As the weather changes and you find yourself more often inside, I hope that you’ll take a moment to check out the recommendations below. “Books are a uniquely portable magic” that can lead us into deeper and more vibrant living!

Students

Allegro: A Magical Journey Through 11 Musical Masterpieces tells the story of a little boy named Allegro who is having a difficult time practicing piano on a particularly rainy afternoon. But music has a magical power about it, and suddenly Allegro is transported into far off lands. With beautiful and engaging artwork, the author has masterfully shown how music can transport us to far away places and help us to understand emotions spanning the entire spectrum. As Allegro discovers new music, your students can too, by pressing the buttons on the side and hearing exactly what Allegro is hearing 😊 The author even goes so far as to put a Meet the Composers page in the beginning and a short history of each song at the end of the book. This is the perfect book to begin to introduce classical music to your children in an visually and auditorily engaging way!

Teachers

The Musical Child: Using the Power of Music to Raise Children Who Are Happy, Healthy, and Whole has been one of my most recent reads. Joan Koenig has an impressive resume, and prides herself in running schools in Paris where the children are fluent in 3 languages: English, French, and Music. Drawing from her extensive experience with her students, her classical music training at Julliard and performances throughout the world, and her extensive scientific studies, Koenig introduces the idea and joy of “musicking” with your child – and it has absolutely nothing to do with how musical you are yourself! Written in an easy to read and understand format, Koenig has also included sound bites and videos on her website to make the entire experience has comprehensive and accessible for parents and teachers as possible 😊This is a book I’d give as a baby shower gift, recommend to all of my studio families, and draw upon liberally when teaching my own studio preschoolers. Koenig works to show that although developmental delays and difficulties happen, we should not wait to address them when they arise. By beginning music at an early age, many learning difficulties will naturally be dispelled through movement and music! Why wait until a child shows need of therapy? She claims that “if we want to do one thing to help our children develop into emotionally, socially, intellectually, and creatively competent human beings, we should start the musical conversation- the earlier the better.”

Music together – with your students or your own children – is vital for the next generation to flourish in the world they are growing up in. My hope is that this month’s book recommendations will inspire you to not only build deeper into your students, but to encourage their parents to get more involved in making music an everyday part of life 🙂

Happy Reading,

Looking for more recommendations? Check out the Book Nook 🙂