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Music

Home Education
How I’m Hacking Charlotte Mason Singing Lessons

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]bout a month ago, I was out at dinner with some old friends — it was something of a reunion for our original Charlotte Mason group (I think we started meeting in late 2008, if I’m doing the math correctly — my, how time has flown). We hadn’t all been together in the same place for a couple years (because of families moving away and yes I am still bitter). I expressed my frustration — I sing and read music Continue Reading…
May 9, 2017
Educational Philosophy, Mother's Education
Dance of the Musical Universe

The subsection of The Liberal Arts Tradition focuses on music — not music in the sense of poetic education, but music as a liberal art, and possibly the “chief art of the Quadrivium” — surprised me greatly! While I was already familiar with concepts such as the music of the spheres, this section not only elevated music to greater heights, but tied all of the Quadrivium more tightly together. Ravi Jain tells us that the liberal art of music has Continue Reading…
October 7, 2015
Educational Philosophy, Mother's Education
Music and the Poetry of Education

It is easy to hear the phrase “musical education” and assume we’re talking about piano and violin lessons, with a bit of tonic sol-fa thrown in. While this is the beginning of what is meant by music as a liberal art, music here — as something that precedes the liberal arts — means something deeper and more basic. Clark and Jain, in The Liberal Arts Tradition, call it “foundational.” To Clark and Jain, musical education is “an education in wonder”: Continue Reading…
July 22, 2015
Mother's Education, Other Thoughts
Seven Quick Takes on Cake Decorating, Podcasts, Reading, and More!

:: 1 :: Today is cake decorating day! We’re having a small gathering for Daughter A.’s tenth birthday tomorrow afternoon subsequent to tennis lessons, and I like to decorate the cake a day in advance. It’s always a fun day, and I’m trying a new technique for the top. I’ll share pictures next week! :: 2 :: What I will tell you now is that it pays to have a multi-day plan so that cake decorating doesn’t cause too Continue Reading…
February 27, 2015