Music Exploration month 11 – 60s and opera

I have to admit that I’ve not really done everything I’d planned to with music for N.  Instead he’d been experiencing new music by default, whether by listening on the radio or on tv.  Still, every piece of music counts when you’re trying to instill an enjoyment of lots of different genres of music.

But this month there have been some interesting pieces that N’s been listening to.  Hopefully that increases N’s awareness and gets him more experience and hopefully enjoying, all the other genres.

This month, we’ve been:

Listening to

Opera

I wasn’t planning opera, but by chance, it’s popped up quite a lot.  The first was on The Voice, when one of the contestants auditioned using Nessun Dorma.  N wasn’t even watching tv at the time, he was playing with his tractors.  But as soon as the guy started singing Nessun Dorma, N perked up and was transfixed watching the tv.  I couldn’t believe it, plus he actually admitted to me that he enjoyed it.

N’s also discovered YouTube this month.  Mostly for watching tractor toys videos, but he’s now spotted Thomas the Tank Engine videos, so has been watching those as well.  Bizarrely his favourite seems to be the (in my opinion, dull) videos of Thomas trains going round a track…to classical music.  Usually I’m not around when he’s watching them, or doing something else so am ignoring the sound from my tablets, but the other day I was pleased to hear some striking classical music coming out.

We had Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyrie.  I’m not really a fan of Wagner on the whole, but this is a classic piece of music, and one that N said he enjoyed.  I told him about the piece, and how it was from a larger, longer operatic piece.

Following up on the same video was some music from Bizet’s Carmen.  This one I could talk a bit more about thanks to having seen Carmen, and having played the music in an orchestra at some point.  So we talked about the different instruments playing, and what happens in an opera, with the story all being sung.  There’s only so much focus N will give to one thing, so we’ll have to return to opera another day.

Watching

The Wurzels on YouTube.  The OH decided that it was time for music rather than watching trains go round a track, so he put on The Wurzels, so N could hear their medley.  I tweeted about it, and got this in response.

@ETusty A fine taste in music that lad! ;o)

— The Wurzels (@TheWurzels) February 13, 2015

Of course we had to have some rock, so this month it was Guns and Roses (or in N phraseology, Roses and Guns!). I think they also sometimes have Guns and Roses at nursery school too, do he’s getting a double dose.  Thankfully no stripping off in this dvd compared with the ACDC concert he usually watched.

Dancing to

N doesn’t have many dance moves…just galloping round the house, stopping every so often for a bottom wiggle.  So hearing Sounds of the 60s on the radio, and specifically ‘twist’ based songs made me think that was the perfect set of records for N to dance to.  We had a bit of a jig in the car…a bit of a result really, because usually N isn’t a fan of 60s music and moans at me to turn over. So over to you. If your children have been exploring music, then do come and join in with the linky.