Teacher Guide for the Primary Concert

Transcription

1 CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN, MUSIC DIRECTOR Teacher Guide for the Primary Concert I RPO Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Primary Concert Michael Butterman, Conductor The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Eastman Theatre 1

2 Dear Teachers: We are happy to present this Teacher s Guide to help you prepare your students for the Primary Concert on February 11, We hope that it will be easy to use for both music and classroom teachers. Because there will be students from 1st through 3rd grades attending this concert, you may have to adapt some of the activities to suit the age and abilities of your students. There are instructions in this packet of how to make various instruments. We encourage you to pick one or two that you like, have your students make them and then bring them to the concert. During the concert, your students will learn about the four instrumental families of the orchestra, how they all make sound and how they work together. Michael Butterman, Principal Conductor for Education & Outreach (The Louise & Henry Epstein Family Chair), will be joined by the RPO musicians and there will be places during the concert where you will be able to play your own homemade instrument! Your students will understand what makes the orchestra sound truly special. Sound Focus This will let you know what students should listen for in a specific piece. Each lesson is developed around the Sound Focus. Many thanks to Jeanne Gray for her assistance with developing these activities. Other activities were developed by Patricia Kline and Adrienne Valencia. The cover illustration was created by Patricia Kline. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Education Department Adrienne Valencia, Director of Education & Outreach Kelley Dey, Education Intern Patricia Kline, Education Intern The Primary Concert is funded by the City of Rochester, William A. Johnson, Jr., Mayor; CitiBank and the Glover/Crask Charitable Trust. The RPO s education and Outreach programs are made possible in part by NYS Senator Jim Alesi; the NYS Assembly, secured by Assemblyman Joseph D. Morelle; the NYS Council on the Arts, a State agency; NYS Senator Michael F. Nozzolio; the Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul Foundation; Kaufmann's, a Division of the May Department Stores; Frontier, a Citizens Communication company; Preferred Care; Democrat and Chronicle; Thomson West; Wendy s Restaurants of Rochester; and Xerox. 2

3 Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Primary Concert The Science of Sound Teacher s Guide Table of Contents Background Information Meet your conductor! 4 Learn to conduct! 4 Sound in Music 5 Learning about the composers and listening to their music Biography of Georges Bizet 6 Farandole from L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2 by Georges Bizet 7 Biography of JS Bach 8 Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major by JS Bach 9 Biography of Johannes Brahms 10 Serenade in A Major, Op. 16 (II. Scherzo: Vivace) by Johannes Brahms 11 Biography of Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov 12 Procession of the Nobles from Mlada by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov 13 Biography of Sergei Prokofiev 14 Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev 15 Biography of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky 17 Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 The Pathetique (III. Allegro Molto Vivace) by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky 18 Focus on Percussion 20 Concert Manners 23 Program Evaluation 24 3

4 Michael Butterman has held the position of Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach (the Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) since the season. He conducts all of the orchestra s concerts for young people, leads many other programs in the symphony s season, and represents the organization in the community. Mr. Butterman is also the Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in Florida. Mr. Butterman began studying music at the age of seven. He took piano lessons beginning in the second grade, and added violin the next year. He enjoyed music so much that he became a violinist in the Northern Virginia Youth Symphony, and practiced piano for hours each day. He eventually entered and won several piano competitions when he was in high school. Although he loved music, he decided to concentrate on studies in chemistry when he was in college. He remained involved in music by playing piano for his school s choruses. One year, he was asked to conduct the choruses, and discovered how much he enjoyed working with other musicians to prepare concert programs. Mr. Butterman then decided to get some specialized training in conducting, and enrolled at Indiana University. He was offered a teaching position at Louisiana State University and lived in Baton Rouge for five years. Today, he lives in Florida with his wife, Jennifer, who plays violin in the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Learn to conduct! A conductor has many different responsibilities. He/She plans the music that the audience will hear, learns the different parts that each musician plays and decides how to interpret what the composer has written. The conductor uses each of his/her hands differently. With the right hand he/she keeps the beat with a specific pattern (see below), with the left hand, he/she communicates the expressive qualities of the music. Practice these conducting patterns with music! 4

5 By Sharon Fabian There are many, many ways in which sound affects our lives, but one of the very best is music. One definition of music is sound arranged into interesting and pleasing patterns. Musical instruments each have their own way of arranging sound into patterns. Percussion instruments produce vibrations from a tight membrane that is stretched over the top of the drum. When the membrane is hit with drumsticks or hands, a vibration begins which produces the sound. This is how snare drums, kettledrums, and bongo drums produce their sound. There are also percussion instruments made of metal that produce sounds when they are hit. Some of these are chimes, xylophones, cymbals, and triangles. Instruments including the guitar, cello, violin, mandolin, lute, and harp are called string instruments because their sound begins with vibrating strings. The vibration of the strings causes part of the body of the instrument to vibrate as well, and finally the vibration is passed on to the air as a musical sound. Wind instruments produce their sound by a vibrating column of air inside the instrument. The vibration in wind instruments can be begun in several ways. A clarinet or saxophone begins its sound with a vibrating reed in the mouthpiece. A flute begins when the player blows across a hole, which vibrates the column of air inside. A trumpet begins its sound from the vibrations of the player's lips. Sound Word Search Find the words listed below forward, backwards or diagonally. X W T K G C M C S T R I N G D E B Q R E V N O I T A R B I V O Z N F N Y L L L P T L F S D S Z R A A T G U X K M O N V E S J Y K R O P M I J J R E Y W D F Y B B N N N R E E N Y P L S N V P M N F O C T I D E P X I O I X E Y Y F T L U R B O N R F U W M B Q A K X C K R Q Y D P S N D X P I Z U C G A K D U A O M D O S R S Q W J S R D K V I E S G O S L Y H C S L V H A A D I G I W L W R C M Z O W G Z Y T O R M H L T F T M P D Q C F N B W M Z G C X X I Q BRASS PATTERNS STRING COLUMN OF AIR PERCUSSION VIBRATION MEMBRANE SOUND WOODWIND This reading material was taken from 5

6 Georges Bizet Life Dates: Country of Origin: France Historical Era: Romantic "The composer gives the best of himself to the making of a work. He believes, doubts, enthuses, despairs, rejoices, and suffers in turn. " Some Inventions and Discoveries Made During Bizet s Lifetime A poster for Bizet s most well-known opera, Carmen. The opera scandalized Paris when it first opened because of its shocking plot about love betrayal, and jealousy Sewing Machine 1852 Elevator 1862 Plastic 1867 Typewriter Did you know Bizet s mother was a pianist and his father was a singing teacher. He was admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris at age nine. When he was a child, Bizet s parents hid his books from him so that he would work on his music instead of reading. He studied in Rome for three years after winning the Prix de Rome in He served in the national guard during the Franco-Prussian war. Bizet played both the piano and the organ. Other pieces by Bizet you may enjoy listening to Carmen suites 1 & 2 Overture to Les Pecheurs des Perles L Arlesienne suites 1 & 2 Jeux d enfants: Petite Suite 6

7 Farandole from L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2 by Georges Bizet Relating sound and color by using descriptive words This activity can be done with any piece of music on the concert, but Farandole is a good piece to begin with. Standard addressed: Elementary 3, Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art. 3b Students will describe the music in terms related to basic elements such as melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, timbre, form, style, etc. Materials needed: colored construction paper (see list of colors below) cut into 5 x 7 rectangles. Procedures: 1. Begin by telling students, When an artist paints a picture, he may use colors by themselves or he may mix colors together. In the same way, composers create orchestral colors by using instruments by themselves, or in combination with other sounds. Orchestra colors make music interesting and enjoyable. 2. Introduce the colors and their meanings from the list below. 3. Play Farandole once and ask students to describe what they hear using the words below or other descriptive words. 4. Distribute one card made of colored construction paper to each student. 5. Play Farandole again. 6. Ask students to hold up their color when they hear the appropriate sound. They can put their card down when they don t hear their sound anymore. 7. Optional Activity: Students can paint a picture with watercolors or tempera paint in the colors that they hear. PINK ORANGE YELLOW GREEN BLUE BROWN Festive sounds (usually many instruments playing together) Spicy or Exotic sounds (usually very rhythmic sounds) Announcing sounds (usually played by the brass family) Fresh sounds (usually woodwinds, especially flutes) Somber sounds (usually clarinets and oboes) Rich, low sounds (usually low strings) Be sure to tell your class that there is no right or wrong answer! 7

8 Johann Sebastian Bach Life Dates: Country of Origin: Germany Musical Era: Baroque The aim and final reason of all music should be nothing else but the Glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit." Some Inventions and Discoveries Made During Bach s Lifetime 1698 Steam Pump 1709 Piano 1722 Fire Extinguisher 1724 Mercury Thermometer Did you know Most of Bach s family, including his father, uncles, grandfather, cousins and children, were musicians. Many of them were also named Johann. The name Bach comes from the word for stream in German. Bach believed that the numbers 14, 43, and 166 held special significance in his life and often used them to structure his compositions. As a young man, Bach traveled 200 miles to learn from composer and organist Dietrich Buxtehude. According to some sources he may even have walked the whole way! Bach had twenty children, ten of whom survived to adulthood. This statue of Bach stands outside of St. Thomas s church in Leipzig, where he worked from The statue, created by Carl Seffner, was erected in Other works by Bach you may enjoy listening to Brandenburg concertos Toccata & Fugue in D minor Jesu, Joy of Man s Desiring Passacaglia Sheep May Safely Graze 8

9 Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major by JS Bach Standard Addressed: Elementary Standard 2 Knowing and Using Arts materials and Resources Performance Indicator (2b): Construct instruments out of materials not commonly used for musical instruments Students: 1. Will construct instruments out of materials found in the home or school 2. Will discover how various sounds are made on these instruments. 3. Will discover scientific facts about sound. 4. Will be assessed using the rubric provided below. Materials: Rubber bands or elastic of different sizes and width Sturdy boxes Two pencils for each child Scissors Procedure: Give each student a sturdy box*, with a lid, two pencils, rubber bands or elastic, and a pair of scissors. Ask students to cut a round section out of the cover of the box using scissors. (A plastic cover could be used as a model for the round section.) This is the sound hole. Place the cover on the box. Stretch rubber bands over length of box/cover. Place a pencil under the elastic to lift it off the box at each end of box. (This stops the buzzing sound.) Strum the instrument. Teacher Questions: 1. Can you make a sound? 2. What happens to the sound when the thicker elastic is plucked? the thinner one? 3. What can be deduced from this experiment about a thickness or tightness of the bands and the sound that is produced? 4. What instruments use this technique to make sounds? * Shoe box works well. 9

10 Johannes Brahms Life Dates: Country of Origin: Germany Historical Era: Romantic "It is not hard to compose, but it is wonderfully hard to let the superfluous notes fall under the table." Some Inventions and Discoveries Made During Brahms Lifetime 1837 Postage Stamp 1877 Aspirin 1877 Phonograph 1885 Automobile 1891 Escalator Did you know Brahms father was a double bass player and his mother was a seamstress. Brahms studied piano from the age of seven, and began studying theory and composition when he was thirteen. He published a collection of piano works under the name G. W. Marks. He was good friends with two other composers, Robert and Clara Schumann. Brahms s first symphony is sometimes referred to as Beethoven s tenth, because it is seen as a continuation of Beethoven s style and greatness. He was the first great musician to have his voice recorded. (Thomas Edison invented the phonograph twenty years before Brahms's death and fortunately his invention was used to record famous people of the time.) Brahms J. B. Streicher piano, which was kept in one of his apartments in Vienna Other works by Brahms you may enjoy listening to A German Requiem Hungarian Dances Variations on a theme of Joseph Haydn Liebeslieder Waltzes 10

11 Serenade in A Major, Op. 16 (II. Scherzo: Vivace) by Johannes Brahms Standard Addressed: Elementary Standard 2 Knowing and Using Arts materials and Resources Performance Indicator (2b): Construct instruments out of materials not commonly used for musical instruments. Students: 1. Will construct instruments out of materials found in the home or school 2. Will discover how various sounds are made on these instruments. 3. Will discover scientific facts about sound. 4. Will be assessed using the rubric provided below. Objective: To discover simple properties of sound Materials: Straws paper straws are preferred. Scissors Procedure: Give each student a straw and a pair of scissors. Ask students to cut a V shaped from each end of straw using scissors. Students can experiment getting a sound from the straw* Teacher Questions: 1. Can you make a sound? (The sound they are aiming to make is a buzzy sound that you might get from a double reed instrument.) 2. After most have achieved sound, the teachers suggests each student make another V shaped cut from one end of the straw. 2. What happens to the sound when you make the straw shorter by cutting off a section of the straw? 3. What can be deduced from this experiment about a column of air? 4. What instruments use this technique to make sounds? * blow into the straw with the tip of the V facing up and away from the mouth. 11

12 Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov Life Dates: Country of Origin: Russia Historical Era: Romantic The tasks of depicting the joys of revenge, power, and love...are purely lyrical tasks, calling for no fixed form; they merely denote modes and their changes, and thus allow complete freedom of musical structure. Some Inventions and Discoveries Made During Rimsky-Korsakov s Lifetime 1893 Ferris Wheel 1901 Vacuum Cleaner 1903 Crayons 1906 Cornflakes Did you know Rimsky-Korsakov entered the naval academy at age twelve and grew up to be a naval officer and inspector of the military orchestras. While in the Russian Navy, he visited such places as New York, Baltimore, Washington, Brazil, and a number of European countries. He completed his first Symphony while aboard ship on a 2-3 year trip. He was a member of The Mighty Five, a group of nationalistic Russian composers. After the death of composer Modest Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov organized and reorganized many of Mussorgsky s works so that they could be performed. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote an autobiography called My Musical Life. Rimsky-Korsakov was a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (below) from 1871 until his death in Among his students were Glazunov, Stravinsky and Prokofiev. Other works by Rimsky- Korsakov you may enjoy listening to Flight of the Bumblebee Cappricio Espagnol Scheherazade Song of India from Sadko Coq d Or suite 12

13 Procession of the Nobles from Mlada by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov Standard Addressed: Elementary Standard 2 Knowing and Using Arts materials and Resources Performance Indicator (2b): Construct instruments out of materials not commonly used for musical instruments. Students: 1. Will construct instruments out of materials found in the home or school 2. Will discover how various sounds are made on these instruments. 3. Will discover scientific facts about sound. 4. Will be assessed using the rubric provided below. Materials: Tubing or hose Brass mouth-piece Cutting implement Procedure: Give each student a piece of tubing, a mouthpiece, and a funnel. Have the students place the mouthpiece in one end of tubing and the funnel in the other. Ask students to practice buzzing their lips. Then ask students to buzz their lips into the mouthpiece and make a sound. Cut a piece of the tubing from the funnel end. Ask students to buzz again. Teacher Questions: 1. Can you make a sound? 2. What happens to the sound when the tube is shortened? 3. What can be deduced from this experiment about the length of the tubing? 4. What instruments use this technique to make sounds? * This might be tried by just a couple of students since the equipment is more difficult to find easily. 13

14 Sergei Prokofiev Life Dates: Country of Origin: Ukraine (Russia) Historical Era: 20th Century "The cardinal virtue (or, if you like, vice) of my life has always been the search for originality. I hate imitation. I hate hackneyed methods. I do not want to wear anyone else's mask. I want always to be myself." Some Inventions and Discoveries Made During Prokofiev s Lifetime 1919 Pop-up Toaster 1921 First Robot 1928 Penicillin 1946 Microwave Oven Did you know Prokofiev s mother was a freed Russian serf and an amateur pianist and his father was an agricultural engineer. He wrote his first opera at age nine and was accepted into the St. Petersburg conservatory at thirteen as the youngest student ever to be accepted. Prokofiev wrote scores for several films, including Alexander Nevsky, Lieutenant Kijé, and Ivan the Terrible. He lived outside of Russia for eighteen years, because he did not agree with the government, but he returned in In 1948, his works were officially banned by the Soviet government for being too formalist. A still from the film Aleksandr Nevski, directed by Sergei Eisenstein, a great Russian filmmaker. Prokofiev wrote the score. Other works by Prokofiev you may enjoy listening to Peter and the Wolf Love for Three Oranges March & Scherzo Lieutenant Kijé Suite Classical Symphony Cinderella suites 14

15 Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev These three activities will teach your students about dynamics. Standard Addressed: Elementary Standard 3 - Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art. Performance Indicators: (3b) Describe the music in terms related to basic elements such as dynamics. (3c) Discuss the basic means by which the voice and instruments can alter dynamics. Activity 1: Observing Loud and Soft Sounds Discussion Points: How would you make a loud sound? How would you make a soft sound? Procedure: Students will be given the following objects and try to make loud and soft noises. Rubber bands and plastic cups. Pie plates Wood blocks Pencils Ask students which materials made soft sounds easily and which made loud sounds easily. Was it difficult to make a soft or loud sound on any one of these materials? Activity 2: Make Your Own Thunderstorm Objective: To make sounds at various dynamic levels. The teacher will ask the students questions about thunderstorms, such as, "Do you like them?, Are you scared of them? Discuss. Procedures: Teacher explains to class that we will create a thunderstorm using our bodies in a round - like fashion. Split class into three groups and explain the order for creating the thunderstorm. Create thunderstorm making sounds in this order beginning with one group at a time. rub hands together snap fingers pat hands on legs stomp feet on ground/play drums pat hands on legs snap fingers rub hands together STOP Discuss how our thunderstorm was soft and loud. Introduce terms for dynamics such as piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, and forte. You could also include pianissimo and fortissimo. Make another thunderstorm, this time calling out the sound levels as they change. 15

16 Activity 3: Using Creative Movement to Demonstrate Dynamics Review music terms for dynamics. Ask students to come up with a movement to demonstrate each dynamic level. For example, for piano the students could crouch down. For mezzo piano students could stand and just bend their knees. For mezzo forte, students could stand straight up. And for forte students could raise hands up in the air. Or you could ask students to come up with animals that might represent each dynamic level. A mouse could be piano and an elephant or lion could be forte. Play the first 30 seconds of Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev. After stopping the music, ask students what the dynamic level is. Did it stay the same? Did it change? Play another 30 seconds of the piece. Ask them to demonstrate the dynamic levels that they are hearing with their chosen movements. If they are using the animal analogy, ask them to act like the animal that they hear. You ll need plenty of space in your classroom to make room for scurrying mice and roaring lions! Keep playing the music and having students demonstrate what they hear with their movements. p mp mf f 16

17 Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky Life Dates: Country of Origina: Russia Historical Era: Romantic "Truly there would be a reason to go mad were it not for music." Some Inventions and Discoveries Made During Tchaikovsky s Lifetime 1876 Telephone 1879 Light Bulb 1885 Motorcycle 1893 Zipper Did you know Tchaikovsky s father was a mining inspector. Once, as child, Tchaikovsky became so entranced with the rhythms that he was tapping on a window, that he continued to do so until he broke the glass. One of his brothers, Modest, was a playwright who also wrote librettos for two of Peter s operas. Modest also wrote his brother s biography after his death. Tchaikovsky studied law before deciding to become a composer in Upset with how it was received by the public, he burned the score of his first opera. One of Tchaikovsky s country homes, in Klin, Russia. Other pieces by Tchaikovsky you may enjoy listening to The Nutcracker Sleeping Beauty Swan Lake Symphony No. 4 Romeo and Juliet Capriccio Italien 17

18 Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 The Pathetique (III. Allegro Molto Vivace) by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Thinking about the sound of the orchestra as a whole. This activity can be done with any piece of music on the concert, but Pathetique is a good piece to begin with. Standard addressed: Elementary 3, Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art. 3b Students will describe the music in terms related to basic elements such as melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, timbre, form, style, etc. Materials needed: Orchestral Yahtzee score cards (see next page) Recording of piece Procedures: 1. Remind students that the orchestra is made up of four different families of instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion) and review those families with them. 2. Play the piece through once asking students to make a tally mark on their score cards each time they hear the given combination or number of instrument families. 3. Total the tally marks to come up with a score for the upper section. 4. Explain to students that an orchestra is more than just combinations of instruments. It can play loudly or quietly, quickly or slowly, and portray different thoughts and emotions. 5. Play the piece again, asking the students to keep track of dynamics and tempo on their score cards. They can also check off the box next to an emotion if the piece sounds happy, sad, excited, or angry to them. 6. After the piece is finished, ask each student to come up with their own word to describe the piece for the Bonus section. Be sure to tell the class there is no right or wrong answer! Students could also share their words with the class. Are they different or the same? Even though they heard the same piece of music, why might they come up with different words? 7. To get a score for the lower section, add up five points for each emotion, ten points for the bonus word, and one point for each time the music was loud or soft. Add this total to the upper section to get the grand total. 18

19 Orchestral UPPER SECTION HOW TO SCORE GAME #1 GAME #2 GAME #3 Brass & Strings Strings & Woodwinds W-winds & Percussion Percussion & Brass Brass & Woodwinds Make a tally mark each time you hear the given combination of instrument families. Strings & Percussion Three Families All Four Families Of Upper TOTAL Section LOWER SECTION: Interpretation Loud Quiet Happy Sad Excited Angry Mark ea. Time the given # of families are playing. One point each time the orchestra play loudly or quietly. Five points for each emotion you think that you hear the orchestra portraying. Fast Slow BONUS One point each time the orchestra plays quickly or slowly. Write your own word to describe the music! (10 pts) TOTAL TOTAL Of Lower Section Of Upper Section GRAND TOTAL 19

20 The Instruments of the Percussion Family Classification: Idiophone and Membranophone Percussion instruments can be classified two different ways. Instruments that produce sounds from the material of the instrument itself without the assistance of reeds, strings, or other externally applied resonators are called Idiophones. Examples of idiophones are xylophone, tamborine, bells and cymbals. Sound is made by shaking, rubbing, scraping or hitting the instrument. Instruments that produce sounds by means of vibrating a tightly stretched membrane are called Membranophones. They are either struck with a stick, mallet or the musician s hand. Examples of membranophones are tympani, snare drum, and bongo. 1 Can you tell which of these percussion instruments are idiophones or membranophones? Drums: membranophones, 2. Bass Drum: membranophone, 3. Guiro: idiophone, 4. Triangle: idiophone, 5. Tambourine: idiophone, 6 Jembe: membranophone, 7. Gong: idiophone, 8. Maracas: idiophone, 9. Cow Bell: idiophone. 20

21 Standard Addressed: Elementary Standard 2 Knowing and Using Arts materials and Resources Performance Indicator (2b): Construct instruments out of materials not commonly used for musical instruments. Students: 1. Will construct instruments out of materials found in the home or school 2. Will discover how various sounds are made on these instruments. 3. Will discover scientific facts about sound. 4. Will be assessed using the rubric provided below. Option 1: Make your own Membranophone! Materials: Pots & pans and spoon Coffee cans/round oatmeal boxes Spoon Balloons Scissors Elastic bands or tape Procedure: Give each student a round box (oatmeal boxes) or can (coffee cans), balloon, scissors or pots or pans of varying sizes. Cut of the end of the balloon where it you would normally inflate it. Stretch the balloon over the open end of the can or box. Hold balloon in place with rubber bands or tape. Using a spoon, strike the balloon away from the edge of the container. Stretch the balloon even tighter and strike. OR Give each student a pot or pan of varying sizes and a spoon. Have students experiment with sound by striking the pot/pan in various ways (side, bottom, rim) Teacher Questions: 1. Can you make a sound? 2. What happens to the sound when the drum is smaller around? 3. What can be deduced from this experiment about sound and the size of the container? the tightness of the balloon? 4. What instruments use this technique to make sounds? 21

22 Option 2: Make your own Idiophone! Materials 3 Water glasses of same size Water container Empty container for water Spoon Crayon Procedure: Give each student three (five to eight is possible also) glasses of the same size, a container with water, one spoon, a crayon. Fill glasses to different levels Ask students to strike side of glass and adjust pitches by adding more or taking away water until it sounds like Do - Re - Mi. Mark the glasses with a crayon with the water level. Ask students to try to play a three note song such as Mary Had a Little Lamb or Hot Cross Buns. Teacher Questions: 1. Can you make the glasses sound like Do-Re-Mi? 2. What happens to the sound when the glass has the most water: the least amount of water? 3. What can be deduced from this experiment about sound and the amount of water in each container? 4. What instruments use this technique to make sounds? OR try making these Idiophones (shakers) Materials Large and small plastic soda containers with caps Seeds Buttons Beans Rice Procedure: Give each student a soda bottle and cap along with two of the other materials listed. Fill bottle with one of the materials (buttons, seeds, etc.) and shake. Note what kind of sound it makes. Empty container and refill will the other material. How is the same and how does it differ? Teacher Questions: 1. Can you hear a difference in the sound made by the two ingredients? 2. What happens to the sound when the bottle has the smaller item? Larger one? What about the size of the bottle does it change the sound? 3. What can be deduced from this experiment about sound and the kind of material included in the bottle? 4. What instruments use this technique to make sounds? 22

23 Concert Manners Going to a concert may be a new experience for your students. The following guidelines will help them and those around them enjoy the concert more fully. Concert manners begin the moment your bus drives up to the Eastman Theatre. A volunteer will lead you from your bus to the Theatre. As you walk to the seating area, please stay together. The Eastman Theatre is a big place! After you are shown to your seats, all teachers and students are asked to remain seated. When people are standing and talking in the aisles, it takes us much longer to get everyone seated. At this time, you ll notice the musicians warming up onstage. Just as an athlete warms up before a big game, the musicians have to, also. Watch them to see if they do anything you don t expect. Then the lights will go down and you ll know the concert is about to start. When the concertmaster walks onstage, clap enthusiastically! He will tune the orchestra. After the concertmaster sits down, your conductor, Michael Butterman, will walk onstage. Again, clap loudly for Maestro Butterman and the musicians. Then get ready to listen! While the music is playing, listen and watch carefully. Think about things you learned from the lessons in this packet. Keep your hands to yourself and do your best to sit still. Sometimes Maestro Butterman might ask the audience a question. This is your turn to add to the concert experience! Please answer him so he knows you are listening. When he turns to face the musicians, you should be silent and get ready to listen actively again. If a neighbor is talking, try to ignore them, or quietly get the attention of your teacher. After the orchestra plays the last piece, someone will walk onstage and give a few brief closing comments and begin dismissing you. When you leave to find your bus, please stay together in a single-file line. On your way back to school, talk to your friends about what you saw and heard. Tell them your favorite piece and ask them what their favorite piece was. Maybe your teacher can quiz you on instrumental families! You can write a letter to the RPO when you arrive back in your classroom. Be sure and tell your parents about the concert when you get home. 23

24 The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Primary Concert Assessment Form Teacher s Name: School: Subject: Rubric (Circle the appropriate numbers for the concert you attended) Distinguished: Excellent: Good: Poor: exceeds meets meets expectations does not meet expectations. expectations. most of the time expectations The Program: - had music appropriate for my students - was the appropriate length had appropriate narration had an appropriate theme/story helped my students meet NYS Standards Overall Program Rating: The Facilities (auditorium, seating, lighting, etc.): - were appropriate Services: My request for attending on a specific date was honored I received timely notice of the repertoire for this concert Ushers/guides were helpful Suggestions to improve programming: Strengths of the program: Other suggestions: Please fax this form back to: Adrienne Valencia, (585) Or mail to RPO Education Department, 108 East Ave., Rochester, NY