CONCERT PREPARATION GUIDE

Designed for students in Grades K-2 Prepared by the Minnesota Orchestra Collaborative Design Team & Education/Community Engagement Department

I Spy a F o

lk S

ong

YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONCERTS JANUARY 26-27, 2016, 10AM & 11:35AM ORCHESTRA HALL

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Preparing for the Field Trip

Preparing for the Concert

Concert Program

Meet the Performers

Meet the Composers

Standards Connection

Preparation Activities

Printables

About Orchestra Hall

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PREPARING FOR THE FIELD TRIP

Dear Teachers,

We want

you and your

students

to have a

GREAT DAY at

Orchestra Hall.

Please help us

by following

these simple

guidelines:

Thank you for your cooperation! If you have any questions about the Minnesota Orchestra Young People’s Concerts, please feel free to call the Logistics Coordinator at 612-371-5671. Enjoy the concert!

Jessica Leibfried Chris JohnsonDirector of Education Young People’s Logistics Coordinator612-371-5650 612-371-5671

BEFORE YOU LEAVE SCHOOL

1) Please give a copy of your ticket

to every bus driver and group

leader on the day of the concert.

• Tickets will be e-mailed to you

approximately 2 weeks prior to

the concert and will give detailed

parking, arrival and seating

instructions.

2) Please ensure all adults in your

group are wearing the nametags

provided.

• Nametags will be mailed to you

prior to the concert. Safety is

our first priority at Orchestra Hall

and we appreciate your help in

ensuring a safe environment.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT ORCHESTRA HALL

3) Please keep a single file line from

your bus to your assigned seats.

• HOMESCHOOLERS: Please park

private vehicles in nearby parking

ramps.

• SCHOOLS: Police officers and

ushers will greet your bus as you

arrive and help you park. You will be

directed to your arrival door and led

directly to your seats.

• SEATING: We have assigned

your school to a specific section of

Orchestra Hall. You will be seated

from front to back according to

when you arrive.

ONCE YOU ARE SEATED

4) Please let the usher seat your

group BEFORE:

• Sending students to the restrooms

(must be accompanied by an adult)

• Re-arranging the seating of your

students

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PREPARING FOR THE CONCERT

REVIEW INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA

Go to page 8 to learn about the instruments of the

orchestra. You’ll discover what the instruments look

like and where they are located within the symphony

orchestra! To hear what each instrument sounds like,

visit:

http://www.dsokids.com/listen/by-instrument/.aspx

CONNECT WITH THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA

Homeschool Families: We offer complimentary pre-

concert workshops to help prepare your family for

the Young People’s Concert. To register, visit our

web site and click on the concert you are attending:

https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/learn/teachers-

students-and-parents/young-peoples-concerts

Schools: Our education staff offers complimentary

student workshops to help prepare your students for

the Young People’s Concert. Workshops are typically

30 minutes long and are scheduled on a first-come,

first-serve basis. To register, email

education@mnorch.org

Instrument demonstrations are available to students

and families registered for a Young People’s Concert.

Demonstrations are typically 30 minutes long and are

scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To register, email education@mnorch.org

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

We are trying something new! Click on the link below

for a Sound Cloud playlist of recordings to prepare your

students for the concert. It’s ad-free and you don’t even

need an account to listen!

Sound Cloud Playlist:

https://soundcloud.com/user-281150665/sets/i-spy-

a-folk-song

When introducing a new piece of music to your

students, consider asking the following questions to

create an inquiry-based, focused discussion in class.

(Review these questions prior to listening to the music for the first time.)

1) What did you hear?

2) What did you hear that makes you say that?

3) What more did you hear?

CHECK OUT THE PREPARATION ACTIVITIES!

All activities are aligned with Minnesota State

Standards.

REVIEW CONCERT ETIQUETTE

Use the concert etiquette chant below to review five

behavioral expectations for the concert. At the end of

the chant, have students make an “etiquette promise”

by giving a high five to a teacher or parent. We love

“high five students” at Orchestra Hall!

Number 1-eyes wide (to take it all in)

Number 2-ears open (for all that listenin’)

Number 3-voice off while the musicians play

Number 4-calm body in your chair, OK?!

Number 5 and the last, most important of this rhyme, Follow all these rules and you’ll have a great time, SHOW FIVE!

Videotape your class’ performance of the concert

etiquette chant and send it to education@mnorch.org

Your video may be selected for our social media sites

or for projection at the concert!

(Disclaimer: Teachers, by sending any video content to the Minnesota Orchestra, you acknowledge that all students recorded in the video have appropriate media releases on file at school.)

Whether your student learners are brand new to the orchestra or veteran classical music listeners, here are some steps you can take to prepare for the concert!

mailto:education%40mnorch.org?subject=mailto:education%40mnorch.org?subject=mailto:education%40mnorch.org?subject=

PERCUSSION bass drumharpsuspended cymbaltimpani vibraphone

STRINGS violinviolacellodouble bass

WOODWINDS piccolofluteoboeclarinetbassoon

BRASS french horntrumpettrombonetuba

Click here for an interactive guide to the orchestra.

>>>

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PERCUSSION bass drumharpsuspended cymbaltimpani vibraphone

STRINGS violinviolacellodouble bass

WOODWINDS piccolofluteoboeclarinetbassoon

BRASS french horntrumpettrombonetuba

Click here for an interactive guide to the orchestra.

>>>

http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/images/education/pdf/interactive_guide.pdf

I SPY A FOLK SONG

Dvorak Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, No.8featuring movers from Black Label Movement

Mozart, arr. Hagen Twelve Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je maman,” K.265featuring music of local composer/arranger Jocelyn Hagen

Gould Yankee Doodle

Vieuxtemps Souvenirs d’Amerique, Op.17 (excerpt)featuring Susie Park, violin

Copland “I Bought Me a Cat” from Old American Songsfeaturing Andrew Wilkowske, baritone

Tchaikovsky Allegro Vivo (Mvt. IV), from Symphony No. 4 (excerpt)

Brahms Allegro non troppo (Mvt. I), from Symphony No. 2 (excerpt)

Copland Appalachian Spring (excerpts)featuring movers from Black Label Movement

The concert program is subject to change.

Learn more about the composers and arrangers here.

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CONCERT PROGRAM

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MEET THE PERFORMERS

• The Minnesota Orchestra began as the “Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra” in 1903.

• Re-named “Minnesota Orchestra” in 1968, the ensemble plays nearly 175 performances a year and has toured to Australia, Canada,Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East!

• There are approximately 85 musicians in the orchestra.

• The Minnesota Orchestra won a Grammy Award for “Best Orchestral Performance” in 2014 for their recording of Sibelius’ SymphoniesNo.1 and 4.

• Our musicians are the best at what they do and dedicate their lives to music making. However, they are also athletes, teachers,volunteers, pet-owners, environmentalists, and more!

Learn more here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/about/who-we-are/artists-and-performers/orchestra-musicians

MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA

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MEET THE PERFORMERS

Learn more here: http://www.roderickcox.com/

RODERICK COXASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

• Roderick grew up in Macon, Georgia.

• He was hired as the Minnesota Orchestra’s new assistant conductor in June, 2015, and conducts our Young People’s Concerts, family concerts, outdoor concerts and more!

• Roderick is a winner of the 2014 Robert J. Harth conducting prize from the Aspen Music Festival—a great honor.

• He has a love of contemporary music and has led orchestras in the performance of new works by living composers.

• Roderick recently moved to Minneapolis, MN. Give him a big “welcome to Minnesota” when you see him!

http://www.roderickcox.com/

MEET THE PERFORMERS

BLACK LABEL MOVEMENTGUEST ARTISTS

• Black Label Movement was created in 2005.

• Artistic director, Carl Flink, was born in the Twin Cities. After seeing the movie “Singin’ in the Rain” at age 8, he came home and danced every day after that.

• Carl was also a star soccer player and a lawyer before becoming a dance professor at the University of Minnesota!

• The movers of Black Label Movement are known for their incredibly athletic dance movement. They try and push the limits of what’s physically possible.

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MEET THE PERFORMERS

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MEET THE PERFORMERS

ANDREW WILKOWSKE GUEST ARTIST

• Andrew was born in Willmar, MN

• He started playing piano in 2nd grade and then learned how to play cello and guitar too! Andrew sang in choir all through middle school and high school, but didn’t start singing opera until college.

• Andrew has an older brother who is a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

• Andrew has been able to sing for some pretty important people, including Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and has even appeared on television in an opera broadcast on PBS.

• Andrew is a huge Star Wars fan!

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY 1840-1893ROMANTIC PERIOD

Pyotr (Peter) Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Russia.

He grew up in a family that enjoyed music. He began taking piano lessons when he was 5 years old. Within a few years he was playing as well as his teacher.

It was not easy to make a living as a musician, so Tchaikovsky’s parents sent him to school to study law.

Tchaikovsky graduated from law school and had a job working for the government, but he studied music whenever he could. Eventually he gave up law and became a student at the new conservatory of music.

Tchaikovsky composed a lot of music, including 6 symphonies.

He was well respected as a composer, orchestra conductor, music critic, and professor. Tchaikovsky traveled to the United States in 1891 to conduct one of his pieces at the opening of Carnegie Hall in New York City.

JOHANNES BRAHMS 1833-1897ROMANTIC PERIOD

Johannes Brahms was born in Germany.

His father was a musician and gave him his first lessons on piano when he was very young. Brahms even invented his own system for writing music notation before he was 6 years old!

Because the family did not have a lot of money, Brahms started playing piano at local dance halls so he could earn some income and help his parents.

For many years, Brahms was afraid to write a symphony because he thought it would not be as good as Beethoven’s. He ended up writing four symphonies and became very famous.

He is now known as one of the “3 B’s” of classical music—Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms!

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART 1756-1791CLASSICAL PERIOD

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Austria.

His father was a composer and musician who started teaching Mozart the piano when he was only four years old.

Mozart is one of the most famous composers; he wrote his first piece of music when he was five years old! When he was 6, his father took him and his sister around Europe to perform music and they became famous.

Mozart wrote over 600 works—everything from short piano pieces to full operas.

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MEET THE COMPOSERS AND ARRANGERS

ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK 1841-1904ROMANTIC PERIOD

Antonín Dvořák was born in the Czech Republic.

Dvořák started playing the violin when he was six years old and was very talented.

His father was a zither player (a folk instrument kind of like a harp) and Dvořák grew up listening to a lot of beautiful folk music. Later when he became a composer he would often use folk elements—especially rhythms—that he had heard as a child.

Dvořák was a great conductor as well as a composer. He spent 3 years conducting in New York and wanted to encourage musicians to make “American” music using their own folk songs.

AARON COPLAND 1900-1990MODERN PERIOD

Aaron Copland was born in America.

He is one of the most famous American composers of all time.

Copland took piano lessons when he was young and loved to read. When he was 15 years old, he decided he wanted to be a composer and started learning how to write music.

Copland traveled to France to learn from the famous female composer Nadia Boulanger. When he came back, Copland decided to write music that would sound “American” by using folk elements, just like Dvořák, as well as jazz.

He wrote a lot of music for ballets with American themes like Billy the Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring.

MORTON GOULD 1913-1996MODERN PERIOD

Morton Gould was born in America.

Like Mozart he started composing at a very young age. He published his first work when he was six years old.

Gould wrote music not just for concerts, but for Broadway and films as well.

He liked to combine a lot of different styles and unexpected sounds in his music. Sometimes he would use things you don’t normally think of as instruments, like tap dance shoes!

HENRI VIEUXTEMPS 1820-1881ROMANTIC PERIOD.

Henri Vieuxtemps was born in Belgium.

His father was a weaver and a violin maker and was his first violin teacher.

Vieuxtemps gave his first violin performance when he was just 6 years old! Soon after, he began playing concerts in many different cities. When he was an adult, Vieuxtemps played on a very special violin (now worth millions of dollars) made by a violin maker named Giuseppe Guarneri.

In addition to playing violin, Vieuxtemps had a passion for composing. His compositions were met with great success in Europe and he continued to tour as a solo violinist as well.

Near the end of his life, Vieuxtemps had two strokes which left him unable to play the violin. Although he was quite sad that he could no longer play, he found great joy in composing music and continued to create new compositions until he died.

HAGEN1980-STILL LIVING 21ST CENTURYPERI

Jocelyn Hagen was born in Valley City, North Dakota.

She started playing piano at age 3. By age 15, she was a professional accompanist!

Hagen is known for writing music that is dramatic and deeply moving. Her compositions often involve collaborations with other artists and unique instrumentation.

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CONNECTION

For general information on concert etiquette and the symphony orchestra, please see “Preparing for the Concert” on pages 6-7.

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FOUNDATIONSDemonstrate knowledge of the foundations of the arts area.

Demonstrate knowledge and use of the technical skills of the art form, integrating technology

when applicable.

Demonstrate understanding of the personal, social, cultural

and historical contexts that influence the arts areas

CREATECreate or make in a variety of contexts in

the arts area using the artistic foundations.

PERFORMPerform or

present in a variety of contexts in the

arts area using the artistic foundations.

RESPONDRespond to or critique a variety of creations or performances using the artistic foundations.

ARTISTIC LITERACY

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Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, No.8

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ABOUT THE MUSICInspired by Johannes Brahms and his Hungarian Dances, Antonin Dvorak decided to write a series of 16 dances called Slavonic Dances. Originally written for piano, Dvorak later orchestrated the dances for the full symphony orchestra. Unlike Brahms who used actual folk melodies in his music, Dvorak used dance rhythms found in traditional Slavic music and then composed his own original melodies.

During the concert, you’ll hear Slavonic Dance, Op.46, No. 8 in G Minor. This dance is called a “furiant.” A furiant is just like it sounds—fast and furious—and often has accents (strong, emphasized sounds) in unexpected places. It will definitely keep you on your toes!

KEY VOCABULARYDynamics How loud or soft the music is played

Forte Loud sounds

Piano Soft sounds

ACTIVITY #1

FOCUS ON DYNAMICS o ☐I CAN…recognize loud (forte) sounds and soft (piano) sounds.

A> Experiment!• Teachers, if your students have limited experience identifying forte and piano sounds, you may want to experiment with opposites like a shout and a whisper or a lion’s roar and a mouse squeak to get them familiar with loud and soft.• Ask students to put their hands up high in the air when the sounds are forte!• Ask students to cross their hands over their chest when the sounds are piano!

B> Listen!• Listen to the music and have students respond to the forte and piano dynamics.

C> Create!• Create your own way of showing forte and piano dynamics with your body. What if you made big, tall shapes with your body when you heard something loud? Or small, crouched shapes with your body when it was quiet? Could you work with a partner?

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Click here to listen to

Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance, Op.46, No. 8https://soundcloud.com/user-281150665/dvorak-slavonic-

dance-op-46-8-rattle-berliner-philharmoniker-wiywt8fkvza-youtube?in=user-281150665/sets/i-spy-a-folk-song

ACTIVITY #2

FOCUS ON MELODY o ☐I CAN…recognize the main melody each time it happens in the music.

A> Listen!• Teachers, play the first 10 seconds of the Dvorak recording so the students can hear the main melody.

-The main melody is really just 1 phrase, repeated twice—first in minor, then in major!• Have students listen to the melody several times until they are familiar with it.

B> Create!• Create 2 movements to show the minor and major parts of the main melody.

C> Perform!• Listen to the entire piece of music and tell students they are on a “melody hunt!”• Any time they hear the main melody, students can show their understanding by performing the movements they created.

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These activities are designed for students in Grades K-2.

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ABOUT THE MUSICWolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote Twelve Variations on “Ah vous dirai-je, Maman” when he was 25 years old. The French folk song first appeared in approximately 1761 and is translated as “Mother, I have something to tell you.” This melody was used in America for many songs including “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and the “Alphabet Song!” Although Mozart wrote his music for piano, our special composer Jocelyn Hagen will be arranging it for the full orchestra. What do you think it will sound like?!

KEY VOCABULARYFolk Song

A song that gets passed from generation to generation in a particular culture.

ACTIVITY #1

FOCUS ON THE FOLK SONG o ☐I CAN…identify the folk song I hear in the music.

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ACTIVITY #2

FOCUS ON “THEME AND VARIATIONS” o ☐I CAN… use the touch chart to show when I hear the theme and when I hear a variation.

A> Listen!• Introduce “Theme and Variations” by playing the Mozart recording from the beginning and stopping at 1:05. This will give students a chance to hear the theme and then one variation.

• Ask them what they heard. What happened to the theme? -A theme and variations form can be described using a “cookie analogy!” The theme is a plain sugar cookie. A variation adds new rhythms, decorations, or tempos, just like frosting and sprinkles on a cookie, but you can still hear that plain theme underneath!

-Use the pictures of the cookies below as touch charts. Students point at the plain sugar cookie when they hear the theme and the decorated cookie when they hear a variation.

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A> Listen!• Teachers, play the first 33 seconds of the recording of Mozart’s music. • Ask students if it sounds like a song they know! (Note: In the recording, you’ll notice that Mozart repeats the first phrase so although the music isn’t identical to the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” students should recognize the similarity and be able to identify it.)

B> Sing!• As a class, sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”

-Keep a steady beat by tapping your knees or opening your fingers in the air like sparkling stars as you sing.

-Add unpitched percussion on the rhyming words at the end of each phrase: “star” “are” “high” “sky”

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Click here to listen to Mozart’s Twelve Variations

on “Ah, vous dirai-je mamanhttps://soundcloud.com/eschar-harul-maudy-1/mozart-twinkle-twinkle-little-star-variations-k265?in=user-281150665/sets/i-

spy-a-folk-song

Mozart, arr. Hagen Twelve Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je maman,” K.265

You’ll notice we aren’t spending a lot of time focusing on the recording of Mozart’s music here. That’s because Mozart’s composition, which was written for piano, will be newly arranged by local composer Jocelyn Hagen for the full symphony orchestra and premiered at the Minnesota Orchestra’s “I Spy a Folk Song” concert! Use the Mozart recording as a starting point with students so they can hear a folk song performed on an instrument and get introduced to the idea of a “theme and variations” form.

Students will investigate “theme and variations” more with Yankee Doodle by Gould and Vieuxtemps!

NOTE:

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Gould’s Yankee Doodle & Vieuxtemps’ Souvenirs d’Amerique, Op.17

ABOUT THE MUSICMorton Gould (1913-1996) was an American composer, conductor and pianist while Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) was a Belgian composer and violinist. Despite the fact that these composers weren’t even alive at the same time and lived thousands of miles apart, they both used the folk song “Yankee Doodle” to create new music. They both used the form of a “theme and variations” for their compositions as well!

KEY VOCABULARYTheme and Variations

“Theme and Variations” is a popular musical form in which a composer states a melody and then repeats it several times with changes to create more interest and variety. Typically, the variations get increasing complicated and more exciting throughout the composition.

ACTIVITY #1

FOCUS ON INSTRUMENT FAMILIES o ☐I CAN…name at least 3 instruments in the orchestra that play the “Yankee Doodle” theme in Gould’s music.

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ACTIVITY #2

SAME AND DIFFERENT o ☐I CAN…identify what is similar and what is different in the two rhythms below. o ☐I CAN…use the rhythms below to make my own musical creation.

A> Prepare!• Display the rhythmic notation of the Yankee Doodle theme (“Theme Rhythm”) and one of Gould’s variations (“Variation Rhythm”) below.

• Teachers, keep a steady beat on a hand drum (or another percussion instrument) and ask students to chant each of the 4-measure rhythms. (Use the rhythmic syllables that are most comfortable for your students. We’ve written “ta’s” and “ti ti’s” here as an example.)

• Try each rhythm multiple times until students feel confident.-Extension: Have students pat a steady beat AND say the rhythms at the same time!

-Extension: Split the class in two and, using pitched or unpitched instruments, have one group play the steady beat and the other group play the rhythms!

• Ask students to compare the “Theme Rhythm” and “Variation Rhythm”. What is similar? What is different? (Measures 1-3 are different; Measure 4 is the same)

B> Create!• Have students create their own way of performing the “Theme Rhythm” and “Variation Rhythm” below. Here are some ideas:

-Create your own words to match the rhythms—a class chant about the weather, school values, the upcoming field trip to orchestra hall, a reminder of how to take care of the instruments in the classroom…anything!

-Select instruments and perform the rhythms. Add a steady beat by using a drum or bass bar xylophone. Experiment with different tempos and dynamics!

-Split the class into small groups and let them choose to create a performance for the “Theme Rhythm” or “Variation Rhythm.” When they perform it, have the class guess which rhythm they used!

B> Perform!• Perform your new creation for the class.

• Give warm feedback (something you liked) and cool feedback (something they could try differently next time.)

Theme Rhythm:

ti ti ti ti ti ti ta ti ti ti ti ta ta ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ta ta

Variation Rhythm:

ta ti ti ta ti ti ta ti ti ta ta ta ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ta ta

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A> Explore!• Teachers, depending on your students’ familiarity with the instruments of the orchestra, you may want to take time to listen to the sounds of individual instruments and show a picture. Here are some tools to help you:

-For sounds of individual instruments: http://www.dsokids.com/listen/by-instrument/.aspx

-For pictures of the instruments, our very own Minnesota Orchestra players, and information about the instruments, try our new guide: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/images/education/pdf/interactive_guide.pdf

-You could also use Printable #1

B> Listen!• Play a clip of Gould’s Yankee Doodle. (Make sure you listen to the full orchestra version rather than the wind band version! Use our Sound Cloud playlist.)

-Ask students to listen for the “Yankee Doodle” theme and put their hands on their head when they hear it.

-After playing a short clip, ask students what they noticed about the theme. Did the same instruments play the theme the whole time?

-You could use these questions to help guide the conversation as well: 1) What did you hear? 2) What did you hear that makes you say that? 3) What more did you hear?

• At this point, students should have discovered that many different instruments play the theme as it gets passed around the orchestra.

• Listen again. This time, students should listen for the theme and identify at least 3 instruments that play it. Use Printable #2 to collect student responses.

• Discuss your answers! 29

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Click here to listen to Gould’s Yankee Doodle https://soundcloud.com/user-281150665/gould-yankee-

doodle?in=user-281150665/sets/i-spy-a-folk-song

Sing a verse of “Yankee Doodle” as a class:

Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony,Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni!NOTE:

Vieuxtemps’ Souvenirs d’Amerique, Op.17https://soundcloud.com/delos-music/delos-music-2013-new-

release?in=user-281150665/sets/i-spy-a-folk-song

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ACTIVITY #3

FOCUS ON THE VIOLIN o ☐I CAN…identify three parts of the Vieuxtemps music: the introduction, theme, and variations sections.

Students can use the touch chart below to show when they hear the three main parts of this piece: Introduction, Theme, and Variations. Have students point to the picture as they listen.

Timing:

0:00-0:58 INTRODUCTION

0:59-1:51, THEME

1:52-end, VARIATIONS

Extension: Now that students have heard both Gould and Vieuxtemps, have them compare the two pieces of music. What was similar? What was different? Use Printable #3 to collect student responses.

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PARDON THE INTERRUPTION

Yep, we’re putting survey information right smack in the middle of your lesson. Your feedback is so important to us, we didn’t want to miss it! Teachers and parents, please use the survey links below—we promise it will just take a few minutes! We’d love to hear from your students too. The form below can be printed and mailed or emailed back to us.

Homeschool Parents: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i-spy_school

Teachers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i-spy_home

STUDENT FEEDBACK FORM

PLEASE RESPOND BELOW USING WORDS OR PICTURES

HELP US DO OUR BEST

BEFORE THE CONCERT

AFTER THE CONCERT NOW WHAT?

DURING THE CONCERT

TELL US YOUR MUSICAL STORY

Imagine you were going to this same concert again but you had 3 magic wishes to use to change something on the concert or add something on the concert. What would your wishes be?

I wish the concert

I wish the concert

I wish the concert

Before I went to the concert, I imagined I would hear…

When I was at the concert, I heard…

When I was at the concert, I saw...Before I went to the concert, I imagined I would see…

List three things you learned at the concert!

1.

2.

3.

Going to this concert made me want to know more about…

Music makes me...

Young People’s Concert Title

School Name

Student Name (optional)

Return by mail to: Minnesota Orchestra c/o Jessica Leibfried 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., MN 55403

Return by email to: education@mnorch.org

Grade

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i-spy_schoolhttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/i-spy_home

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FOCUS ON THE FOLK SONG o ☐I CAN…create a percussion accompaniment to specific words in “I Bought Me a Cat.”

A> Explore!• Sing “I Bought Me a Cat”

-Use Printable #4 for visuals of the animals/person in the verses. (Don’t they look fancy in their bow ties? It’s almost like they got dressed up for a concert at Orchestra Hall!)

-Use Printable #5 if you’d like students to see the sheet music.

• Split the class into groups representing each animal/person in the music. -Show each group the response that their character gives in the song from the list below.

-Ask students to find a percussion instrument that sounds like it would match their character.

-Have students speak their character’s response first so they are clear on the rhythm of the words. Then have them practice playing the rhythm of the words on their instrument.

-Extension: Create new verses for the music! Make a list of additional animals and their responses. How many syllables should the name of the animal have so it fits with the music?

B> Perform!• Sing the song as a class and have the small groups perform their percussion sounds.

If you don’t have enough instruments for each group of students, have some students sing/say the words, some students create a movement or mime for the character, and some students play instruments!

Character Responses in “I Bought Me a Cat”

Cat: Fiddle eye fee

Duck: Quack, quack

Goose Quaa, quaa

Hen: Shimmy-shack, shimmy-shack

Pig: Griffey, griffey

Cow: Moo, moo

Horse: Neigh, neigh

Wife: Honey honey

Guessing Game: Play the rhythm or hum a character response from the list above and see if the class can guess which character you chose! If they need more help, make up a movement for that character.

Copland’s “I Bought Me a Cat” from Old American Songs

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Click here to listen to Copland’s “I Bought Me a Cathttps://soundcloud.com/butlerwindensemble2/i-bought-me-a-

cat?in=user-281150665/sets/i-spy-a-folk-song

Spotlight on Youth Performers

WATCH!Watch the Georgia Elementary Youth Chorus perform “I Bought

Me a Cat.”: https://youtu.be/yPTBkc3FpMM?t=20s

Watch 11 year old boy soprano Sean Holshouser perform “I Bought

Me a Cat.”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9xIydKs430

ABOUT THE MUSIC“I Bought Me a Cat” is one of five songs for male voice and piano in Copland’s suite called “Old American Songs.” Written in 1950, the suite was composed for Benjamin Britten and his Music and Art Festival in Aldeburgh, England. The music was premiered at the festival with Britten himself at the piano! In 1951, the music was performed for the first time in the U.S., this time, with Copland playing the piano. The music was met with such great success that Copland went on to write another set of whimsical music for voice and piano.

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Tchaikovsky Allegro Vivo (Mvt. IV), from Symphony No. 4

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A> Imitate!• Students imitate teachers singing the “Loo li loo” endings of each verse.

• Loo li loo when the wind blows• Loo li loo silver branches• Loo li loo balalaika• Loo li loo little birch tree

• Ask students if there were any words in the music that sounded new to them.

• Once students are comfortable with the endings of each verse, sing “The Little Birch Tree” together as a class.-Use the notation and verses below if needed.

-Teachers can sing the beginning of each verse and students can sing the “Loo li loo’s.”

B> Explore!• Project the notation of the music for the class. Split the class into 2 groups---Group 1 will create movement for the 1st line of music; Group 2 will create movement for the 2nd line of music.

-Look at the 1st line of music as a class. Sing it. Paint the melody in the air with your hand from high to low. Which direction does the melody go? (Downward motion)

-Look at the 2nd line of music as a class. Sing it. Paint the melody in the air with your hand low to high and back to low. Which direction does the melody go? (Up and down)

• Ask students to explore movement that matches their melody.-Use scarves if you have them!

B> Perform!• Sing the song as a class and have the small groups perform their movement.

3. From a branch I’ll carve a balalaika. With the flutes I’ll play my balalaika. Looli loo, balalaika. Looli loo, balalaika.

4. As I play my tingling balalaika, I’ll remember you, my little birch tree. Looli loo, little birch tree. Looli loo, little birch tree.

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FOCUS ON THE FOLK SONG o ☐I CAN…create movement to match the melodic direction of the music.

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ABOUT THE MUSICOften called the “Fate Symphony,” Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 is intense, emotional and somewhat autobiographical in nature. The year was 1877 and Tchaikovsky was in the depths of despair. His teaching duties at the Moscow Conservatory had become completely overwhelming and his personal life was in ruins. As he wrote Symphony No. 4, his struggles and emotions came pouring into the music. The fourth movement uses a Russian Folk Song called “The Little Birch Tree” and ends with a triumphant and joyous bang!

KEY VOCABULARYBalalaika

a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.

Melodic Direction

The pathway of pitches in a melody—upward, downward, horizontal (or “stays the same”) and any combination of these.

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Click here to listen to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 https://soundcloud.com/necmusic/tchaikovsky-symphony-no-4-in-f-minor-op-36-finale-allegro-con-fuoco?in=user-281150665/

sets/i-spy-a-folk-song

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FOCUS ON WOODWINDS AND BRASS o ☐I CAN…identify the woodwind family and brass family when I listen to the finale of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.

A> Listen!• Play the following clips for your students and ask them if they hear the woodwind family or the brass family playing the “Little Birch Tree” melody.

-If your students need to review the instruments in these families, see the instructions under Activity #1 on page 28.

-Use the pictures of the families below if needed.

Clip #1, 0:14-0:26 (woodwinds)Clip #2, 1:35-2:01 (woodwinds)Clip #3, 2:02-2:27 (brass)

Extension: Now that students have heard the woodwind and brass instruments, have them compare the two instrument families. What is similar about woodwind and brass instruments? What is different? Use Printable #3 to collect student responses.

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Brahms Allegro non troppo (Mvt. I), from Symphony No. 2

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A> Explore!• Play the recording of the “Brahms Lullaby” (or Wiegenlied, Op.49) with voice and piano. https://soundcloud.com/kirill-yashin-1/j-brahms-wiegenlied

-Ask students to sway or pretend to rock a baby as they listen.

-After they listen, discuss the music.

-You could use these questions to help guide the conversation as well: 1) What did you hear? 2) What did you hear that makes you say that? 3) What more did you hear?

• Play the recording of the “Brahms Lullaby” (or Wiegenlied, Op.49) with full orchestrahttps://soundcloud.com/dom-sovetov/johannes-brahms-lullaby

-Follow the same process as above.

• Ask students to compare the two recordings. What was similar? What was different? Use Printable #3 to capture student responses.

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FOCUS ON THE FOLK SONG o ☐I CAN…move to a lullaby in 3/4 time.

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ABOUT THE MUSICBrahms wrote his Symphony No. 2 in the same year that Tchaikovsky wrote Symphony No. 4. In describing his own music, Brahms said “it is so melancholy that you will not be able to bear it. I have never written anything so sad, and the score must come out in mourning.” Much of the first movement is based on a melody he had formerly composed for Wiegenlied, Op. 49, more commonly known as “Brahms’ Lullaby.” It is introduced by the cellos approximately two and a half minutes into the first movement. Once presented by the cellos, it is continually brought back—but in bits and pieces—in the woodwinds and strings. The lilting lullaby can be challenging to recognize as the traditional lullaby that we sing to lull babies to sleep but we hope students rise to the challenge!

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Click here to listen to Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 https://soundcloud.com/smarttams/brahms-symphony-no-2-1st-

movement?in=user-281150665/sets/i-spy-a-folk-song

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A> Listen!• Play Clip #1 for your students and ask them to listen for the cellos playing the lullaby theme in Symphony No. 2.

-If your students need to review information about the cello, see the instructions under Activity #1 on page 28.

-Use the picture of the cello below if needed.

• Play Clip #2 for your students and ask them to listen for the lullaby theme as it gets passed to the woodwinds and strings.

Clip #1, 2:20-2:38

Clip #2, 2:20-3:20

A> Listen again!• Having a rough day and rowdy day with your students? Take a moment to reboot and play the first few minutes of Brahms Symphony No. 2, first movement.

-If you have permission, turn the lights out or have students close their eyes.

-If you have permission, allow students to lie on their backs with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor. This is a restful position that allows the body to rest and regain energy.

ACTIVITY #2

FOCUS ON THE CELLO o ☐I CAN…find the lullaby theme played by the cellos in the first movement of Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.

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Copland Appalachian Spring

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A> Prepare!• Display the rhythmic notation of the theme below.

• Teachers, keep a steady beat on a hand drum (or another percussion instrument) and ask students to chant the 4-measure rhythm below. (Use the rhythmic syllables that are most comfortable for your students. We’ve written “ta’s” and “ti ti’s” here as an example.)

-Start at a slow tempo and gradually get faster.

-After several tries, ask students what they noticed about the speed. Discuss tempo.

• Try the rhythm multiple times until students feel confident.-Extension: Have students pat a steady beat AND say the rhythm at the same time!

-Extension: Split the class in two and, using pitched or unpitched instruments, have one group play the steady beat and the other group play the rhythm!

B> Create!• Have students select a percussion instrument to perform the rhythm.

-When students consider their choices, teachers may have to lead a discussion on what types of instruments will allow them to play short, fast sounds. (For example, rhythms sticks or a wood block would be an excellent choice but cymbals or a triangle would not.)

-Experiment with different tempos and dynamics!

C> Perform!• Perform your new creation for the class.• Give warm feedback (something you liked) and cool feedback (something they could try differently next time.)

ti ti ta ti ti ta ti ti ti ti ti ti ta ti ti ti ti ti ti ta

Now it’s time to listen for this rhythm in Copland’s music. Teachers, play the recording of the allegro section (3:00-5:31). Ask students to put their hands on their head when they recognize the rhythm for the first time. (It’s fast and happens at 3:18.)

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FOCUS ON RHYTHM o ☐I CAN…perform the rhythm of the theme from the Allegro section of Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” using my voice or an instrument.

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ABOUT THE MUSICAppalachian Spring was premiered in 1944. Set during the 19th century in rural Pennsylvania, it follows a group of American pioneers who have just built a new farmhouse. The most well-known section in the music comes when Copland quotes the melody “Simple Gifts,” a Shaker melody written by Joseph Brackett. Copland was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1945 for this piece.

There are 4 different versions of this work; we will be performing the Orchestral Suite written by Copland in 1945. The Orchestral suite is divided into 8 sections, we will be playing sections 2, 5, and 7.

“Fast/Allegro” - Starts with unison strings playing an A major arpeggio. A fast-paced and exciting beginning.

“Still faster/Subito Allegro” - Solo dance of the Bride – The music goes between extremes of joy, fear, and wonder.

“Calm and flowing/Doppio Movimento.” Scenes of daily activity for the Bride and her Farmer husband. The melody “Simple Gifts” is presented in variation.

KEY VOCABULARYTempo

how fast or slow the music is

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Click here to listen to Copland’s “Appalachian Spring https://soundcloud.com/jasper-wentink/copland-appalachian-

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Copland Appalachian Spring

ACTIVITIES

A> Prepare!• Have students think about activities they do every day (ie: waking up, brushing teeth, doing homework).

- Create a list as a group.

- Ask students to pick their favorite idea from the brainstorm list and act it out with movement.

- Ask volunteers to share their movement so the class can guess the activity.

B> Listen!• In Appalachian Spring, the story of everyday life for a group of early American Pioneers is told through ballet movement.

- Have students brainstorm everyday activities they do in three parts of the day—before school, during school, and after school.

- Play the Subito Allegro section of “Appalachian Spring” (12:38-15:33) and ask students to think about one everyday activity that the music brings to their mind. (It could be from the list they already brainstormed or something new!)

Note: If this excerpt is too long for your students, consider using a shorter excerpt for your group.

- Discuss the everyday activities that students imagined as they listened and add to the brainstorm list if there are new ideas.

C> Create!• Have students create a “movement story” to the music.

- Ask students to select activities from their brainstorm list to tell a story that matches the music. The story must have at least one beginning movement (something from their “before school” list), middle movement (something from their “during school” list) and end movement (something from their “after school” list).

• Work as a class or in small groups and practice the beginning, middle and end movement.

• Perform your “movement story” as a group!

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FOCUS ON MOVEMENT o ☐I CAN…create a “movement story” to accompany the Subito Allegro section of “Appalachian Spring.”

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A> Prepare!• Help students get acquainted with the Shaker melody.

-View a PDF of the music and lyrics: http://www.makingmusicfun.net/pdf/sheet_music/simple-gifts-lead-sheet.pdf

> Read words aloud to students first.

> Discuss any words that are unfamiliar.

> This song can be challenging for young students to sing. Consider playing the song on a melodic instrument to familiarize students with the melody.

-Listen to the Phoenix boy choir sing “Simple Gifts:” https://youtu.be/6Ho9X49xjsA

B> Identify!• Use Printable #1 to review the families of instruments found in a symphony orchestra.

• Listen to the 5 clips below from “Appalachian Spring” (16:50-21:15) and ask students to identify which family of instruments is playing the “Simple Gifts” melody.

Clip #1, 18:16-18:44 (Woodwind Family)

Clip #2, 18:49-19:15 (Woodwind Family)

Clip #3, 19:19-19:56 (String Family)

Clip #4, 20:06-20:30 (Brass Family)

Clip #5, 20:47-21:15 (Full Orchestra)

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FOCUS ON MELODY o ☐I CAN…identify each family of instruments playing the “Simple Gifts” melody as it gets passed throughout the orchestra.

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PRINT ABLE 1 THE ORCHESTRA

STRING FAMILY

WOODWIND FAMILY BRASS FAMILY

PERCUSSION FAMILY

piccolo

clarinet oboefluteEnglish horn

bassoon

tubatrombonetrumpet french horn

PRINT ABLES

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PRINT ABLE 3 MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA VENN DIAGRAM

PRINT ABLE 2 MORTON GOULD: YANKEE DOODLE

CAN YOU NAME EVEN MORE INSTRUMENTS?

Name at least three instruments that played the Yankee Doodle Theme. Write the instrument name or draw the instrument in the boxes.

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PRINT ABLE 5 COPLAND: I BOUGHT ME A CAT

3. I bought me a goose, my goose pleased me. I fed by goose under yonder tree. My goose says “Quaa, quaa.” My duck says “Qwack, qwack.” My cat says “fiddle eye fee.”

4. I bought me a hen, my hen pleased me. I fed my hen under yonder tree. My hen says “Shimmy shack, shimmy shack.” My goose says…etc.

5. I bought me a pig, my pig pleased me. I fed my pig under yonder tree. My pig says “Griffey, Griffey.” My hen says…etc.

6. I bought me a cow, my cow pleased by. I fed my cow under yonder tree. My cow says “Moo, moo.” My pig says…etc.

7. I bought me a horse. My horse pleased me. I fed my horse under yonder tree. My horse says “neigh, neigh.” My cow says…etc.

8. I got me a wife, my wife pleased me. I fed my wife under yonder tree. My wife says “Honey, honey.” My horse says…etc.

1 Some versions of this song begin with the lyrics “I bought me a wife.” Replacing the word “bought” with “got” is an intentional change to promote and model the diversity, equity, and inclusion policies of the Minnesota Orchestra.

PRINT ABLE 4 COPLAND: I BOUGHT ME A CAT

Point to the animal or person when you hear them mentioned in the song.

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WELCOMEORCHESTRA HALL, HOME OF THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA SINCE 1974, IS KNOWN AS

ONE OF THE BEST ACOUSTIC

SPACES IN THE WORLD. IN 2012,

THE HALL WAS RENOVATED

TO CREATE LONG-AWAITED

UPGRADES AND ADDITIONS

THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.

AS YOU WALK INTO THE

LOBBY AREA AND INTO THE

AUDITORIUM, HERE ARE SOME

THINGS TO LOOK FOR:

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1”CUBES

fuzzy carpeting on the walls is another soundprooing element of the ring corridor

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.

The small holes in the brown paneling on the

lobby walls absorb sound so everyone can talk to their friends at the same time without

having to shout!

lockers

Yes, Orchestra Hall has lockers! But instead of putting school books in them, audience members put their coats in these lockers during concerts.

We thought about getting rid of them during the renovation but discovered that having coats in the lockers actually helps to sound-proof the auditorium because they soak up sound!

There are 114 cubes on the ceilings and walls. Instead of absorbing sound like in the lobby, the cubes bounce the sound all over the place

so everyone can hear our orchestra play. But that also means that if you talk from your seats the musicians can hear you too!

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CUBES?

Why cubes? Well, when they were first building Orchestra Hall the architects kept envisioning a shape on the walls and ceiling but couldn’t decide what to use. One of the architects went home to have dinner with his family and as he described the problem with the hall, his kids responded “It could be like Fantastic Four superhero ‘The Thing!’”

He loved the idea so much that he added cubes on the wall and ceiling, giving the hall its iconic “Thing-inspired” look!

Learn more about the hall: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/images/pr/pdf/renovation_project_facts.pdf

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©Jack Kirby, MARVEL

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