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The Story of Classical Music, Part I

Medieval, Renaissance & Baroque Eras

A Music Enrichment Curriculum for the Home & Classroom.

Course Description

Learn the story of classical music, from its origins in medieval chant up through the polyphonic masterpieces of J.S. Bach.

This course contains 24 lessons that richly narrate the story of classical music for families, classrooms, and the adult learner. By contextualizing the development of Western music within the key artistic, historical, and philosophical movements that contributed to its flowering, each masterpiece of the classical canon comes to life as both a cultural synthesis of its own time and an artistic expression of transcendent beauty that crosses all borders of time and place.

 

With an open-and-go textbook written in an engaging, storytelling style, along with accompanying listening activities and art tutorials for grades K–12, this curriculum brings families and classrooms together to deepen their understanding and appreciation of one of the world’s richest art forms.

For Homeschool Families · Classrooms · Co-ops · Music Studios · Independent Learners

  1. Teacher’s Textbook
    A 273-page beautifully designed teacher’s textbook, containing 24 open-and-go lessons with richly narrated stories of composers and their worlds.
  2. Listening Journal · Grades K–3
    A 77-page activity book containing coloring pages and simple “circle and draw” prompts to help younger students stay engaged while absorbing the beauty of the music.
  3. Listening Journal · Grades 4+
    A 167-page activity book containing drawing, listening, and journaling activities for each lesson, plus a quiz — deepening understanding of music history and theory.
  4. Digital Library
    6 playlists · 6 watercolor art tutorials · music term tutorials 
  • Grades: K–12
    Coloring, listening, and journaling prompts for all ages to facilitate active listening and learning.
  • Pace: Weekly
    Encounter one composer and masterwork per week across a full school year. Repeat in subsequent years for deeper immersion and solidification.
  • Lesson Length: 45–60 min
    Open-and-go narrations; no teacher prep required.
  • Number of Lessons: 24
    Lessons span the medieval through Baroque eras of music.
  1. Hildegard von Bingen
  2. Léonin
  3. Pérotin
  4. Guillaume du Fay
  5. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
  6. Thomas Tallis
  7. William Byrd
  8. John Dowland
  9. Orlando Gibbons
  10. William Lawes
  11. Claudio Monteverdi
  12. Jean-Baptiste Lully
  13. Henry Purcell
  14. George Frideric Handel
  15. Arcangelo Corelli
  16. François Couperin
  17. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
  18. Antonio Vivaldi
  19. Jean-Philippe Rameau
  20. Georg Philipp Telemann
  21. Johann Sebastian Bach
  1. Music of the Ancient Cathedrals
  2. Notre-Dame: The Cradle of Polyphony
  3. A Renaissance Rose
  4. Renaissance Masters of Polyphony
  5. Musical Tapestries of Whitehall Palace
  6. Dowland’s Tears
  7. Music of the Cosmos
  8. Attend a Masque at Banqueting House!
  9. The Birth of Opera
  10. The Dancing Sun King and His Musician
  11. Opera in the Land of Poets and Playwrights
  12. Crowning Jewels of the Aria
  13. The Rise of Instrumental Music
  14. Harpsichord Dances at Versailles
  15. Italian Sacred Drama
  16. Shivering Strings
  17. A Royal Birthday and Coronation
  18. A Barge Party on the Thames River
  19. Three Unusual Pearls of Paris
  20. Zimmermannsches Kaffeehaus
  21. Chorales and Cantatas at ThomasKirche
  22. Bach’s Clavier
  23. A Thrift Store Find
  24. Baroque into the Cosmos
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Schools, Co-ops & Studios
Inside the Textbook

Sample Pages from the Curriculum

Richly narrated composer stories, listening activities, and studies in art and architecture — every page an open-and-go experience that engages all the ages in your home or classroom.

Teacher's Textbook
Teacher's Textbook Textbook
Grades K–3 Listening Journal
Grades K–3 Listening Journal Grades K–3
Teacher's Textbook — spread
Teacher's Textbook — spread Textbook
Grades 4+ Listening Journal
Grades 4+ Listening Journal Grades 4+
Teacher's Textbook — detail
Teacher's Textbook — detail Textbook
Grades K–3 Listening Journal (detail)
Grades K–3 Listening Journal (detail) Grades K–3
Teacher's Textbook — lesson page
Teacher's Textbook — lesson page Textbook
Grades 4+ Listening Journal (detail)
Grades 4+ Listening Journal (detail) Grades 4+
Teacher's Textbook — composer portrait
Teacher's Textbook — composer portrait Textbook
6 Art Tutorials Included

Bring Music History to Life through Watercolor

Each section of the curriculum is accompanied by a step-by-step art tutorial, guiding students to draw or paint an iconic landmark tied to the era’s featured composers and their world. Tutorials are taught by European-based watercolor artist Elisabeth Waldstein.

Part I

Notre-Dame

Learn how to draw birthplace of polyphony.

Part II

Banqueting House

Draw the venue for the most extravagant parties during the Golden Age of England!

Part III

Duomo di Firenze

Draw the most defining architectural feature of Florence, where opera was born.

Part IV

The Baldacchino of St. Peter’s

Draw Bernini’s masterpiece in Rome, where Corelli was mastering the tonal system.

Part V

A King Louis XV Rococo Style Couch

Draw the Rococo furniture style at King Louis XV court, where Rameau worked.

Part VI

Thomaskirche

Draw the church where Bach worked for 29 years as music director and organist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions & Answers

Teachers & Parents who want to give their students the highest quality education in classical music history and appreciation; Students, Grades K–8; Life-long Adult Learners who want to grasp the significance, history, and distinct artistic details of one of the world’s richest art forms; All Educators & Students who understand the vital necessity and transformative power of the arts in education!

Yes! I wrote this curriculum in a style that guides students carefully by the hand, clearly teaching each musical concept in a way that someone with zero music background will understand. That being said, the music history knowledge contained in it is so rich that even an experienced musician or classical music lover will glean a great deal from it!

Every lesson is created to be as easy to implement as possible. The parent can simply provide coloring pencils and a warm environment for learning — the textbook and listening journals are open and go! Many parents find it just as enjoyable as their children, as they learn alongside them the rich stories of composers and their worlds!

Though the curriculum content is best for Grades 3+, all ages can benefit from the knowledge and beauty contained in the curriculum, and it can be repeated in years to come for deeper immersion and appreciation. With a homeschooling background (I was homeschooled K–12!), I created the music curriculum with homeschooling families in mind. With coloring pages for littles, listening activities for older ages, and engaging knowledge for all, the curriculum can be a family affair or as specialized as you like it to be.

With some variation, each lesson should take 45–60 minutes to complete.

Meet the Author
Sadie Hoyt, author of The Story of Classical Music

Sadie Hoyt holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Music in Chamber Music and has performed as a pianist in music festivals across the United States, Canada, and Austria. She runs a private piano studio, performs regularly as a collaborative pianist, and creates educational resources for deepening or jumpstarting classical music appreciation in the home or classroom. With over 18 years of teaching experience with students of all ages, she aims to create educational materials grounded in academic and aesthetic excellence for your home or classroom.

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