Wordless Wednesday Delbin Practices His Violin

Delbin is now playing violin for extracurricular music. I used to play in 6th-12th grades.

2Cellos Score Album Review and #Giveaway #MovieScores #Soundtrack #2Cellos #LondonSymphonyOrchestra

I received this album free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

2Cellos are made up of the Croatian cellists, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser. This classical crossover dynamic duo and international sensation has taken instrumental music by storm since their distinctive video version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” rocked YouTube with millions of hits in 2011. They have already created three very popular high-energy albums for Sony Music Masterworks: a self-titled debut album, IN2ITION, and Celloverse.

In their forth album, Score, these two instrumentalists take a different path exploring the more traditional side of classical music. Joining them for this album is the London Symphony Orchestra, with conductor/arranger Robin Smith at the helm. This was a dream come true for the 2Cellos to perform with. In Score, 2Cellos take us to the movies with theatrical scores such as the May It Be from the Lord of the Rings and the Schindler's List Main Theme. Sulic and Hauser also co-produced Score with Nick Patrick which has produced for such greats as Jackie Evancho, Il Divo, and Placido Domingo.

My Thoughts:
I love 2Cellos. They are fantastic and exceptionally talented. Their music is always epic and grand. I have loved their previous tracks so much because they are unique, energized, fun, and demand an audience. These tracks are what makes 2Cellos stand out in the classical world.

Score is a fabulous album. It is full of gorgeous music and I believe that 2Cellos and the London Symphony Orchestra performed them beautifully together. I am in love with the musical scores of great movies and TV, but find myself wanting more from 2Cellos Score. 2Cellos insanely intense sound and impressive high-stamina do not radiate throughout this album. However; even though this strays from 2Cellos normal, I still love Score. This album would be great played at a dinner party or Soiree.

Track Listing:

1.  Game of Thrones Medley (from Game of Thrones)
2.  May it Be (from The Lord of the Rings)
3.  For the Love of a Princess (from Braveheart)
4.  Love Story (from Love Story)
5.  Cinema Paradiso (from Cinema Paradiso)
6.  Moon River (from Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
7.  Love Theme from The Godfather (from The Godfather)
8.  My Heart Will Go On (from Titanic)
9.  Rain Man Theme (from Rain Man)
10.  Cavatina (from The Deer Hunter) 
11.  Malena (from Malena)
12.  Schindler's List Main Theme (from Schindler’s List)
13.  Titles from Chariots of Fire (from Chariots of Fire)
14.  Now We are Free (from Gladiator)

Watch 2Cellos Game of Thrones Music Video...


BE SOCIAL
Website: http://www.2cellos.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/2Cellos
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/2Cellos
Instagram: https://instagram.com/2cellosofficial/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/2CELLOSlive

TOUR DATES IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON
7/22  Portland, OR  Oregon Zoo Amphitheater  TICKETS
7/23  Seattle (Woodinville), WA  Chateau Ste. Michele Winery  TICKETS
Other Dates Check HERE.

BUY IT


Amazon: http://smarturl.it/Score2CELLOS-cd
Amazon MP3: http://smarturl.it/Score2CELLOS-ad
Apple Music: http://smarturl.it/Score2CELLOS-am
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/Score2CELLOS
Spotify: http://smarturl.it/Score2CELLOS-str

WIN IT
Prize: 2Cellos Score Album

This giveaway is open to continental U.S. residents only! Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for Rafflecopter below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Sony Music Masterworks Digital Marketing for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf CD Review

My family had the privilege of listening to the Peter and the Wolf CD by Maestro Classics for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Schoolhouse Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Maestro Classics is a company that specializes in a classical music series called Stories in Music. This series has 12 titles to choose from of classical music CDs or MP3s with narration. Each title is performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and has a story and musical explanation to go with the music. These Classics for Children are both educational and fun for young and old alike.

Peter and the Wolf is a real classic. It is truly a creative folk story with both classical music and narration. The Maestro Classics version is a physical musical CD (also comes in MP3 digital download) with a activity booklet and curriculum guide. It also includes a biography of the composer, Sergei Prokofiev, an extra track of music without the narration, a performance by a folk trio, Trio Voronezh, who play selections from Peter and the Wolf with traditional Russian instruments, and a 24-page activity booklet. The Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf is performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Grammy-nominated conductor Stephen Simon and and narrator Yadu. The gorgeous illustrations on the cover and inside the activity booklet are by award-winning children's book illustrator Salley Mavor of Wee Folk Studio.

Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf Tracklisting:

1. Introduction (3:57)
2. Peter and the Wolf performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Narration by Yadu (25:10)
3. About the Composer: Sergei Prokofiev (6:14)
4. A Russian Peter performed by Trio Voronezh (2:21)
5. About the Music (6:18)
6. Peter and the Wolf performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Instrumental) (21:03)
7. Invitation to Grandfather's Party (0:26)
8. Kalinka performed by Trio Voronezh (2:45)

Total Playing Time: 68:16

The CD insert has a lot of fun activities in it to do too:

• Match the Instruments
• Prokofiev the Composer (a little about him with an activity to write in Russian)
• Identify the Mouthpiece (fill in blanks and write what instrument the picture goes with)
• Dot-to-Dot
• Trio Voronezh (a little about the Russian band with a fun fact that they now live in Eugene, Oregon!)
• Peter's Tune (the written music for the character, Peter)
• The Balalaika (introduction to this traditional Russian instrument)
• The Bayan (introduction to this traditional Russian instrument)
• The Domra (introduction to this traditional Russian instrument)
• Crack the Code! (write the letter under the picture it represents)
• Word Search
• Musical Question (read the notes and put the letters they represent in the blanks)
• Crossword Fun!
• Our Players (a bit about the conductor, narrator, and creative director and producer of Maestro Classics)

You can also find a free homeschool curriculum guide on the Maestro Classics website for all twelve of their Stories in Music. Each one has links for  lesson plans in History, Science, Geography, Language Arts, Art, Music, and Math. You can download all the subjects in one unit study on PDF from their website.

How We Used This and Our Thoughts:

I believe that teaching classical music to children is important because it enhances: intellect, concentration, memory, self-discipline, attention span, listening skills, social skills, language skills, math skills, spatial-temporal reasoning, etc. It also gives a greater appreciation of a wider spectrum of music, relieves stress, improves mood and emotion skills, and stimulates the brain while advancing children's development. This "Mozart Effect" has been documented in many studies around the world. The benefits of classical music and musical education are substantial.

My husband and I grew up in the 80's with Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies by Warner Bros. & Silly Symphonies by Disney on TV and Disney's Fantasia full length movie featuring Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice and the Peter and the Wolf mini classic film. When I was a kid I really didn't think anything of it when I was watching them. They were just silly cartoons to me, but now that I am older I realize that these musical animated films were filled with great classical music. These were a huge musical influence on my husband and I. When I was asked to review The Nutcracker or Peter and the Wolf from Maestro Classics I chose Peter and the Wolf because my fond memories of the 1946 animated Disney version as a child.

The Maestro Classics version is wonderful. Track 1 and 2 are very similar with the Disney version, but without the animation so you can picture everything that happens in your head and be more imaginative about it. With this story you can follow along with the instruments easily, but it still makes you think and this is great for little minds. My daughters, Zari and Teela, who had not heard Peter and the Wolf before, were captivated with the story and music. My girls loved how each character was represented by an instrument and had its own theme. I am so happy that the director of the Children's Theater in Moscow asked Prokofiev to compose a work to introduce children to the symphony orchestra because if she hadn't we wouldn't have had Peter and the Wolf. We love the Russian Folk Medley that the Trio Voronezh played. It was really fun to hear some of Peter and the Wolf played with traditional Russian instruments. Kalinka was also fun and my girls liked to dance to this piece because it slowed down and then sped up. I am going to delve deeper into the homeschool curriculum guide with my boys in the coming weeks. I know all of my kids will enjoy doing the science, art, and music projects and learning about the history, etc. behind the music.

We had a wonderful time listening to the Maestro Classics Peter and the Wolf. We learned a lot about the composer and some traditional Russian instruments along with some other interesting information. I highly recommend this CD, activity booklet, and curriculum guide to anyone that wants to have and teach a better appreciation for classical music.

BUY IT
Purchase Peter and the Wolf on CD for $16.98 + free shipping, mp3 for $9.98, and on iTunes for $9.99.

Follow Them on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaestroClassics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaestroClassics
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maestroclassics/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/maestroclassics

Read other homeschool curriculum reviews for Maestro Classics...

Kylie Minogue The Abbey Road Sessions CD Review

Australian born, Kylie Minogue has been a global pop icon for 25 years. She has had 60 million global album sales, multiple hit singles, global tours, collaborations, countless industry accolades, acting roles and TV appearances. In 1987 her music career started when she released her first single; a remake of the 1962 Little Eva hit “Locomotion”. She has been singing and acting ever since.

Being released in the US on November 6th, this album, The Abbey Road Sessions was recorded in London's legendary Abbey Road Studios with Kylie's band and a full orchestra. As much as I love full orchestras usually, I miss her 80's flair on this album. The songs do not have the same flavor. Her songs don't pop in the same way and are not as upbeat. The sixteen tracks on this album have been radically reimagined and rearranged. She had always wanted to record in this way and so it was one of those things I think that she needed to do and I applaud her in living out her dream.

Don't get me wrong, I love the album, but in a totally different way. This album has a more emotional tone to it. Her voice shines and resonates more in this album. The songs are more clear and defined. The orchestral arrangement of this album and sound of the studio gives it a special ambiance. I love the reworked "Can't Get You Out Of My Head". It still works well with the orchestra. The previously unreleased "Flower" is one of my favorites on the album. I love the lyrics! She wrote this song years ago following her battle with breast cancer as an ode to the child she hopes to have some day.

Kylie Minogue - The Abbey Road Sessions Album Sampler

Tracklist:
01. All the Lovers
02. On a Night Like This
03. Better the Devil You Know
04. Hand On Your Heart
05. I Believe in You
06. Come Into My World
07. Finer Feelings
08. Confide in Me
09. Slow
10. Locomotion
11. Can’t Get You Out of My Head
12. Where the Wild Roses Grow
13. Flower
14. I Should Be So Lucky
15. Love At First Sight
16. Never Too Late

BUY IT
This would be great for a stocking stuffer or gift for the upcoming holidays.
iTunes $11.99
Amazon (Deluxe) $14.46
Amazon (Standard) $9.99

Follow Her
Kylie on Twitter
Kylie on Facebook
Kylie will appear on Dancing With The Stars on November 13th and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on November 14th to perform "The Locomotion."

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to One2One Network for sending me product for free to facilitate my review. By posting early I am entered to win prizes. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.