Detail of a portrait of seven-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart playing with his father, Leopold, and his sister, Nannerl, 1763 (Louis Carrogis Carmontelle via Wikimedia)

My friends Stephen and Cristina have children at home, in need of schooling. Many parents are in the same boat. Cristina asked me, “Could you put together a little music program for my kids?” I have done so, in the latest episode of my Music for a While.

This program is not just for kids — it is nicely elementary, I would say. Good for kids, adults, and those who are not quite sure.


I begin with Bach (a very good place to start, as Julie Andrews once sang). We also have some Mozart (“Twinkle, Twinkle,” or variations thereon). And a Brahms song. And a Wagner prelude. And a piece of French Impressionism. And a Spanish dance. And an American hymn. And so on.

A sampler, if you like — something to pass the time, something to imbibe. Give it a whirl. A minimum of talk, a generous amount of music. Or, as they used to say on Detroit radio, “Less talk, more rock.”