Themes To Remember, Volume 2

Themes To Remember book/CD combinations are designed to help anyone (particularly young children) to recognize classical music themes, to know the name of the composer of each theme, and to be knowledgeable about and love classical music. Theme recognition is based on (mostly short) light-hearted lyrics by the author that contain (with a few exceptions) the name of the composition and the name of the composer.

Themes To Remember, Volume 2, is an extension of Themes To Remember, Volume 1. i.e. it has the same author, illustrator, portrait artist, teaching style, internal arrangement, binding type, etc. as Volume 1. However, it features 40 classical music themes that are all different from those included in Volume 1 (plus 2 themes that are repeats). This volume has 23 composers including 10 composers and 8 composer portraits that are not in Volume 1. Volume 2 features all four of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and also eight themes from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker". Like Volume 1, it also has a CD inside the back cover.

In addition to the musical themes, both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of Themes To Remember are fully illustrated books with short biographies and portrait sketches of the composers and definitions of musical terms. The CD that comes with each book has two (consecutive) tracks per classical music theme. The first (odd numbered) track has the musical theme without lyrics followed by a track with vocalists singing the theme with the lyrics.

These book/CD Volumes are currently being used in preschool and elementary schools as well as by parents with young children and even by adults who want to learn the ABCs of classical music. The most basic use of the books and CDs is to learn to sing the lyrics by listening to the CD recordings and following along in the book. Once the themes are recognizable, the basis is set for further development of classical music appreciation studies.