Weekly Wrap-Up 3/30 - 4/5/2020
From Inside the Orchestra Thank you for joining us for another week outside the orchestra. Here's a clickable table of contents for this week's activity guides:
Monday: Multi-Sensory Music Activities Tuesday: Music of the World Wednesday: Pick the Parts Interactive Activity & Mozart Madness Thursday: Inside the Story - The Someone New Friday: Professional Musicians & DIY Instruments
We’re honored to bring music and art into your homes. Musicially, Sara Hare Program Manager
Shelby Mattingly Executive Director
PS. What are we missing? Do you have something in particular you want us to share, explore, or do a video on? Email info@insidetheorchestra.org and let us know.
From Inside the Orchestra
Inside the Orchestra is a small 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and we are experiencing very heavy financial impacts right now. If you are able to make a donation of any amount, please know that a every penny makes an impact.
Missed an email? You can find an archive of all the daily activity emails and weekly wrap-ups here. Stay Connected We could all use some connection right now. Share your musical moments online with #OutsideTheOrchestra so we can make music together.
Monday, 3/30
Today we explored our musical senses. Find the full list of sensory activities in this post.
Hearing Multi-Sensory Playlist Use our multi-sensory playlist throughout the other sensory activities, or keep it simple and just listen to it as you go about your day.
Smell Smell is one of our strongest senses. Just like listening to music, certain smells can bring us right back to a specific time and place in life. Set out “smelly” objects for your child and have them choose which smells sound the most like the music they’re listening to. Some things to pique your child’s nose might include: Perfume or essential oils Coffee grounds Lemon Vanilla Garlic Ginger Mint leaves
Monday, 3/30 Find multiple activities to at home below and in the full activity guide here.
Touch Babies - Elementary 1. Line up a variety of objects 2. Play music samples from the playlist and pick the object that reminds you of the music. 3. For little ones, let this be just an exploration of sound and touch. For the older kids, ask questions (Which parts sound heavy like rock? Which sound light like a feather?)
Toddler & Preschool 1. Give your child(ren) a pile of shaving cream. 2. Let them explore the new sensory feeling. 3. Use drops of food coloring to change the color. 4. Ask them what color the music they're listening to reminds them of and create that color for them.
Taste Make your own pasta - no machines required! Depending on the age of your child, this recipe is simple enough that they'll be able to make the pasta entirely on their own, without your help. Sing 'On Top of Spaghetti' while you're at it.
Sight 1. Watch videos of dancers online or take them to a performance. 2. Draw pictures of the music they hear and then have them explain to you why they chose those colors or shapes. 3. Ask them to close their eyes while listening to music and imagine a scene or a place. 4. For a literal visual representation of music, check out videos like this one.
Tuesday, 3/31
At our Tiny Tots programs last month, little ones and their grown-ups were encircled by our orchestra and special guest performers for a musical tour of the world. We played music from more than 12 different countries and cultures and featured 14 amazing individual guest artists. Here are a few highlights with some activities to go with them.
Video Playlist Watch videos of our performances of music from Ireland, Africa, Italy, and Venezuela:
Audio Playlist
Listen and dance to the playlist with music from each of these four areas of the world:
Tuesday, 3/31 Find multiple activities to engage with each Music of the World piece in the full activity guide here.
Activity Guide Highlights Check out this amazing virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel and then have your children create their own "upside down" art like Michelangelo did.
Make this cute dancing shamrock from The Chirping Moms. Have it dance along to some Irish tunes!
The song Fanga Alafia is based on traditional Fanga song and dance and is often a call and response piece. Follow this video to learn how to do a welcoming dance to Fanga Alafia.
Create a collage depicting Angel Falls, based on this tutorial from Kid World Citizen, using old magazines and newspapers you have around the house.
Help introduce the concept of place using this big list of activities from The Crafting Chicks that will get children exploring maps and places, near and far, without ever leaving the house.
Wednesday, 4/1
To help kids understand how musicians work alone and as a team, we have an interactive activity with some of our wonderful musicians playing from home at your command! You can turn the sound of each musician on and off. Listen to which parts different instruments play and how they work together. Try as many combos as you like! NOTE: Please use Google Chrome for this activity. Since Apple will only allow one video to play at a time on an Apple device, visit this page from a non-Apple device to do the interactive activity. If you are on an Apple device, you'll still have access to the full performance video.
Don't feel like doing the activity and just want to watch the performance? Do that here:
Wednesday, 4/1 Activity Guide Highlights
Making Art to Music Listen to our Mozart playlist and draw your own picture with our printable worksheet, or with scrap paper from home.
Orchestra Coloring Book Get coloring and learning with this free printable orchestra coloring book from Mama's Learning Corner.
Mozart Word Search For kids who are ready to go more indepth, read about Mozart at Making Music Fun and then do the word search all about Mozart. The words in the search are from the bio!
Thursday, 4/2
The Someone New is a wonderful story by Jill Twiss and EG Keller about being brave in the face of the new and unknown. Join us on an adventure as we read the story and explore its themes with our bodies, minds, and ears, starting with Story Time with our friend Heather:
Listen to our playlist to pep you up when you need a little help feeling brave:
Thursday, 4/2 Find multiple activities to at home below and in the full activity guide here.
Activity Guide Highlights Explore Emotions Just like the characters in the story,when we're feeling big feelings on the inside, our bodies and faces show those feelings on the outside. With a parent or a friend or even by yourself in front of a mirror, see what it feels like to act out some of these feelings. Check out the full activity here.
Connection Hearts When we’re feeling nervous or lonely it’s easy to forget how many wonderful people we have in our life. This craft will help you think about all of the people that mean the most to you and to remember that even during the times we’re far away from the people we love, they’re always with us in our hearts and minds.
Make a Bravery Crown 1) Take a piece of construction paper (or any paper!) and measure to make sure it fits around your head. 2) Lay the paper flat on the table, cut the top into any pattern you'd like and decorate it with crayons, markers, stickers, ANYTHING! We wrote words and statements that make us feel strong and brave on ours, as well as decorating it. 3) Whenever you feel nervous or upset, you can put your crown on and be reminded that you can always practice being brave, even when you're feeling scared.
Friday, 4/3
We challenged two of our musicians to play along with Also Sprach Zarathustra using DIY instruments. We wanted to show that anyone can make music at home, whether you have instruments or not. Big shout out to Conductor and Trumpet player Dan Leavitt and Percussionist Peter Cooper for playing along, quite literally.
Friday, 4/3 Find multiple ways to make DIY instruments and music at home below and in the full activity guide here.
Activity Guide Highlights
Listen to our playlist to hear some pretty unusual instruments, like anvils and a typewriter.
Compose your own music using our fun online activity and then play along with one of your new DIY instruments.
Watch this adorable and educational video of 7 year old Elisa as she leads you through making your own hose horn, based on a ceramic horn found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Check out this easy, 5-minute shaker from Twin Mom Refreshed. It uses only a few simple materials you likely have around the house.
This tutorial from Instructables uses some slightly more complicated supplies and a drill. It's a great activity for older children to create their own instrument using a little more skill. Check it out.