A POCKETFUL OF MUSIC, CLASSICS COMPOSED FOR CHILDREN 1730 - 2002 : REVIEWS/QUOTES

"...The pedagogical impulse behind 'A Pocketful of Music' arose from Braden's many years as a Montessori teacher, and the set is primarily intended for use by classroom teachers or by parents wanting to give their children a basic understanding of classical music... An added value of 'A Pocketful of Music' - of interest to adult music lovers like yours truly - is the wide-ranging diversity of the pieces that Braden has chosen for her project. It includes what must be dozens of first recordings by distinguished 20th Century composers... Any devotee of modern piano music will find some gems here he hasn't heard before, particularly welcome in Braden's expert and sensitive performances and the discs' exemplary sonics. Frankly I wish I'd had this set when I was a kid - but better late than never."
- Mark L. Lehman, American Record Guide,
September/October 2003.

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"A rich treasury of 'Classics composed for children' (more than I ever heard of) by the best familiar and also unfamiliar composers of the last three centuries of European and American music. Performed in perfect character, style, and taste by someone who knows how."
- Richard L. Crocker, Professor Emeritus,
Musicology, University of California/Berkeley.

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"What a wonderful resource for parents, grandparents, teachers and children! ...the music is lovely ...I like the themes and selections included in the concerts - they are performed sensitively and will touch the hearts of those who listen ...the guide is attractively presented and will be very useful."
- Elizabeth G. Hall, Adjunct Faculty Member,
Loyola College, Maryland, USA

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"'A Pocketful of Music' makes a wonderful contribution to the study of style in Western classical music history ...This brilliant collection, which may be used in a school setting or at home, will serve children of all ages in their identification and appreciation of different styles in music history. The availability of sheet music which correlates with the CDs extends the usability of the series."
- Jean K Miller, Ph.D.

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"A Pocketful of Music ...charming and delightful ...I particularly like the collections of music because of the variety and the wonderful inclusion of 20th century music ...A nice resource for my pedagogy students because of the variety of ways in which it is organized, but more importantly, a wonderful resource for parents! The recordings are really musical and inspirational for me as a musician. I look forward to expanding my repertoire by learning some of the music in this collection."
- Mary Tollefson, Piano Faculty,
University of Wisconsin/La Crosse.

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"The children were eager for each new lesson and they often reminded me that they wanted the next lesson ...the class is enthusiastic about the listening experience. They enjoy being able to know the names of the pieces and the composers. With the CD format it is easy to test them ...and so far with more than 12 pieces in their repertoire, they are able to identify each one by name and composer. Thank you for a great opportunity."
- Marcia Perez, Elementary Classroom Director,
Mater Amoris Montessori School.

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