Wait! There’s More! Be a Musical Imagineer In the story, the little boy tells how the music soars, swoops, swirls, and sweeps. During the performance, listen for how music can sound that way—and think of your own words to talk about sounds you hear. You might say dances, slides, tiptoes, or any other words that your imagination can think of. Share your ideas with friends and family.
75 Musicians Led by One Conductor At today’s concert, conductor Michael Stern will lead approximately 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music. The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.
A Good Audience stays seated, stays quiet, doesn’t eat, listens, and claps. Have fun!
CUESHEET PERFORMANCE GUIDE
Don’t Miss… Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” One hour before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the Kennedy Center Atrium. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.
Kids’ Chat After the performance, stick around to ask questions of the conductor and musicians on stage.
Upcoming Family Concerts Please plan to join us at the next National Symphony Orchestra Family Concert, performed by the full NSO:
May 21, 2017— Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.
EXPLORE MORE! Go to KC Connections on ARTSEDGE artsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/kc-connections
Washington Gas is the proud sponsor of the NSO Family Concerts. Additional support for NSO Family Concerts is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Macy’s; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; the U..S. Department of Education; and the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra. David M. Rubenstein Chairman
Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
Deborah F. Rutter President
Support for JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy is provided by Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley and The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education
Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Christoph Eschenbach Music Director National Symphony Orchestra
©2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
National Symphony Orchestra Family Concert
Joshua Bell in
Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences
The Man with the Violin
A World Premiere Kennedy Center Co-Commission with Canada’s National Arts Centre Presented in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Michael Stern, conductor, and Joshua Bell, violin
David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.
Stopping to Hear the Music Performing a Story with Music
The Violinist in the Subway
Meet Joshua Bell
Imagine a subway station. A man in plain clothes takes out his violin and begins to play beautiful music. Hundreds of people rush by in a hurry to get to school or work. Do you think anyone stops to listen? Get ready to find out. Today you’ll hear this story along with music by the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and violinist Joshua Bell—in a show that’s being performed for the first time ever!
So why was a great violinist playing in the subway? The idea came from a newspaper reporter who wanted to see whether people would take time out of their busy lives to listen to fine music. So in January 2007, right here in Washington, D.C., Joshua Bell walked into the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station and played music for 45 minutes. More than a thousand people walked by and only one person recognized the world-famous musician.
When Joshua Bell first learned he loved music, he didn’t even have an instrument—so the four-year-old boy made his own! He wrapped some rubber bands around dresser drawer handles and plucked out some notes. That’s when his parents knew he should start lessons on a real violin. And he hasn’t stopped playing or surprising audiences since. Bell has appeared on Sesame Street, played with orchestras all around the world, and even performed in movies. In fact, he is one of the most popular and recognizable violinists performing today.
By the Book The story comes from the book The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson. In the tale, a young boy named Dylan hears violin music in the subway and wants to stop but his mom is in a hurry. Later, they find out that just by paying attention, Dylan had seen and heard something pretty special happening. (Try this yourself—pay more attention to the world around you, and see what you discover.) Although Dylan and his mom are made-up people, the event actually happened in real life.
Music of the Day With the help of a grownup, you might want to listen to some of the music Joshua Bell will perform at the concert:
Bell once said, “When you play a violin piece, you are a storyteller, and you’re telling a story.” During the performance, what stories do you hear and imagine in Bell’s violin playing?
The Love for Three Oranges Suite by Sergei Prokofiev The Sorcerer ’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas Mother Goose Suite by Maurice Ravel The Man with the Violin ( World Premiere/ NSO Co-Commission) by Anne Dudley
Photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco
Meet the violin Joshua Bell’s instrument, the violin, is made of wood and has four strings. Musicians play violins by using a bow (a stick of wood with a tight ribbon of horsehair) in their right hand and pressing the string with the fingers of their left hand. The bodies of the instruments have a hollow center, which makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. That sound comes out of the two f-shaped holes. Believe it or not, violins do not all sound exactly the same. They can sound a little different depending on what they are made of and how they are made. Many people think Stradivarius (pronounced strad-uh-VAIR-ee-uhs) violins—made by Antonio Stradivari or members of his family hundreds of years ago—are still thought to be the best-sounding in the world. Guess who will be playing a 304-year-old Stradivarius in the performance?
Neck Strings Hair
Stick
Grip
Fingerboard
F-Holes
Stopping to Hear the Music Performing a Story with Music
The Violinist in the Subway
Meet Joshua Bell
Imagine a subway station. A man in plain clothes takes out his violin and begins to play beautiful music. Hundreds of people rush by in a hurry to get to school or work. Do you think anyone stops to listen? Get ready to find out. Today you’ll hear this story along with music by the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and violinist Joshua Bell—in a show that’s being performed for the first time ever!
So why was a great violinist playing in the subway? The idea came from a newspaper reporter who wanted to see whether people would take time out of their busy lives to listen to fine music. So in January 2007, right here in Washington, D.C., Joshua Bell walked into the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station and played music for 45 minutes. More than a thousand people walked by and only one person recognized the world-famous musician.
When Joshua Bell first learned he loved music, he didn’t even have an instrument—so the four-year-old boy made his own! He wrapped some rubber bands around dresser drawer handles and plucked out some notes. That’s when his parents knew he should start lessons on a real violin. And he hasn’t stopped playing or surprising audiences since. Bell has appeared on Sesame Street, played with orchestras all around the world, and even performed in movies. In fact, he is one of the most popular and recognizable violinists performing today.
By the Book The story comes from the book The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson. In the tale, a young boy named Dylan hears violin music in the subway and wants to stop but his mom is in a hurry. Later, they find out that just by paying attention, Dylan had seen and heard something pretty special happening. (Try this yourself—pay more attention to the world around you, and see what you discover.) Although Dylan and his mom are made-up people, the event actually happened in real life.
Music of the Day With the help of a grownup, you might want to listen to some of the music Joshua Bell will perform at the concert:
Bell once said, “When you play a violin piece, you are a storyteller, and you’re telling a story.” During the performance, what stories do you hear and imagine in Bell’s violin playing?
The Love for Three Oranges Suite by Sergei Prokofiev The Sorcerer ’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas Mother Goose Suite by Maurice Ravel The Man with the Violin ( World Premiere/ NSO Co-Commission) by Anne Dudley
Photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco
Meet the violin Joshua Bell’s instrument, the violin, is made of wood and has four strings. Musicians play violins by using a bow (a stick of wood with a tight ribbon of horsehair) in their right hand and pressing the string with the fingers of their left hand. The bodies of the instruments have a hollow center, which makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. That sound comes out of the two f-shaped holes. Believe it or not, violins do not all sound exactly the same. They can sound a little different depending on what they are made of and how they are made. Many people think Stradivarius (pronounced strad-uh-VAIR-ee-uhs) violins—made by Antonio Stradivari or members of his family hundreds of years ago—are still thought to be the best-sounding in the world. Guess who will be playing a 304-year-old Stradivarius in the performance?
Neck Strings Hair
Stick
Grip
Fingerboard
F-Holes
Wait! There’s More! Be a Musical Imagineer In the story, the little boy tells how the music soars, swoops, swirls, and sweeps. During the performance, listen for how music can sound that way—and think of your own words to talk about sounds you hear. You might say dances, slides, tiptoes, or any other words that your imagination can think of. Share your ideas with friends and family.
75 Musicians Led by One Conductor At today’s concert, conductor Michael Stern will lead approximately 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music. The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.
A Good Audience stays seated, stays quiet, doesn’t eat, listens, and claps. Have fun!
CUESHEET PERFORMANCE GUIDE
Don’t Miss… Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” One hour before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the Kennedy Center Atrium. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.
Kids’ Chat After the performance, stick around to ask questions of the conductor and musicians on stage.
Upcoming Family Concerts Please plan to join us at the next National Symphony Orchestra Family Concert, performed by the full NSO:
May 21, 2017— Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.
EXPLORE MORE! Go to KC Connections on ARTSEDGE artsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/kc-connections
Washington Gas is the proud sponsor of the NSO Family Concerts. Additional support for NSO Family Concerts is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Macy’s; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; the U..S. Department of Education; and the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra. David M. Rubenstein Chairman
Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
Deborah F. Rutter President
Support for JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy is provided by Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley and The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education
Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Christoph Eschenbach Music Director National Symphony Orchestra
©2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
National Symphony Orchestra Family Concert
Joshua Bell in
Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences
The Man with the Violin
A World Premiere Kennedy Center Co-Commission with Canada’s National Arts Centre Presented in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Michael Stern, conductor, and Joshua Bell, violin
David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.