Why learn music history?
This music history course is a free course for students and educators to expand their knowledge of the music they love to play. There are valuable insights to be gleaned from the history of music and they can inform our understanding of the intention and feeling that should be used when playing pieces from the different eras of western art music.
More importantly, learning music history develops a love and appreciation for music, allowing us to understand why certain pieces of music and composers are so important historically and to the development of music trends.
Why is this course free?
We love music and want to share and foster that love with students and educators around the world, and want them to share a love of music too. If you enjoy this music history course, or if it inspires you, consider taking a look around our members area to see if you would like to take one of our courses to learn to play music or to hone your music theory skills.
Free Video Lessons
Watch Music History lessons!
The Baroque Period
In mapping out the historical periods and important musical developments in the history of western art music, we start with the Baroque Period, typically considered the period of time ranging from 1600 to 1750.
The Classical Period
Learn all about the Classical Period in Western Music History. Ranging from around 1750 to about 1820, this is the period that brought us some of the most notable and popular names in the craft, including three of the biggest - Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
The Romantic Period
Welcome to the Romantic Period! One of the most well known eras in western classical music. Many of the expressive and ideological characteristics of music created during this period have lingered into the modern day, and the Romantic "sound" continues to inform a great deal of what we expect from the music we listen to.
Modernism in Music
As western art music moved into modern times it was a period of upheaval and change in history. The volatility around the world led to upheaval and innovation in the arts and sciences. With these changes classical music changed in many ways, developing new genres and styles and encouraging experimentation.
Postmodernism in Music
Explore the developments of modern classical music as it evolved into the 20th century. Many musicologists believe that we're still in the postmodern period, with many of today's developments and trends being continuations or reactions to the three main branches of Postmodern concern: total control, minimal control, and historical reinvigoration.
Composer Biographies
Brief biographies of specific composers. Learn about the lives and musical characteristics of important figures in the history of western classical music. Delve into the lives of your favorite composers!
Ludwig van Beethoven - Few historical composers have proved as popular and resilient throughout the years as Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven's music is everywhere, from films, to commercials, to classrooms, and many of his themes are among the most well-known in all of Western art music.
Scott Joplin - In this video we'll explore the life and music of Scott Joplin, one of the most prominent African-American composers of the past 150 years. We'll look into Joplin's origins in the post-Civil War South, and follow his trajectory up the Mississippi River, and ultimately to New York City.
Fryderyk Chopin - In this video we explore the life of Fryderyk (Frédéric) Chopin. Few composers are as inextricably linked to the history and identity of the piano as Chopin, and his music is still deeply embedded in the practices of modern day classical piano.
More coming soon! - We have many more composer bios planned. We will cover the masters of classical music such as Mozart, Bach, Handel, and More! If you have a specific composer you would like to see a biography on please reach out to us!
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Q & A
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Liberty Park Music (LPM) is an online music school. We teach music through videos and supporting materials like homework assignments and backing tracks. Currently, we offer lessons on piano, guitar, drums, and music theory. We will introduce more instruments, subjects, and services in the future to give you even more choices.
All you need is a computer or a mobile device that allows web browsing. With a reasonably stable and fast internet connection, your viewing experience is optimized on your desktops, laptops, or tablets.
We are constantly producing and publishing new lessons, about one new module each month, for every instrument and subject. So you always have new materials to work on.
Your membership, regardless of of your plan, should give you access to the entire library of lessons. That means ALL lessons are available to you, across instruments, styles, levels, and subjects. For example, you can take piano and theory lessons at the same time, or if you have a good musical appetite, take our piano and drum kit lessons at the same time! It's your choice.
Yes. Learning music online may seem novel to you, but if we can learn a language and other skills online, why not music? Online music lessons allow you to learn on your schedule, in the comfort of any locale of your choice, and at your own pace. You can pause when you need a moment to digest the lesson or rewind to view a particular section again.
We accept credit card payments or PayPal, powered by Stripe and PayPal for your security. We also don't save any of your credit card information in our database.
You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at anytime. You can also cancel anytime. You can do all this on your Dashboard, or contact us at membership@libertyparkmusic.com.
It's very easy. We will need you to select a membership level (Balcony or Center Stage) and provide your credit card information or use PayPal. We will NOT charge you anything for the first 30 days. After that, you will be billed monthly.
We are happy to answer any questions you have. Please chat with us or email us at support@libertyparkmusic.com, or chat us up/leave a message using the chat bubble on the screen.