Music Tip #61 Cartoon, Movie music to play

Hurray for cartoons! And commercials! I’m a TV hater. I don’t watch TV and think there’s nothing worth watching on it, but TV does have it’s virtues. It teaches kids classical music and helps them to even want to play it on the piano, violin, etc.

There are many, many classical songs that are the background music for cartoons, commercials and movies. Why? Because they’re in the public domain and FREE for the taking. How can you as a music teacher or parent take advantage of this? Find the music to classical tunes that come out in movies and give them to your budding musicians to learn.

My students have been asking for the music in the movie, UP, as the old man is riding his chair down the elevator. I couldn’t even remember what the music sounded like, but as soon as they started singing it, I realized it was from Carmen-Habanera, by G. Bizet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lspRhX5Vhhg It’s next on my list to arrange and simplify for my students.

Remember the song the farmer sings to his sick pig in the movie, Babe? That’s from Camille Saint Saens Organ Symphony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1aAqnqBOnE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d0itDEs9uo&feature=related

This site has a list of songs made famous by cartoons and movies: http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/classicalmusic101/a/aa021906.htm

This is a great website that has simplified classical music in levels 1-5. http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit_piano_sheet_music_index.htm

I have several songs I’ve simplified for my students and would be glad to send to anyone. Just drop me a comment and I’ll email them to you.