My Journey Through The Music Center - The 2025 Blue Ribbon Children's Festival Book

CREATED FOR THE BLUE RIBBON CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL

THIS BOOK IS A GIFT FROM MRS. MAXINE DUNITZ

LEARN MORE AT MUSICCENTER.ORG 1

Our Day Starts

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Welcome to our Annual Blue Ribbon Children’s Festival FEATURING

PARSONS DANCE Watch the Dancers

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March 2025

Welcome to The Music Center!

On behalf of all the members of The Blue Ribbon, I hope you had a wonderful experience today. The Blue Ribbon is an organization of women who love the arts and help support many programs and activities at The Music Center. We are especially proud to sponsor the Blue Ribbon Children’s Festival. The Children’s Festival began in 1970 when Mrs. Helen Wolford had a sensational idea to share The Music Center and the arts with fifth graders. Since then, hundreds of thousands of students have had this special opportunity to experience a performance at The Music Center.

Thanks to a very generous gift from Mrs. Maxine Dunitz, we are delighted to add this book, My Journey Through The Music Center, to the Children’s Festival experience. Mrs. Dunitz is thrilled to provide this unique reminder of your day to every student who attends the festival.

The book gives information about the performances at the four venues of The Music Center ­– the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and Walt Disney Concert Hall. It also introduces you to many of the performers and people behind the scenes who make it all happen. The Blue Ribbon thanks Mrs. Dunitz for the terrific idea and for her wonderfully thoughtful donation that made it possible.

This special edition of the book includes a link to view exclusive video clips of performances from our resident companies, and other activities at The Music Center. SCAN the QR code on this page to enjoy the thrill of music, dance, theater, choral music and the incredible architecture and sculpture that make our theater complex world-class.

SHARE My Journey Through the Music Center with your own families! Read, click, watch, and enjoy! We hope you will be inspired to come back to see another performance. You are now part of The Music Center family.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Hunt-Jacobsen President, The Blue Ribbon

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135 N.­Grand Avenue Los Angeles, California

Civic Center Metro Rail Station North side of First St. at 101 S. Hill St., Los Angeles

Civic Center Metro Rail Station South side of First St. at 101 S. Hill St., Los Angeles

Grand Avenue Arts Station

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My Journey Through The Music Center

dorothy chandler pavilion home to the Los Angeles Opera and dance companies

A Great Woman with a Grand Vision

Check Out The Pavilion

In 1955, Dorothy Buffum Chandler was a very important woman in Los Angeles. She was the wife of Norman Chandler, the owner and publisher of the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

Mrs. Chandler wanted Los Angeles to have a great performing arts center. She raised the money needed to build the three original venues that made up The Music Center – the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and the building that bears her name – the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion first opened its doors on December 6, 1964. Today, the Los Angeles Opera performs in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Thanks to a generous gift from Glorya Kaufman, The Music Center also presents dance companies from around the world who perform in this grand theatre.

What’s a venue?

Many of the shows here tell a story. An opera tells a story like a play, only most of the words are sung, not spoken. Opera dates back hundreds of years when shows were created as a perfect marriage of words and music to tell important stories. A ballet doesn’t have any words at all. Like opera, ballet tells a story, but the story is told through gestures and dance. Many ballets are based on early Russian and European folk and fairy tales.

The musical accompaniment for both opera and ballet is usually an orchestra. The musicians play in the “pit” — a sunken area right in front of the stage. In any given week, two different operas or a dance performance may be presented on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The sets, scenery and backdrops are changed for each different show. This requires a lot of planning, skill and hard work.

A building or space where events take place. In the performing arts, it usually includes a theatre with a stage.

A photo of the sculpture on the Jerry Moss Plaza

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DOROTHY CHANDLER Pavilion Fun Facts NOW HEAR THIS! As you enter the lobby of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, look up at the gold leaf circle. Clap your hands and listen to the echo.

A WISH FOR MANKIND The sculpture on the Jerry Moss Plaza is by the famous artist Jacques Lipshitz and is entitled Peace on Earth.

THE NAME SAYS IT ALL One of Los Angeles’ best loved water fountains is just steps away from the Peace on Earth sculpture. It was created by WET designs.

“THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE.” The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion has hosted many Academy Awards shows.

WHAT DID I LIKE BEST Write in your favorites.

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Watch Students Dance

Clockwise from top photo: Dance DTLA; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion auditorium; inside the Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall; outside view Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

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My Journey Through The Music Center

dorothy chandler pavilion Opera, the Greatest Show on Earth

Watch an Opera Performance

The Los Angeles Opera is one of the largest and finest opera companies in the United States. Opera is one of the most thrilling live shows you can see … and hear … and feel.

Opera tells passionate stories about the human experience – such as good fighting evil, or the trials and tribulations of love and romance. Opera tells these stories with colorful costumes, big dramatic sets and powerful voices that can shake the rafters. No other art form combines so many different talents – singing, acting, costume design, lighting, set design, instruments, movement and even dance - into one amazing spectacle.

FUN FACT Kick boxing opera?

Peking Opera is a Chinese musical art form that combines music, speaking, singing, acrobatics and martial arts!

Unlike today’s rock and rap stars, operatic singers’ voices are so thunderous and powerful they do not need microphones to be heard. It takes years of training in classical voice to become an opera singer.

The sets, lighting and backdrops are just as colorful and incredible as the performances. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion can hang 117 separate backdrops.

How many are actually used in a performance? Madam Butterfly used 100.

Opera began in Italy in the early 1600s. Many famous operas were not written in English. Most were written in Italian, French or German.

The Los Angeles Opera feels it is important to perform each opera in the original language because the beautiful sound of the words as they are sung is just as important as what the words actually mean. But don’t worry; the English translation is always clearly shown above the stage for you to read. They call the projected words “supertitles”.

Opera is a super spectacular experience for you to see, hear and enjoy at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

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Clockwise from top, scenes from: The Barber of Seville.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg; El último sueño de Frida y Diego Photo by Cory Weaver); The Magic Flute.

Photo by Iko Freese.

Scene from Turandot.

Photo by Cory Weaver

OPERA Vocabulary

Tenor: The highest natural voice of a male singer.

Soprano: The highest natural voice of a female singer.

Alto: A female voice of low range (also called a contralto.)

Bass: The male voice of the lowest range.

Baritone: The male voice between the bass and the tenor.

Aria: An elaborate song for one man or woman’s voice.

Resident Company: A group of artists (musicians, dancers, actors) who are based at a specific theatre or arts center, like The Music Center.

Accompaniment: The musical background that supports a main part.

Scenery: The painted walls and hangings on a theatre stage.

Overture: Music performed before the first action in a show which introduces the main musical themes and sets a tone or feeling for the work.

Patti LuPone from Ghosts of Versailles. Photo by Craig Mathew

Music Center Profiles What is your job?

“I recruit, train and supervise all of the staff who work with the visitors – ushers, ticket takers, coat check people, theater managers. My job is to make sure our visitors have a great time.”

Carolyn Van Brunt VICE PRESIDENT OF GUEST RELATIONS THE MUSIC CENTER As young student

How did you get started?

“I got started as an usher at the Great Western Forum. I worked at Lakers games and rock concerts.”

When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living?

“By accident – I knew I adored being around people – serving and helping people. I loved drama and shows – I would watch the people on TV and imitate them. I didn’t want to perform myself but wanted to be a part of it.”

What is your job?

“I’m the Associate Artistic Director for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.”

Matthew Rushing ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/GUEST ARTIST ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

How did you get started?

“My mother enrolled me in an after school program to keep me off the streets. It was at the Inglewood Playhouse in Los Angeles. I got to learn all aspects of the theatre – acting, music, dance. At the end of the summer – I had fallen in love with dance.”

Did you go to school to be a dancer?

“I attended the LA County High School for the Arts.”

When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living?

“My mother wanted me to see the best dance company around. She took me to see the Ailey Company at the Wiltern Theatre. From that moment on I knew I wanted to dance and Ailey was the company I wanted to dance with.”

What do you like most about your job?

“When I help a person with a disability.”

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My Journey Through The Music Center

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Jamar Roberts and Akua Noni Parker.

Photo by Andrew Eccles

dorothy chandler pavilion Dance — Moving with the Music When the Los Angeles Opera isn’t performing at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the stage is alive with dance.

A group of professional dancers who train and perform together is called a dance company. Each dance company specializes in a specific kind of dance. One may be more traditional (old), another more contemporary (new). The dancing, the costumes, the lighting and backdrops … even the shoes, if any, change dramatically from one dance company to another. All dance companies have one thing in common — they move to music.

When you dance, you move to music. You hear the music, you feel it inside, and your body responds and moves to that feeling. Every dancer in every dance company has the same experience.

They hear, they feel, they move. But that doesn’t mean that they are making it up as they go along; far from it. The dance performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion are all choreographed. A dancer uses choreography the same way an actor uses a script. Every step, every move, is written down, or choreographed, for the dancer to follow. Like an actor, the dancer has to memorize the steps and practice them to the music to get them just right. Dancers train for many years to achieve the level of discipline, grace, and physical strength required to make it all seem easy.

Watch a Dance Performance

Dancing to a different tune Dance companies present very different kinds of performances. Here is a sample of the kind of dance you could see at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Classical Ballet: The style of dance that strictly follows the rules and traditions of past generations.

Whatever your taste in dance, you are sure to find a company that speaks to your soul and makes you want to move with the music, too.

Contemporary or Modern Dance: A reflection of the world and time when it was composed. This kind of dance has no rules.

Folk Dance: The dance of a people from a common culture, race or religion.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is home to the Los Angeles Opera and dance companies 8

Amanda McKerrow and Ethan Stiefel in Swan Lake.

Photo by MIRA

Dance Vocabulary

Ballet: A dance form that originated in the Renaissance courts of Europe. Ballet features specific steps and positions which are described in French terms.

Choreographer: A person who creates the dance pieces, including the exact steps and movements of each dancer.

Principal Dancer: The dancer who is featured as a soloist.

Corps de ballet: The dancers in a ballet who appear as a group.

Dance Captain: The person who rehearses or teaches the routines to the other dancers.

Jazz Dance: Dance marked by movement isolations and complex, propulsive rhythms. Jazz dance is an outgrowth of African-American ragtime, jazz, spirituals, blues and work songs, and is considered an American dance style.

Hip Hop: A popular, rhythmic contemporary form of dance that began as street dancing and uses body isolations and held poses, and features tricky balances, spins and gymnastics.

Modern Dance: A 20th century dance form that began as a rebellion against the steps and positions of ballet and encompasses a wide range of movement, approaches and themes.

Pacifico Dance Company.

Photo by John McCoy

Inset above: Misty Copeland, Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre.

Spotlight Winner, Ballet (1998) Photo by Marty Sohl.

Photo to right: Pilobolus Dance Company. Photo by John Kane.

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Fun Fact

My Journey Through The Music Center

MARK TAPER FORUM

Did you notice the shape of the building?

The Mark Taper Forum is completely round

HOME to center theatre group

They Dare to Be Bold In 1967, three years after the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened, the Mark Taper Forum opened. It was designed by architect Welton Beckett and named for S. Mark Taper, who was an important developer and civic leader in Los Angeles. The word forum dates back to ancient Rome and is another word for theatre. Center Theatre Group uses the Mark Taper Forum to present exciting, new plays and bold, new voices in theatre. Many of the plays performed at the Mark Taper Forum are being presented for the very first time.

One thing you will notice right away is that the Mark Taper Forum is smaller than the other three venues at The Music Center. It has only 738 seats. This is to give every person in the audience the feeling that they are up-close with the actors on stage. Being close to the actors helps the audience experience and feel the story being told.

A play is like a movie only it is performed live. Like a movie, the performers act out a story. They follow a script that tells them what to say, where to stand, when to walk on stage, when to walk off. At a movie, you are transported to a place in time as you watch the screen. In a play, you are actually in the room with the actors as they live out their story.

Check Out The Taper

MARK TAPER Forum Fun Facts That’s just ducky!

The reflecting pools that surround the Mark Taper Forum are occasionally occupied by families of ducks.

A hands-on experience As you walk into the front entrance, check out the 87-foot-long wall in front of you. Each piece of abalone was individually cut and secured by the artist. You are welcome to feel the unique texture.

Better to buy a postcard You cannot bring any camera to photograph or videotape the performances in any of the four Music Center venues.

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Photo is from The Music Center’s site-specific dance series, Moves After Dark.

Photo by Michael Khoury

Mark Taper forum

Vocabulary words

Production Manager: Person in charge of the technical end of a show’s production. This includes the sound, lighting, set construction and scene changes during the performance.

Understudy: An actor or actress who knows the lines and is prepared to replace a leading actor/actress if they cannot make a performance.

Blocking: Working out where the actors will stand and move during a performance.

Off stage or Backstage: The places at the sides or the back of the scenery not seen by the audience.

Downstage: Towards the front of the stage.

Upstage: Towards the back of the stage.

Photos above are five posters of shows, Zoot Suit, 13, Pippin, Lily Plants a Garden, and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Lily Plants a Garden was written by our Music Center Profile, José Cruz González. Through a program called P.L.A.Y. (Performing for Los Angeles Youth), the play was presented to students around Los Angeles

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What Plays would i like to perform in Write in your picks

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My Journey Through The Music Center

MARK TAPER FORUM

HOME to center theatre group

Scene from Zoot Suit

Actors, Writers, Directors & More While an opera needs music to make the words come alive and a ballet needs dance to make the music really speak, the words in a play stand alone. No music or dance is needed to make it complete, just the actors to speak the words and perform the scenes.

Of course, simpler does not mean easier. Writers spend hours and hours alone with their imagination to make words appear on the paper. It takes passion, dedication and talent to write plays.

William Shakespeare was one of the most famous playwrights.

Most of the plays performed at the Taper are written by writers who are living today.

Once a play is written, it needs actors to perform it and a director to guide it. The director helps the actors understand what the writer was trying to say and makes decisions on how to best tell the story. The director works with set designers,

Two photos from the play 13.

Photos Craig Schwartz Photography

costume designers and stagehands to translate their ideas into the elements of the production you see on stage.

During the performance, the actors are the only people involved with the making of a play that you actually get to see.

Acting for the stage is different from acting in the movies in one very big way. In a movie, you can keep saying the same line over and over until you get it right. In a play, you have only one chance to get it right. An actor does not have a chance to fix it if he or she makes a mistake. They just go right on with the show.

A play is one of the most exciting performances you can see.

Find out what it’s like to be right there in the same room with the actors as they perform live.

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Vocabulary WORDS

Set: Furniture, platforms, etc. arranged to suggest a specific location.

Wings: Spaces used for entrances and exits on the sides of the stage.

Script: A printed copy of the play.

Strike: To take down a scene from the stage.

Clear: To clear the stage of actors, scenery and props in order to set the stage for the next scene.

Run-through: A rehearsal of the entire play.

Curtain Call: Bow taken by the actors at the end of a performance in response to the cheering of the audience.

Counterclockwise from top Glenn Davis and Chris Perfetti in King James; Mike Birbiglia in The Old Man and the Pool. Photos by Craig Schwartz Photography Maria Dizzia in What the Constitution Means to Me. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Students enjoying a performance

Watch a Theatre Performance

Music Center Profiles What is your job?

“I write plays. My most recent plays are The Sun Serpent and Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle. Thousands of children will get to see my plays” PLAYWRIGHT

José Cruz González

As young student

How did you get started?

“I grew up very poor in a migrant worker family in Central California. My three brothers and I worked in the fields with our parents all through school. I found a way to escape in the arts. I first painted, but eventually became a writer.”

When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living?

“In college there were no young Hispanic writers. I decided that I should not only become a writer but also help other Hispanics get into the arts. In 1985, I started the Hispanic Playwright Project. The project helps develop new plays for Hispanics across the country.”

What is your job?

“I help keep track of all the technical details, plan the schedule, keep track of the budget and make sure the show is ready for opening.

I am a professional problem solver!”

SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER CENTER THEATRE GROUP

Shannon Bicknell

As young student

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How did you get started?

“I attended musical theater summer camp, performed all through my school years, and fell in love with theater. After college, I started stage managing and eventually made my way into production management.”

When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living?

“I loved performing but when I started working behind the scenes I realized that was a better fit for me. I’m good at organizing and managing, and working backstage matched my personality and skill. I then got my Master’s degree in Stage Management. I feel lucky that I get to do my dream job now!”

My Journey Through The Music Center

Ahmanson Theatre Home to center Theatre group

See The Ahmanson

Where Every Show is a Big Hit!

In April 12, 1967, just three days after the Mark Taper Forum opened its doors, the Ahmanson Theatre opened. It was named for Howard Ahmanson, an important banker and civic leader in Los Angeles. The Ahmanson was designed to present big productions of musical theatre and is more than three times as big as the Mark Taper Forum. These shows are larger than life.

In addition to the Mark Taper Forum, Center Theatre Group also calls the Ahmanson its home. Touring companies from around the country also come to the theatre to perform. A touring company is a group of actors, actresses, singers, dancers and musicians who travel around the country performing a particular show. Not all of the shows performed at the Ahmanson are musicals.

Many of the shows presented at the Ahmanson Theatre started on Broadway, a famous street in New York City where many theatres are located. It is considered one of the highest achievements for a play or musical to have a show run on Broadway.

As you learned at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, musical theatre has its roots in opera. Sometimes the stories are about real events in our history. Miss Saigon, written in 1986, was about the Vietnam War. It featured an actual helicopter on stage (it didn’t fly, but it did start up its engine and it was very loud). Sometimes a show might take a modern look at a classic opera like La Bohème. This story was written before the last century, but in the version that was performed at the Ahmanson in 2004, the story took place during the 1950s.

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Interior of the ahmanson Theatre during a performance

VOCABULARY WORDS

Lyricist: A person who writes the words to a song.

Score: The written music for a musical (like the script for a play).

Props: The objects used by actors in a show to carry out their part, such as a telephone, briefcase, cup or a key to a door.

The Book: The script of all the lines actors say in between the songs in musical theatre.

Shift: The moment when stagehands change or rearrange the furniture or other items on a set in the middle of a performance.

Audition: The time when artists come to try out for a part in a show.

Dress rehearsal: A complete run-through of a show with all the performers in the costumes they will wear in the performance.

Scene: Each portion of dialogue and action in a show that takes place in one location or time of day.

Cue: A word or action by another performer that signals another actor to begin their part.

Shown here are posters from Ahmanson Theatre performances, Dear Evan Hansen, Amélie, Matilda, and Into the Woods

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My Journey Through The Music Center

ahmanson Theatre Watch a Theatre Performance Photo by Carol Rosegg

A Little Bit of Everything The style of the modern musical developed during the 1920s and 1930s.

Early pioneers of the musical were composers like George Gershwin (Crazy for You), Jerome Kern (Show Boat), and Cole Porter (Anything Goes). Many of the most popular songs on the radio came from famous Broadway shows.

Top photo is Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana from Cinderella. Inset is the cast of Amélie

What musicals Do I want to see Write in your answers

The musical, like opera, has something for everybody: music, dancing, acting … all performed in and around huge stage sets and scenery. Musical productions at the Ahmanson Theatre are similar to a major rock concert. The music is big, powerful and loud. The stage sets and light shows are

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simply amazing. The songs tie together to tell a story. Musical theatre adds dance and dramatic acting to the show as well.

Sometimes a musical is based on a book or a play. The Phantom of the Opera is a musical retelling of the 1911 novel by Gaston Leroux. Phantom was performed at the Ahmanson from 1989 to 1993, making it not only the longest running show in the history of The Music Center, but in all of Los Angeles theater as well.

Seeing a musical at the Ahmanson is a thrill for your senses. It is a live performance you will remember all of your life.

aHMANSON Fun Facts

Acoustics: The qualities that determine the ability of a hall or room to reflect sound (like when you sing in the shower you can hear the echoes).

Melody: A succession of musical tones that carry the main theme of a work of music.

Harmony: Blocks of different tones that sound together to make one chord.

Chorus: A group of vocalists organized to sing together under the guidance of a conductor.

A Capella: Without instrumental musical accompaniment; comes from the phrase “In the style of the chapel.”

Lyrics: The words to a song.

Choral Music: Music arranged for the different vocal ranges of male and female singers.

Rhythm: The pattern of repeating strong and weak beats and silence.

Large photo is from Matilda: The Musical.

Photo by Craig Schwartz. The two inset photos are from War Horse

Music Center Profiles What is your job?

“I am the Costume Shop Manager for Center Theatre Group. I oversee the department to make sure all the costumes are as expected by the designer, and ensure they are ready for the performances.”

COSTUME SHOP MANAGER CENTER THEATRE GROUP

Shanta Faria De Sa As young student

What was your most memorable show?

“My most memorable show was Secret Garden at the Ahmanson. It was my first production and the Victorian era costumes were beautiful.”

What do you like most about your job?

“I love being able to create and develop new skill sets. Being a draper and pattern-maker allows me to make a designer’s work come alive. I love guiding others to see the designer’s vision.”

What is your job?

“My job is to deal with the public when they are here, making sure everyone is having an enjoyable time.

HOUSE MANAGER AHMANSON THEATRE

Christine Cox

As young student

How did you get started?

“I started out as a singer and actor. But, like many, I discovered I wasn’t quite good enough to stay on stage, so I found a career behind the scenes.”

What was your most memorable show?

“I love musicals, and if I had to pick one it would be Les Misérables. I sat through it 78 times and never got tired of it!”

Do you go to school to be a House Manager?

“I have a degree in Arts Management.”

What schooling/training did you have?

“I got degrees in fashion design and costume design. I previously worked as a costume designer in film and children’s theatre.”

What do you like most about your job?

“The fact that I get to go to a show every night. I don’t feel like I’m going to work – it is just fun.”

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My Journey Through The Music Center

Walt Disney Concert Hall

HOME to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale

A Dream that Began with a Mouse Walt Disney was a pioneer and innovator in cartoon animation.

It all began with Mickey Mouse, the first animated character he created in 1928. During his career, Disney’s movies received 48 Academy Awards.

After Walt Disney died in 1966, his wife Lillian wanted to create a monument to celebrate his imagination.

In 1987, Lillian made a gift of $50 million dollars to start the Walt Disney Concert Hall project. Architect Frank Gehry was selected to design Walt Disney Concert Hall. His wish was to build a concert hall that would be something the world had never seen — unique on the outside and with the best sound (or acoustics) on the inside. The grand sweeping waves of stainless steel made the building an instant landmark. Inside the concert hall, wooden forms arch across the ceiling and around the sides, giving the effect of being onboard a mighty sailboat. Seats surround the stage where the musicians play. There are no barriers between the musicians and the audience.

The hall is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The Philharmonic is made up of 106 musicians. They perform classical music, some pieces written hundreds of years ago and some modern pieces created especially for an orchestra. Gustavo Dudamel is Music Director. He is the leader of the orchestra. When the Philharmonic performs, he is often the conductor, standing in front of the musicians and guiding them to perform as a group in just the right way. In this sense, he is “playing” the orchestra as if it were a single giant instrument.

The Master Chorale is made up of about 114 men and women singers.

Like the Philharmonic, they perform songs that are both old and new. Sometimes the Chorale sings with the Philharmonic and sometimes with their own orchestra or just a piano. They often sing a cappella, without any instruments at all.

Grant Gershon is the Music Director. He leads the singers in the same way a conductor leads an orchestra — only the voices are the “instruments” he conducts.

Check Out the Concert Hall A cutout of the Gehry-designed rose-shaped mosaic fountain in The Blue Ribbon Garden

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Fun Fact

It was so complicated to design because at the time there was no computer software available to draw the construction plans, so Frank Gehry had to use one designed to create fighter jets

Los Angeles Philharmonic in action

Philharmonic Vocabulary

Orchestra: A group of musicians playing instruments belonging to string, woodwind, brass and percussion families.

Conductor: The director of a musical group. The musicians are his “instruments” and he is “playing” them.

Composer: A person who creates musical works.

Winds or Woodwinds: The section of the orchestra with “wind” blown instruments that are not brass (clarinet, oboe, flute and saxophone).

Strings: The section of the orchestra with stringed instruments (violin, cello, viola and bass).

Brass: The section of the orchestra with “wind” blown instruments that are brass (trumpet, trombone and tuba).

Percussion: Instruments that derive their sound from being shaken or struck (drums, cymbals, triangles, gongs and chimes).

Concerto: Musical composition for one featured performer.

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What Instrument do I want to play Write in your ideas

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My Journey Through The Music Center

Walt Disney Concert Hall It’s All About the Music WOW!

The pipe organ has 6,134 pipes and cost $1 million to build

Hear the Voices

Los Angeles Master Chorale inside Walt Disney Concert Hall Photo by Ken Hively

The Walt Disney Concert Hall opened in 2003 featuring exceptional acoustics. This has been the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale presenting the best in classical music, contemporary music, world music, jazz and choral music.

job in the N.B.A. He practiced for many years to become great at what he did.

The same is true for the members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Each has worked hard for many years to achieve their dreams of becoming a professional artist.

The famous violinist Itzhak Perlman said he used to practice for hours on end while watching TV. (He especially liked to practice while watching Star Trek.) A classical musician trains and practices like a professional athlete. Kobe Bryant didn’t just decide one day to apply for a

The first thing you might notice looking at an orchestra is that there are many people playing the same instruments. A rock band may have only one bass guitarist, but the Philharmonic has several string bass players. The people playing the same instruments

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are usually playing the same musical notes, too. The texture and depth created from several instruments playing the same note at the same time is what gives the music its power and impact. Nothing can match hearing live music in Walt Disney Concert Hall.

It has been said that music is the art of communication. Music can be happy or sad, gentle or powerful, funny or frightening. When the Philharmonic or the Master Chorale performs, they send out a powerful message. All you have to do is open your heart and ears to receive it.

chorale Vocabulary

Acoustics: The qualities that determine the ability of a hall or room to reflect sound (like when you sing in the shower you can hear the echoes).

Melody: A succession of musical tones that carry the main theme of a work of music.

Harmony: Blocks of different tones that sound together to make one chord.

Chorus: A group of vocalists organized to sing together under the guidance of a conductor.

A Cappella: Without instrumental musical accompaniment, comes from the phrase “In the style of the chapel.”

Choral Music: Music arranged for the different vocal ranges of male and female singers.

Rhythm: The pattern of repeating strong and weak beats and silence.

Disney Hall Fun Facts

Accessorize!

Members of the orchestra can’t wear bracelets because they might knock into their instrument while they are playing.

The French have a word for it “Philharmonic” is from the French word philharmonique that means “loving harmony.”

Silence is golden If you sit in the balcony and clear your throat, the orchestra can hear it.

Open-air arts On the garden level, there is a 300seat children’s amphitheatre where free shows are presented by The Music Center for families.

Music Center Profiles What is your job?

“I am the Associate Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Primarily, my job is to cover the first clarinet parts when the Principal is not playing.”

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL CLARINET OF THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

Burt Hara

What schooling/training did you have?

“I studied with Yehuda Gilad, he is considered one of the greatest teachers of all time. After high school, I went to Chicago and studied at Northwestern University. After one year, I transferred to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where I earned my Bachelors Degree after three years.”

What is your job?

“I am the Chief Content Officer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.”

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC

Meghan Umber

When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living?

“I first knew I wanted to play the clarinet for a living during a performance of the Dvorak Serenade while I was still in High School. There was a moment in the third movement, while holding a high C, when I just realized how lucky I was to be playing this incredible piece. I never looked back.”

How did you get started?

“I interned at the LA Phil while I was in college.

I would take the bus downtown three times a week to work for the development department.

Later on they hired me full time.”

When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living?

“When I was 15 my summer music camp counselor told me about Artistic Planning and that there was a whole team of people working backstage to support orchestras and performers. Until then I didn’t know such a job existed, but once I learned about it I knew it was the job for me.”

What do you like most about your job?

“My favorite part about my job is working with the many artists that perform on our stages.

Each week is different and you get to experience so many different types of music!”

21

MUSIC

NOTES FRENCH HORNS are full of twists and turns. If you stretched one out, it would be over 12 feet long!

THE PIANO IS KNOWN AS THE

“KING OF THE INSTRUMENTS”

Mga sungay ng Pransya ay puno ng mga twists at lumiliko. Kung ikaw iniunat ang isa, ito ay tapos na 12 talampakan ang haba!

Because its range goes from the lowest note that you can play on a double-bassoon to the highest note that you can play on a piccolo.

El piano es conocido como el "Rey de los instrumentos" porque su registro va desde la nota más baja que se puede tocar en el contrafagot hasta la nota más alta que se puede tocar en el flautín.

JACKIE CHAN IS A CLASSICALLY TRAINED OPERA SINGER.

成龙是一位古典培 训歌剧演员。

The term “opera” comes from the Latin “opus,” or “work”.

HELE MAI KA HUA’ŌLELO “OPERA” MAI KA LATIN “OPUS,” OLE “HANA”

The harmonica is the world’s best-selling music instrument.

La armónica es el más vendido del mundo instrumento de musica.

22

ONE OF THE REASONS OPERA SINGERS DON’T NEED MICROPHONES AND CAN BE HEARD OVER MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT IS BECAUSE THEY SING AT A DIFFERENT SOUND FREQUENCY TO THE ORCHESTRA. Einer der Gründe, warum Opernsänger keine Mikrofone benötigen und über die Musikbegleitung gehört werden können, ist, dass sie mit einer anderen Tonfrequenz zum Orchester singen.

A songbird sings 2,000 times a day El pájaro cantor canta 2,000 veces al día.

FLOWERS CAN GROW FASTER

BY LISTENING TO MUSIC. Kwiaty mogą rosnąć szybciej, słuchając muzyki.

Playing the violin burns approximately 170 calories per hour.

SUONARE IL VIOLINO BRUCIA CIRCA 170 CALORIE ALL’ORA.

If you say ‘Macbeth’ in a theater, it is considered bad luck and to reverse the “curse” you need to walk three times in a circle anticlockwise, then either spit or say a rude word.

Si dices 'Macbeth' en un teatro, se considera mala suerte y para revertir la “maldición” se necesita caminar tres veces en sentido contrario, luego escupir o decir una palabra grosera.

A GRAND PIANO CAN BE PLAYED FASTER THAN AN UPRIGHT PIANO. 그랜드 피아노는 업라이트 피아노보다 빠르게 연주 할 수 있습니다.

The type of music you listen to affects the way you perceive the world.

Le type de musique que vous écoutez influe sur la façon dont vous percevez le monde.

Two seats are permanently bolted open at the Palace Theatre in London for the theatre ghosts to sit in.

Dos asientos están permanentemente atornillados abierto el Palace Theatre de Londres para que los fantasmas del teatro se sienten.

23

A HARP IS PLAYED WITH ONLY FOUR FINGERS: THE FIRST THREE FINGERS AND THE THUMB. एक वीणा के साथ ख ल े ा जाता ह ै केव ल चार उंग लियां: पहली तीन अंगल ु ियो ं और अंगठू े।

The Orchestra An orchestra is a group of musicians who play instruments from four basic groups or families: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. They are called families because the instruments in each group share characteristics such as how they make their sound, how they are constructed and the materials used to make them. The musicians sit next to other people who play the same instrument or others from the same family.

This is the way most orchestras are arranged.

the lower the notes. Most winds use a thin piece of wood called a reed which vibrates when the musician blows across it. Woodwinds, like clarinets, oboes, and bassoons, are usually made of wood, although flutes and saxophones are often metal. The woodwinds add color to the string sound and often carry the melody.

Brass Instruments

Brass instruments also get their sound when the musician blows air through a mouthpiece into a tube. By changing how far the air must travel through the tubes, the musician creates the different notes. The sound for the lowest notes must travel the furthest. These are usually golden instruments made of brass, such as the trumpet, trombone, tuba and the French horn. These instruments play loudly and often provide a dramatic climax to a piece.

String Instruments

The string instruments make sound when a bow or finger strums the strings and causes a vibration. The sound from the vibrating string is amplified by a hole in the body of the wood instrument. The longer the string, the lower or deeper the sound of the notes it produces.

The violin, viola, cello, bass and harp are the most common string instruments in the orchestra. The string family makes up more than half the orchestra. They are the most versatile and play almost continuously in much of the music written for orchestras.

Percussion Instruments

Percussion instruments make sound when two objects bang into each other. The objects can be a hand, a stick, a mallet, or a piece of metal. In fact, almost anything you can hit like a drum, rattle, or shake would be called a percussion instrument. The percussionists in the orchestra need to play many different instruments, often in the same piece of music! Percussion instruments include drums, cymbals, xylophones, chimes and tambourines. They emphasize the rhythm in a score.

Woodwind Instruments

For woodwinds, or winds, the musician blows air into a tube to cause the sound. The wind actually refers to breath. By covering or opening holes in the instrument with his fingers, the player can control how long the air must travel. The longer the air must travel,

Percussion Piano

es lut

Trumpets

Trombo

Basso o

inets Clar

olos Picc

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Oboes Violas

Tub as

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Eng lish

Ho

rn

F

Harp

nc Fre

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orns

Second Violins

Basses Cellos

First Violins

Conductor

24

THE ORCHESTRA IN ACTION

The Los Angeles Philharmonic

Watch a Symphony Performance

Gustavo Dudamel © 2023 Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

25

Watch a Performance

YOLA

provides young people, ages five through 18, with free instruments, intensive music instruction and opportunities to perform on stages in their communities and around the world.

In addition to YOLA’s local programs, which serve under-resourced communities across Los Angeles, YOLA National provides a number of opportunities for young musicians, teaching artists and program administrators to learn from and create community with one another.

YOLA

Youth Orchestra Los Angeles 26

Our Rising Stars.

Watch Spotlight Performers

Getting up in front of people is sometimes really scary, but each time you get up, you are building confidence muscles. The more you do it, the easier it gets! Just ask our Spotlight participants. Spotlight is The Music Center’s program that helps young performers get a start on their careers.

When you are a freshman in high school – just a few years from now – you can join this free program, which helps train young students who love the performing arts. You can enter in one of seven different categories: Non-Classical Voice, Classical Voice, Ballet, Dance, Acting, Jazz Instrumental and Classical Instrumental.

Spotlight

You then get to perform in front of a supportive panel of judges, who offer excellent, encouraging advice on how to improve and grow. Scholarships are awarded to students at all levels, and there’s a performance in front of thousands at one of The Music Center’s theaters, most recently Walt Disney Concert Hall.

ARTS SCHOLARSHIP AND TRAINING PROGRAM

Spotlight kids often go on to other training programs, and some actually become professional artists!

27

An Important Message for Your Parents

Un Mensaje Importante Para Sus Padres

DEAR PARENTS,

QUERIDOS PADRES,

We were delighted to provide this book to your child when they visited The Music Center with their classmates for the Children’s Festival. The students watched a performance featuring Parsons Dance. Then the kids all performed a dance of their own. It was a wonderful day!

Nos dió mucho gusto el haberles proporcionado este libro a sus hijos cuando visitaron el Festival de Los Niños en The Music Center. Los estudiantes vieron un rendimiento de Parsons Dance. Luego los niños juntos realizaron un baile propio. ¡Fue un día maravilloso!

We hope this book will encourage you to come to The Music Center with your family. Flip through it together and SCAN the QR code on page 2 to SEE and HEAR what happens on our stages and public spaces. The Music Center is one of the premier performing arts centers in the United States. We offer many wonderful programs for children and families. Our performances and arts workshops feature artists from all around the world. These events help students learn about different art forms and cultures. They also provide inspiration for young people to pursue their own dreams in the arts.

Many of the activities at The Music Center are free.

Some require that tickets be purchased. Located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, The Music Center is part of a vibrant cultural center, stretching from the Cathedral to the Central Library. It is a wonderful place to spend a Saturday or Sunday, enjoying the Arts and experiencing the exciting architecture.

Weekend parking at The Music Center is $10. You may also travel to The Music Center on the Metro. The two closest stations are Civic Center and Grand Avenue Arts. Many bus lines also stop right at The Music Center.

The bottom of this page has contact information to learn more about our activities at The Music Center.

We hope to see you soon!

Esperamos que este libro los anime a regresar a The Music Center junto con su familia. Hojeen juntos y ESCANEAN el código QR en la página 2 para VER y ESCUCHAR lo que sucede en nuestros escenarios y espacios publicos. The Music Center es uno de los centros de arte de más importancia en los Estados Unidos. Ofrecemos muchos excelentes programas para niños y para familias. Nuestros talleres de arte y nuestras presentaciones traen a artistas de todo el mundo. Estos eventos les ayudan a los estudiantes a aprender sobre diferentes artes y culturas. También les proveen a los jóvenes la inspiración para perseguir sus propios sueños artisticos.

Muchas de las actividades de The Music Center son gratuitas, mas algunas requieren la compra de boletos de admisión.

Localizado en el corazón del centro de Los Angeles, The Music Center es parte de un vibrante centro cultural que se extiende desde la Catedral hasta la Biblioteca Central. Es un magnifico sitio donde se puede pasar un Sábado o un Domingo, disfrutando de las Artes y de la interesante arquitectura.

El costo del estacionamiento en The Music Center los fines de semanas es de $10. También puedes viajar hasta The Music Center en el Metro. Las dos estaciones más cercanas son Civic Center (Centro Civico) y Grand Avenue Arts (Artes de la Gran Avenida). Además hay varias líneas de autobuses que tienen parada justo en The Music Center.

La parte inferior de esta pagina tiene más información sobre nuestras actividades en el Music Center. ¡Esperamos verlos pronto!

FOR MORE INFORMATION musiccenter.org or call 213-972-7211 Center Theatre Group

centertheatregroup.org | 213-628-2772

Los Angeles Master Chorale

lamc.org | 213-972-7282

Los Angeles Opera

laopera.com | 213-972-8001

Los Angeles Philharmonic

laphil.com | 323-850-2000

Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center musiccenter.org | 213-972-0711

THIS BOOK WAS PRODUCED BY THE MUSIC CENTER. We extend special thanks to Suzy Boyett, Keith Wyffels, The Blue Ribbon Book Committee: Maralee Beck and Karen Kay Platt. Design by Donna Balfour Broyles; Written by Randy Rice; Map Illustration by Cecily Willis-Schlonsky.

28 Copyright © 2004-2025 The Music Center: Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County.

Dorothy Chandl

er Pavilion

QUE PH PHOTO: LUIS LU

OTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: LUIS

Mark Taper Fo LUQUE PHOT

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OGRAPHY

We hope you will come back to The Music Center for some of our wonderful programs

Ahmanson Theatre PHOTO: CHARLES NEAL

Free programs in the arts for children and families Programas gratuitos en las artes para niños y familias

Walt Disne y

Concert Hal

PHOTO: GR

ANT MUDFO

l

RD

LEARN MORE AT MUSICCENTER.ORG