NSO Music for Young Audiences: Two Divas and a Bear

Hello Teachers and Grownups!

Welcome to the NSO’s Music for Young Audiences Concert, designed to introduce children in pre-kindergarten through grade 2 to orchestra music and instruments. Here are a few ways you can help your young concertgoers get the most out of their experience.

Before the Show…

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■

Help children read and understand this Cuesheet.

S top by the Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” in the Hall of States, where starting one hour before the concert, children can enjoy hands-on fun with instruments.

T ake a quick virtual tour of the Family Theater: http://www.kennedy-center.org/Pages /VirtualTour/Familytheater

After the Show…

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■

■

■

elp children make their own musical instruments and see H for themselves what Marissa and Kari demonstrated about how vibrations create music. Help children find a small container without a lid (for the instrument’s body) and two or three rubber bands (the “strings”). Stretch the rubber bands around the container and across the open side. Have kids pluck the strings and notice how the bands vibrate and change sounds.

Point out that this is what making music looks and sounds like.

The Concert Program ■

“Allegro” by Francesco Maria Veracini

■

“Vocalise” by Sergei Rachmaninoff

■

“Die Forelle” (“The Trout”) by Franz Schubert

■

“Serenade” by Franz Joseph Haydn

■

“Due Gatti” by Gioacchino Rossini

■

“ Together (Wherever We Go)” from Gypsy

by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim

cuesheet performance guide

National Symphony Orchestra Music for Young Audiences

nd a a s a iv D o Bear w T

ncourage and help children to listen again to recordings of any musical pieces they enjoyed and E notice how the music sounds with more or different instruments. onsider music lessons—here is a list of all the nonprofit organizations in the D.C. area that offer them: C http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content /dcmusiclessons

Please come back and join us at these upcoming NSO Family Concerts performed by the full NSO: April 4, 2018 — NSO Pops: Black Violin April 29, 2018 — Bernstein! Inside the Music

Additional support for NSO Music for Young Audiences is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; and the U.S. Department of Education.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Gary Ginstling Executive Director National Symphony Orchestra Gianandrea Noseda Music Director National Symphony Orchestra

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. ©2018 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of the NSO.

Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences

Performed by NSO musician Marissa Regni, violin and Kari Paludan, soprano

C

Ready…Set… Play Music!

an one instrument perform music better than another one?

Let’s find out as two friends and Greta the teddy bear show all the fun things two very different musical instruments — the violin and the human voice — can do.

Meet the Divas…

Marissa Regni (right) started playing violin when she was just four years old.

Today she performs with the National Symphony Orchestra. Marissa’s friend Kari Paludan (left) performs with her voice. But she started studying music with an instrument — during the performance listen to find out which one.

Being the Musical Best Our two musicians—Marissa and Kari—are divas. That means they are women who are super good at singing or performing music. Some divas can also be annoying because they expect special treatment. We’ll see what kind of divas Marissa and Kari are as they try to be the very best at playing violin and singing.

To help you get ready to be the best audience, here are some musical ideas you’ll hear and learn about: Melody — the main tune you hum or sing when listening to a favorite song.

Pitch — how high or low the music sounds. When you sing like a bird, that is usually a higher sound than when you make a sound like a car engine.

Trills — two similar-sounding tones, or notes, sung or played really fast back and forth — think of music fluttering like a butterfly’s wings.

Tempo — the speed of the music.

Photo by Drake

…And Their Instruments The violin is a string instrument. It is made of wood and has four strings. As you’ll see, musicians play the violin 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 instrument has a hollow center, which makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. That sound comes out of the two f-shaped holes. The violin is the smallest instrument in the string family of instruments and has the highest sound. The other string instruments are the viola, cello, and double bass.

Violin Neck

Dynamics — how soft or how loud the music is played (music can have both loud and soft parts).

Accompaniment — a musical part played to support or go along with the main melody.

Grip Stick

Strings Fingerboard

F-Holes

Listen for…

■

■ ■ ■

Sorey

h ow both the violin and voice have a high sound and can do similar musical things. what it means to be a “good” diva. how music without any words can show feelings or tell a story. h ow a musical instrument can sound like water, cats, and even words like “I love you.”

Hair

Bow Chinrest

The human voice is our built-in musical instrument. That’s because deep in the back of your throat you have what are called vocal cords. If you place your fingers gently on the middle of your neck and hum quietly, you should feel vibrations (the very fast moving back and forth of those cords). Air from your lungs helps move these cords to create sounds for talking and singing. Some voices are higher than others, and we have different names for them. The highest, like Kari’s, is called a soprano.

C

Ready…Set… Play Music!

an one instrument perform music better than another one?

Let’s find out as two friends and Greta the teddy bear show all the fun things two very different musical instruments — the violin and the human voice — can do.

Meet the Divas…

Marissa Regni (right) started playing violin when she was just four years old.

Today she performs with the National Symphony Orchestra. Marissa’s friend Kari Paludan (left) performs with her voice. But she started studying music with an instrument — during the performance listen to find out which one.

Being the Musical Best Our two musicians—Marissa and Kari—are divas. That means they are women who are super good at singing or performing music. Some divas can also be annoying because they expect special treatment. We’ll see what kind of divas Marissa and Kari are as they try to be the very best at playing violin and singing.

To help you get ready to be the best audience, here are some musical ideas you’ll hear and learn about: Melody — the main tune you hum or sing when listening to a favorite song.

Pitch — how high or low the music sounds. When you sing like a bird, that is usually a higher sound than when you make a sound like a car engine.

Trills — two similar-sounding tones, or notes, sung or played really fast back and forth — think of music fluttering like a butterfly’s wings.

Tempo — the speed of the music.

Photo by Drake

…And Their Instruments The violin is a string instrument. It is made of wood and has four strings. As you’ll see, musicians play the violin 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 instrument has a hollow center, which makes the sound of the strings loud and strong. That sound comes out of the two f-shaped holes. The violin is the smallest instrument in the string family of instruments and has the highest sound. The other string instruments are the viola, cello, and double bass.

Violin Neck

Dynamics — how soft or how loud the music is played (music can have both loud and soft parts).

Accompaniment — a musical part played to support or go along with the main melody.

Grip Stick

Strings Fingerboard

F-Holes

Listen for…

■

■ ■ ■

Sorey

h ow both the violin and voice have a high sound and can do similar musical things. what it means to be a “good” diva. how music without any words can show feelings or tell a story. h ow a musical instrument can sound like water, cats, and even words like “I love you.”

Hair

Bow Chinrest

The human voice is our built-in musical instrument. That’s because deep in the back of your throat you have what are called vocal cords. If you place your fingers gently on the middle of your neck and hum quietly, you should feel vibrations (the very fast moving back and forth of those cords). Air from your lungs helps move these cords to create sounds for talking and singing. Some voices are higher than others, and we have different names for them. The highest, like Kari’s, is called a soprano.

Hello Teachers and Grownups!

Welcome to the NSO’s Music for Young Audiences Concert, designed to introduce children in pre-kindergarten through grade 2 to orchestra music and instruments. Here are a few ways you can help your young concertgoers get the most out of their experience.

Before the Show…

■ ■

■

Help children read and understand this Cuesheet.

S top by the Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” in the Hall of States, where starting one hour before the concert, children can enjoy hands-on fun with instruments.

T ake a quick virtual tour of the Family Theater: http://www.kennedy-center.org/Pages /VirtualTour/Familytheater

After the Show…

■

■

■

■

elp children make their own musical instruments and see H for themselves what Marissa and Kari demonstrated about how vibrations create music. Help children find a small container without a lid (for the instrument’s body) and two or three rubber bands (the “strings”). Stretch the rubber bands around the container and across the open side. Have kids pluck the strings and notice how the bands vibrate and change sounds.

Point out that this is what making music looks and sounds like.

The Concert Program ■

“Allegro” by Francesco Maria Veracini

■

“Vocalise” by Sergei Rachmaninoff

■

“Die Forelle” (“The Trout”) by Franz Schubert

■

“Serenade” by Franz Joseph Haydn

■

“Due Gatti” by Gioacchino Rossini

■

“ Together (Wherever We Go)” from Gypsy

by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim

cuesheet performance guide

National Symphony Orchestra Music for Young Audiences

nd a a s a iv D o Bear w T

ncourage and help children to listen again to recordings of any musical pieces they enjoyed and E notice how the music sounds with more or different instruments. onsider music lessons—here is a list of all the nonprofit organizations in the D.C. area that offer them: C http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content /dcmusiclessons

Please come back and join us at these upcoming NSO Family Concerts performed by the full NSO: April 4, 2018 — NSO Pops: Black Violin April 29, 2018 — Bernstein! Inside the Music

Additional support for NSO Music for Young Audiences is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; and the U.S. Department of Education.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Gary Ginstling Executive Director National Symphony Orchestra Gianandrea Noseda Music Director National Symphony Orchestra

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. ©2018 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of the NSO.

Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences

Performed by NSO musician Marissa Regni, violin and Kari Paludan, soprano