As the school year comes to a close, we have all the music you need for your mixed feelings.

Here’s a Spotify playlist to accompany this post:

For Parents

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfO6SodPQWo

Composer Grace Williams gives a beautiful depiction of the ocean – perfect for families as their minds turn toward trips to the beach.

For Elementary-Schoolers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT_QBOk_dws

Whether they’re headed for camp or staying home, one thing is inevitable: those kids are ready to be outside!

For Middle- And High-Schoolers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHyN3izk38c

Middle-schoolers may not miss the pressures of the school day, but they might be missing the chance to see their friends.

For New Graduates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spx4kmY67Wc

Edward Elgar’s 
Pomp and Circumstance  would seem obligatory, but have you ever listened to the whole thing? At the BBC Proms every year, it’s even more of a party than students get walking across the stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5pzr5655yw

When Johannes Brahms was to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Breslau, he initially wrote a humble thank-you note. The school was not satisfied — conductor Bernard Scholz suggested, “Compose a fine symphony for us! But well orchestrated old boy — not too uniformly thick.” Brahms responded with, as he described it, “a boisterous potpourri of student drinking songs.”

For Teachers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABZ4SHHbmRc

Haydn’s 
Farewell Symphony shows the perfect depiction of those last days among the teachers as one by one, the candles go out and the musicians gracefully exit. A not-so-subtle hint Haydn was giving to his employer: it’s time for a break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KxMc_tyQBo

And as much as teachers love the kiddos in their care, it’s OK to feel a sense of freedom and relief for a job well done at the end of the year.

As you travel this summer, 91Classical can remain your classical companion via the Nashville Public Radio aApp or any smart speaker.