Made possible by
2O22/23Music WhatMusic,Makes
Moore County Community Foundation
The Hulka Ensemble and Chamber Music Programs Fund
Rockingham County Community Foundation
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools
Durham Public Schools
Lee County Schools
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Corbett Corning Incorporated Foundation Craven County Community Foundation
Anonymous (2), Anonymous Trust / Simple Gifts Fund, The Bastian Family Charitable Foundation
The Borden Fund, Inc.
Cumberland County Schools
The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation, Inc.
Margaret C. Woodson Foundation
Florence Rogers Charitable Trust E.T. Rollins, Jr. and Frances P. Rollins Foundation
Orange County Schools
William C. Ethridge Foundation, Inc.
Authors: Laura Black, Melissa Coxe, Pamela Day, Erin Fossa, Mary Michael, Jennifer Starkey
Williams Curl and Myron R. Curl Charitable Fund
North Carolina Symphony Student and Teacher Handbook © 2022 by North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc. Reproduction of this book in its entirety is strictly prohibited.
Gipson Family Foundation
Edgecombe County Schools
Swearingen Tannenbaum-SternbergerFoundation Foundation, Inc.
NCS also gratefully acknowledges the following supporters:
The Dickson Foundation, Inc.
The Harold H. Bate Foundation Bell Family Foundation
Granville County Community Foundation Gregory Poole Equipment
The Hellendall Family Foundation of North Carolina
SCHOOL SYSTEM SUPPORTERS
EdnaCuri
Dr. Neil McLeod
Onslow County Government Outer Banks Community Foundation
Editors: Jason Spencer, Director of Education, North Carolina Symphony; Christopher Short, Education Assistant, North Carolina Symphony; Rhoda Yakowenko Education Intern, North Carolina Symphony
Prescott Family Charitable Trust W. Trent Ragland, Jr. Foundation Rete Mirable Fund
The Ruby and Raymond A. Bryan Foundation Fund
Dover Foundation, Inc.
The Backyard Foundation, Robert P. Holding Foundation, Inc., Samuel P. Mandell Foundation, James J. and Mamie R. Perkins Memorial Fund, Youths’ Friends Association Inc.
Harry and Virginia Killian Charitable LenoirEndowmentCounty Community Foundation
The Elaine Tayloe Kirkland Fund
R.A. Bryan Foundation, Inc.
Bertsch Family Charitable Foundation, Inc. BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
The Norman and Rose S. Shamberg Foundation
The Ina Mae and Rex G. Powell Wake County Music Education Fund
The North Carolina Symphony gratefully acknowledges financial support from Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and the State of North Carolina.
Harnett County Schools
EDUCATION PARTNERS
The Lundy Fetterman Family Foundation Trust George Foundation, Inc.
The Joseph C. and Diane E. Bastian Fund for Music Education
The Janirve Foundation Fund
Designer: Jennifer Blackman, Graphic Designer, North Carolina Symphony
Bailey Endowment, Inc.
BENEFACTORSEDUCATION
Wake County Public Schools
Mark and Gayle Acuff Alamance County Government AnonymousAnonymous Fund
Mary Grey Burney Foundation Carteret Community Foundation The Cole Foundation
The Titmus Foundation
North Carolina Symphony, 3700 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 130, Raleigh, NC 27612, 919.733.2750, or toll free 877.627.6724 www.ncsymphony.org/education
MUSIC ENDOWMENTEDUCATIONFUNDS
NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY EDUCATION SUPPORTERS
Poole Family Foundation
The Unifour Foundation, Inc. Endowment
Vance County Community Foundation
The Mary Whiting Ewing Charitable Foundation Fund
Southern Bank Foundation
New Hanover County Schools
Supporters are current as of July 2022
PATRONSEDUCATIONSUSTAINERSEDUCATION
New Hanover County Government Onslow Caring Communities Foundation
Alex and Barbara Wilson Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Iredell County Community Foundation
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Form: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 10 Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, I. Molto allegro
Information about the 2022/23 Education Concert Program 3 Education Programs of the North Carolina Symphony 4
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Dynamics: Ludwig van Beethoven 13 Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, IV. Allegro
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Tempo: Georges Bizet 24 Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2
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Texture: Anthony Kelley 28 Spirituals of Liberation, III. Never Forget
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Director of Education, North Carolina Symphony
Table of Contents
Web page links used in the lesson plans (printed in bold and underlined) can be accessed directly through the online version of this document at ncsymphony.org/education.
Rhythm: William Grant Still 16 Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo
Melody: J. Rosamond Johnson/J. Weldon Johnson / arr. Terry Mizesko 31 “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Finale: Arturo Márquez 36 Conga del Fuego Nuevo Additional Classroom Resources .36 “Your Elephant, the Orchestra” 37 A story by Jackson Parkhurst, to read before your concert
Author Biographies 6
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Letter from Jason Spencer 2
Introduction: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 7 Othello Suite, Op. 79, I. Dance
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3700 Glenwood Ave., Suite 130 Raleigh, NC 919.789.546127612Office
North Carolina Symphony
DirectorJasonSincerely,SpencerofEducation,
Welcome to the 2022/23 North Carolina Symphony teacher workbook! As the new school year approaches, the North Carolina Symphony is proud to announce programming for our 2022/23 Education Concerts, accompanied by this curriculum-aligned Teacher Handbook. Our Education Concert for grades 3-5, What Makes Music, Music?, will teach core musical concepts including tempo, rhythm, and dynamics, in alignment with the state curriculum. The concert, available in person and online, features a range of musical cultures with selections by composers of diverse backgrounds including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, William Grant Still, Arturo Márquez, and our Composer in Residence, Anthony Kelley.
Leading one of the most extensive music education programs of any orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony is honored to educate, engage, and inspire students who will one day become leaders in the state of North Carolina and beyond. To help ensure we are continually reaching the highest standards, we enjoy reading comments and feedback from students and teachers. Please email feedback to education@ncsymphony.org or mail student letters to the address below.
2 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
North Carolina Symphony
Dear Teachers and Educators,
In alignment with the North Carolina Essential Standards set by the Department of Public Instruction, the resources on the following pages have been designed to introduce the key concepts of music through a carefully crafted concert program. Thank you to the authors of this year’s material—Laura Black, Melissa Coxe, Pamela Day, Erin Fossa, Mary Michael, and Jennifer Starkey—who contributed their expertise to ensure this workbook is a valuable resource to teachers statewide.
www.ncsymphony.org/educationeducation@ncsymphony.org
Contact the North Carolina Symphony Education Department
Thank you for all that you do to enrich the lives of students across North Carolina!
Whether your students attended in person or watched online, we love to hear your feedback! If you have comments you would like to share following our Education Concert, please email them to education@ ncsymphony.org. If your students would like to write thank you notes, please send them to the address below.
NC Symphony Education
The best way to prepare for your concert is to attend the Teacher Workshop held at the start of each year. A recording of each presentation, as well as supplemental resources and PowerPoints, will be made available online following the workshop. Those who register for the workshop (in person or online) will receive a link to access the recording, as well as a certificate for 0.5 CEU credit. The workshop and handbooks are free to music educators this year. If you have not yet registered for access to the workshop recording and materials, please register
Teacher Workshop
• Any groups performing on recorders will do so before the full orchestra plays “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
• This opportunity is open to other instruments including violins, Orff instruments, Boomwhackers, etc.
Education Concert Experience
• Please remind your students, whether they are performing or not, to be courteous and respectful of other students’ performances at their concert.
• Schools will play on their own, unless you make arrangements with another school to perform together; if we have too many individual groups performing on instruments at one concert, you may be asked to perform with another school.
Information about the 2022/23 Education Concert Program
Post-Concert Feedback
PLAYING ON RECORDERS: For those attending the in-person concert, you are welcome to have students prepare the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on recorders or other wind/string instruments. Playing the song on recorders is an opportunity we extend to all school groups that attend and is completely optional. If you are planning to have students perform on instruments, here are a few things to know:
3700 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 130 Raleigh, NC 27612
• Let us know in advance that you are planning to play recorders or other instruments by contacting your district arts coordinator or education@ncsymphony. org. Performing groups will be seated in a special section and acknowledged from the stage, so it is critical that we know you are preparing to play.
2021/22 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 3
Our 2022/23 Education Concert for grades 3-5, What Makes Music, Music?, will be offered in person and online via our Virtual Interactive Stage program, sponsored by MetLife Foundation. Visit ncsymphony.org/education for in-person and online concert reservations.
Performinghere with Your
North Carolina Symphony
SINGING: The highlight of our Education Concert each year is the opportunity to sing or play along with the Symphony! Whether you are attending the concert in-person or watching online, the conductor will ask everyone to stand and sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with the orchestra. Although we encourage students to memorize the lyrics, we understand that this is not always possible. At your discretion, decide whether or not to use song sheets or books from which your students can read. Your students should be encouraged to sing loudly so our musicians can hear them!
WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS: Young instrumentalists are coached by visiting guest artists. Artists such as Randall Goosby (violin), Zuill Bailey (cello), Caroline Shaw (composer), Michelle Cann (piano), and James Ehnes (violin) have given classes.
MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARDS: Awards and cash prizes are given annually in honor of Maxine Swalin, Jackson Parkhurst, and the North Carolina Symphony Musicians to outstanding music teachers in North Carolina who make a lasting difference in the lives of students of all backgrounds, positively affect their community in a lasting way, and are role models among music educators. Individuals are nominated by their peers and colleagues who write letters of support on their behalf.
NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY MUSIC DISCOVERY: The North Carolina Symphony’s Music Discovery program, a part of PNC’s Grow Up Great Initiative, combines music and storytelling for our youngest audiences.
KATHLEEN PRICE AND JOSEPH M. BRYAN YOUTH CONCERTO COMPETITION: This annual competition is open to musicians between the ages of 13 and 21, with a cash prize awarded to the first and second place winners in the Junior and Young Artist divisions.
VIRTUAL INTERACTIVE STAGE: To support remote learning, NCS has launched an interactive music education initiative that brings the concert hall to the classroom and reliably delivers a program that supports the learning objectives and standards for music. The live host discusses musical concepts and interacts with classroom or at-home students while presenting pre-taped segments of the NCS Education Concert. Registration for the Virtual Interactive Stage program will open in Fall 2022.
4 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
EDUCATION CONCERTS: Approximately 40 full-orchestra concerts are given annually throughout the state to audiences of third through fifth grades. Digital and printed materials with a curriculum specifically designed for the music education concert are given to teachers at the start of each school year. This year’s Education Concert will be available in person and online. Visit ncsymphony.org/education for in-person concert reservations.
Programs for preschool students and teachers
EDUCATION CONCERT WORKSHOP: The Symphony’s professional development programs and resources aim to address North Carolina curriculum standards in education, offer best practices in the classroom, and discuss important issues facing music educators in our state. The annual Teacher Workshop provides supplemental classroom resources and lessons for teachers through the North Carolina Symphony website.
ENSEMBLES IN THE SCHOOLS: An in-school program that brings North Carolina Symphony small ensembles into classrooms for an intimate learning experience. A string quartet and woodwind quintet are available for booking. Our musicians teach the elements of music and listening through this interactive program. Performances can be adapted for grade levels K-12.
Education Program Overview
Community programs and education
30-minute recitals given by local young artists and chamber ensembles in advance of Classical Series concerts in Raleigh.
Programs for middle, high school, and collegiate students and teachers
OPEN DRESS REHEARSALS: Middle school, high school, and college students are invited to orchestra open dress rehearsals where they will have the opportunity to observe the North Carolina Symphony at work. Conductors, Symphony musicians, and guest artists meet with students during the break for a Q&A session.
MEET THE INSTRUMENTS: Through our Meet the Instruments! Series, sponsored by MetLife Foundation and Puffin Foundation West, Ltd., students will get to know the instruments that make up an orchestra— as well as the North Carolina Symphony musicians who play them!
Programs for elementary school students and teachers
For more information about the education programs of the North Carolina Symphony, please visit our website at ncsymphony.org/education, or contact our Education Department at education@ncsymphony.org.
Competitions and awards
OVATIONS:partnerships
FRIDAY FAVORITES CONCERTS: This Friday afternoon concert series is perfect for young adult audiences. These 60-minute performances feature great classical music in a fun and informal setting. Discounted student group rates will be offered with pre-registration.
WED, NOV 23, 2022 | 4PM
Paintings from the Caldecott Medal-winning book The Polar Express appear on a giant screen above the stage as baritone Scott MacLeod and a chorus of children join the Symphony to bring this magical holiday tale to life.
SAT, JAN 7, 2023 | 4PM
Back by Popular Demand!
The Polar Express
SAT, APR 1, 2023 | 4PM
Dates, titles, artists, programs, venues, and prices subject to change.
Michelle Di Russo, conductor Scott MacLeod, baritone Raleigh Boychoir Mosaic Treble Choir
Larger-than-life puppets and the Symphony will bring the animal kingdom to life for Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals
Michelle Di Russo, conductor Paperhand Puppet Intervention
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 5 Subscribe to the 3-concert series for just $62!
The Anticipated Return of Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Carnival of the Animals
MEYMANDI CONCERT HALL, RALEIGH DUKE ENERGY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Thanksgiving Eve
young concertspeople’s | 919.733.2750
Michelle Di Russo, conductor Classical Kids Live!
SERIES SPONSOR ncsymphony.org
Explore the world of Ludwig van Beethoven with music from his greatest works—“Moonlight” Sonata, Für Elise, the Ninth Symphony, and more.
Melissa Coxe, Eastern Elementary School, Pitt County Schools, Greenville, North Carolina
Jennifer Starkey has been braving the world of teaching for almost 25 years. She just finished her first year back in the music classroom after spending eight years working in technology as an instructional technology facilitator and technology specialist. Over her career she has taught music, theatre, and technology—and enjoyed every moment of it. When she’s not in the classroom you will find her crafting, playing with her dog, and traveling to as many places as possible.
Mary Elliott Michael currently teaches K-5 general music and directs the Turner Creek Elementary Singing Treefrogs chorus. She has taught at Turner Creek Elementary for 16 years and was selected Teacher of the Year in 2010. Her choral groups have received superior ratings in choral festivals at Walt Disney World and Six Flags over Texas and in Nashville. Turner Creek Elementary’s Singing Treefrogs have also enjoyed performing at the Choral Celebration presented by the Raleigh Fine Arts Society for the past 12 years. Ms. Michael is a member of the American Choral Director Association, National and North Carolina Music Educators Association, and North Carolina Association for Educators. She and her husband love to explore the mountains and the beaches of North Carolina. She enjoys running, biking, hiking, swimming, and kayaking.
6 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
Laura Black, Rocky Point Elementary School, Pender County Schools, Rocky Point, North Carolina
Pamela Day is the music teacher at Wintergreen Intermediate School. She received her Bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and Master’s degree from Louisiana State University. She spent the beginning of her teaching career in Onslow County Schools before coming “back home” to Greenville and teaching in Pitt County Schools for the past 15 years. Most recently, she was recognized as Elementary Music Teacher of the Year by the North Carolina Music Educators Association, selected to be WITN’s Teacher of the Week, and presented with Pitt County’s “Excellence in the East” award. Mrs. Day currently resides in Ayden with her husband Kevin (also a music educator), their children Tommy, Mikey, and Joey, and pups Lucas and Oakley.
Mary Elliott Michael, Turner Creek Elementary School, Wake County Public School System, Cary, North Carolina
Melissa Coxe is currently in her 25th year of teaching K-5 general music, orchestra, and chorus—with 21 of those being at Eastern Elementary in Greenville. A National Board Certified teacher, Mrs. Coxe received her Bachelor’s degree in music from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree from East Carolina University. Mrs. Coxe held roles as both a Collaborating and Facilitating Teacher in the CoP “Using Music to Improve Phonemic Awareness,” and has presented the group’s findings to educators across the state. Mrs. Coxe worked on the team to create K-5 music pacing guides in Pitt County, and is a facilitating mentor working with beginning teachers of all content areas. Mrs. Coxe likes to spend her free time on the Tar River Ranch with her husband and two daughters working with goats and lambs.
Laura Black has taught in North Carolina for 15 years, teaching both middle school orchestra and elementary general music. She received her Bachelor’s degree in music education from UNC Greensboro and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in music education. At Rocky Point Elementary, she has started a free afterschool strings program where students can learn violin, viola, or cello. As a member of the American Orff Schulwerk Association, she has completed Orff Schulwerk Levels 1 and 2, and hopes to receive Level 3 certification soon. She can be found playing violin in orchestras in both North Carolina and South Carolina. When she’s not performing or teaching, she enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband and four children...and their cat, Colonel Whiskers.
Erin Fossa, Ferguson Easley Elementary School, Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Erin Fossa is currently teaching elementary music at Ferguson Easley Elementary School in Fayetteville. She has been teaching for four years and enjoying every moment! She is particularly passionate about musical theatre, art and music therapy, and the benefits of arts integration in schools. In her spare time, she can be found leading worship at Manna Church in all of their six locations in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area. On the worship team, she sings, plays the keyboard, and trains young musicians. She also is a faculty member at Manna University where she teaches Intro to Fine Arts. She lives in Fayetteville with her two sons and two fat cats!
Pamela Day, Wintergreen Intermediate School, Pitt County Schools, Greenville, North Carolina
Jennifer Starkey, Creech Road Elementary School, Wake County Public School System, Garner, North Carolina
Want to become an author for the North Carolina Symphony? Contact us! education@ncsymphony.org
Author Biographies
While listening to this opening movement, you can almost visualize the action and energy of a live theater performance. After a dramatic entrance, this particular movement settles into a dance-like rhythm that slowly grows in tension and energy throughout.
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 7
Samuel ColeridgeTaylor
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
The five-movement Othello Suite was written as incidental music in 1909 for a 1912 production of Shakespeare’s Othello at His Majesty’s Theatre in London. “Incidental music” is used in a film or a play as a background to accompany action or create a mood.
FEATURED WORK: Othello Suite, Op. 79, I. Dance
Notice how the various elements of music—tempo, texture, dynamics, melody, rhythm, and form—come together to create a feeling of energy and motion.
BORN: August 15, 1875, London, England
• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was named after English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Many of his compositions were inspired by poetry, including poetry by his namesake.
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Introduction
• At the Royal College of Music, Coleridge-Taylor studied music under Charles Villier Stanford, who also taught many other famous composers of the time, including Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was born in London, England in 1875. His mother was also born in England, and his father in Sierra Leone. Coleridge-Taylor began studying violin at a young age and was admitted into the Royal College of Music in 1890, at age 15. He rose to success as a composer despite the rampant racism of the time. In 1899, Coleridge-Taylor first heard African-American spirituals, and soon began incorporating them into his own compositions. He toured America three times, in 1904, 1906, and 1910, and there met a large community of Black musicians who both admired and inspired Inhim.addition to composing, Coleridge-Taylor was also an activist. He was a prominent figure in the first Pan-African Conference in London in 1900, which aimed to address the issues of racism and colonialism. Additionally, he sought to fight for respect for music of the African diaspora by featuring it prominently in his compositions.
• During a visit to America, Coleridge-Taylor was invited to the White House to meet with President Theodore Roosevelt.
DIED: September 1, 1912, Croydon, England
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: Let’s Play!
4.MR.1.4 Classify instruments into Western orchestral categories of wind, string, percussion, and brass.
MATERIALS:
• Video: “George Meets the Orchestra” Introduction-Orchestra
PROCESS:
3. Review ABA form. You can use a sandwich cookie to show this. Have students describe the cookie layer—chocolate, hard, designs, crunchy—and write what they say on the board. Then, have students describe the cream—white, vanilla, soft, smooth—and ask students “What would we call the last cookie? Why?” Explain that the A section and B section are different.
Classroom activities provided by Melissa Coxe, Eastern Elementary School, Pitt County
• Video Recording: Othello Suite, Op. 79, Dance
4. In pairs or small groups, ask students “Where can you find examples of ABA form?” Examples: sandwich cookie, jelly sandwich, colors of carpet squares, etc.
• Slides from workshop presentation
5. Listen to Othello Suite, Op. 79, I. Dance to determine where the B section is and when A comes back by keeping a steady beat and changing it for the B section.
8. Put it all together! Students will perform the A section rhythm on unpitched classroom instruments, followed by movement on the B section, and then back to instruments on the A section.
10. If time permits, listen to the piece again, this time focusing on the theme/motif. You can have the students work in pairs, small groups, or two big groups. One group will play the rhythm on unpitched instruments, while the other group will create a movement on the sixteenth-note response. Have the students switch when the A section repeats.
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
1. Tell the students “We are going on a field trip to see the orchestra!” and watch “George Meets the Orchestra.”
OBJECTIVE:
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
4.ML.3.1 Use improvisation to create stylistically appropriate answers to given rhythmic and melodic phrases.
8 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
Students will identify the form of the piece as ABA. They will perform the A section on unpitched classroom instruments and create movement for the B section. They will be able to describe the different sections using appropriate music terminology.
• Scarves/streamers
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
2. Explain that Othello Suite, Op. 79, I. Dance by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is the first piece they will hear at the concert. Have students read Coleridge-Taylor’s biography from the workbook and share three facts they found interesting.
6. Teach the rhythm for the A section. Students will perform the rhythm on unpitched instruments.
7. Students will create a series of movements for the B section. They may use scarves, streamers, whatever you have on hand, or nothing at all to create the movements. Some students/classes prefer not to use manipulatives to create movements.
9. Listen to the piece again and ask the students to describe what they hear in the A section. Students can work with partners, in small groups, or as a whole group. Repeat this process with the B section. Share student answers on the board.
• Unpitched classroom instruments
PROCESS:
3. After listening to Othello Suite, Op. 79, I. Dance, ask students where they think the Golden Moment or climax of the piece is.
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 9
7. Illustrate the Golden Moment by creating a Line Rider. Visit www.linerider.com and click play to create your own Line Rider video. Students can upload their work and send it to you.
8. If time permits, design an orcheatrabot! Watch this video, stopping after each orchestrabot is built to discuss the instruments used.
• Student devices (chromebook, iPad)
4. Calculate the Golden Ratio/Golden moment by determining the length in seconds—2 minutes 18 seconds will be turned into 138 seconds.
5. Multiply total number of seconds by the inverse of Phi 0.618 (138 x 0.618 = 85.284).
4.MR.1.4 Classify instruments into Western orchestral categories of wind, string, percussion, and brass. 4.MR.1.3 Design a specific set of criteria for evaluating music performances and compositions. 4.CR.1.2 Understand the relationship between music and concepts from other areas.
• Video Recording: Othello Suite, Op. 79, I. Dance
9. Using paper and pencil, have students create their own orchestrabot based on what they hear in the piece. Feel free to use colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc. Students may mix and match instrument families; however, they must label instruments in a manner consistent with a scientific illustration. Students should name their orchestrabot and write a sentence why they chose those specific instruments.
OBJECTIVE:
2. Show this video to students to learn about the Phi Moment or the Golden Ratio/Moment in music. Feel free to watch the entire video, but the section from 5:05-5:50 is most relevant.
• Application: Line Rider Introduction-Line Rider
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY 2: STEAMM roller
6. Convert back to minutes and seconds—85 seconds equals 1 minute 25 seconds. Jump to this part in the piece, where the lead into A begins!
MATERIALS:
• Video: “The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci in Music” Introduction-Ratio
1. Teach students about the Golden Ratio—a mathematical ratio of beauty found throughout nature and used in art, music, and architecture.
• Paper and pencil (crayons, markers, colored pencils if desired)
• Video: “Orchestrabots” Introduction-Orchestrabots
Students will learn what the Golden Moment in music is and find it in Othello Suite, Op. 79, I. Dance. They will create a Line Rider focusing on the Golden Moment, and create an “orchestrabot.”
FEATURED WORK: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, I.Molto allegro
• Mozart had many different pets, including a horse, a dog, and two songbirds: a starling and a canary.
At no time was the separation between Mozart’s personal life and his transcendent music more apparent than in the summer of 1788—when, at the age of 32, he had only three years to live. His family was navigating health issues, his work was falling short of expectations, and he was in financial trouble. Yet, amid all these difficulties, he produced the three crowning jewels of his orchestral output: Symphonies No. 39, 40, and 41.
As he got older, Mozart eventually arrived in Vienna where he wrote music, taught lessons, and performed in various venues. His life wasn’t long, but he performed often and collaborated with other composers to create timeless art. He continued to write operas, string quartets, symphonies, and more until the end of his life, becoming one of the most well-known composers in history.
10 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart showed promise at an early age. Watching his older sister practice the piano helped shape his basic understanding of musical concepts. It wasn’t long before his father, an accomplished composer and musician, began tutoring him to advance his playing. At just six years old, he and his sister started performing for audiences. The stress of touring presented frequent health issues within the family and made for a difficult childhood. These obstacles didn’t stop Mozart from carrying on as a composer and a performer.
Form can be described as the map, the layout, or the blueprint for the structure of the music. It is the overall organizational plan the composer creates, dividing the composition into sections arranged in a specific order.
BORN: January 27, 1756, Salzburg, Austria
DIED: December 5, 1791, Vienna, Austria
In particular, the G-Minor symphony reflects the composer’s distressed emotional state at the time. It is one of the great works of Mozart that look forward to music of the 19th century while holding on to the structure from the Classical era. Many writers consider the G-minor Symphony to be equally influenced by Classicism and Romanticism.
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
• He spoke 15 languages! Travelling the world as a musician helped him pick up languages at nearly every stop.
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Form
• He was disorganized and would refuse to organize his music. Decades later, Ludwig Ritter von Köchel catalogued everything and saw how much music Mozart had written.
11. If time permits, have students play their “arrangements” on xylophones or sing their melodies.
10. Tell students that you are going to give them a form and they must “arrange” a song in that form.
b. Do you remember how you memorized the song?
b. Did you hear a full orchestra or a small group of instruments?
Students will understand the concept of form in music and identify the particular form of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. Students will then arrange premade melodies into a particular form with a partner or group.
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, I. Molto allegro
7. Ask these questions:
2.ML.1.4 Apply changes in music to the elements of dynamics, tempo, melody, and form.
1. Begin by explaining the lesson objective – to understand and identify form in music.
a. Why is it easy for small children to learn “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”?
8. Together, map out the form of the first movement of Symphony No. 40 using letters.
9. Divide students into partners or small groups. Give each group several of each melody pattern.
a. Have you heard this song before?
MATERIALS:
Classroom activities provided by Erin Fossa, Ferguson Easley Elementary School, Cumberland County
• White board and markers
4. Explain that music is organized into patterns and we call this form. We use letters to represent each section of the song.
6. Give background on Mozart and his Symphony No. 40. Ask students to listen carefully as you play the first movement.
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
c Is there a pattern to the song?
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 11
OBJECTIVE:
2. As a class, sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” either with accompaniment or without. Ask the following questions:
5. Ask students to help find the form of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and write it on the board. (ABA)
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: I Can Make Music Like Mozart!
2.MR.1.1 Illustrate prominent musical characteristics or specific musical events while listening to and/or singing music.
c What instruments did you hear?
d. How many different sections of music do you think you heard?
• Audio Recording (optional): “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
PROCESS:
5.MR.1.2 Use music terminology in explaining music, including notation, instruments, voices, and performances.
• Groups of pre-made melodies on small colored cards using solfege syllables (See examples!)
Example: Give students the form ABA. They must choose three melodies and the first one must match the third. Students work with their groups, then check their work.
3. This time while singing through the song, ask students to raise their hands during the first line of the song, put it down when the melody changes and put it back up when that first line repeats. You may need to do this twice.
Do’ Ti La Ti Re Re Re Do
b. How else could you make the sections different?
c. How did the music make you feel and why?
b. What instruments did you hear?
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #2: Changes, Changes Everywhere!
4. After listening and moving, ask students:
OBJECTIVE:
3. Have students stand and move to the music as they listen to Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, I. Molto allegro
7. Once students have learned the song, have them play percussion on the “shoo fly” section and stop on the “morning star” section. Ask:
• Colored scarves or flags
6. Have students sit in a circle with percussion instruments. Teach the song “Shoo Fly.”
• Assorted percussion instruments and/or rhythm sticks
a. Have you ever wanted to write music?
a. Did this music sound happy or sad?
1.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
12 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY Card Examples Do Mi So Do’ So La So Mi Do Do Do Re
K.MR.1.1 Use musical terminology when describing music that is presented aurally.
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
1. Begin by telling students the lesson objective—to identify changes in music they hear.
c. Would you write music that was happy or sad?
a. What was different about the two sections?
MATERIALS:
c. Can you think of any other songs that have two different sections?
• Audio Recording (optional): “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
2. Introduce Mozart and explain that he was a child musician with great talent. Use this time to define what a “composer” is. Ask these questions:
5. Pass out colored scarves. As the music plays, have students begin by moving their scarves side to side. Tell them when the music changes, they should move their scarves up and down. When they hear the sections repeat, they should repeat that movement.
5.MR.1.2 Use music terminology in explaining music, including notation, instruments, voices, and performances.
So Mi So Mi
PROCESS:
Students will understand the concept of form in music and identify changes in different songs of varying styles.
b. How would writing a piece of music make you feel?
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F, Op. 68 “Pastoral” is one of only two symphonies named by Beethoven himself, and the one that most exemplifies the “characteristic symphony” genre of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The full title, “Pastoral Symphony, or Recollections of Country Life,” and the subtitles of each individual movement, clearly show that this symphony is related to experiencing nature. The symphony features one of the first “musical storms” ever written, including depictions of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. The fourth movement, “Storm,” begins softly as violins tiptoe in with the sound of raindrops. Nature eventually takes over with violence and the music is filled with dissonant passages. Gradually, the storm subsides and Beethoven provides a musical rainbow with a long melodic line that concludes the movement.
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 13
Ludwig van Beethoven began his musical schooling when he was a small child. Both his father and grandfather were musicians at the Court of the Elector of Cologne, located in Beethoven’s hometown of Bonn. Although Beethoven’s father began his son’s musical education, it was clear that the boy had surpassed his father’s abilities by the age of nine. By age 12, Beethoven had composed his first work of music. In his young adult life, he worked as a conductor and organist for the court band.
• More than 20,000 people lined the streets of Vienna for Beethoven’s funeral procession.
Like many other composers, Beethoven traveled to Vienna, Austria to find inspiration. Here, he played for famous musicians such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn, who later became some of his mentors. Beethoven was very restless, always jumping from one composition to another. His musical ideas frequently became fused together in the chaos, creating some of his most memorable works. As an adult, he began to lose his hearing. Although this loss was devastating, he continued to compose for nearly 25 more years until his death in 1827.
DIED: March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria
Dynamics in music refers to the volume of the composition. The words are often written in Italian. Some of the most common are: piano (p), soft; pianissimo (pp), very soft; mezzo-piano (mp), moderately soft; mezzo-forte (mf), moderately loud; forte (f), loud; and fortissimo (ff), very loud.
• Beethoven was known for having a hot temper and occasionally lashing out at his fans.
• He was very fond of nature and often took long walks in the countryside to find inspiration.
Ludwig van Beethoven
FEATURED WORK: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, IV. Allegro
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
BORN: December 1770, Bonn, Germany
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Dynamics
i. Starting with one student at a time, add a student as you go around the circle.
ii.(mezzo-forte)Secondtime around, patting drums (forte)
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
2. Inspiration Extension: Watch the following video: “People making rain sounds” Dynamics-Rain
14 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
Students will identify and execute the dynamic levels in response to listening to the musical selection. They will make a connection between environmental sounds and musical compositions. Students will consider how Beethoven used nature to inspire his compositions.
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
iii. Third time around, patting drums (fortissimo)
2. Have students discuss and identify dynamic terms as they listen to the piece Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, IV. Allegro
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, IV. Allegro
iii. Snap fingers (piano)
ii. Rub hands together softly (pianissimo)
• Drums of varying sizes, including shape drums, lap drums, and taller drums
4. While listening to the piece, have students use body percussion and then their drum to accompany the selection.
5.MR.1.2 Use music terminology in explaining music, including notation, instruments, voices, and performances.
5.ML.2.3 Apply understanding of standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo, articulation, rhythm, meter, and pitch when reading and notating music.
Classroom activities provided by Mary Michael, Turner Creek Elementary School, Wake County
iv. Clapping hands (mezzo-piano)
b. i.DrumsWhile
body percussion continues, begin with student one with the shape drums, using fingers only
1. Review dynamic terms.
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
3. Have students sit in a circle; give each student a drum. When passing out the drums, ensure you begin with shape drums, then lap drums, and ending with your taller drums.
c. Then begin to calm the storm and reverse the dynamic order. You can add wind sounds by making circles on the drums with your whole hand. Add thunder with a louder hand pat on the drum. Have fun, be creative and use your imagination!
1. Literacy Extension: Read to the class Like a Hundred Drums by Annette Griessman or Listen to the Rain by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. Students will use appropriate sound effects to accompany the reading with the sounds of a thunderstorm.
4.ML.2.3 Interpret standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo, and articulation while performing music.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: Drumming Through “The Storm”
a. Body Percussion
PROCESS:
5. Drum Circle Storm
MATERIALS:
OBJECTIVE:
• Poster of dynamic levels from softest to loudest
Students will activate knowledge about dynamic levels. Using movements, they will identify and accurately name specific dynamics in a game. Students will create poses with facial expressions to express the emotion of the piece created by dynamics.
h. Standing up with hands high in the air, cheer loudly “fortississimo!”
OBJECTIVE:
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, IV. Allegro
ff fortissimo very loud
4. While listening to Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, IV. Allegro, students will create poses with facial expressions to express the emotion of the piece created by dynamics. When the dynamics change, they must create a new pose to match the dynamic. This is a non-verbal game. Students will use body language and facial expressions to show the mood of the piece. The musical selection becomes a “soundscape” to create an atmosphere of a story being told.
Full word (Italian) Definition
b. Rise up slightly and whisper “pianissimo.”
i. Reverse from fortississimo to pianississimo.
4.ML.2.3 Interpret standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo, and articulation while performing music.
PROCESS:
g. Standing up with hands up high in the air and shout “fortissimo!”
1. Review dynamic terms in Italian from softest to loudest.
Abbreviation
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 15
c. Rise up more and quietly say “piano.”
f. Standing up with hands in a V and loudly say “forte.”
2. Form a circle with students:
4.ML.2.4 Use standard symbols to notate rhythm, meter, and dynamics in simple patterns.
pp
d. Stand up with hands by your side and say “mezzo-piano.”
e. Standing up with hands shoulder height and say “mezzo-forte.”
4.MR. 1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
3. Using a dynamics poster, point to a dynamic and have students move to the correct movement, whisper, speak, or cheer the correct dynamic name.
pianissimo very soft p piano soft mp mezzo-piano medium-soft mf mezzo-forte medium-loud f forte loud
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #2: Dynamic Moves!
MATERIALS:
a. Start in a crouched position low to the floor and whisper “pianississimo.”
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
• He was the first African American to conduct a major American orchestra—the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
DIED: December 3, 1978, Los Angeles, California
• He was known as “The Dean of African American Classical Composers.”
William Grant Still
16 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
BORN: May 11, 1895, Woodville, Mississippi
After moving, he began composing works for chamber orchestra; two of his early works are Darker America and From the Black Belt. Still’s concern with the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. can be seen in many of his works. This can especially be seen in the Afro-American Symphony, his ballet, Sahdji, and his operas, Troubled Island and Highway 1 U.S.A. These pieces were composed after Still’s extensive study and research on African music. His eclectic musical style, which included many different musical influences, was enjoyed by audience members of every race and ethnicity. Still is remembered as one of America’s greatest composers, and his music is widely performed today.
This is the first symphony composed by an African American that was performed by a professional orchestra. The “AfroAmerican Symphony” is Still’s most famous work and was premiered by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 1931, the year after it was composed. The symphony has influences from the jazz and blues genres. Still’s goal was to raise the musical standing of the blues, since it was considered the music of the lower class. The symphony has four movements; each is packed with musical influences and colors.
• William Grant Still studied medicine at Wilberforce University before going on to study composition at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
FEATURED WORK: Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,”
III. Scherzo
“Rhythm” refers to placement of sounds as they move through time, usually forming a pattern. Every change in the pattern is a new rhythm.
William Grant Still was born in Woodville, Mississippi, but was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas by his mother and grandmother. He studied composition at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. Later, he went to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and studied under George W. Chadwick. After his time in Boston, he began studying with a composer of the avant-garde, Edgard Varèse. In the 1920’s, he began working in jazz music. He was a jazz arranger for Paul Whiteman, a dance-band leader of the time, and for blues composer W.C. Handy. In 1939, he moved to Los Angeles after getting married to pianist Verna Arvey.
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Rhythm
1. Using your counting system of choice, review counting eighth note, quarter note, quarter rest, and half note patterns with students.
3.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including notes and rests in 3/4 and 4/4 meter signatures.
• Classroom percussion instruments
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: Rhythm Building Blocks
4.CR.1.2 Understand the relationships between music and concepts from other areas.
b. Formula for the cinquain:
3.ML.3.2 Create soundscapes using a variety of sound sources.
• Paper and writing utensils for students
MATERIALS:
a. How many beats are on each block? (Answer: 2)
b. Do you see how some blocks are made of more notes than others, even though they all equal with two beats?
2. Show students rhythm sentences (for example: “ta, ta, ti-ti, ta” or “ta-di ta-di ta rest”).
OBJECTIVE:
Fourth line - 8 syllables
Students will create a cinquain (sing·kayn) poem using rhythmic building blocks.
5.ML.3.1 Use improvisation to create short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety of sound sources, including traditional and non-traditional sounds, body sounds, and sounds produced by electronic means.
First line - 2 syllables
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
Third line - 6 syllables
Cinquain Example: The Garden WaterBeesBlooming,FlowersBuzzingareflyingaroundtheplantsbeforethey
• Handout: Rhythm Building Blocks (copied or projected)
c. Allow students time to build their poem, keeping track of their syllables and corresponding rhythm blocks
Second line - 4 syllables
5. Explain to students that they will be building a cinquain (a five-line stanza) using the rhythm blocks. (Note: students could work individually or in small groups.)
6. To build the cinquain:
PROCESS:
4. Show students the Rhythm Building Blocks and ask students to read each one.
a. Students will need to choose a topic for their poem. Perhaps brainstorm as a class if working individually.
5.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 meter signatures.
5.ML.3.3 Create rhythmic compositions using notation whole, dotted half, half, and quarter notes; whole, half, and quarter rests; and beamed eighth notes in duple, triple, and common time and which are arranged using a variety of sound sources.
wilt Gardens
3. While students read various rhythm chains, encourage them to tap the beat lightly somewhere on their body (patting, tapping their foot, gently clapping). You may need to review the difference between rhythm and beat.
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes, and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
Fifth line - 2 syllables
Classroom activities provided by Laura Black, Rocky Point Elementary School, Pender County
8. Once they are done, students can illustrate their poems, share them with the class, and/or share them with their ELA teacher
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
7. As students are finishing, they should write out their poem with rhythms under/above the words to dictate the rhythm of the cinquain
1. Students can add musical effects to their cinquain using classroom instruments and perform for the class
18 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
2. Listen to the third movement of the “Afro-American Symphony.” Have students tap, clap, and/or play their rhythms along with the piece.
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 19
Students will learn to count and play dotted rhythms in music.
1. Using your counting system of choice, start by reviewing a variety of rhythm sentences that include quarter notes, beamed eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and rests. This could be written for students to read or simply spoken and echoed.
3. Explain to students that today we’re going to learn about dotted rhythms, which combine an elongated (longer) note with a shorter note.
20 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
3.ML.1.3 Use instruments to perform rhythmic and melodic patterns accurately and independently on classroom rhythmic and melodic instruments.
Examples:i.Tata ti-ti ta = pat, pat, clap-clap, pat
ii. Takadimi ta ta rest = pat-pat-pat-pat, stomp, stomp, rest
5.MR.1.2 Use music terminology in explaining music, including notation, instruments, voices, and performances.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #2: Deciphering the Dots
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo
5. You may want to repeat each 2 beats several times before moving on to the tied note rhythm after it.
4. Using the example below, have students imitate you on each part of the “going to the beach” patterns.
• “Going to the beach” Rhythm Pattern
b. When students feel comfortable with the patterns, you can show them the notation of how tied notes morph the rhythm into the next one (and they sound the same!)
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes, and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
MATERIALS:
a. Encourage students to tap the steady beat (quarter note pulse) while listening and imitating.
4.ML.1.2 Execute the performance of vocal ostinatos, partner songs, counter-melodies, and rounds in two or more parts.
c. Mix up the patterns and chain several together (ex. going to the go—the go—the beach))
d. This activity can also be done with non-pitched percussion instruments (rhythm sticks, hand drums, etc)
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
5.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 meter signatures.
3.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including notes and rests in 3/4 and 4/4.
OBJECTIVE:
• Unpitched percussion instruments
PROCESS:
“Going to the beach” Rhythm Pattern
2. Transfer some of the rhythm sentences to body percussion. This is also a good time to encourage student creation of rhythmic patterns for other students to echo!
c. As an extension, have the students pick a few of their favorite sentences and layer them as a class so that there are multiple sentences being looped at once.
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 21
a. Ask students to get into small groups and create their own “beach sentence.”
a. Encourage students to pat a steady beat throughout, listening for any dotted rhythms.
3. Then, the whole orchestra engages in the following dotted rhythm conversation (strings/woodwinds versus brass):
4. Teach the students these little rhythmic passages by rote.
6. Be sure to reflect on the listening one more time with students to see what they observed, what they felt, what they might want to listen for next time, etc.
b. Students can teach their sentence to the class.
5. Listen to the piece again, asking students to find the sections they just isolated.
2. Now that students have an idea what dotted rhythms feel and sound like, listen to William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo.
1. Show students examples of each different “going to the beach” pattern.
b. After the first listen, ask students questions about what they heard, how the rhythms felt, and did they hear any dotted rhythms?
c. Towards the middle of the piece, the violins and woodwinds start an ascending passage with following sixteenth notes and dotted eighth sixteenth patterns:
CREATION ACTIVITY: Composing an Ostinato Pattern
4.MR.1.2 Explain personal preferences for specific musical works and styles, using appropriate music terminology.
NORTH CAROLINA STANDARDS IN LITERACY:
d. Continue with several more patterns (also including rests).
3. Invite students to echo several syncopated patterns, using word chains, body percussion, unpitched percussion, etc.
• Video Recording: Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo
5.ML.3.1 Use improvisation to create short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety of sound sources, including traditional and non-traditional sounds, body sounds, and sounds produced by electronic means.
3.ML.1.3 Use instruments to perform rhythmic and melodic patterns accurately and independently on classroom rhythmic and melodic instruments.
4. Explain that syncopation shifts the emphasis of the rhythm. Instead of always falling on the strong pulse (quarter note beat), the rhythm shifts the emphasis to the off-beat.
6. Invite students to create their own syncopated patterns (extend the pattern into 8-beat echoes) using a variety of spoken words, body percussion, and unpitched percussion.
7. Encourage students to keep the steady pulse somewhere in their body while others are performing their syncopated patterns so that they can feel that shifted emphasis of the quarter on the off-beat.
5.ML.1.3 Use instruments to perform rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns accurately and independently on classroom rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic instruments.
• Unpitched percussion instruments
1. Review basic quarter note/eighth note rhythm patterns, and have students put each pattern in body percussion while they say:
MATERIALS:
3.ML.3.1 Use rhythmic improvisation to create rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments.
b. Ti-ti ta ti-ti ta
22 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
OBJECTIVE:
2. Explain that when two notes are tied together, their sound becomes just one note. So in the example below, “Ti-ti Ti-ti Ta rest” becomes “Syn-co-pa ta rest” (use whatever counting system you prefer).
5. After going through several examples of imitation, ask students how this new rhythm makes them feel; do they prefer ‘straight’ rhythms or syncopated rhythms?
PROCESS:
Students will learn to hear, count, and play syncopated rhythms in music.
a. Ta ti-ti ta ta
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #3: Synco-what Now?
5.ML.1.1 Illustrate independence and accuracy while singing and playing instruments within a group or ensemble.
3.MR.1.2 Use musical terminology when describing music that is presented aurally.
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter and eighth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
c. Ta-di ta-di ta-di ta
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 23
i. Adding lyrics would be beneficial for learning the rhythm and melody. Ask the students: How does this piece make you feel? What do you think the song is about? Use their ideas to collaboratively write lyrics for this excerpt.
ii. Can students add percussion instruments or body percussion to play the rhythm? To play the steady beat?
a. Encourage students to pat a steady beat throughout, listening for any syncopated rhythms.
g. Be sure to reflect on the listening one more time with students to see what they observed, what they felt, what they might want to listen for next time, etc.
iii. Can half of the students sing the melody while the other half keep a steady beat?
8. Now that students have an idea what syncopated rhythms feel and sound like, listen to William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American Symphony,” III. Scherzo.
e. Play/sing the melody for the students and teach students to sing it through an imitation process.
c. Look at the theme as first presented in the upper strings (violin & viola):
b. After the first listen, ask students questions about what they heard, how the rhythms felt, and did they hear any syncopation?
f. Listen to the piece again, asking students to listen for other instances of syncopation.
d. Where is the syncopation? How many syncopated rhythms can you find?
Georges Bizet
Tempo is the speed of music. It is a steady, constant pulse, like a clock ticking or your heart beating. Tempi can be slow or fast or in-between, and can change during a song. Tempo influences how music sounds and feels. The same piece of music will sound different if it is played slower or faster.
Biography (in Student Book)
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
Georges Bizet was born in 1838 and began showing his own musical talent at a young age. He began his studies at the Paris Conservatoire at age 10, where he continued to work on his composing. For one of his early compositions, he won an award called the Prix de Rome in 1857, which led to a pension to work at the French Academy in Rome. He lived in Rome for the next two years before returning to France in 1860. Later in his life, although he was admired by other composers of the time, Bizet was often overlooked and forgotten by the public. Furthermore, he seemed frustrated with his own compositions, starting several operas and then leaving them unfinished.
In 1827, Georges Bizet composed the incidental music for Alphonse Daudet’s play, L’Arlésienne (“The Maid of Arles”). The farandole is a celebratory folk dance, in which dancers join hands and wind in and out in a chain. While the play was not considered a huge success, the music was well-received, and Bizet arranged four of the 27 numbers in a suite for orchestra. Four years after Bizet’s death, his friend Ernest Guiraud arranged a second suite, from which the farandole is taken. The melody of this farandole is a motif taken from a popular French Christmas song titled “March of the Kings,” with origins dating back to the 13th century.
• He left a lot of unfinished works. Of the thirty operas we know he started in his lifetime, he only finished six. However, he often reused material from pieces he left incomplete in his later works.
24 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
BORN: October 25, 1838, Paris, France
FEATURED WORK: Farandole from L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Tempo
DIED: June 3, 1875, Bougival, France
• He was not the first musician in his family! His father was a voice teacher and his mother a skilled amateur pianist.
Bizet wedded Geneviève Halévy in 1869; they had a son and a generally happy marriage. Bizet passed away at the early age of 36. Although he didn’t achieve widespread success during his lifetime, appreciation for his works continued to grow after his passing, with several of his operas reaching widespread popularity that Bizet would never get to see.
• Although we know him as Georges Bizet, his original full name was Alexandre César Léopold Bizet. By his baptism two years later, his family was referring to him as Georges, though it is unclear how or why this name came about.
Andante Walkingpace 76-108 Stayin’ Alive Approx. 103 bpm Tempo-Andante Adagio SlowStatelyand 66-76 Approx.Crazy72 bpm Tempo-Adagio Largo Very Slow 40-66 Nothing Compares 2 U Approx. 60 bpm
4. Play each tempo and have the students brainstorm what they think of when they hear each tempo. You can use the Brainstorm Worksheet below.
2. Introduce tempo vocabulary—Largo, Adagio, Andante, Allegro, and Presto—and play short examples of each tempo using a metronome. Explain beats per minute and how each tempo marking represents a range not a single BPM. When you play the examples, you may want to use the BPM listed for the song samples below.
4.ML.2.4 Interpret standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo and articulation while performing (listening and moving to) music.
• Handout: Brainstorm Worksheet
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: Tempo Map
Classroom activities provided by Jennifer Starkey, Creech Road Elementary School, Wake County
1. Define tempo: The speed at which a piece of music is or should be played.
PROCESS:
Tempo Song Title Link
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
• Song samples (See table below)
2022/23 TEACHER WORKBOOK • 25
Tempo-Allegro
Tempo-Largo
MATERIALS:
• Metronome (Online option) Tempo-Metronome
3. Play longer examples of each tempo and allow the students to move around the room or in place. They may move in ways they feel are representative for the tempo they hear.
BPM
Presto Very fast 168-200 Sabre Dance Approx. 171 bpm Tempo-Presto Allegro Fast 120-168 Stars & Stripes Forever Approx. 120 bpm
5. R andomly play the song samples below and have students use their brainstorming sheet, as well as movement to identify the tempo of each song.
OBJECTIVE: Students will identify and use the correct terms for different tempo speeds. Students will respond and move to different tempos and identify tempos of various songs while listening.
• Online Interactive: Semi-Conductor Tempo-Semi-Conductor
6. Students can also work in groups and conduct their peers playing instruments, singing, or even just moving to the beat.
4. Discuss how music can have a steady tempo and changing tempo as well.
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC: 4.ML.2.4 Interpret standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo and articulation while performing (listening to and analyzing) music.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #2: Comparing and Contrasting Different Tempos
PROCESS:
1. Review the tempo vocabulary and information from the previous lesson.
2. Play “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt and ask the students what they observed about the tempo of the song. (Gradual acceleration)
OBJECTIVE: Students will understand that musical tempos can change in a composition. Students will identify different ways that the tempo can change, and “conduct” music and/or movement to express different tempos.
• Video Recording: Edvard Grieg: “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt Tempo-Grieg
• Video Recording: Georges Bizet: Farandole from L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2
MATERIALS:
26 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
• Online Interactive: Body Synth Tempo-Body Synth
3. Play Farandole from L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2 and ask the students what they observed about the tempo of the song. (Sudden tempo changes)
7. Review the tempo vocabulary and that music can have steady or changing tempos.
5. Introduce students to the online interactives. If students have their own devices, they can experiment individually with creating steady/changing tempos using Semi-Conductor and Body Synth. If students do not have their own devices, the teacher can set up a computer for display and let students take turns using the interactive programs.
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28 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
to composing, Kelley has spent much of his time introducing younger people to music creation. He likes to focus on helping young composers transfer their musical ideas from their minds into notes on a page. One of the ways that he does this is through teaching in a way that allows for freedom of musical ideas, regardless of the amount of classical music training students have.
Anthony Kelley
Spirituals of Liberation was commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony, and premiered on June 18, 2022, in commemoration of Juneteenth. Here’s a description by the composer, taken from the concert program for the premiere performance:
Anthony Kelley is Associate Professor of the Practice of Music at Duke University. He joined the Duke University music faculty in 2000 after serving as Composer in Residence with the Richmond Symphony for three years under a grant from Meet the Composer, Inc. One of the main goals of this program was to introduce children to the idea that the word “composer” applies to people living among us today, and not only people from hundreds of years ago like Bach and InBeethoven.addition
The three movements of Spirituals of Liberation explore the conditions of forced free labor, the contemplation of loss and hope by the enslaved, and the solemn embrace by African Americans of their newly won freedom. The work uses rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic elements that fostered sanity and survival for the Americans who endured centuries of slavery before the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865. The third movement, “Never Forget,” is a lush, noble melody with heroic harmony that expresses the celebration that the newly freed American citizens would have felt in 1866 and sounds out the importance of acknowledging the complete story of our nation and its development.
• He was inspired to pursue music as a career after hearing the second movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in high school.
Texture is the aspect of music that describes how melody and harmony interact in a piece of music. There may be an instrument playing alone or many parts being played at the same time. There may be a single melody supported by harmony, or multiple independent melodies being played by different instruments simultaneously, or in a call and response format. These compositional choices influence the mood or feeling of a piece of music. A “thin” texture may be one instrument playing a simple melody. A “thick” texture may be more than two instruments playing complex lines together.
• Anthony Kelley teaches composition at Duke University.
FEATURED WORK: Spirituals of Liberation , III. Never Forget
• He grew up in Henderson, an hour north of Raleigh. His first introduction to classical music was a field trip to see the North Carolina Symphony perform in Vance County.
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Texture
The North Carolina Symphony gratefully acknowledges support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
• He writes movie music! Movies Kelley has written music for include Kudzu Vine and The Doll
BORN: February 28, 1965, Henderson, North Carolina
4. Use this video to check for understanding of what texture is. You can do the 1, 2, 3 finger to show understanding, use different colored manipulatives, or even have them stand up, kneel, or sit for the different textures, or whatever movement you like.
4.MR.1.2 Explain personal preferences for specific musical works and styles, using appropriate music terminology.
4.ML.1.1 Apply expressive qualities when singing or playing a varied repertoire of music representing genres and styles from diverse cultures.
a. Monophonic: Everyone is doing the same thing the same way. Example: When we all sing happy birthday to a friend, we’re all singing one melody together.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: What is Texture?
• Video: “Is it Monophony, Homophony, or Polyphony?” Texture-Types
4.MR.1.3 Design a set of criteria for evaluating music performances and compositions.
c. Polyphonic: When there is more than one melody or idea going on at once. Example: When singing in a round.
2. Explain three different textures—Monophonic, Homophonic, and Polyphonic.
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
MATERIALS:
3. You can do these examples or similar examples with your students or just talk about them as a group and get students to raise their hands to give examples of these. (Answers may include: when we sing together in chorus, when one part of the class is playing Orff instruments and we are singing a melody, when we sing at church, when I sing in drama class, etc.)
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NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
Students will understand what texture is and how it’s portrayed in music. Students will be able to identify different musical textures and give examples of where they might be heard.
4.MR.1 Understand the interacting elements to respond to music and music performances.
b. Homophonic: Melody with harmony. Example: When we sing a song with piano accompaniment.
5. If time permits: Introduce Anthony Kelley & his piece Spirituals of Liberation. You can do this using your North Carolina Symphony teacher and student guides. You can listen to the song as an exit/closing activity and ask the students to just talk about what they hear. See if they are using vocabulary you just discussed. (Lesson 2 will dig into this piece further.)
Classroom activities provided by Pamela Day, Wintergreen Intermediate School, Pitt County
PROCESS:
OBJECTIVE:
1. Explain that texture is the aspect of music that describes how melody and harmony interact in a piece of music.
4.ML.1.1 Apply expressive qualities when singing or playing a varied repertoire of music representing genres and styles from diverse cultures.
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4.CR.1.1 Understand how music has affected, and is reflected in, the culture, traditions, and history of North Carolina.
OBJECTIVE:
MATERIALS:
WHATEVER YOU HAVE, it’s supposed to be FUN! Show the students an example of how you can create a listening map with anything!
4. As you begin the piece, talk to them a little about what they hear to jump start their thinking. For example, as the third movement begins, there is homophonic texture between the woodwinds and strings. Talk about this and get them to draw what they think homophonic texture looks like.
• Organic materials/manipulatives of your choice. Examples include construction paper & chalk, chalk on the pavement outside, clay/playdough, Legos, math blocks, scarves, sticks, etc.
4.MR.1.2 Explain personal preferences for specific musical works and styles, using appropriate music terminology.
4.MR.1.4 Classify instruments into Western orchestral categories of wind, string, percussion, and brass.
7. Play the piece again, and as a group, have them create a texture listening map to visually show what textures they hear. They can relate this to their chalk maps if they like or use one person from the group’s map to model theirs after.
8. Have students walk around the room to see everyone’s listening maps and how they were represented. If time permits, groups can discuss what they made and why.
4.MR.1 Understand the interacting elements to respond to music and music performances.
PROCESS:
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
• Video Recording: Spirituals of Liberation, III. Never Forget
1. Explain that texture is the aspect of music that describes how melody and harmony interact in a piece of music. Review three different textures—Monophonic, Homophonic, and Polyphonic.
4.MR.1.3 Design a set of criteria for evaluating music performances and compositions.
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
5. When they are done listening, have them share with a friend sitting nearby what they drew and why. Remind them to use words that describe the texture. You can then have one or two share with the class.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #2: How Can We Hear Texture?
Students will apply proper terminology when listening to a piece to describe and create visual representations of what they hear.
2. Using the student and teacher workbooks, introduce students to Anthony Kelley and his piece, Spirituals of Liberation.
3. Give each student a piece of construction paper and chalk. Have them each create a listening map based on how they hear the texture. This can be as guided or unguided as you like. The great thing about chalk is that you can create visual texture on the page so you can visually show thick and thin texture as they are listening. You can make a few examples to show what they are creating, but let them know they can create it however they want to. Do this first to see how much they can do on their own.
6. If time permits: Create several groups and pass out any organic materials you have, giving each group different materials if you can. For example: groups using sticks, playdough, Legos, bouncy balls, math blocks, etc.
• Although famous as a composer and arranger, he was also a talented performer, appearing in multiple Broadway shows during his time in New York.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was originally a poem written by James Weldon Johnson in 1900. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, composed the music to turn the poem into a hymn. The hymn was first performed at a segregated school in Jacksonville, Florida, by 500 schoolchildren as a way to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.
• He was a musical prodigy and was considered to be an accomplished pianist by age four.
In 1900, Johnson moved to New York City to work with his brother and fellow composer Robert Cole. Together, the team worked on a vaudeville show and put together a couple of Broadway operettas, remaining collaborators until Robert Cole’s death in 1911. Johnson continued in show business in various ways for the rest of his life, touring with vaudeville groups, writing songs, performing in shows, and editing music collections. He also worked to teach the next generation, founding the New York Music School Settlement for Colored People, a music school in Harlem.
BORN: August 11, 1873, Jacksonville, Florida
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DIED: November 11, 1954, New York City, New York
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
FEATURED WORK: “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
In 1919, it was designated as “the Black national anthem” by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, also known as the NAACP. A hymn celebrating the path to freedom, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was performed throughout the civil rights movement and more recently by popular artists including Beyoncé and Alicia Keys. This program uses a vocal arrangement by composer and former North Carolina Symphony musician Terry Mizesko.
J. Rosamond Johnson
John Rosamond Johnson was one of the most successful African American composers of his time. Born in 1873 in Jacksonville, Florida, he left in 1890 to study at the New England Conservatory. He then moved to London to continue his studies for a short period of time, before returning to his hometown of Jacksonville and becoming a public-school teacher. Around the same time, he also formed a songwriting duo with his older brother, poet James Weldon Johnson.
FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
Melody is a sequence of individual notes that form a satisfying whole. When harmony is added, the melody is the principal singing part. In a choral environment, it can be tempting for singers to follow the melodic line. Harmony is quite important to the melody—it supports and balances the melody so that it can shine through as the easiest part to recognize.
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Melody
• J. Rosamond Johnson arranged over 150 spirituals and over 160 musical theatre songs!
5.CR.1.1 Understand how music has affected, and is reflected in, the culture, traditions, and history of the United States.
Students will learn the history and meaning behind the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
• Book or Video of Sing a Song by Kelly Starling Lyons Melody-Sing a Song
• Student score
• Sign language video*
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
1. Introduce “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
5. Revisit the questions discussed on the worksheet. Have any of the students’ answers changed? Discuss with them why or why not?
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4.ML.1.1 Apply expressive qualities when singing or playing a varied repertoire of music representing genres and styles from diverse cultures.
MATERIALS:
2. Ask if any of the students have heard the song before. Where?
Students will learn to sing and sign the first verse of the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and sing the second verse. Students will use proper technique when singing. Students will apply expressive qualities when singing.
7. Use the ASL video to learn the sign language for verse 1.
*Special thanks to Jamie Smith, librarian at River Bend Elementary, for creating this video. Before becoming a teacher, she was a librarian at Gallaudet University, a school for the Deaf in Washington, D.C.
PROCESS:
4. Read the book Sing a Song or play a Read Aloud version on YouTube.
• Recording of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
OBJECTIVE:
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: Listening and Responding
Classroom activities provided by Jennifer Starkey, Creech Road Elementary School, Wake County
6. Rehearse and learn to sing the song.
3. Using the student book or classroom score, examine the lyrics with your students. Use the worksheet below to guide a classroom discussion and reflection.
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
b. Students will listen to the second melody—“Row Your Boat”—and identify the melody and fill in the missing sections.
PROCESS
• Song Maker – Chrome Music Lab Melody-Chrome Music Lab
• Student devices (computers or tablets) or teacher device to project for the students
1. Ask students to define melody—a series of musical notes or tones arranged in a definite pattern of pitch and rhythm.
a. Students will listen to the first melody—“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”—in Song Maker and identify the melody and fill in the missing sections.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” (optional)
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC: 4.ML.3.2 Create compositions and arrangements using a variety of traditional and non-traditional sources.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #2: Listening and Singing
OBJECTIVE: Students will define melody. Students will listen to and identify melodies in Google Song Maker. Students will use Google Song Maker to fill in missing sections of known melodies. Students will use Google Song Maker to compose their own melodies.
c. Optional: Students can listen to the third melody—“Lift Every Voice”—and identify the melody. A missing-note activity could also be done or students could add harmony and percussion. There is one “mistake” in the melody, which may be an extra challenge for students to see if they can find the one wrong note.
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2. Students create their own original composition or arrangement of a known melody using Song Maker.
• Video: Explaining Song Maker Process Melody-Song Maker
“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
MATERIALS:
• Márquez was born in the Sonoran Desert, where summer temperatures can reach more than 110°F!
BORN: December 20, 1950, Álamos, Sonora, Mexico
• In addition to playing in a mariachi band, his father played the violin and worked in construction to support his family.
FUNDAMENTAL OF MUSIC: Finale
BIOGRAPHY (in Student Book)
Arturo Márquez was born in Mexico and grew up listening to a variety of musical genres. One of the avenues of exposure was from his father who was a mariachi musician. Growing up around the musical culture of Sonora, Mexico during his childhood helped influence his drive to become a composer and musician. Márquez began his musical education and composing at the age of 16 in La Puente, California in 1966. He later went on to study at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico, followed by studies with French composer Jacques Castérède in Paris. Some of his most popular compositions draw inspiration from danzón, the ballroom dancing born out of Cuba in the 1800s. His later compositions take inspiration from Mexican urban music.
FEATURED WORK: Conga del Fuego Nuevo
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FUN FACTS (in Student Book)
The term “Conga” hails from Cuba and refers to the music of special street ensembles composed of wind instruments and percussion that perform during the carnivals in Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Of African origin, it was developed by enslaved people brought to Cuba from central Africa. It also refers to a quick dance using short sliding steps. The sound of this street music fills this infectious, highly rhythmic piece and comes into prominence during its quieter, slower middle section. In this piece, Márquez has taken the traditional characteristics of the conga and given in new life in symphonic form as the melody floats above the syncopated rhythms below.
Listen for all the elements of music, including tempo, rhythm, dynamics, form, texture, and melody.
• After completing his composition studies at the Music Conservatory of Mexico, he received a scholarship to continue his studies in Paris from the French Government.
Arturo Márquez
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2. Divide students into teams and give each team a prop to use. For example, the parachute represents the string family, ribbon streamers the woodwind family, scarves the brass family, and castanets the percussion family. Balls may be used to represent the steady beat of the tempo.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY #1: Singing the Melody
4. Invite the students to experience the elements of music through pantomiming their prominent instrument and all the elements featured in the piece.
OBJECTIVE:
4.ML.2.3 Interpret standard symbols and traditional terms for dynamics, tempo, and articulation while performing music.
4.MR.1.4 Classify instruments into Western orchestral categories of wind, string, percussion, and brass.
NORTH CAROLINA ESSENTIAL STANDARDS IN MUSIC:
4.ML.1 Apply expressive qualities when singing or playing a varied repertoire of music representing genres and styles from diverse cultures.
Students will work in teams, each team representing a family of the orchestra. They will create movements with props reflecting the expressive qualities and elements of the music. Movements will reflect the dynamic levels, tempo, rhythm, texture, and form.
• Castanets/Bells
5. Play the piece and invite students to move their props according to their learning team’s plan. Encourage and remind them to reflect instrumentation, melodic line, and the expressive qualities of the music.
• Parachute/Scarves/Streamers
• Video Recording: Conga del Fuego Nuevo
Classroom activities provided by Mary Michael, Turner Creek Elementary, Wake County
1. Review the elements of music—dynamics, tempo, rhythm, texture, melody, and form.
6. Ask students to describe the expressive qualities of their movement.
3. Allow students the opportunity to experiment with types of movements they will create with their props. Challenge them to use high, medium, and low levels or draw shapes for example rainbow arches, figure eights, waves, and swirls.
4.CR.1.2 Understand the relationships between music and concepts from other areas
4.ML.2.1 Interpret rhythm patterns, including whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes and rest in 2/4-, 3/4-, and 4/4-meter signatures.
4.MR.1.1 Illustrate perceptual skills by moving to, answering questions about, and describing aural examples of music of various styles and cultures.
MATERIALS:
PROCESS:
38 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY Seating Chart Sections rst violins cellos violas basses utesoboes clarinets Percussion bassoons horns trumpets trombones tuba timpani percussion second violins conductor Brass Woodwind String Seating Chart Sections
“Your Elephant, The Orchestra”
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Well, there are the parts of our creature, but how do these parts work? The North Carolina Symphony cannot perform without the people who work in the office. These people do an important job. They help raise the money that pays for the orchestra. Also, when the orchestra travels they make sure that the musicians get to the right town and that everyone has a place to eat and sleep. Since our elephant, the orchestra, travels as much as 12,000 miles a year (which is halfway around the earth!), you can see why the office workers are so important. Like the tail of the elephant, the office staff is not often noticed.
Now a trunk is a different matter entirely. Without one an elephant couldn’t eat peanuts or wash his back very well. Neither can our orchestra work well without the people who help them when they travel. One of these people is the stage manager who is responsible for setting up the necessary equipment before each concert. The North Carolina Symphony plays 175 concerts a year, and each chair and music stand has to be in its own special place every time. The stage manager has a crew of workers who help him do this.
An orchestra can, of course, only sound beautiful if each of these musicians works hard to play his or her best. The musicians of the North Carolina Symphony have been practicing and playing music since they were your age. If you add up all the years of practice of all of them, you will have a total of over 1,500 years! These individual musicians are the heart of our orchestra. Trunks and tails would be pretty useless without a heart, you know.
A story to read in class before your North Carolina Symphony Education Concert by Jackson Parkhurst
Three blind men were asked to describe an elephant. The first felt the elephant’s trunk and said, “An elephant is like a fire hose!” The second felt the elephant’s side and said, “No, an elephant is like a wall!” The third felt the elephant’s tail and said, “You are both wrong. An elephant is like a rope!”
There are other musicians in disguise who do extra jobs. One of them is the librarian who puts the music on each music stand. Every player must get the correct musical part, or the orchestra will sound crazy. Then there is the personnel manager who gets to listen to everyone’s problems, but also gets to give out the paychecks! There are two more people who are the official bus drivers complete with uniforms and licenses. Without these two the orchestra couldn’t go anywhere. Oh yes, there is another musician who doesn’t have a musical instrument at all. That person is the conductor, and their job is to start and stop the music and help keep all the musicians playing together. They are also the one who talks to you during the concert.
Okay, what is the North Carolina Symphony? Well, for sure it’s people. But that’s too simple. Well, how about this, then? It is people who make music together. That’s true, but there is more. Wait! I think I have it now. An orchestra is a group of people who make music together, but it’s also people who work at desks to help organize the music makers, and others who help by doing jobs like driving the buses and setting up the stage for concerts.
So now we have described with words our elephant, the orchestra. Just as an elephant can best be understood by seeing it, an orchestra can best be known by hearing it—and you have one of your very own coming to play for you. Remember, the North Carolina Symphony is your elephant.
Jackson Parkhurst was for many years the Director of Education for the North Carolina Symphony.
Describing the North Carolina Symphony is somewhat like trying to describe that elephant. It is a jumble of trunks and tails, all of which come together to be what you will hear and see when it comes to visit you.
Now, what are we missing on our elephant? Oh yes, the body. When we assemble all of our music makers, we have the main body of the orchestra. This body is organized into smaller groups of instruments which we call families, and these are arranged in a special way on the stage so that you, the audience, get the most wonderful sound possible. This is a chart showing how the orchestra is arranged on the stage.
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NOTES
