Music Appreciation Course: Intermediate Level

Don't let the pedestrian title fool you: this is one dynamic presentation on music appreciation that should find a welcome home in many school music programs. Instructor and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Titra demonstrates various musical concepts on the appropriate instrument drawn from a well-stocked soundstage--from acoustic to electric guitars, keyboards, brass instruments, drums, and others. Quick cuts, set to music and enhanced with lively images, make this two-part DVD (with sections on "Dynamics & Tone" and "Rhythm & Melody") fast-paced enough to keep the attention of students, while still managing to encapsulate important musical eras. Starting with the Baroque period and continuing through the modern era, the program features brief sidebars placing the music of well-known composers in historical context. Interestingly, Titra not only points out that modern musical rebels are following in the footsteps of some of the greats, but also shows how “rebellious” many of the best-known classical composers were in their own day--an approach that should open some minds, and hopefully ears, among the target audience. Aud: I, J. (C. Block)