This is an excellent general music resource for young people. Lessons and activities from some of Aaron Copland's more popular works, including Fanfare for the Common Man, and his ballets Billy the Kid, Appalachian Spring, and Rodeo are presented through reading activities, listening maps and singing. Part II presents an in-depth study of Copland's ballet Rodeo through learning centers and cross-curricular activities. The Bernstein Century - Copland CD contains the actual Sony recording of these works for use with the listening maps in the teacher book. The CD is optional, but is essential to making the most of the included activities.

"The Baby Chicks" is a popular song in many Spanish-speaking countries. In this beautifully illustrated book the artist used watercolors for the hen and her little chicks, and then created a collage for every page. The rough edges and transparent colors add depth and movement, so it's easy to imagine scooping up one of the fluffy chicks and hearing its little song. The orchestra arrangement, especially the introduction and bridge, brings to mind the sound of baby chicks moving around the yard. These lovable chicks give their wings a try in the Musicmap section: when children hear the oboe playing the melody, they love to follow the chicks in time with the music. You will find the lyrics in both English and Spanish, with an English pronunciation at the back of the book.

"Burung Kakatua" is a folk song from Indonesia about the cockatoo (kakatua) and the village grandmother who listens to it sing. The book is illustrated with photographs of three-dimensional compositions formed of clay. You will be charmed by the beautiful cockatoo and surprised by the lifelike expressions on the grandmother's face as the bird serenades her. Sing along with the children you hear on the CD -- one from the United States singing in English and one from Indonesia singing the original lyrics. Hear the sound of the drum during the chorus ("tredung") and the call of the cockatoo during the flute solo. Relax and let the wind carry you with the birds on the Musicmap pages, freely making music for all to enjoy.

The Musicmap method is a fun and effective way for young children to learn pre-reading musical notation. Musicmap Series: Carnival of the Animals is an innovative resource that is based upon the idea of active music listening. The musical themes are adapted from the orchestral work by French composer Camille Saint Saens. Of the 14 pieces in the suite, Royal March of the Lion; Turtle; Kangaroos; The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods and The Swan were chosen for these hands-on listening activities. Musicmap Series: Carnival of the Animals encourages children to actively interact with the essence of the music by simultaneously seeing and touching symbolic notes. Using the senses in this way offers an unsurpassed opportunity for children to enjoy classical music, as well as to sharpen their concentration skills. Designed by music and early childhood specialist Dr. Hyun-Kyung Youm, the five books in the kit introduce the Musicmap concept, in which pictures and patterns visually present the length and pitch of the notes of the melody in each piece. The sensory materials attached to each symbolic note express the feelings of the tone and allow children to learn naturally by touch as part of the hands-on activities. Included in the kit are music activity programs for the teacher's convenience, a teacher's guide containing suggested preliminary and follow-up activities for each of the five animal themes, as well as main activities. There are seven activities for each animal, for a total of 35 activities in the series. The enclosed CD was recorded by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, which is gaining recognition as a world-class orchestra. Musicmap Series: Carnival of the Animals has been receiving high praise from education experts in music, art, literature, fine arts, and related areas. It can be used in elementary schools, preschools, day-care centers and music institutions. Regardless of group size, these materials will help children to develop their imagination, creativity, concentration and musicianship. The kit includes:

• MusicmapTeacher Book
• 20 1/2" x 30" poster (features all the pictures of the Musicmap book so it can be used for group lessons
• Folder (smaller linear version of the Musicmap book that may be mounted on a wall)
• 5 beautifully designed hardcover Musicmap books - Kangaroo, Turtle, Cuckoo, Swan, and Lion
• 5 Kangaroo finger-puppets
• 5 Turtle finger-puppets
• 5 Swan finger-puppets
• 5 Lion headbands
• 5 Cuckoo pop-ups
• 1 card for each animal - Kangaroo, Turtle, Cuckoo, Swan, and Lion
• 1 card for each instrument - piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and clarinet
• composer flashcard portrait of Camille Saint-Saens
• CD recording of five of the 14 movements of Carnival of the Animals recorded by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
• CD-ROM video demonstration of how to use the Musicmapbooks.

This is innovation, musical expression and artistic design at its best.

This joyful song from West Africa calls you to a land of warm-hearted people and natural beauty. "Funga Alafia" is a song of welcome, peace, and gratitude. Play the CD, open the book, and let the dynamic sounds of the orchestra with the lively beat of percussion and the vivid illustrations pull you into the pages. Ride a camel! Watch a herd of elephants! Laugh and sing with the children of Africa! The detail in the faces of the children and the various animals inspire imaginary adventures full of fun and excitement. The special orchestra arrangement features a marimba solo using the Musicmap section. The huge trees filled with elephants delight children, as they touch each one in time with the sounds of the marimba.

"The Goldfish Family" is based on the melody of the traditional Japanese song Koinobori. Have you ever watched fish move through water? Hearing the smooth performance of the orchestra, you can imagine every gentle bend and curve of the goldfish happily swimming together. The artist used a special ink technique to create the shimmering surface of the water and the swimming fish below. Even the words ripple across the page as the fish play in the water. When children listen to the viola perform the melody during the Musicmap section, they can follow each fish as it glides among the underwater plants.

The lives and music of six famous composers come to life in this historic and entertaining resource collection of composer stories, original songs and listening map activities. Your students will enjoy acting out these age-appealing stories and performing a variety of musical styles with the original songs that accompany them. Make music listening fun and active with the beautifully designed full-color listening maps, easy-to-follow lesson plans and full-length orchestral recording, all included. The six featured masterworks are: Variations on a Theme (Mozart); Chorale from Cantate No. 147 (J.S. Bach); Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah (Handel); March from The Love for Three Oranges (Prokofiev); Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven); and Finale from Firebird (Stravinsky). The teacher's edition offers piano/vocal song arrangements, a helpful production guide for additional performance options, and lesson plans for the listening map activities. Full-color singer editions feature song vocals, composer stories and listening maps. The 2-CD pak provides performance/ accompaniment tracks for the songs and the six masterwork recordings. Songs include: Listen to Me; Family Fugue; Don't Wait/What's the Hurry?; The Bridge; A Heart Full of Music and I Write the Music.

Step into the lives of American composers Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Leroy Anderson, William Grant Still, Leonard Bernstein and Amy Beach with this resource of engaging stories, fun facts, songs, and active listening lessons. Have fun reading and acting out these age-appealing stories along with performing a variety of musical styles with the original songs that accompany them. Follow the beautifully designed full-color music maps as you listen to full-length recorded orchestral versions of Hoedown (from Rodeo"), Variations on "America", Sleigh Ride, Afro-American Symphony, Scherzo (from "West Side Story") and Piano Concerto in C-Sharp Minor. The teacher edition includes piano/vocal arrangements of each song, easy-to-follow standards-based lesson plans, and a helpful production guide for performance options. The full-color singer's editions feature song vocals, composer stories and listening maps. The classroom kit includes the teacher's edition, singer's edition 20-pak and the CD pak. The CD's provide performance/accompaniment tracks for the songs, and six masterwork recordings.

Research has shown that Itsy Bitsy Spider is the song most often sung by mothers in the United States to their young children. It is a traditional American finger-play song. In the orchestral arrangement, specifically the introduction and coda, you will hear a scale that brings to mind a spider climbing up and down. These notes engage children's imaginations. The illustrator used computer graphics and multimedia to create spiders that are cute, colorful and appeal to children.

This song originated in Germany, but other countries have written new lyrics for the tune. In the United States, the song is about a family rowing a boat and having a happy time. This delightful mood is reflected in the arrangement of the words on the page as well as by the lovely watercolor illustrations. The melody is easy for children to follow and the orchestra beautifully expresses the song's playfulness. Children love to follow the melody in the Musicmap section, with its many striped fish swimming in the water.