A Three-Part Music History Curriculum

The Story of Classical Music

Encounter the masterpieces. Understand the Civilization that Made Them Possible.

A complete music history curriculum that guides students through the story of Western music — from the earliest medieval chants to the masterpieces of the modern era.

Through integrated studies in music, history, art, architecture, philosophy, and literature, students encounter the great composers not as isolated figures, but as participants in a larger story of human creativity, beauty, and innovation.

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

Medieval · 500–1400Hildegard of Bingen, Léonin, Pérotin Renaissance · 1400–1600Guillaume du Fay, Palestrina, Tallis, Byrd, Dowland, Gibbons, Lawes Baroque · 1600–1750Monteverdi, Lully, Purcell, Corelli, Couperin, Vivaldi, Telemann, Handel, Pergolesi, Rameau, Bach Classical · 1750–1820Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven Romantic · 1820–1900Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Wagner, Brahms, Smetana, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Rimsky-Korsakov Modern · 1900–presentDebussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Bartók, Copland, Shostakovich, Britten, Barber, Bernstein, Pärt, Górecki, Whitacre Medieval · 500–1400Hildegard of Bingen, Léonin, Pérotin Renaissance · 1400–1600Guillaume du Fay, Palestrina, Tallis, Byrd, Dowland, Gibbons, Lawes Baroque · 1600–1750Monteverdi, Lully, Purcell, Corelli, Couperin, Vivaldi, Telemann, Handel, Pergolesi, Rameau, Bach Classical · 1750–1820Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven Romantic · 1820–1900Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Wagner, Brahms, Smetana, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Rimsky-Korsakov Modern · 1900–presentDebussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Bartók, Copland, Shostakovich, Britten, Barber, Bernstein, Pärt, Górecki, Whitacre

Why This Course Is Different

Music Is Never Created in Isolation

Every masterpiece is the product of a world.

Behind Bach’s intricate counterpoint and exuberant concertos lies a Europe transformed by scientific discovery and exploration. Behind Mozart’s luminous melodies and elegant forms stands the spirit of the Enlightenment, with its faith in reason, order, beauty, and the dignity of the individual. Behind Beethoven’s heroic symphonies pulse the ideals of revolution, liberty, and human dignity.

Music does not emerge from a vacuum. It is shaped by the ideas, events, beliefs, and artistic movements that surround it.

Yet many music history programs introduce composer after composer in isolated chapters filled with names, dates, and biographical facts.

Students memorize information.
They complete worksheets.
Then they move on.

What often remains hidden is the larger story.

The Story of Classical Music reveals that story.

Rather than presenting composers as disconnected historical figures, this curriculum follows a golden thread of innovation and inspiration, helping students understand how classical music evolved across centuries into one of humanity’s most extraordinary artistic achievements.

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.

Composer Highlight: Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Profile

Notre-Dame & Gothic Architecture HISTORY & CONTEXT

The Ancient Greek Understanding of Music ESSAY & DISCUSSION

Baroque Instruments INSTRUMENTS

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Six Eras · Two Thousand Years

The Full Arc of Western Music History

Medieval

500–1400

Hildegard of Bingen, Léonin, Pérotin

Renaissance

1400–1600

Guillaume du Fay, Palestrina, Tallis, Byrd, Dowland, Gibbons, Lawes

Baroque

1600–1750

Monteverdi, Lully, Purcell, Corelli, Couperin, Vivaldi, Telemann, Handel, Pergolesi, Rameau, Bach

Classical

1750–1820

Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

Romantic

1820–1900

Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Wagner, Brahms, Smetana, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Rimsky-Korsakov, Elgar, Strauss, Mahler

Modern

1900–present

Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Bartók, Copland, Gershwin, Shostakovich, Britten, Barber, Bernstein, Pärt, Górecki, Whitacre, Lauridsen, Adams, Glass

A Three-Part Curriculum Course

The Three-Part Journey

Part I · c. 800–1750

Origins to Bach

Featured Composers

Hildegard, Léonin, Pérotin, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Handel, J.S. Bach, and more

Journey from the resonant chants of medieval monasteries to the dazzling brilliance of the Baroque era. Along the way, students encounter soaring Gothic cathedrals, the Renaissance rebirth of learning, the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the birth of opera as they witness the foundations of Western music take shape.

Part II · c. 1750–1883

Mozart to Wagner

Featured Composers

Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, and more

Enter an age of revolutions, empires, salons, and concert halls as music becomes a powerful vehicle for personal expression. Students follow the rise of the Classical and Romantic eras, encountering the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, Romanticism, and the dramatic expansion of the orchestra through some of history’s most beloved masterpieces.

Part III · c. 1880–Today

Nationalism to the Present Day

Featured Composers

Dvořák, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Copland, Price, Bernstein, Pärt, Whitacre, and more

Travel through a rapidly changing modern world as composers forge bold new musical languages while remaining rooted in centuries of tradition. From the colorful sounds of nationalism and impressionism to jazz influences, film music, minimalism, and contemporary masterworks, students discover how the story of classical music continues to unfold in our own time.

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Together, These Three Volumes Tell One Story

A sweeping journey through more than a thousand years of music history, revealing how generations of composers inherited, transformed, and expanded the musical language they received — creating one of humanity’s greatest artistic traditions.

What Students Will Discover

Follow the Story Behind the Music

Rather than studying composers in isolation, students follow a grand narrative stretching across a millennium of music history, discovering how each generation inherited, transformed, and expanded the musical language it received.

The most influential composers of the Western musical tradition and their greatest masterpieces
The development of music across more than a thousand years of history
The innovations, discoveries, and artistic breakthroughs that transformed the language of music
The rise and fall of musical styles, from medieval chant to contemporary masterworks
The historical events, philosophical ideas, and cultural movements that shaped each era
The relationships and influences that connect composers across generations
The evolution of musical forms, including the symphony, concerto, sonata, opera, and chamber music
The enduring questions of beauty, faith, reason, creativity, and human flourishing that inspired the world's greatest composers

What's Included

A Richly Integrated Music Education

Beautiful Textbook

A richly illustrated textbook, available in digital or hardback format, that guides students through the story of classical music alongside exquisite works of art, architecture, and historical imagery.

Guided Listening Journals

Beautifully designed listening journals that lead students through the masterpieces with listening prompts, reflection activities, and guided encounters with the music.

Watercolor Art Tutorials

Bring each era to life through video watercolor tutorials taught by European artists. Students create beautiful paintings inspired by the cathedrals, palaces, concert halls, landscapes, and cultural landmarks connected to the composers and their worlds.

Integrated Humanities Learning

Discover the historical events, philosophical ideas, artistic movements, and cultural developments that shaped the music and the civilization from which it emerged.

Flexible Teaching Format

Designed for homeschool families, classrooms, co-ops, private studios, and independent learners.

No Specialized Music Training Required

Written for musicians and non-musicians alike, making it easy for parents and teachers to confidently guide students through the curriculum.

Course includes beautifully designed listening journals that facilitate powerful encounters with the masterpieces — through prompts for reflection, listening activities, and quizzes.

Guided Listening Journals — Included in Every Course

Integrated Art Curriculum

Music History Comes Alive in Watercolor

Student & Artist Finished Works · European Cathedral Studies

Rococo style couch Baroque era decorative arts

Fortress Hohensalzburg in Salzburg Classical Era

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Who This Is For

A Resource for Every Educator Who Values the Beautiful

Homeschool Families

Bring music history to life through story-rich, interdisciplinary learning.

Classical Schools & Classrooms

A complete humanities-rich supplement for history, fine arts, and music studies.

Private Music Teachers & Studios

Give students meaningful context for the music they study and perform.

Adult Learners

Embark on a guided journey through the masterpieces of the classical tradition.

The Transformation

By the End of This Journey...

Students and families will gain a lasting foundation — not just for understanding music, but for living more richly within the tradition of Western civilization.

A strong grasp of the story of classical music, from its origins to the present day
Familiarity with the greatest composers, masterpieces, musical forms, and instruments of the Western tradition
A firm grasp of essential musical concepts, techniques, and vocabulary
The ability to listen actively and speak thoughtfully about music with confidence and insight
An understanding of how music reflects the historical, philosophical, artistic, and cultural forces that shaped each era
A richer appreciation for the beauty, creativity, and ingenuity of the world's greatest musical achievements
Shared encounters with beauty that bring families together through meaningful conversation and discovery
A lifelong foundation for engaging with great music as an informed and appreciative listener
Seeds of wonder, imagination, and cultural literacy that will continue to bear fruit for years to come

From Our Community

What Families & Educators Say

The program is outstanding in style and substance. The lessons are informative, interesting, and inspiring, drawing the students into the rich world — musical and artistic — of each era. The writing is of a high literary quality, and the artwork exquisite. We are very much in your debt.

RF Verified Purchaser

The Story of Classical Music is a wonderful book for the whole family to enjoy. The way Sadie intertwines music with the history, art and culture of each specific time period in the curriculum is beautifully done. Highly recommended!

KM Verified Purchaser

I am a long time homeschooling mother and I have learned to not spend money unnecessarily on wasted extra curriculum. But The Story of Classical Music has been a wonderful addition to our Composer and Artist studies. It is easy to pull open and use in a flexible way and all the kids around the table enjoy it.

JH Verified Purchaser

The book arrived in the mail today and I am absolutely blown away! This course is exceptional! I absolutely love all of the references to architecture, art, and history. It makes the music come alive and truly tells the story behind it. This is what I have been hunting for over the past several years.

SB Verified Purchaser

“The program is outstanding in style and substance. The lessons are informative, interesting, and inspiring, dr…” “The Story of Classical Music is a wonderful book for the whole family to enjoy. The way Sadie intertwines musi…” “I am a long time homeschooling mother and I have learned to not spend money unnecessarily on wasted extra curr…” “The book arrived in the mail today and I am absolutely blown away! This course is exceptional! I absolutely lo…”

Enroll Today

Begin Where You Are. Complete the Journey.

The Story of Classical Music unfolds across three standalone courses. Select a part below to explore the full course details and enroll.

1 Choose Your Part

Part I — Origins to Bach c. 800–1750

Medieval chant through the Baroque — Hildegard, Palestrina, Handel, Bach, and more.

Part II — Mozart to Wagner c. 1750–1883

Arriving August 2026

Classical and Romantic eras — Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Wagner, and more.

Part III — Nationalism to Today c. 1880–Present

Coming 2027

Impressionism, Modernism, and beyond — Debussy, Stravinsky, Pärt, Whitacre, and more.

Select a Part & Format