Crew Review: Maestro Classics

Maestro Classics Classical Music CDs for kids combine music played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with well-known children's stories including Casey at the Bat, The Story of Swan Lake, Peter and the Wolf, and The Tortoise and the Hare. We reviewed The Tortoise and the Hare two years ago and were very excited to find ourselves on the list again this year! TJ was excited to find out we'd be reviewing The Story of Swan Lake.

What's included: The Story of Swan Lake (suitable for ages 6-12, especially those interested in ballet) includes 7 tracks with almost an hour of playing time. The tracks include:

• The Story of Swan Lake
• Tchaikovsky's Life
• Speed Metal Swan
• About the Music
• "Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet"
• Want to Have Some Fun? Prepare to Perform
• "Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet" Sing-Along

It also includes a 24-page booklet that includes background information on Tchaikovsky as well as information on the composer, producer and narrator of the CD. Kids will also have fun with the included activities - connect-the-dot, a maze, and a crossword puzzle. There's also a section about guitars, chords, and a short biography of Joe Stump, the arranger and guitarist on Speed Metal Swan.

From the CD:  The Story of Swan Lake is the tale of a prince who falls in love with a beautiful princess. The princess, however, has been turned into a swan by an evil magician, and only the prince's love can break the spell. Additional tracks about Tchaikovsky's life, what to listen for in the music, "Speed Metal Swan," a heavy metal version of the main theme, and the "Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet" sing-along, transform this into a modern classic.

Our thoughts: We love the products from Maestro Classics and The Story of Swan Lake joins the list of our favorites! I love that they make it so simple to add music appreciation to our day. The "About the Music" track shares just enough information to really appreciate the music but not enough to overwhelm young listeners. Maestro Classics even has a section on their website for incorporating music into your homeschool with many ideas for each of their CDs. They include ideas for all subjects - history, science, geography, language arts, art, music, and even math. It would be very simple to make up a unit study based on one of these CDs!

We enjoy listening to Tchaikovsky so this CD is a nice addition to our music library. I will give a slight caution here, though, for the Speed Metal Swan track. If you're not a fan of rock or heavy metal you might not like this track. But I would encourage you to listen anyway because it's a clever arrangement and I think it's possible to have an appreciation for all kinds of musical talent and abilities. Joe Stump, the guitarist on this track, has such an amazing talent. I'd encourage you to give this CD a try.


The selections available from Maestro Classics are offered on CD ($16.98) or as downloadable MP3s ($9.98). Take some time to visit Maestro Classics and listen to some of the music samples! If you'd like to read more reviews about Maestro Classics products be sure to check out the Crew blog!

Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.