NSO Young People's Concert: Listen Up! (Teacher Guide)

FOR TEACHERS

National Symphony Orchestra Young People’s Concert 2013-14 Ankush Kumar Bahl, conductor Nick Kendall, violin soloist and host

Dear Teacher:

Tips for Using This Guide

Listen Up! Music Is a Language delivers a fun-filled and informative experience for students and educators. We hope to excite your students about the orchestra’s many “voices” with special emphasis on the violin, and to introduce your students to different ways of listening to music.

Students (and their teachers!) will get more out of the NSO Young People’s Concert when they are prepared for the Listen Up! program in advance. Here are some tips for using these resources:

This Cuesheet performance guide offers three integrated resources that work together to help you prepare students for the concert:

1.

2.

3.

The Guide for Students contains information about the concert program and related activities.

The CD provides Listening Activities relating to select works from the program, a sampling of the orchestra’s instrumental sections, an introduction to musical dynamics, and musical excerpts from the rest of the concert. his Guide for Teachers shares ideas on how to bring the Cuesheet, the T Listening Activities, and online resources to life in the classroom.

The CD contains Listening Activities designed for grades 3 and up. The activities may be presented by the classroom teacher or music specialist.

Many students will require at least two opportunities to engage with the content of the CD. We suggest this approach to the listening activities.

Engage Students > Play Track > Reflect > Repeat as Needed > Go to the Next Track

General Tips n Listen for yourself. Spend some time alone with the CD and other resources.

This prep time is invaluable as you bring these resources into the classroom. n Allow enough lead time. Some teachers introduce students to the material

four weeks before the concert.

Enjoy the concert!

Carole J. Wysocki Director, NSO Education Program

Using the CD

Visit http ://goo.g l/Swssa6 for a video introduction to this concert program.

n P repare not only for the music but for the event. For many students, this will

be their first time at a concert with a full orchestra. They’ll be more comfortable if they know what to expect. n M ost importantly, bring your own creativity to the process. Change these

activities to fit your classroom and add your own variations.

The activities presented on the CD connect to the National Content Standards for music, and other subject areas such as social studies and language arts. For more about the standards, visit the ARTSEDGE Web site at www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge.

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3

Dear Teacher:

Tips for Using This Guide

Listen Up! Music Is a Language delivers a fun-filled and informative experience for students and educators. We hope to excite your students about the orchestra’s many “voices” with special emphasis on the violin, and to introduce your students to different ways of listening to music.

Students (and their teachers!) will get more out of the NSO Young People’s Concert when they are prepared for the Listen Up! program in advance. Here are some tips for using these resources:

This Cuesheet performance guide offers three integrated resources that work together to help you prepare students for the concert:

1.

2.

3.

The Guide for Students contains information about the concert program and related activities.

The CD provides Listening Activities relating to select works from the program, a sampling of the orchestra’s instrumental sections, an introduction to musical dynamics, and musical excerpts from the rest of the concert. his Guide for Teachers shares ideas on how to bring the Cuesheet, the T Listening Activities, and online resources to life in the classroom.

The CD contains Listening Activities designed for grades 3 and up. The activities may be presented by the classroom teacher or music specialist.

Many students will require at least two opportunities to engage with the content of the CD. We suggest this approach to the listening activities.

Engage Students > Play Track > Reflect > Repeat as Needed > Go to the Next Track

General Tips n Listen for yourself. Spend some time alone with the CD and other resources.

This prep time is invaluable as you bring these resources into the classroom. n Allow enough lead time. Some teachers introduce students to the material

four weeks before the concert.

Enjoy the concert!

Carole J. Wysocki Director, NSO Education Program

Using the CD

Visit http ://goo.g l/Swssa6 for a video introduction to this concert program.

n P repare not only for the music but for the event. For many students, this will

be their first time at a concert with a full orchestra. They’ll be more comfortable if they know what to expect. n M ost importantly, bring your own creativity to the process. Change these

activities to fit your classroom and add your own variations.

The activities presented on the CD connect to the National Content Standards for music, and other subject areas such as social studies and language arts. For more about the standards, visit the ARTSEDGE Web site at www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge.

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3

Introduction (4:33)

TRACK

1

Summary Students are introduced to the concept of music as a language and how music is able to tell stories, convey emotions, and invoke thoughts. Students also learn how stories, thoughts, and emotions can be communicated without words.

During the concert, students will hear Russian composer Mikhail Glinka’s rousing overture to his opera, Ruslan and Ludmila, Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s stirring Violin Concerto finale, and French composer Jules Massenet’s thoughtful Meditation from his opera, Thaïs. They will also hear works by other composers who “spoke” through their music including American composer Leonard Bernstein and Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, among others.

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet. Read how music utilizes the communicative powers of language in its sounds and structure; can “paint” a story and make it come to life, stir our emotions, or trigger our thoughts. Learn how pitch, rhythm, melody, tempo, and musical dynamics contribute to music.

After Encourage students to share their understanding of the expressive powers of music. Discuss the concept of voices, dialogues, and conversation and how they apply to music.

4

5

Introduction (4:33)

TRACK

1

Summary Students are introduced to the concept of music as a language and how music is able to tell stories, convey emotions, and invoke thoughts. Students also learn how stories, thoughts, and emotions can be communicated without words.

During the concert, students will hear Russian composer Mikhail Glinka’s rousing overture to his opera, Ruslan and Ludmila, Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s stirring Violin Concerto finale, and French composer Jules Massenet’s thoughtful Meditation from his opera, Thaïs. They will also hear works by other composers who “spoke” through their music including American composer Leonard Bernstein and Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, among others.

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet. Read how music utilizes the communicative powers of language in its sounds and structure; can “paint” a story and make it come to life, stir our emotions, or trigger our thoughts. Learn how pitch, rhythm, melody, tempo, and musical dynamics contribute to music.

After Encourage students to share their understanding of the expressive powers of music. Discuss the concept of voices, dialogues, and conversation and how they apply to music.

4

5

TRACK

2

Who’s Talking? (9:02)

The Voice of the Violin (8:09)

Summary Students learn about the composer’s selection of the right “voice” or instrumentation from the four sections of the orchestra: string, woodwind, brass, and percussion. Students are introduced to music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Leonard Bernstein.

Summary Students learn about the history of the violin, its distinct role in the orchestra, and its ability to resemble human “singing.”

Students will also be introduced to “pizzicato,” the quick, light rhythmic technique created by plucking the strings. Students listen to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

Before Direct students to pages 2–3 of Cuesheet. Read how each section of the orchestra has its own distinct sound, and how the conductor and soloist participate in an orchestral performance. Have students cut out the four flashcards from Cuesheet packet for this Listening Activity.

During The Listen Up! flashcards represent the four sections of the orchestra (string, woodwind, brass, and percussion) and their distinct voices. The Listening Activity asks students to identify the various instrumental families they hear in a musical excerpt. Students can participate individually at their desks, or teachers can divide the classroom into four groups, each representing a different section of the orchestra. Group members listen for their assigned section and respond collectively by raising their flashcards.

6

After Encourage students to share their understanding of instrumentation and the “conversation” between instruments.

TRACK

3

Before Direct students to pages 6–7 of Cuesheet. Read about the popularity of the violin and why it plays such an important role in the orchestra. Students will learn about soloist Nick Kendall and his life as a child prodigy; about the ability of music to convey emotion; and Tchaikovsky’s efforts to compose music that showcases the violin.

During Connect students with pages 2–3 of Cuesheet which provides descriptions of the four sections of the orchestra: string, woodwind, brass, and percussion. Direct students to page 6 of Cuesheet and discuss the particular skills a violinist needs to play this instrument.

After Encourage students to share their understanding of instrumentation. Are students able to articulate the emotions they had while listening to the work?

7

TRACK

2

Who’s Talking? (9:02)

The Voice of the Violin (8:09)

Summary Students learn about the composer’s selection of the right “voice” or instrumentation from the four sections of the orchestra: string, woodwind, brass, and percussion. Students are introduced to music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Leonard Bernstein.

Summary Students learn about the history of the violin, its distinct role in the orchestra, and its ability to resemble human “singing.”

Students will also be introduced to “pizzicato,” the quick, light rhythmic technique created by plucking the strings. Students listen to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

Before Direct students to pages 2–3 of Cuesheet. Read how each section of the orchestra has its own distinct sound, and how the conductor and soloist participate in an orchestral performance. Have students cut out the four flashcards from Cuesheet packet for this Listening Activity.

During The Listen Up! flashcards represent the four sections of the orchestra (string, woodwind, brass, and percussion) and their distinct voices. The Listening Activity asks students to identify the various instrumental families they hear in a musical excerpt. Students can participate individually at their desks, or teachers can divide the classroom into four groups, each representing a different section of the orchestra. Group members listen for their assigned section and respond collectively by raising their flashcards.

6

After Encourage students to share their understanding of instrumentation and the “conversation” between instruments.

TRACK

3

Before Direct students to pages 6–7 of Cuesheet. Read about the popularity of the violin and why it plays such an important role in the orchestra. Students will learn about soloist Nick Kendall and his life as a child prodigy; about the ability of music to convey emotion; and Tchaikovsky’s efforts to compose music that showcases the violin.

During Connect students with pages 2–3 of Cuesheet which provides descriptions of the four sections of the orchestra: string, woodwind, brass, and percussion. Direct students to page 6 of Cuesheet and discuss the particular skills a violinist needs to play this instrument.

After Encourage students to share their understanding of instrumentation. Are students able to articulate the emotions they had while listening to the work?

7

TRACK

4

Tell Me a Story (7:04)

The Sounds of Silence (7:38)

Summary Students learn that composers sometimes use music to “paint” or depict the action, characters, and setting of a story by listening to Mikhail Glinka’s opera, Ruslan and Ludmila.

Students also experience how the music inspires creativity when designing their settings and costumes.

Summary Students learn composers often write music to inspire listeners to think or meditate. They are introduced to different types of listening through Jules Massenet’s Meditation for the opera Thaïs.

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet. Read about composer Mikhail Glinka and the folktale origin of Ruslan and Ludmila. Introduce students to the roles of the set and costume designers in theater productions.

During With paper, pencils, and markers, begin the set and costume design Listening Activity. Remind students to let the music inspire their drawing while being faithful to the Russian story.

After Encourage students to share their drawings and how the music influenced their creativity.

TRACK

5

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet. Read about Massenet’s efforts to create a musical moment that conveys solitude and reflection. Provide students with paper and pencils or pens so that they can write down “key words” that describe the various types of listening.

During In this Listening Activity, have students list words that describe different kinds of listening. Teachers can also create a meditation space in the classroom by moving desks, tables, and chairs so students can lie down. Ask students to create “stars” on the floor by having a small group of students lie down with their heads united at the center of a “star” and their bodies pointing out in different directions. Teachers can lower or eliminate overhead lighting to facilitate a meditative space.

After Encourage students to share their listening experiences during Massenet’s Meditation. Ask “how” they listened to the music.

Were they passive or active listeners?

8

9

TRACK

4

Tell Me a Story (7:04)

The Sounds of Silence (7:38)

Summary Students learn that composers sometimes use music to “paint” or depict the action, characters, and setting of a story by listening to Mikhail Glinka’s opera, Ruslan and Ludmila.

Students also experience how the music inspires creativity when designing their settings and costumes.

Summary Students learn composers often write music to inspire listeners to think or meditate. They are introduced to different types of listening through Jules Massenet’s Meditation for the opera Thaïs.

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet. Read about composer Mikhail Glinka and the folktale origin of Ruslan and Ludmila. Introduce students to the roles of the set and costume designers in theater productions.

During With paper, pencils, and markers, begin the set and costume design Listening Activity. Remind students to let the music inspire their drawing while being faithful to the Russian story.

After Encourage students to share their drawings and how the music influenced their creativity.

TRACK

5

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet. Read about Massenet’s efforts to create a musical moment that conveys solitude and reflection. Provide students with paper and pencils or pens so that they can write down “key words” that describe the various types of listening.

During In this Listening Activity, have students list words that describe different kinds of listening. Teachers can also create a meditation space in the classroom by moving desks, tables, and chairs so students can lie down. Ask students to create “stars” on the floor by having a small group of students lie down with their heads united at the center of a “star” and their bodies pointing out in different directions. Teachers can lower or eliminate overhead lighting to facilitate a meditative space.

After Encourage students to share their listening experiences during Massenet’s Meditation. Ask “how” they listened to the music.

Were they passive or active listeners?

8

9

TRACK

6

Wanted: Pirates! (5:34)

Preparing for the Concert

Summary Students are introduced to musical scoring for films—music specifically composed to assist storytelling, underscore emotions, and stir ideas. Students are introduced to composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold and his music for the movie The Sea Hawk.

Before you depart:

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet to revisit the idea that music can tell stories, express emotions, and instill ideas.

Remind students of the composer’s basic tools in making music expressive: pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and instrumentation.

n Remind students that no eating or drinking is permitted in the Concert Hall. n Suggest students bring a light sweater or jacket in case the hall is cold.

When students arrive: n Encourage students to visit the restrooms in the lobby before the

concert begins. n Remind students to sit still in their seats and not to reach between

rows, kick the seat in front of them, or otherwise distract from anyone else’s concert experience.

During Ask students to describe the story they “hear” in the music.

Students may also identify the elements of musical dynamics and instrumentation, plus changes in the music’s tempo.

n The Concert Hall acoustics provide an opportunity to

After Encourage students to share specific musical elements like pitch or dynamics that made the music expressive. Ask them about the sections of the orchestra. Did the woodwinds sound like wind or ocean waves; the brass like clashing swords or the hero’s courage? Could the strings represent the emotional life of the characters?

During the performance:

remind students to remain quiet during the performance— and to demonstrate how sound travels from musicians to audience.

n Students will know to clap hands

and applaud the musicians when the conductor silences the orchestra and turns to acknowledge the audience.

MUNCH !

MUNCH !

SLURP !

Excerpts from the program of the NSO Young People’s Concert Listen Up! is provided without listening prompts at the end of the CD.

10

11

TRACK

6

Wanted: Pirates! (5:34)

Preparing for the Concert

Summary Students are introduced to musical scoring for films—music specifically composed to assist storytelling, underscore emotions, and stir ideas. Students are introduced to composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold and his music for the movie The Sea Hawk.

Before you depart:

Before Direct students to pages 4–5 of Cuesheet to revisit the idea that music can tell stories, express emotions, and instill ideas.

Remind students of the composer’s basic tools in making music expressive: pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and instrumentation.

n Remind students that no eating or drinking is permitted in the Concert Hall. n Suggest students bring a light sweater or jacket in case the hall is cold.

When students arrive: n Encourage students to visit the restrooms in the lobby before the

concert begins. n Remind students to sit still in their seats and not to reach between

rows, kick the seat in front of them, or otherwise distract from anyone else’s concert experience.

During Ask students to describe the story they “hear” in the music.

Students may also identify the elements of musical dynamics and instrumentation, plus changes in the music’s tempo.

n The Concert Hall acoustics provide an opportunity to

After Encourage students to share specific musical elements like pitch or dynamics that made the music expressive. Ask them about the sections of the orchestra. Did the woodwinds sound like wind or ocean waves; the brass like clashing swords or the hero’s courage? Could the strings represent the emotional life of the characters?

During the performance:

remind students to remain quiet during the performance— and to demonstrate how sound travels from musicians to audience.

n Students will know to clap hands

and applaud the musicians when the conductor silences the orchestra and turns to acknowledge the audience.

MUNCH !

MUNCH !

SLURP !

Excerpts from the program of the NSO Young People’s Concert Listen Up! is provided without listening prompts at the end of the CD.

10

11

The Concert Program At the concert, students will hear the following works: Brahms

Academic Festival Overture (excerpt)

Glinka

Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila

Reich

Pieces of Wood (for percussion)

Massenet

Meditation from ThaĂŻs

Tchaikovsky

Scherzo from Symphony No. 4

Bernstein

Mambo from West Side Story

Korngold

Overture to The Sea Hawk

Tchaikovsky

Finale from Violin Concerto

Tchaikovsky

Finale from Symphony No. 4 (excerpt)

Online Resources All selections performed at the Listen Up! concert are provided online on the ArtsEdge site. You’ll find additional resources to explore music as a language and prepare for the concert, including extra listening activities, and much more.

Visit: http://goo.gl/Swssa6