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A big shout out to Rachel from Seven in All (@seveninallfamily), who recently reviewed our Primary A curriculum. Take a look at this lovely review! Thank you so much, Rachel! In addition to providing great resource reviews and homeschooling tips on YouTube, Rachel also produces easy-to-use and affordable homeschool curriculum products covering a variety of fascinating topics for a range of ages over at www.wheredyoulearnthat.com . Many Where'd You Learn That? products are available in both English and Spanish. Learn more about Music Comes Alive If you would like to learn more about our homeschool music curriculum, visit our Get Started page. For specific details about our Primary A course (for grades K-2) or our companion course for grades 3-5, Elementary A, use the links below! Primary A Course Elementary A Course And don't forget our ongoing promotion on all print curriculum products! Use code FIRSTPRINT15 at checkout to get 15% off print products until March 31, 2025. Looking for an easy homeschool music curriculum? Look no further! Consider our beautiful curriculum offerings. With engaging books, a curated listening list, fully written-out lesson plans, and bonus internet links for more learning, Music Comes Alive makes it easy to add music to your homeschool! Bring the joy of music to your homeschool!

Our promotion on our new print music curriculum products ends on March 31. To purchase the print version of our Primary A or Elementary A curricula at the 15% off discount, use code FIRSTPRINT15 at checkout! Take a look at our open-and-go, literature-based music curriculum today! Bring the joy of music to your homeschool!

Welcome to Music Comes Alive, the new literature-based, open-and-go music appreciation curriculum! In this post, meet the founder of Music Comes Alive, Dr. Emma James. Music has been a source of joy and inspiration for me since I was a child. I remember listening to many styles of music--jazz, bluegrass, classical, and Christian contemporary music (CCM), to name a few--in my house growing up. I also have great memories of going to classical concerts with my dad. My mom loves music and taught herself to play the guitar and, more recently, the piano. My dad played the violin through high school, and during my childhood he would occasionally pull it out and play a flashy fiddle tune while I danced in my Laura Ingalls Wilder costume. When I was about eight years old, my parents decided I should take piano lessons after they found me picking out tunes like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on a toy keyboard. Those lessons opened up the world of music to me, sparking a love for music that has been part of my life ever since. In middle school, I joined the school band on French horn and the jazz band on keyboard. As early as ninth grade, I knew that I wanted to pursue music as a career. My family, all of whom were athletic, joked that piano was my "sport." As much as I love music, I also have a wide range of other interests. So I decided to pursue a liberal arts degree with a focus in performance, hoping to become a collaborative pianist (i.e. an accompanist). I went to Houghton University (then Houghton College) for a Bachelor of Music in Applied Piano with Elective Studies in Mathematics and Philosophy. (If that mouthful of a degree doesn't reflect my interest in a wide range of subjects, I don't know what does!) After Houghton, I went to the Eastman School of Music (part of the University of Rochester and a top-ranked music school) for a MA and PhD in Music Theory. This degree program brought together my love for music and my love for math and philosophy, as well as a new-found love of teaching. I had never wanted to go into music education, but teaching at the college level changed my mind about that. Helping students understand music has become one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Now, I am a wife and a homeschooling mother of two girls. I no longer teach at the college level, but I do teach piano and music theory lessons, and I help lead a homeschool co-op and teach music classes for elementary ages there. As a homeschool parent, bringing music into my children's lives has been an essential part of our homeschool. My children take instrument lessons, of course. But music appreciation is more than playing an instrument. Reading books and listening to great music has been an effective and exciting way for me to bring music history and musical concepts to life for my own children. I founded Music Comes Alive because I am passionate about bringing music to life for children and adults alike. While teaching at our co-op for the last few years, I have found that parents feel inadequate to teach music appreciation to their children. But just as we can teach English, Language Arts, History, Math, and Science with a good guide, we can also teach music appreciation with a good guide! This belief led me to create Music Comes Alive. Each course is designed to be an opportunity to learn alongside your child. Each curriculum guide is open-and-go, with a schedule and fully written-out lesson plans, and requiring no prior expertise. We use great books, curated listening lists, and engaging activity sheets alongside these lessons to bring music to life for you and your child. I am so grateful for the gift of music in my life, a gift that points to the goodness, beauty, and truth of our Creator. Let us help you give the gift of music to your family with Music Comes Alive! Bring the joy of music to your homeschool!

Check out the new print format of our literature-based homeschool music curriculum! Use coupon code FIRSTPRINT15 for 15% off during March! We are so excited to announce that the print format of our Primary A and Elementary A curricula are now available! Containing all the great content seen in our digital Primary A and Elementary A homeschool music appreciation courses, our printed format features beautiful, full-color printed booklets in your choice of spiral binding or 3-hole punch. QR codes throughout the Curriculum Guide make it easy to access the Digital Resources (answer key, recordings, and bonus supplementary content). Primary A (Grades K-2) Primary A: "Medieval Melodies to Musical Theater" begins with nine delightful picture books (available for purchase through our website) and a curated playlist. This course moves chronologically through music history, beginning with medieval composer Hildegard von Bingen and ending with leading ladies of Broadway.  Each month, learn about one musician, one fundamentals concept, and one instrument. In December, spend two weeks learning about the Christmas carol "Silent Night." Wrap up each month with an engaging activity (crafts, games, etc.). This curriculum is the perfect blend of fun and education! Check out the print format Curriculum Guide and Activity Pack in the Music Comes Alive store. See also: Primary A: Bundle (Digital) and Primary A: Book Bundle Elementary A (Grades 3-5) Elementary A: "Medieval to Modern"  begins with nine engaging picture books (available for purchase through our website) and a curated playlist. This course moves chronologically through music history, beginning with medieval musician Guido D'Arezzo and ending with Leonard Bernstein.  Each month, learn about one musician, one fundamentals concept, and one instrument. In December, spend two weeks learning about the Christmas carol "In the Bleak Midwinter." Wrap up each month with an engaging activity (crafts, games, etc.). This curriculum provides an enriching musical experience for you and your students. Check out the print format Curriculum Guide  and Activity Pack  in the Music Comes Alive store. See also: Elementary A: Bundle (Digital) and Elementary A: Book Bundle From the beginning, it has been the vision here at Music Comes Alive to make our robust literature-based music appreciation curricula available in both digital and print formats. We are so excited to make that dream a reality! To celebrate with us, use code FIRSTPRINT15 for 15% off our new print products (expires March 31, 2025). Bring the joy of music to your homeschool! All the products linked in this post are designed for individual family use. Interested in group licensing? Please contact us for group prices at info@musiccomesalive.com

Introducing: The First Notes: The Story of DO, RE, MI (Written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton; Illustrated by Chiara Fedele) Have you ever heard the song "Doe, a deer, a female deer?" Perhaps you know it from the movie "The Sound of Music," in which Julie Andrews sings it. Have you ever wondered what all those syllables known as solfège --"Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do"--have to do with music? Or who decided that music should be notated with dots, lines, and other squiggly symbols? Meet the medieval monk Guido D'Arezzo, who developed both an innovative style of music notation and the solfège syllables to teach it. Explore the world of Guido D'Arezzo with your children in the book The First Notes: The Story of DO, RE, MI , written by Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. The book tells the story of Guido's life as a monk and his dream to write music down. While Guido D'Arezzo was not the only person to develop notation using neumes (square notes and other symbols used in medieval notation), his use of a staff (lines and spaces) and syllables allowed people to learn songs they had never heard before. His ideas were rejected at first, but they eventually were widely used and became the basis of our modern music notation system. With cheerful prose and charming illustrations, this book will introduce you and your child to Guido D'Arezzo and the history of music notation. The First Notes is used in our Elementary A curriculum for Grades 3-5. Alongside the story of Guido, this book weaves in the words of "Doe, a deer" to explore solfége syllables, and it contains informative back matter with more about Guido and solfége. The First Notes is just one example of the many beautiful and informative books that make up the core of Music Comes Alive. Wondering how to acquire the books for Music Comes Alive? We encourage you to start with your local library system, where many of these books may be found. In many cases, you may also find these books through second-hand book stores/websites. For your convenience, we also sell the books for our curricula on our website. You can purchase them individually or as a course bundle . Check out Elementary A: Medieval to Modern  or Shop Elementary A (Grades 3-5) Check out Primary A: Medieval Melodies to Musical Theater  or Shop Primary A (Grades K-2) Bring music to life at home with Music Comes Alive. Our easy-to-use, literature-based curriculum empowers YOU, the parent, to teach music in your homeschool!

We know that affordability and convenience are priorities for homeschool families, and each family may prioritize these differently. Even though the benefits of literature-based study--such as improving focus and cultivating a vibrant imagination--are well-known, b uying so many books for music can feel like a hefty purchase for many homeschool families. On the other hand, even though music is an elective subject, music appreciation is essential to a well-rounded education. Having convenient access to a solid music curriculum makes it easy to incorporate music into your homeschool. Fortunately, there are many ways to get the most out of our Music Comes Alive curriculum, making it possible to choose the right balance of affordability and convenience for your family. (1) Local Library The majority of the books used in our curriculum can be found for free through your local library system. Even if your library system does not carry these books, they can most likely get them for you through interlibrary loans. It doesn't get much better than free! Using the library is the least expensive way to acquire the books you need, but it may not always be the most convenient way. Using the library is most effective if you plan in advance, as you may need to use your library's holds system or interlibrary loan system. Make sure you request a hold or an interlibrary loan at least a month before you need the book (sometimes longer for interlibrary loans).* (2) Let's Get Thrifty! If the idea of remembering to request library holds on time sounds daunting, there is another great option: buying second-hand! There are several excellent places to buy used books online: Amazon, ThriftBooks, Abebooks, Ebay, etc. If you are especially lucky, you may even be able to find some of these books at local second-hand bookstores, your local library book sale, or through your homeschool buy/sell communities. Buying second-hand is an affordable way to make sure you have what you need when you need it, without worrying about library holds or loans. However, it may take time to find the books you need, and how much you save depends on which books you need to buy. Some of the books in our curricula are relatively new, which means used copies are harder to find. But for those books that have been around for a while, buying second-hand is a great way to go. (3) All-in-One Primary A Books Bundle There is something to be said for opening a curriculum box and having everything you need. No need to stay on schedule with library holds. No need to spend the summer looking for second-hand copies of books. Just open and go. That's why we sell book bundles for each course at the Music Comes Alive store. Buying the book bundles is by far the most convenient way to make sure you get the most out of the Music Comes Alive learning experience. In addition, these books represent a long-term investment: many of them will likely become treasured additions to your home library, and, even more importantly, your children (and you!) will develop a strong appreciation of music while forging deep connections as you learn together through reading together. Elementary A Books Bundle (4) Mix-and-Match Books For many families, the best solution may be a combination of all of the above: Maybe interlibrary loans are not your thing, but find what you can in your local library system. Buy second-hand where you can find a good deal. Buy any remaining books new . You can find all the required books in our curricula listed individually at the Music Comes Alive store. However you choose to acquire books, give the gift of music appreciation to your children with our easy, fun, and comprehensive homeschool music curriculum. At Music Comes Alive, we are here to help you bring music to life for your family. * Another way to use the library: Our Primary and Elementary curricula might be better described as "literature-supported" than "literature-based" (although as far as I can tell, that's not a phrase in the homeschool canon as yet). We recommend using the books we have scheduled to get the most out of the curriculum. However, if necessary, you may be able to find substitutes. For many of the musicians we cover, there are delightful--often out-of-print--books that are still carried by most library systems. You may have to modify the reading questions to fit the book you've chosen, but the remainder of the lesson plans for each month should still be useable. Please note: Our planned Intermediate (middle school) and High School courses will be truly literature-based, so substituting books will not work well for those curricula.

Introducing: When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson (Written by Pam Muñoz Ryan; Illustrated by Brian Selznick) Are you familiar with Marian Anderson? She was an African American opera singer who lived through most of the twentieth century, astonishing her audience with her emotive singing and forging a pathway to opera for other people of color. Enter the world of Marian Anderson with your children in the award-winning book, When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson . The book opens as if it were a staged performance, with scenes from Anderson's childhood. The story showcases her determined pursuit of vocal training and opportunities to perform, in spite of rejections by music schools and by the American public because of her skin color. Learn about Anderson's unique talent, her rise to fame, and her tours of Europe. Experience the triumph of Anderson's Lincoln Memorial concert and her debut at the Metropolitan Opera. With engaging prose and beautiful, sepia-toned illustrations, this book will immerse you and your child in the life and music of Marian Anderson. When Marian Sang is used in our Primary A curriculum for Grades K-2. In addition to the "true recital" of Marian Anderson's life in the main text, the book also contains informative author's notes about Anderson, if you would like to dive deeper. When Marian Sang is just one example of the many beautiful and informative books that make up the core of Music Comes Alive. Wondering how to acquire the books for Music Comes Alive? We encourage you to start with your local library system, where many of these books may be found. In many cases, you may also find these books through second-hand book stores/websites. For your convenience, we also sell the books for our curricula on our website. You can purchase them individually or as a course bundle . Check out Primary A: Medieval Melodies to Musical Theater  or Shop Primary A (Grades K-2) Check out Elementary A: Medieval to Modern  or Shop Elementary A (Grades 3-5) Bring music to life at home with Music Comes Alive. Our easy-to-use, literature-based curriculum empowers YOU, the parent, to teach music in your homeschool!

Our mission is in our name: Music Comes Alive aims to bring music to life for your family through an easy, fun, and comprehensive homeschool music curriculum. Easy & Fun Primary A Curriculum Guide "Month at a Glance" Music Comes Alive is designed to fit  into your busy homeschool life, with one easy-to-teach lesson per week. Each course includes a parent-friendly Curriculum Guide and an engaging Activity Pack for each student. Our no prep, open-and-go Curriculum Guides contain a year's worth of fully written-out lesson plans, with everything you need to teach music at home: ​ (1) For planning: scope & sequence, booklist, playlist, supplies list & month-at-a-glance pages ​ Elementary A Activity Pack "Musician Fact File" (2) For teaching: fully written-out lesson plans with diagrams and internet-linked resources (with links & QR codes) ​ The Activity Pack features colorful activity sheets for a fun, hands-on experience. For each lesson, your student will enjoy the accompanying Activity Pack page, such as "Musician Fact File," "Fundamentals Focus," "Instrument Spotlight," or "Hands-On Activity." "Listening Pages" are provided for each listening assignment. Comprehensive Music Curriculum ​ Books for Primary A In addition to being easy and fun, Music Comes Alive aims to be comprehensive, providing access to a range of musical styles and topics for your family to enjoy. Our literature-based curriculum uses great books to bring music to life and foster connection between you and your child. Over the course of each month, you and your child will learn about music history, music fundamentals, and musical instruments. Curated playlists and listening guides help you and your child to become familiar with great musical compositions and to learn how to listen to different styles of music. Music Comes Alive also taps into various learning styles by using a range of teaching approaches, including read-aloud books & lessons, listening assignments, hands-on worksheets & activities (crafts, games, etc.), and internet-linked resources (primarily video) for further exploration of the topics covered by the curriculum. Course Offerings Our long-term vision is to offer digital and print homeschool music curriculum for grades K-12. Our current offerings include: Primary A (Grades K-2): Medieval Melodies to Musical Theater ( Learn More ) Elementary A (Grades 3-5): Medieval to Modern ( Learn More ) Print versions of Primary A and Elementary A will be available soon! Upcoming courses will include additional courses for grades K-2 (Primary B) and grades 3-5 (Elementary B) as well as our first middle school curriculum (Intermediate 1). Head on over to the Music Comes Alive store and bring the joy of music to your homeschool today!

Introducing: What Music! The Fifty-Year Friendship between Beethoven and Nannette Streicher, Who Built His Pianos (Written by Laurie Lawlor; Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander) Did you know that the way Beethoven performed at the piano changed the way pianos are built? Enter the world of Ludwig van Beethoven with your children in What Music! The Fifty-Year Friendship between Beethoven and Nannette Streicher, Who Built His Pianos . Learn about Beethoven's rise to fame and descent into deafness and experience the joy of his triumphant Symphony No. 9 through the lens of his friendship with Nannette Streicher. An enduring friend whom Beethoven called "an uncommonly good influence" on his life, Striecher was an innovative piano builder. Her pianos, which were louder and sturdier than earlier instruments, were among Beethoven's favorites. With expressive text and lively illustrations, this book will immerse you and your child in the life and music of Beethoven. What Music! , the book highlighted above, is used in our Elementary A curriculum for Grades 3-5. Featuring a compelling story and evocative illustrations, the book also contains informative author's notes about Beethoven, Nannette Streicher, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. What Music! is just one example of the many beautiful and informative books that make up the core of Music Comes Alive. Wondering how to acquire the books for Music Comes Alive? Many of these books can be found through your local library system or through second-hand book stores/websites. For your convenience, we also sell the books for our curricula on our website. You can purchase them individually or as a course bundle . Check out Elementary A: Medieval to Modern or Shop Elementary A (Grades 3-5) Check out Primary A: Medieval Melodies to Musical Theater  or Shop Primary A (Grades K-2) Bring music to life at home with Music Comes Alive. Our easy-to-use, literature-based curriculum empowers YOU, the parent, to teach music in your homeschool!

Today's the day! Check out our best deals from now through Monday, Dec 2. Bring the joy of music to your homeschool!

Have you been thinking about trying Music Comes Alive? Make a note to check out our upcoming Black Friday Sale! We're excited to offer you some great deals! All curriculum and curriculum bundles will be 25% off and all books and book bundles will be 20% off. Shop from Friday, Nov. 29 through Monday, Dec. 2, and save on our easy & fun, literature-based homeschool music curriculum! Find out how easy it is to bring the joy of music to your homeschool with Music Comes Alive!

Introducing: Star & the Maestro: How a Musical Bird Made Melodies with Mozart (Written by Thor Hanson; Illustrated by Matt Schu) Imagine sitting on the couch with your child and opening the pages of a beautiful picture book. Before you know it you and your child are transported to 18th century Vienna, immersed in the sights and sounds of the city and taking pity on a poor, unattractive starling whom no one wants. Imagine your joy when the musical maestro Mozart hears his very own piano concerto coming from the beak of the musical bird and brings him home. With rollicking rhymes and inspiring illustrations, you and your child will find yourselves cheering for Star, the musical starling, and for Mozart's music! Star & the Maestro: How a Musical Bird Made Melodies with Mozart , the book highlighted above, is used in our Primary A (K-2nd) curriculum. In addition to the beautiful illustrations and lively text, it contains informative notes about the time period, the composer, and more details about the true story of the musical starling who inspired Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This book, just released on September 24, 2024, is only one example of the many beautiful and enlightening books that make up the core of Music Comes Alive. Wondering how to acquire the books for Music Comes Alive? Many of these books can be found through your local library system or through second-hand book stores/websites. For your convenience, we also sell the books for our curricula on our website. You can purchase them individually or as a course bundle . Check out Primary A: Medieval Melodies to Musical Theater or Shop Primary A (Grades K-2) Check out Elementary A: Medieval to Modern or Shop Elementary A (Grades 3-5) Bring music to life at home with Music Comes Alive. Our easy-to-use, literature-based curriculum empowers YOU, the parent, to teach music in your homeschool!