a program developed by child development authority, Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy), director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, established in 1975. The awards are a free service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable and stimulating products for children that focus on high-quality education, and creative and unique content.
The A to Z Symphony" perfectly matches the compositions with images of children, nature, animals, animated characters and numbers to bring each letter to life. Some marriages are obvious – Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture against the backdrop of the American flag and exploding fireworks for the letter F. Others are subtly clever – Rossinis William Tell Overture highlighting the letter A with an apple and an arrow. The regalness and stature of the Peacock (P) is perfectly captured by Mourets Rondeau. And how better than to set the act of jumping (J) to The Russian Dance from Tchaikovskys Nutcracker Suite? Viewers will even chuckle at the choice for the closing credits: Elgars Pomp and Circumstance, also known as the graduation march."
Children who listen to great music soon acquire basic music competence, skills that will provide the foundation for a lifetime of music comprehension and participation. Through this singular video, college-level classical music education becomes childs play, creating an invaluable learning experience that provides a lasting knowledge and appreciation of the art form for life.
Classical Fun Music was founded by Bob and Claire Franki, both musicians, writers, videographers, teachers and parents. Inspired by their six-year-old daughter Nicole, they have merged their talents to develop music programs and materials to educate and entertain young children. Along with their motto The Best Music Builds the Best Minds," their companys mission is to preserve the enjoyment and appreciation of classical music within children by combining timeless selections of the worlds greatest music with complementary activities and images to create fun, memorable experiences.
For more information about the Classical Fun Music programs and The A to Z Symphony," visit www.cmkids.org.
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