The Third Year at the Midwest Homeschool Conference

Time to get back on the blog. I am embarrassed to see that I have not been on for 12 months, since just before our second venture into the homeschool world of the Midwest. Why? A beautiful new website www.maestroclassics.com has taken a year to build and a new CD has been born. But, on to today.

Quickly, the Midwest Homeschool Conference. I gave two talks and abandoned the Powerpoint presentation, explaining that Maestro Classics is all about listening. At the booth and after talks, it was great to meet all the folks who listen and love our CDs. Twice as many families purchased CDs in 2010 as in 2009, and this year in 2011 it seemed that the word is really out, and the number tripled. Maestro Classics has been discovered by the Midwest homeschool community!

Many parents approached our Maestro Classics booth saying,

"My friend told me that I absolutely have to come and listen to your CDs."

"I just want to tell everyone here that these are wonderful CDs. We purchased the entire set two years ago and my son has already worn out 2 of the CDs!"

Another memorable comment came from the family who said that their car was broken into and all their Maestro Classics CDs were stolen;they wanted to replace them all.

Classical music and kids. There are still some families who are skeptical. Do they know enough to introduce it to their children? Isn't it that deadly stuff you put on when you want your child to go to sleep, or perhaps help them concentrate on their homework, not too interesting so you don't really need to listen? Just come and listen to Maestro Classics CDs, I always say. The conductor explains the music. You can not only hear the London Philharmonic Orchestra, you may also head the Russian Trio Voronezh playing folk instruments, the Maestro Classics Dixieland Band, a jazz trio, or even Joe Stump, the head of the heavy metal department at Berklee College of music. Are these CDs classical music for kids? some people ask. I prefer to say "Good music for kids....and their parents." Plus, on every CD, the conductor talks about the music, you learn a little history of the composer and the times from me, and there is always the "Play/Sing/Dance-Along" track at the end, preceded by my famous, "Stand up and smile!"

Since I wrote a year ago, we have a new CD: My Name is Handel: The Story of Water Music. It is the most beautiful to date. More on that later.

At the moment, I need to get to Church of the Resurrection on East 74th St. in NYC where our music director and my husband, conductor Stephen Simon, is having a rehearsal for the April 15th concert for organ and orchestra and I want to go and listen to the fabulous organist, David Enlow.