Music & History

Many-Strings provides educational programs for adults, families, and students. We are vetted musicians and educators on the City of San Diego and San Diego County list of performers. We regularly perform for libraries, OASIS, community centers and retirement communities.

  • History Through Music: Live Concerts and Programs:
    • Celtic Songs from Molly's Tavern
    • Music from Shady Grove: American Roots: Courting and Ragamuffins!
    • Songs from the Wild West
    • Life on the Tracks: Train Songs
    • America's First Songs and Ballads
    • San Diego History Through Music
    • United States History Through Music
    • Thanksgiving Notes: Colonial America.
    • Love and Life in American Folk Music
    • Songs from the Seaside Pub
    • Ships, Islands, and Pirates: A Treasure Chest
    • Maritime Songs from the Harbor 
    • The World in Music
    • California's History Through Music
    • Music from San Diego's Old Town: 1800's
    • Honoring our Veterans: A Live Music Show with Historical Music
    • Honoring Memorial Day: Songs and Poetry
    • Upbeat Holiday and Seasonal Songs and Carols
    • A Celebration: Hanukkah and Jewish Folk Music
  • Additional Live Shows 
    • St. Patrick's Day Folk Music
    • The Beatles
    • Folk Music of the Peter, Paul and Mary Era
    • 4th of July: Songs for Independence 

  • Music Appreciation (1 hr presentations.
    • The Evolution of Western Music: 600 Years in 60 Minutes
    • The Five Classical Music Periods
    • The Music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
  • Music by Country:
    • Composed in America: The Evolution of American Orchestral Music
    • Composed in America: Diversity and Creativity in Popular Music
    • Composed in England: Renaissance to Modern
    • Orchestral Music from England's Green Fields (Romantic & Modern Eras)
    • Composed in Ireland: Ancient to Today
    • Celtic Folk Traditions: Scotland, Brittany and more!
    • Composed in France
    • Composed in Spain
    • Fabulous Women Composers
  • Music History cont. 
    • Baroque Era Composers
    • Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: The Music and its Sonnet
    • The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach
    • Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
    • The Music of George Fredrick Handel
    • Haydn: The Father of the Symphony and much more!
    • Mozart: The Boy Wonder, his Music and Constance
    • Mozart: The Concertos
    • The World and Music of Ludwig Van Beethoven
    • Beethoven's Concertos
    • Beethoven's Symphonies
    • Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and the Sonata Piano
    • Luigi Boccherini: Special Creativity!
    • Franz Schubert: Poetic Bohemian
    • Felix Mendelssohn: Classical and Romantic
    • Robert and Clara Schumann: German Romantic Genius
    • Brahms: Romantic and Classical
    • Wagner: A Complicated Giant!
    • Smetana and Dvorak: Czech Creativity, Bohemia and the New World
    • Smetana: Bohemia and Czech Folktales
    • Camille Saint-Saens: Luscious French Perfection 
    • Ravel: The Expressive Romantic 
    • Debussy: French Impressions
    • Chopin and Liszt: Supernovas!
    • Max Bruch: Romantic Master of the Violin
    • Respighi: The Romantic Italian 
    • Rimsky-Korsakov: The Russian Master
    • The Music and History of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
    • The Music of Tchaikovsky
    • Tchaikovsky's Ballets
    • Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
    • Grieg Is Norway
    • Rachmaninoff: Profound and Romantic
    • Ralph Vaughn Williams: An English Delight
    • Holst's "The Planets" and more!
    • The Waltz: From Austria to Folk, and much more!
    • Classical Music Inspired by the Mountains
    • American Creativity: Grofe and Gershwin
    • Gershwin: A Musical Comet!
    • The Music of Aaron Copland: An American Original
    • The American Musical: Love and Drama in Camelot and Siam
    • American Drama: Maria, Tony, Porgy and Bess
    • American Musicals Out West!
  • Instruments: 
    • The Lute, Mandolin and Guitar in the Classical World
    • The Classical Piano: Charming, Dramatic, and much more!
    • The Harp: Ancient and Modern Beauty
    • The Violin and Fiddle: Lush Melodies and Romantic Folk Tunes
    • The Cello: A Historical Celebration
    • The Hammered Dulcimer: Enchanting, Mystical, and Lovely
    • The Flute: Majestic Notes from our Breath
    • The Clarinet: An Historical Appreciation
    • The Organ: Classic and Jazzy!
    • Sax Sounds
  • Fine Music for Film
    • Orchestral Music for the Movies
    • The Music of John Williams
    • Morricone: Italian Giant of Dramatic Film Music
    • Hans Zimmer: Composer of Spectacular Film Music, a History
    • John Barry: Music for James Bond and much more!
    • James Horner: Film Score to Love
    • Fabulous Orchestral Music from Animated Films
    • The Music of Joe Hisaishi: Music that will Spirit You Away!
    • Hollywood! 100+ Years of Creativity
    • Iconic Overtures: From Arabia to Space
  • Popular Music and Additional Focus Areas
    • Music Inspired by Fairy Tales
    • Orchestral Music Inspired by Space
    • Expressions of Christmas: 2000+ Years
    • Animals in Music: Classical and Folk Motifs
    • North American Native American Music: Painting the Sky
    • Ragtime to Swing!
    • Jazz: Exceptional Creativity
    • Jazzy Vibes and Hammonds
    • Ella and Company
    • The Blues: 100 Years
    • American Folk Music: From the Colonies to the Beatnik Coffee House
    • The Folk Renaissance Era
    • Country Music: America's Soul
    • Songs From the Saddle
    • Bluegrass: From the Grand Ole Opry to Southern CA
    • Heroic (and Lovely) Orchestral Music
    • Iconic Overtures: From Russia, Arabia and much more!
    • Orchestral Music for Memorial Day
    • Summer Solstice Set
    • Popular Music Genres
    • Catch the Wave: The History of Surf Music
    • Little Surfer Girl Meets Eleanor Rigby: Rock's Golden Era
    • Island Sounds
    • Octoberfest and More!
    • Halloween Classical, Pop and Poetry
  • Experiencing Music: 
    • Music for Reflection and Meditation

Click here to view or download historical document from Sam Hinton: "Singing Through American History," which contains primary source information regarding music and United States history.
Click here to view, download, or print the Musical Information for Parents PDF