Baby Einstein: Meet the Orchestra: First Instruments

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Interactive music appreciation time for tots.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this DVD is designed for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages letting children under 2 watch television or videos since this is a key period of growth and development. That said, having toy instruments (or real ones) on hand while watching this DVD can make it more fun, interactive, and educational. Also, the DVD's repetition, while an excellent way to reinforce learning for toddlers, will likely be yawn-inducing for older kids.


What's the story?

A mix of puppets, simple animation, and real-life videos, BABY EINSTEIN: MEET THE ORCHESTRA: FIRST INSTRUMENTS begins with segments on the brass, woodwind, string, and percussion sections of an orchestra (piano and guitar are also included). Cheerful cartoon animals -- from hippos to giraffes -- play the instruments on a stage. Then real-life kids play instruments in scenes that convey a sense of fun and confidence in experimenting with musical instruments. Cartoon characters reintroduce the various instruments on stage, followed by a montage of real-life symphony orchestras, marching bands, and other musical ensembles. When all instruments have been introduced, the cartoon animal orchestra launches into a performance of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." The DVD features the music of Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss, and other classical composers, and a puppet provides comic relief in regular appearances.


Is it any good?

 

Regardless of their future relationship with music, toddlers will no doubt enjoy learning about musical instruments from this DVD, which should delight almost anyone under 3. Adults and older kids will likely be bored by the constant repetition, but this element seems effective for introducing younger tots to the sound and look of trumpets, violins, and even bassoons.

 

Although the cartoon animals are stiffly animated and the classical music occasionally sounds, well, babyish, Meet the Orchestra is still a fun way to introduce tots to the world of music.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about what kind of music they enjoy. Which instruments are their favorites? Which songs? After the video is over, parents can play the family's favorite music CDs and have children try to guess which instruments are in the songs.


This review was written by Teresa Talerico
Kid, 12 years old
August 5, 2009
 

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This review was written by Teresa Talerico
Studio:Walt Disney Pictures
Director:Jim Janicek
Cast:Aiden Pompey, Erica Huang, Jesse Schwartz
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:41 minutes
Theatrical release date:March 7, 2006
DVD release date:March 7, 2006
MPAA rating:NR

This review was written by Teresa Talerico
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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