TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS
Fifth House Ensemble Journey LIVE 2017–18 Youth Performance Lessons & Resources 1
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GREETING
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OVERVIEW The Game, the Performers, and the Project More to Explore
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LESSONS Focuses Journey LIVE Unit
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YOUR VISIT Venue Details Getting Here Inside the Hall Audience Etiquette
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YOUTH PERFORMANCE
Fifth House Ensemble Journey LIVE Thu, Nov 9, 2017 11 am–12 pm Bass Concert Hall
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Greeting 4
We are looking forward to having you join us for a Fifth House Ensemble Journey LIVE Youth Performance on Thursday, November 9, 2017. In addition to logistical information to help plan your visit, this packet provides an overview of the performance and lessons to help you and your students make the most of your experience with Texas Performing Arts. This program is provided free of charge to you thanks to the generous support of H-E-B, Texas Commission for the Arts, Austin Community College, and several individual donors. Enjoy the performance! Sincerely,
Brenda Simms Education & Curriculum Development Campus & Community Engagement Texas Performing Arts The University of Texas at Austin bsimms@texasperformingarts.org
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THE GAME, THE PERFORMERS, AND THE PROJECT
In 2012, the video game Journey was released on the PlayStation console. Described as “the most beautiful game of its time” by IGN, critics have called Journey one of gaming’s crowning achievements. But the praise doesn’t stop there; Journey was also honored with the first-ever Grammy nomination for a video game score. Fifth House Ensemble’s in-house composer, Dan Visconti soon became a fan. He, and many others appreciated that while most video games focus on violence, Journey was different. The goal is to get to the mountaintop, but the experience is the discovery of who you are, the story of this place, the rolling sand dunes, age-old ruins, and caves, and your purpose. And rather than communicate through words, you use actions and musical sounds. Visconti and Journey’s soundtrack composer, Austin Wintory, became acquainted when Visconti wrote a rave review in New Music USA. He was so blown away, he convinced Fifth House Ensemble’s flutist and Executive Director Melissa Snoza (who is not a game enthusiast) to give it a try. She cried three times the first time she played she was so moved by the experience. The Chicago-based ensemble is known for tapping the collaborative spirit of chamber music to create engaging
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The whole undertaking is marked by spirited musicmaking of the finest kinds.” —San Francisco Chronicle
performances and interactive educational programs. The next step, naturally, was figuring out how to turn Journey into a live performance. In 2016, Fifth House Ensemble launched a Kickstarter to crowd fund the exciting, but complicated work of dissecting and perfecting a live performance experience. They reached their original $5,000 goal in 2 hours and raised a total of $52,505. So, how exactly do they make the magic happen? Fifth House Ensemble’s 11 members are joined by three additional musicians on stage, a conductor, and a series of live gameplayers. The gamers play a special version of Journey with only sound effects; the music has been stripped out. And rather than using sheet music, the ensemble works with iPads and special music-reading software. The conductor watches the game unfold and makes hand signals to cue the musicians’ reactions and changes to match what is happening on screen. Each performance is a truly one-of-a-kind experience, and we look forward to sharing it with you and your students!
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MORE TO EXPLORE
Play Through of Journey Level 1 (9:34) Video bit.ly/2iOSaMW Journey LIVE Performance Clip (4:39) Video bit.ly/2iipojJ Fifth House Ensemble Rehearsal (1:55) Video bit.ly/2xEZkFZ The Fifth House Ensemble Kickstarter (4:44) Video + Article bit.ly/2z0FnuC
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PlayStation Journey Trailer (1:57) Video bit.ly/2z2SY4S
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We created these lessons because we believe in the educational value of experiencing a live artistic performance. This Youth Performance field trip is full of learning opportunities. The lesson plans provided focus on the following: • Elements of the musical performance (the instruments and the music) • The multimedia experience • Awareness of the life and careers of the musicians, composer, and conductor • The development of the video game Journey • Use of literary theory (The Hero’s Journey/monomyth)
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FOCUSES
Choose from these Focus topics and use the resources to design your own lessons or presentations for your students as you prepare for the performance. Focuses Focus 1: What is the video game Journey? Focus 2: Who is Fifth House Ensemble (5HE)? Focus 3: The Journey LIVE Project Focus 4: Concert Etiquette Document bit.ly/2zm2B1h
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JOURNEY LIVE UNIT
Central Focus This mini-unit focuses on Fifth House Ensemble’s (5HE) performance of Journey LIVE and allows students to explore Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey (monomyth) story structure in terms they understand, including pop culture, movies, and video games. Unit Objectives: 1. Students will be able to contextualize the different elements (5HE musicians, instruments) of the interactive multimedia performance, Journey LIVE. 2. Students will be able to articulate the elements of The Hero’s Journey as developed by Joseph Campbell. 3. Students will be able to analyze media (film, comics, literature) in terms of The Hero’s Journey structure and illustrate the individual elements. 4. Students will be able to discuss the elements of video games as they relate to The Hero’s Journey and compare and contrast elements of video games and literature through discussion and writing. 5. Students will be able to read, discuss, and analyze a song from Journey, “I Was Born for This.”
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Essential Questions 1. Who is Fifth House Ensemble and what instruments do they play? 2. What do I know about The Hero’s Journey? What its elements and how is it employed in literature, film, and art? 3. What can I learn about myself through The Hero’s Journey? 4. What is the goal of video game Journey, who are the characters, and what is special about the game? Lessons Lesson 1: Journey Into Journey Lesson 2: The Hero’s Journey: From Jenova Chen to Me Lesson 3: “I Was Born for This”: The Reason for the Journey Lesson 4: Concert Recap and Final Argumentative Assessment Choice Board Document bit.ly/2lxXBAw
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VENUE DETAILS
Address Bass Concert Hall (bit.ly/2h4s08j) The University of Texas at Austin 2350 Robert Dedman Dr Austin, TX 78712 Food and Drink Food and drinks are not allowed in the hall. Accessibility Special requests such as, wheelchair seats, close seating for the visually impaired, FM listening devices, and space for a sign interpreter are available upon request. Tickets Youth Performances are not ticketed events. Parking Texas Performing Arts provides free parking for buses and vans.
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GETTING HERE
Bus Drop-off & Pick-up and Parking Instructions Document bit.ly/2ij65H6 Bus Arrival Time: 9:45–10:30 am Normal parking resumes on Robert Dedman Dr by 1 pm. If you are staying on campus you will need to arrange for parking at another location.
INSIDE THE HALL
Upon Arrival Staff will greet your bus and guide you to your seats. Students should enter the hall in single file in the order they will be seated. Be Seated By: 10:45 am Power off all cell phones. No photos or recording devices may be used inside the hall. You are welcome to take photos in the lobby or outside the theatre.
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During the Performance Restrooms are available on each level of Bass Concert Hall. After your group is seated, an usher can assist you in sending students to the restroom. After the Performance We will announce which schools’ buses are at the curb ready to pick up students. You may have to wait 30 minutes (or more) for your bus to arrive. All the buses cannot fit at the curb at the same time. Please plan accordingly. We request that you account for your students efficiently when loading buses to maintain traffic flow. We’d love to hear from you! Help us improve our Youth Performance experiences by taking our survey. bit.ly/2zagCyt
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AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
4 Simple Rules of Audience Ettiquette 1. Turn off electronic devices. 2. Be respectful to the performers. Applaud or laugh when appropriate, but do not talk or make unnecessary, distracting noises. 3. Be respectful to other audience members. Do not distract your neighbors with your voice, hands, or feet. Let teachers deal with distractions. Students who say “Shhh!” or “Quiet down!” can be equally disruptive. 4. Be respectful to the concert hall. Do not do anything destructive to the floors, seats, walls, bathrooms, etc. Etiquette at Bass Concert Hall Slideshow bit.ly/2gPjt5g
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A Short Guide to Concert Etiquette with Jason Lai (4:22) Video bit.ly/2z8g5wL
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Campus & Community Engagement at Texas Performing Arts Judith Rhedin, Assistant Director Brenda Simms, Education & Curriculum Development Hannah Hopkins, Senior Student Associate texasperformingarts.org/get-involved
Thank you to our sponsors whose generous support makes our programs available to the University of Texas at Austin campus and Central Texas community!
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