TOS Review: Maestro Classics

One of aspects of homeschooling that I love is that I can expose my son to things that he would not be exposed to if he attended a regular school. We attend the symphony once or twice a semester, but personally, that just isn’t enough time or exposure to classical music.

Maestro Classics asked TOS crew members to review The Story of Swan Lake, a part of their “Stories in Music”.  This CD is designed for kids ages 6-12, and includes the tracks:

• The Story of Swan Lake (33:16)
• audio biography of Tchaikovsky’s life (6:59)
• Speed Metal Swan – an electric guitar arrangement of a portion of Swan Lake (4:02)
• About the Music (6:03)
• “Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet” vocal ensemble (1:23)
• Want to have some fun?  Prepare to Perform (0:48)
• “Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet” sing-along (1:28)

Total Play time:  54:02

The CD comes with a small guide which contains a dot-to-dot, maze, crossword, biography of Tchaikovsky, information about the conductor, narrator, and producer; a comparison of the acoustic and electric guitar, an activity (for the piano) about major and minor scales, and the words to “Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet” sing-along.

What did we think?

We really enjoyed listening to Maestro Classics as we traveled during the Holidays in the car.  Aikman really liked the electric guitar track, and I loved that the narrator explained some of the musical background.  The sing-along was a lot of fun, and we got a kick out of trying to sing it “opera-style.”

Wanna know more about Meastro Classics?  They also offer the following titles in their “Stories in Music” series:  Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Casey At the Bat, Juanita the Spanish Lobster, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Peter and the Wolf.  Wanna listen before you buy?  They have music samples of their CD’s too – listed at the bottom of the page.  Like their facebook page or follow their twitter profile to get receive coupons and find out about their giveaways.  Likewise, you can find their FREE music curriculum for ALL of their CD’s by visiting here. 

You can purchase The Story of Swan Lake for $16.98 as a CD or $9.98 as a digital download here.  Read what other Crew members have to say about Maestro Classics HERE.

Disclaimer:  I received a complmentary copy of Maestro Classics’ The Story of Swan Lake in exchange for a review – whether good or bad.  I did not receive any additional compensation.