This free homeschool resource unit is brought to you by Vicki Arnold of the Vicki Arnold blog. Originally published in June 2013.

After the learning art in your homeschool post went up last month, a reader requested a similar resource for music studies. I live to serve, so that is exactly what you are getting today. Without further ado, here are free and frugal resources for learning about composers and music styles in your homeschool.

How To Study Music

• How to Study Composers :: A Charlotte Mason approach from Homeschool Notebooking.
• Ultimate Guide to Composer Study :: Homegrown Learners has compiled a great list of resources, though not all are free.

Music Styles/Periods

• Classical Music 101 :: Overview of the periods of music. You can also listen live online.
• Medieval
• Renaissance
• Baroque
• Classical
• Impressionist :: Classics for Kids Impressionist style podcast
• Romantic
• Modern
• Jazz

Classical Instruments

• Classics for Kids :: Interactive chart for the instruments of the orchestra.
• Homeschool Share has a nice selection of free tri-fold mini books for lapbooking. They include keyboard, percussion, string, and woodwind instruments. Also on that page is a link for some music themed notebooking pages.
• Orchestral Musical Instrument Sounds #1 :: YouTube video to introduce your student to the sounds classical instruments make.
• Orchestral Musical Instrument Sounds #2 :: The sequel to #1 that combines instruments to hear how they sound together.

Famous Composers

• Montessori Materials :: Composer Nomenclature Cards is a frugal download option for making composer flashcards
• Famous Musicians Wall Chart :: Print and laminate these to help your students put a face to the music.
• Homeschool Share’s Classical Composers page has many free lapbook components for composer study. There are also free unit studies for a selection of composers (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc.).
• Composer Notebook pages :: This set from the Notebooking Fairy is blank so you can use them with any composer; however she also has a set for Richard Wagner, too.
• Free Composer Notebooking pages :: Another free set of notebooking pages, this time from Homeschool Notebooking.
• A Day with Richard Wagner :: Homeschool Commons
• A Day with Tschaikovsky :: Homeschool Commons
• Famous Composers for Children :: Homeschool Commons
• Classical Net’s Composer Master Index :: A master list of composers on their comprehensive website.
• Composer Informational Sites :: Another index on Classical Net that links to informational websites for composers.
• Your library :: Search your library for whatever composer you want to study and you can find audio CD’s, DVD’s, and books. I’ve compiled a huge list of books for composer study over on my blog to get you going.

Free & Frugal Audio Resources

• Music Appreciation Log Sheets :: These are not audio files, but would are great (free!) companions to your music listening. You have to scroll down the page for the link to the PDF file.
• Homegrown Learners :: SQUILT printable worksheets. The post is describes how to introduce classical and the SQUILT technique to your homeschool. You can also find a selection of lessons to go with this, complete with links to audio files and videos.
• Classics for Kids :: free audios of popular classical music selections
• Freegal Music :: You will have to check to see if your library subscribes. If your library is subscribed you get a set amount of free downloads each week.
• NAXOS :: An extensive collection of composers with biographies and audio files.
• Classical Archives
• Piano Society
• 2013-2013 Composer Study :: A YouTube playlist curated for the 2012-2013 Ambelside Online curriculum’s music study.

Free & Frugal Apps & Games

A few of these links are a referral link. This costs you nothing additional. Here’s my full disclosure policy.

• Classics for Kids :: Download the WVXU public radio app. When you run the app, there is a box on the bottom right that says On Demand, you can find Classics for Kids there. There are also other programs like Composers Datebook, too. – Free
• Opera Classics (Great Composers Series) – $2.99
• My Musical Friends – Free
• Composer of the Day – Free
• San Fransisco Symphony Kids :: Explore instruments and make music online. – Free

Resources from Other Homeschoolers

Sometimes it is helpful to see how other homeschoolers have approached a particular topic. In my research for this post, I came across a few I thought would be helpful.

• Orchsetra & Famous Composers :: Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood – A great list of resources that fit with Classical Conversations.
• Composer Study — Charlotte Mason Style :: A Squidoo lens from Jimmie Lanley of The Notebooking Fairy and Jimmie’s Collage.
• Music Study at Home :: Yielded Heart
• Composer and Classical Music Study for Kids :: Rebecca has some great tips using Young Scholar’s Guide for music study.

That should be enough information to get composer study underway in your home school. See you next time!

Vicki Arnold is a happy wife to one, busy homeschooling mama to four, and blogger. You can find her blogging at the Vicki Arnold blog – where P31 & Titus 2 meet Colossians 3:23. If she’s not there, you can probably find her on Pinterest.

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