Leonard Bernstein | Homeschool Music Lesson Plans

from the Hey Kid's Meet the Composer Index



Hey Kids, Meet Pachelbel

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) American Composer, Conductor, Teacher and Pianist

Leonard Bernstein Hey Kids, Meet the Composer Biography

Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1918. His father, Sam Bernstein, did not support young Leonard's interest in music at first. Despite this, his father took him to many orchestra concerts. At one of these concerts he heard a piano performance that captivated him. It was then that he began to learn how to play the piano. Read more....


Leonard Bernstein Writing Assignment

Write a few paragraphs on Leonard Bernstein that includes facts about his life and music. Then ask your child to complete the project by watching the following video performances on YouTube.com. The following question will help to guide their critique.

Musicals, like those of Richard Rodgers, were filled with positive themes and happy endings. Compare Oh What A Beautiful Morning from "Oklahoma" with from "West Side Story." How does Bernstein's West Side Story mark a turning point in musical theater?


Oh, What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma - Movie CLIP (1955)


America from West Side Story - Movie CLIP (1961)


Music Lesson Plan Worksheets

Learn about Leonard Bernstein with a printable famous composer worksheet.

Meet the Composer Job Application Worksheet
Leonard Bernstein | Meet the Composer Word Search Worksheet


Watch Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts

Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic stand among his greatest achievements. These televised programs introduced an entire generation to the joys of classical music. Bernstein conducted his first Young People's Concert on January 18, 1958, just two weeks after becoming Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. Such programs were already a Philharmonic tradition when Bernstein arrived, but he made them a centerpiece of his work. Looking back on the concerts years later, he referred to them as being "among my favorite, most highly prized activities of my life."

Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts boxed set, and includes 25 of the 53 concerts originally aired on CBS from 1958-1962. The 9-disk series is also available for rental from Nexflix.com.

1. What Does Music Mean?
2. What is American Music?
3. What is Orchestration?
4. What Makes Music Symphonic?
5. What is Classical Music?
6. Humor in Music
7. What is a Concerto?
8. Who is Gustav Mahler?
9. Folk Music in the Concert Hall
10. What is Impressionism?
11. Happy Birthday, Igor Stravinsky
12. What is a Melody?
13. The Latin American Spirit
14. Jazz in the Concert Hall
15. What is Sonata Form?
16. A Tribute to Sibelius
17. Musical Atoms: A Study in Intervals
18. The Sound of an Orchestra
19. A Birthday Tribute to Shostakovich
20. What is a Mode?
21. A Toast to Vienna in 3/4 Time
22. Quiz-Concert: How Musical Are You?
23. Berlioz Takes a Trip
24. Two Ballet Birds
25. Fidelio: A Celebration of Life