This page gathers the free composer pages on this site. There are fact sheets for 24 composers, a set of cards, a timeline, a monthly poster, and a blank notebook page. Each one is free to print, with no sign-up. Below the list are ten worksheet tasks to set with them.
Pages to print
| Page | What is on it | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Composer fact sheets | One sheet for each of 24 composers, from Vivaldi to Britten: quick facts, a short story, three pieces to hear, and room to write | A first look at a composer |
| Composer cards | 24 cards with a name, years, country, era, and one piece to hear | Sorting, matching, and timeline games |
| Composer timeline | 24 composers on one page, grouped by era | Seeing who lived when |
| Composer of the month poster | One page for each month, with a composer born that month, a fact, a short story, and three pieces | The wall of a classroom or a kitchen |
| Composer study notebook page | Space for the composer’s life, three facts, the pieces heard, and a drawing | Any composer at all |
| Music eras chart | Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern on one page | Placing a composer in time |
| Listening journal page | A page to fill in for one piece of music | After each piece |
Tools on a screen
- Composer quiz: ten questions a round about 24 composers
- Composer timeline: slide to any year from 1680 to 1975, and see which composers were alive
- Composer study planner: pick your composers, and print a listening plan week by week
Ten worksheet tasks
Each task uses a fact sheet, a card, or a notebook page. Write the task at the top of the page.
1. Fact file. Fill in a notebook page for one composer: born, died, country, era, instrument played, and three facts.
2. Five facts and a fib. The child writes five true facts and one false one. A parent or a sibling finds the fib.
3. Time order. Cut out six composer cards. Put them in order by year of birth. Check the order on the timeline.
4. Sort by era. Sort all 24 cards into four piles: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern. Check them against the eras chart.
5. Find the country. Mark each composer’s country of birth on a map. Count how many came from each country.
6. Who was alive? Choose one composer. List three others who were alive at the same time. Use the timeline.
7. Compare two. Draw two circles that overlap. Write one composer’s name over each. Facts that fit both go in the middle.
8. Questions for the composer. Write five questions you would ask the composer. Then look for the answers in the guide.
9. Draw the music. Play one piece from the fact sheet. Draw what you hear, and write one sentence about it.
10. Teach it. The child tells the family about the composer for one minute, with the fact sheet in hand.
Which task for which age
| Age | Tasks |
|---|---|
| 5 to 7 | 4, 9, and 10 |
| 8 to 10 | 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9 |
| 11 and up | 6, 7, and 8 |
A sample fact file
Here is task 1, filled in for Mozart.
| Name | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
| Born | 1756, in Salzburg, Austria |
| Died | 1791, in Vienna, Austria |
| Era | Classical |
| Played | Keyboard and violin |
| Known for | Symphonies, piano concertos, and operas such as The Magic Flute |
| A piece I heard | Eine kleine Nachtmusik |
Read Mozart for kids.
How to run composer study
One composer for a month or a term is enough. Play one piece a week, and do one task. Read composer study for homeschool: how to plan a year and Charlotte Mason composer study.
For a full year of pieces, read the free 36-week music appreciation plan.
Guides to the composers
Each fact sheet has a longer guide on this site. Start with classical composers for kids: a guide by era and famous classical composers for kids.
To widen the list, read:
- Women composers for kids
- Black composers for kids
- Hispanic and Latin American composers for kids
- Asian composers for kids
- Living composers kids can hear today
Use the blank notebook page for any composer who has no fact sheet yet.
More pages to print
More from this guide
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.