Cameron Symphony Explorer Concerts

Music Matters!

Preparatory Materials for Teachers

2012-2013

“Art inspires Music inspires Art”

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August 2012

Dear Educators:

It has been said that the study of music occurs in a no-fail environment. Whether we are a performer sharing

our craft, or a listener hearing a work, the art form ultimately empowers us as an individual to be the decider. Unlike

math where 2+2 can only equal 4, in music, 2 notes + 2 notes can produce wildly divergent results. For the player,

they can choose different tone colors, pitches, octaves, volumes, attacks, decays, and sustains. Their results are

endless with possibilities. For the listener, those notes could be heard as just music, could conjure a picture, strike an

emotion or tell a tale (a very short story for sure). All are correct. The role of both the player and the listener in the

study of music is to become a critical thinker and to articulate why they play or hear music a certain way. In a world

of bubbling, we hope to empower students to break through the wall and explore.

In the 2012/13 Explorer Concerts, Art inspires Music inspires Art, students will learn how ideas can be

borrowed, adapted, adjusted and made into something new by the creative people who see the original idea in new

way. In our concert, we will see the art work of Viktor Hartmann and then hear how Modest Mussorgsky sketched it

out musically in the black and white monochromatic world of the piano. We will then listen to the colorful use of the

orchestra by Maurice Ravel as he turned it into three dimensional images of chicks, catacombs, a witch and an awe

inspiring gate.

Students will explore how artists use impressionistic techniques. For the painter, it will be through the use of

visible brush strokes, an emphasis on light and the use of motion. An example is the work of Claude Monet. His work

was has been described as looking through a rain smeared window. To replicate that affect musically composers like

Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel used dissonance and a glimmering sound. As art inspires music, Ravel pays

homage to Basque painter Gabriel Deluc in Le tombeau de Couperin, and Debussy was inspired to compose

Nocturnes by viewing works of the same name by American-born painter, James Whistler.

The last opportunity for a work of inspired art will be the creative writing sample from your students.

Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 lends itself to tell a tale that only your children can write. We look forward to seeing

your students’ work and hearing how they decide the story of Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony could be told.

Best,

Roger Daily Allison Conlan Director of Music Matters! Music Matters! Coordinator

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

2012-2013 Explorer Concert Program pg 3

Student Concert Rules pg 4

Concert Manners Overview pg 5

About the Houston Symphony pg 6

About Jones Hall pg 7

What is an Orchestra? pg 8-9

Instrument Families pg 10-14

About your Conductor pg 15

Lesson Plan: Creative Writing Based on a Musical Prompt pg 17-18

Music/Creative Writing/Visual Art

Lesson Plan: Art to Music to Music to Story pg 19-20

Music/Creative Writing/Visual Art

Lesson Plan: Architecture as Art pg 21-23

Social Studies/Music/Visual Art

Lesson Plan: Bringing the Music to Life pg 24-25

Music/Visual Art/Creative Writing

Lesson Plan: Family Reunion pg 26

Music

Program Notes pg 27-33

Classroom Activities pg 34-35

Musical Terms Glossary pg 36

Evaluation pg 37

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CAMERON EXPLORER CONCERTS 2012-2013

Robert Franz, Conductor

Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks

Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Prelude – piano only

Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin Prelude – full orchestra

Debussy Nocturnes Fêtes (Festival)

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Catacombs, piano only

Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition Catacombs, full orchestra

Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 Movement 2: Allegro Marcato

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Baba Yaga:The Hut on Fowl’s Legs–piano only

Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition Baba Yaga: The Hut on Fowl’s Legs– Full Orchestra The Great Gate of Kiev – Full Orchestra

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RULES FOR HOUSTON SYMPHONY CONCERTS

1) Schools must sit in the seats assigned to them on the seating chart or in those assigned by an usher.

2) Please plan to use the restroom BEFORE you leave your school. If you have to leave your seat, it

should only be for an emergency. An adult must accompany any child who leaves his or her seat for

any reason.

3) Cameras with flashes and recording devices of any kind are prohibited during the concert. Please

turn off cell phones when the concert begins.

4) Drinks and food are not permitted at concerts.

5) When sitting upstairs, please be sure to keep all objects or possessions underneath the seat. If any

objects are thrown over the balcony ledge, you will be asked to leave the concert.

6) While many performance venues allow talking, moving and making other types of noises, this can

be extremely distracting when experiencing a symphony performance. We ask that audience

members respect the performers and other audience musicians with their silence.

7) Should a medical emergency occur, please have an adult accompany the child to the main front

lobby and we will provide an Emergency Medical Technician.

8) Once the concert is over, please stay seated for instructions about the dismissal procedures.

9) At Jones Hall, there are several stairs that the students may be asked to use. In order to avoid

injuries, we ask that students stay in control at all times. Running and jumping on the stairs is not

permitted.

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CONCERT MANNERS

Teachers: please read or discuss this section on concert manners with your students before coming to the

concert. Coming to hear the Houston Symphony is a very special thing to do and we want you to enjoy

everything about the concert. Part of enjoying the experience is having good concert manners. If you talk or

make noise during the concert, you will probably miss something beautiful or important that is happening

on the stage.

Because symphony concerts are such a special thing to go to, it is fun to get dressed up to come, but it is

not entirely necessary. You are welcome in Jones Hall as long as you are wearing clean, comfortable

clothes, without any distracting or noisy shoes, jewelry or accessories.

Here are some helpful hints for good concert manners:

1) Upon entering Jones Hall, please use inside speaking voices when talking to your neighbor or

teacher. Keep your eyes peeled, the things you will see in Jones Hall are truly stunning. You may

even get to meet the Houston Symphony’s conductor, Maestro Franz, when entering.

2) Follow the Houston Symphony League usher to your assigned seats. In a single file line, go all the

way to the end of the row, or until the usher tells you to stop, put your hand on your seat and make

sure everybody in front of you has a seat before sitting down.

3) Once seated, please stay seated. If absolutely necessary, please use the restroom before the

concert begins. A teacher or chaperone must accompany any students who leave the hall for the

restroom or medical reasons.

4) Cameras with flash, paper, food, drinks, gum or recording devices must be left at home or on the

buses.

5) It is appropriate to clap when the conductor comes out onto the stage. After that, sit back and listen

to all of the different things the orchestra can do.

6) Sometimes, the music can be tricky and make you think that it has ended, when it is not yet over. A

good way to know when to clap is to wait for the conductor to drop his/her hands and turn to the

audience.

7) After the concert is over, your school will be dismissed by someone on the stage. Until your school is

called and your teacher gives you instructions, please sit quietly. The quieter everybody remains,

the quicker we will be able to give you directions and get you onto your bus.

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THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY

The Houston Symphony is one of Houston’s oldest performing arts organizations and will celebrate 100 years next

season. It serves as the cornerstone for the others, because a great symphony orchestra enriches the cultural life of

a city in a unique way, creating a place where fine community members want to live, work and play – even if they do

not actually play an instrument. Today the Houston Symphony is enjoying some of the finest years of its history.

Let’s take a look at the Houston Symphony, past and present.

It all began with Governor James Hogg’s daughter, Ima. She was a generous Houston philanthropist who had a great

love for music. She studied the piano as a young girl, but decided that rather than having music as a career herself,

she would make it possible for others to enjoy the world’s great classical music. Ms. Ima started the Houston

Symphony almost 100 years ago in 1913. The first concert was held in a movie theater in June, and it was most

remembered for being extremely hot! Except for a short period during the two World Wars, the Houston Symphony

has been playing concerts ever since.

We have had many famous conductors over the years. Some of them are Ernest Hoffman, Sir Thomas Beecham,

Leopold Stokowski, Sir John Barbarolli, Andre Previn, and Christoph Eschenbach. The current music director, Hans

Graf, joined the orchestra during the 2002-2003 season. At the first concert, the musicians were each paid $5 for

performing. Today the Houston Symphony has an annual budget of over $22 million with 98 full-time musicians.

Over the years, the Houston Symphony has had three different homes – the City Auditorium, the Music Hall, and now

the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. Our summer home is the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The

Woodlands and Miller Theatre in downtown Houston’s Hermann Park. The orchestra has made several recordings

over the years and currently has an extensive recording contract. Also, the orchestra has toured the East and West

coasts, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Japan, Europe and Russia. Recently, the orchestra toured the United Kingdom, selling

out all its concerts, performed two concerts in Moscow, as the first American orchestra to take part in an

international music festival, and has performed at Carnegie Hall. Our orchestra is very popular in foreign countries.

Sometimes the applause at the end of concerts abroad lasts for 30 minutes! We are especially proud of our DVD of

Gustav Holst’s The Planets, with state-of-the-art high definition images from Nasa’s exploration of the solar system

accompanied by Holst’s exciting, cosmic score along and commentary by the world’s leading planetary scientists.

The Houston Symphony performs approximately 200 concerts each year which are heard by over 350,000 people.

The different kinds of concerts include Classical, Pops, community concerts, benefit concerts, chamber concerts,

holiday concerts, summer concerts, and tours. Miss Ima was especially interested in having children come to hear

the symphony. Our Music Matters! concerts for school groups have been going on since the 1940s. Each year over

40,000 school children hear one or more concerts by the Houston Symphony. Other performances for children are

Sounds Like Fun!, a summer festival of free children’s concerts performed in various locations in the Greater Houston

Area; Weatherford Family Concerts, a series of concerts in Jones Hall on four Saturday mornings throughout the year

to which children may “bring” their parents; and the free Miller Theater concerts every summer, at which children

are always welcome.

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JONES HALL

The Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts was officially opened on October 2, 1966. This was a gift to the City of Houston by the Jesse H. Jones Foundation. The architectural firm of Caudill, Rowlett, and Scott designed and built the hall at a total cost of $9,000,000. During the summer of 1996, renovation work was done to improve the acoustics and make the music sound even better. Jones Hall is a neo-classic design with a diagonal nautilus shape fitted into colonnades and occupies an entire city block. The exterior is made of Italian travertine marble and the interior walls are teak. As you enter Jones Hall, the sidewalk sweeps past the heavy glass doors (each weighs 1,000 pounds!) and into the lobby. Looking up, you see a stunning sculpture by Richard Lippold, “Gemini II,” which celebrates Houston’s involvement in the space industry. It is made of 4,000 polished aluminum rods suspended by 11,000 feet of gold-plated piano wire. One of the most interesting features of Jones Hall is the ceiling, a network of 800 hexagon-shaped discs adjusted to fine-tune acoustics. The ceiling can be lowered to create a smaller space, which adjusts the sound – an engineering marvel, and the first of its kind. The seating capacity of Jones Hall is 2,912, or about 2,100 with the ceiling down. Here is a picture of Jones Hall -

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WHAT IS AN ORCHESTRA?

Musical instruments are all around us, everywhere we turn. What are some ways that you can make sounds, other

than with your voices? There are three basic ways that music can be formed: blowing air, plucking a string or striking

materials with your hand or other objects. The way the sound is produced is how the family that an instrument

belongs to is identified. Woodwind and Brass instruments form sounds by blowing air, String instruments form

sounds by plucking or sliding a bow against strings and Percussion instruments make their sound by beating or

striking the instrument.

Even though the musical instruments may seem very complex now, these types of instruments came about long ago,

when people found that you could create sounds by blowing air into a shell, form a beat by striking or beating on a

hollow log, or by pulling different-length strings tight to pluck. What types of instruments can you find on your own

that form sounds similar to the instruments in the orchestra?

An interesting fact that all instrument families have in common is that the smaller instruments have a high sound and

the larger instruments have a low sound. For example, listen to the trumpets and notice how much higher the sound

is than one of the bigger brass instrument, like the tuba. The smaller the instrument, the higher the sound. The

bigger the instrument, the lower the sound.

You will see the musicians seated on the stage based on the instrument they play, much like this picture:

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Activity/Pre-Assessment:

Objective: Students will actively listen to place sounds in three categories: produced by air, strings, or by striking

objects. This activity is for students to engage in thinking about the difference in sound, specifically between wind

instruments and string instruments. They will learn the “right” answers when going over the instrument families and

the instruments in each.

Materials:

o Recording of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, mvt 2

o CD Player/Sound System

Procedure:

o As a class, make up three (silent) hand movements or gestures to represent the three ways sound can be

created: blowing air, plucking or sliding a bow against a string, or striking an object. Here are a few

suggestions, but students can come up with equally as interesting motions:

Blowing air: breath in, blow out, puff cheeks and play the air trumpet

Strings: Hold left arm out straight (as if holding a violin) and drag an air bow across the middle

Percussion: Play the air drums.

o The teacher should have a gesture for when to listen to a new sound. Communicate this gesture to the

students.

o Play a minute or two of the recording. Each time the melody comes up (which begins with the clarinet), have

students show, through the corresponding gestures, how they think the sound is created.

The teacher can chose to either keep the music running continuously or pause the music every once

in a while to point out a melody or specific sounds to listen to.

Extension:

What types of materials can you find to make sounds in one of these three ways? Try to find an example for

each.

Now let’s take a look at each instrument family!

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STRINGS

Four of the string instruments are shaped alike – the violin, viola, cello and bass. They have carved, hollow,

wooden bodies with four strings running from one end to the other. These strings are plucked with the

finger or played with a bow. The bow is a wooden rod strung with hair from a horse’s tail. Another string

instrument is the harp, a triangular frame with 47 strings, which are plucked with the fingers. The majority

of the musicians in a symphony orchestra play string instruments. These are the instruments that

distinguish an orchestra from a band. Although the guitar is not an orchestral instrument, it sometimes

appears with the strings.

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WOODWINDS

These instruments are called woodwinds because they were all originally made out of wood (the flute is now made

out of wood and beginner models of the other instruments can be made out of plastic) and the sound is created by

using wind (your breath). Thus the name, woodwind. Three of the instruments use a reed (a small strip of

cane/wood) to vibrate the air blown into the instrument. The fourth woodwind instrument, the flute, does not use a

reed – air is blown across an opening (much like blowing air into a soda bottle). Modern flutes are no longer made

out of wood – they are silver instead. The four main instruments in the woodwind family are the flute, oboe, clarinet,

and bassoon. However, each of these instruments have an auxiliary “relative” – the piccolo (flute), the English horn

(oboe), the bass clarinet (clarinet) , and the contra-bassoon (bassoon). There is also an instrument that is sometimes

featured in the symphony.

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BRASS

Brass instruments are long brass tubes which are bent in different shapes. They can produce very loud sounds. All

brass instruments have cup-shaped mouthpieces, through which to blow air, and wide, bell-shaped ends for the

sound to come out. While the woodwind instruments use a reed to vibrate the air, brass players buzz their lips

together to create the vibration and push the air through the instrument. Most of the brass instruments use valves to

open and close different tubes/sections of the instrument to make different pitches. The trombone does not use a

valve to lengthen the tubes; instead, it has a long slide that is moved to change the pitch. The four brass instruments

are trumpet, french horn, trombone, and tuba.

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PERCUSSION

As you learned earlier, an instrument whose sound is created by striking or beating upon an instrument would fall

into the Percussion family. Percussionists also create their sounds through shaking and scratching. Therefore, you can

imagine that there are hundreds of percussion instruments. To make it easier to identify them, they are divided into

sub-families: drums, keyboard mallets and traps.

Drums are instruments that are sounded by being struck by sticks or with the hands and are typically cylindrical or

barrel-shaped with a skin/membrane wrapped around one or both ends. The most frequently used drums in the

symphony are the timpani and the snare drums. Timpani can be tuned by tightening and loosening the drum head to

produce the actual musical pitches.

Keyboard mallets have notes arranged just like the keys on a piano. Some are made of metal (glockenspiel or bells)

and some of wood (xylophone). Rather than using your fingers on the keys like you would on a piano, a keyboard

percussion player uses 1-4 mallets (like sticks) to produce the sounds.

The traps instruments make sounds, but no actual musical pitch. Some of the more frequently used traps

instruments used in the orchestra are cymbals, tambourine, triangle and woodblocks. There are even sound effect

percussion instruments that can sound like thunder, rain, sirens, sleigh bells, and ducks.

Here are a few of the more common percussion instruments in the orchestra:

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CONDUCTOR

Although you will not hear too many sounds from the conductor, unless he is talking into the microphone, the

conductor plays an important role as the leader of the orchestra musicians. He or she stands on a platform, called a

podium, at the front of the orchestra. They use their arms and a baton to give signals to the orchestra musicians for

when to begin, when to slow down or speed up, when to play louder or softer, and when to stop. Sometimes, he/she

points to a particular musician or section of instruments when they have an important part in the music to make sure

that they come in on time.

In addition to leading the orchestra, the conductor plans the music that is played on their concerts. They work with

any soloists that are featured in the concert to make sure that everybody has the same interpretation of the music.

They can also work with other performers, like dancers, mimes and narrators to bring in an additional component to

the music.

While becoming a conductor takes years of practice, as well as hours of time spent studying all of the music that each

of the musicians are reading, condensed into a musical score, many people have the skills to do the basic motions.

See if you have what it takes:

For Music in 2/4 or cut time For music in 3/4 For music in 4/4

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ROBERT FRANZ

CONDUCTOR

As Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, Music Director of the Boise Philharmonic and Music Director of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Opera and Orchestra, Robert Franz’s appeal as a first-rate conductor and enthusiastic award-winning educator is acclaimed by critics, composers and audiences of all ages. As Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony, Robert Franz leads the Symphony in a broad range of creative educational and family concerts, and has established a continuing relationship with Radio Disney. His concerts have reached over 72,000 audience members of all ages as he travels to various venues throughout the State of Texas. In 2012, Franz began his tenure as Music Director of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Opera and Orchestra. In increasing demand as a guest conductor, his recent and upcoming guest conducting highlights include debuts with the Baltimore Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, and his Canadian debut with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. Now in his fifth season as Music Director of the Boise Philharmonic, Franz continues to make great strides in reaching out to the community with collaborations and world-class guest artists. Under his leadership, the Boise Philharmonic has established a highly regarded composer in residence program with Pulitzer-Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Shulamit Ran and Lawrence Dillon. He has led the Orchestra in numerous world premieres and works by these composers and other others, including Jake Heggie and David Earnest, and increased the size and diversity of audiences through expanded programming and partnerships with many of the leading arts organizations in Boise. ASCAP has recognized Franz on two occasions for his advocacy in arts education. Under his direction, both the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008 and the Louisville Orchestra in 2001 were awarded the Leonard Bernstein Award for Educational Programming. He has addressed the Idaho Legislature on the importance of music in education and authored his first children’s book with a CD entitled Stella’s Magical Musical Tour of America. In addition to his current posts, Franz served as the Music Director of the Mansfield Symphony in Ohio from 2003-2010, Resident Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic from 2005-2009, and Associate Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra from 1997-2006. He has also led the Winston-Salem Piedmont Triad Symphony, the Louisville Youth Orchestra and the Winston-Salem Youth Symphony. He continues to serve as Music Director Emeritus of the Carolina Chamber Symphony, an orchestra that he founded, and provides educational programming workshops at the National Repertory Orchestra during the summer. Franz received his Master of Music degree in conducting from the North Carolina School of the Arts and his Bachelor of Music degree in oboe performance from that same institution. For more information, please visit his website at www.robertfranz.com

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Lesson Plans

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CREATIVE WRITING BASED ON A MUSICAL PROMPT

Objective:

Students will create a story based on the music of Sergei Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony TEKS Language Arts, Grade 5:

16) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:

A) write imaginative stories that include: (i) a clearly defined focus, plot, and point of view; (ii) a specific, believable setting created through the use of sensory details; (iii) dialogue that develops the story

Materials:

Recording of Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony (provided)

Two pieces of lines paper

One blank paper for scratch

Introduction:

Music is essentially divided into two areas: absolute and programmatic. Absolute music is music written just for the

sake of music. The composer does not intend for us to imagine a scene, develop a story or create a character. It is

intended just to be listened to. A composer of programmatic music uses a variety of elements to have us see things,

meet characters and even hear a story unfold. This Explorer Concert is centered around Mussorgsky's, programmatic

work, Pictures at an Exhibition. Based on the artwork of Viktor Hartmann, Pictures retells the story of the composer

going to a museum to see the artist's work. In the complete work, the listener would be treated to clearly identify

works of a busy marketplace, two people arguing, the scurrying of gnomes and a visit to a dark and dank castle –all

reflective of the artwork seen by the composer. Even the walk between the various works was brought to life

through movements entitled Promenade. Mussorgsky's composition was a black and white, pen and ink sketch as he

only used a piano to convey his ideas. Ravel used all of the colors in the orchestra to make the music come alive in

our imagination. He created colors for our ears!

Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony is absolute music. He is not attempting to draw our attention to an object, place or story.

However, his vivid use of the orchestral colors, rhythm, melody and harmony provides an opportunity for our

students to create their own story.

Procedure:

Review key elements of a story: setting, character and plot

Create a no-fail environment in which there are no wrong answers

Have students listen to Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony with eyes closed and no writing

Have students listen to the work a second time with eyes open. They should write or draw

what they are seeing in their mind's eye on their scratch pad

Have students listen a third and final time having the ideas based on the scratch pad be the basis of a story

with a setting, characters and plot. Stories should include a beginning, middle and end. Although the music

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was the source material, it need not provide the outline of the story. Students may deviate from what

happened musically to identify the basic story elements they extracted from listening.

Extension:

Have each student share their story with others.

After listening, students respond critically to their classmates’ stories – making note of whether stories have

a beginning, middle and end.

Have students vote on best story for each class and send to the Houston Symphony. Selected stories will be

posted on the orchestra’s website.

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ART TO MUSIC TO MUSIC TO STORY

Objective:

Students will show their interpretation of emotion in music through artistic creations

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:

Visual Art, Grade 5

5.1) Perception. The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment.

A) communicate ideas about feelings, self, family, school, and community using sensory knowledge and life experiences

5.4) Response/evaluation. The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the

artworks of others

A) analyze personal artworks and interpret meaning;

B) analyze original artworks, portfolios, and exhibitions by peers and others to form conclusions

about properties.

Music, Grade 5

5.1) Perception. The student describes and analyzes musical sound and demonstrates musical artistry.

A) distinguish among a variety of musical timbres

B) use standard terminology in explaining music, music notation, musical instruments and voices, and musical performances

5.6) Response/evaluation. The student responds to and evaluates music and musical performance.

A) apply criteria in evaluating musical performances and composition

B) evaluate, using music terminology, personal preferences for specific music works and styles

C) exhibit concert etiquette as an actively involved listener during varied live performances

Language Arts, Grade 5

16) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events and

ideas.

A) write imaginative stories that include

i) a clearly defined focus, plot and point of view

ii) a specific, believable setting created through the use of sensory details

iii) dialogue that develops the story

17) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that conveys thoughts

and feelings about an experience.

Materials:

CD player/Sound system

Explorer CD provided by the Houston Symphony with recordings of Mussorgsky’s “Ballet of the Unhatched

Chicks” and “Catacomb”

Assortment of crayons and/or markers (each student should have at least 12 colors to select from)

Blank white computer or drawing paper – 4 per student

Procedure:

1) Students should independently write down one word that best describes the emotion they feel in various

situations. Try to use a different word for each situation. Here are some examples of situations that can be

used:

o Somebody compliments your outfit

o It is storming outside and the thunder is rattling the walls

o You find a dollar in the road

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o It is a field trip day at school and you are getting on the bus

o You are sick during a vacation

o You get a good grade on a homework assignment that you worked really hard on

o You are singing a song in music class

o You overhear one of your classmates say something mean about your best friend

o Your favorite food is being served at lunch

o You see a kitten run over in the road

o The villain dies in a movie that you are watching

2) Student should circle each word (emotion) that they selected for the situations above with the color that

they think best represents the emotion. This final result will be used as their palette for reference later in the

activity.

3) Explain that many artists are inspired by the feeling they have when listening to different types of music.

Sometimes, composers are inspired to write pieces of music because they are inspired by the color,

characters or movement in a work of art. A composer named Modest Mussorgsky, from Russia, was inspired

when he saw various drawings and watercolors, by artist Viktor Hartmann, in an exhibition. This music was

named “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Listen to one of the movements from this piece (Ballet of the Unhatched

Chicks, but do not mention the title of the movement). What kind of emotions do you think Mussorgsky felt

when looking at the painting that inspired this music? How might the painting have looked based on the

emotions and feelings that you hear expressed in the music?

4) Using your color palette for reference, show what you think the picture may have looked like. It can be

objects or just splashes of color. Whatever you hear in the music. Play movement multiple times, based on

the amount of time students need.

5) Now, listen to another movement from this piece. Does it have a different mood? What kinds of things does

it remind you of? What emotions does it elicit? (Play Catacombe)

6) Using your color palette to help guide you, show what you think the picture that Mussorgsky saw, which

inspired this movement, may have looked like. This can also be either objects or splashes of color.

7) Students should pick out one of their pictures to write about how they depicted the mood, feeling or

emotion that they heard in the music and what Mussorgsky may have been thinking.

Extension:

o Follow steps 3-7 of the procedure for the other movements in Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. On

the recording provided by the Houston Symphony, in addition to the two movements in this lesson plan,

are “The Hut on Fowl’s Ledge” and “The Great Gate of Kiev.”

o Creative writing exercise: students should develop characters and a plot to go along with a movement (or

movements) of Pictures at an Exhibition.

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ARCHITECTURE AS ART

Objective: Students will better understand Mussorgsky's “Great Gate of Kiev” movement from Pictures at an Exhibition – inspired by the architectural drawing of artist Viktor Hartmann.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills: Social Studies - Fifth Grade 21) Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created. The student is expected to: A) Identify significant examples of art, music, and literature from various periods in U.S. history B) Explain how examples of art, music, and literature reflect the times during which they were created.

Materials Needed:

Recording of the Great Gate of Kiev

Print or display from computer examples of architecture

Access to library books or internet to research examples of architecture

Pictures of examples listed in the introduction for power point or Smartboard viewing– can be downloaded

from the resources page on the Houston Symphony’s Explorer Concert website page:

http://www.houstonsymphony.org/education/explorerconcert.aspx

Introduction:

Architecture is the art of building. An architect's primary role is to ensure the purpose for the building is served and

that it is useful for those who use it. It may function as a place of shelter or work. It could be a bridge or an

entrance. It could also serve as a monument to important people and causes. What turns ordinary structures into

art is its design. Elements of design include shape, line shape and color. Design can create beauty, inspire viewers

and make those who see it reflect and think. Important architecture may become recognized as works of art and,

over time, become cultural symbols. A city or country's architecture helps to give that community its identity. The

Eiffel tower in Paris, Egypt's Pyramids and the Acropolis of Greece are examples of such works.

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was inspired by the art work of Viktor Hartmann. Among the various drawings

and sketches he produced was a design for a gate for the city of Kiev in the Ukraine [see example 1]. The gate was

never built.

Kiev is the capital and largest city of the country of the Ukraine. It was founded over 1500 years ago. Two of the best

known examples of the city's architecture are the Golden Gate [see example 2], one of three entrances into the city

and the Motherland Museum [see example 3], which commemorates the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

America has many examples of architecture that every student should be aware of. They include the Statue of

Liberty [see example 4], gift from France in New York harbor; Chrysler Building [see example 5] , New York City office

building; Golden Gate Bridge [see example 6], spans San Francisco bay opening to the Pacific Ocean; and the Lincoln

Memorial [see example 7].

Texas also has important architecture such as The Alamo [see example 8], built as a Mission in San Antonio; and

Jones Hall [see example 9], home of the Houston Symphony.

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Procedure:

Students review provided examples of architecture and learn of their background

Students listen to Great Gate of Kiev and offer opinion why or why not the music is a good match to

Hartmann's drawing.

Have students research examples of important American architecture.

Students find in a photo of the structure they chose from a book or from the internet.

Students locate the structure on a map

Students through an oral presentation or book report share their selected work noting when it was created,

what purpose it serves and where it is located.

Students share their opinion on the aesthetics of the architecture. Do they like it? Do they think it works?

What do they like best? What do they like least?

Extension:

Students identify works in Houston that they think are important Houston architectural landmarks. Students

offer reasons why.

Students identify an architectural example and find a piece of music that would be a good match. Students

give reasons for the selection

Students though a drawing create their own architectural work for their community.

Eiffel Tower

Egyptian Pyramid

Acropolis:

Example 1: Hartmann -Great Gate of Kiev drawing

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Example 2: Kiev – Golden Gate

Example 3: Kiev - Motherland Museum

Example 4: Statue of Liberty

Example 5: Chrysler Building

Example 6: Golden Gate Bridge

Example 7: Lincoln Memorial

Example 8: The Alamo

Example 9: Jones Hall

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BRINGING THE MUSIC TO LIFE

Objective:

Students will create characters and a story line to go along with the musical progression of Debussy’s Nocturnes,

Festivals.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills: Language Arts, Fifth Grade:

6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the

structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding.

B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and conflicts

C) explain different forms of third-person points of view in stories

16)Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real

or imagined people, events and ideas.

A) write imaginative stories that include:

i) a clearly defined focus, plot, and point of view;

ii) a specific, believable setting created through the use of sensory details;

ii) dialogue that develops the story Visual Art, Fifth Grade

5.2) Creative expression/performance. The student expresses ideas through original artworks, using a variety of media with

appropriate skill. The student is expected to:

A) Combine information from direct observation, experience, and imagination to express ideas about self,

family and community

Music, Fifth Grade

5.6) The student responds to and evaluates music and musical performance.

B) Evaluate, using music terminololgy, personal preferences for specific music works and styles

Materials:

Various art supplies: construction paper, card stock, markers, glitter, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, card board, buttons, sequins, glue, etc

Popsicle sticks, paint sticks

Table coverings

Recording of Debussy’s Fetes from Nocturnes, provided by the Houston Symphony

Procedure:

Using various art supplies, students will create different living creatures (1 or 2 per student) that exist in an

aquarium. Students should convene in groups of 6-8 and be sure that there is a contrasting representation

for their aquarium: being sure to include a variety of plants, fish, sharks, sea horses, octopus, etc. Every

student’s character should be put on a popsicle or paint stick.

Cover a table for each group to use as their story station. Blue is preferable, but not necessary.

Play the recording of Debussy’s “Festivals” from his suite Nocturnes. Using the characters that they made,

each group should come up with a story line for a Festival occurring under the sea. Explain that there are

several repeated lines motives (musical ideas) and melodies that could represent one or more of the

characters in their regular day-to-day aquarium life. Be original. Is there any point in the music that might

represent a conflict occurring? Every character must have a role. Remember, unless you are watching Disney

25

movies, you do not hear sea creatures talking. You have to show the interaction through the characters

movements as it relates to the music.

Once all of the groups seem to have their stories in line, have each group display their work to the music. This

could be video taped for the students to be able to see their own group’s work.

After watching the other groups’ presentations, students should explain the roles and functions of each of

the characters. What role did each play in any conflicts that occurred?

Extension:

Using the story line and characters you came up with in your groups, do a creative writing exercise. Students

should use their own words and ideas to tell their story. Notice how writing brings a different light to the

story. Likewise, the art characters brought the musical characters to life in a different way.

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FAMILY REUNION

Objective:

Students will identify the characteristics of the four instrument families and the instruments in each.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:

Music, Fifth Grade:

5.1) Perception. The student describes and analyzes musical sound and demonstrates musical artistry.

A) distinguish among a variety of musical timbres;

B) use standard terminology in explaining music, music notation, musical instruments and voices, and

musical performances.

Materials:

Recording of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, mvt 2 – Allegro Marcato

Clips of each of the instruments (on CD supplied with guidebook)

CD Player/Sound system

Index cards with pictures of each instrument, enough for each student (duplicated as needed) Printable pictures of instruments can be found on the Houston Symphony website. Go to our resources page on http://www.houstonsymphony.org/education/explorerconcert.aspx

Procedure:

Remind students that instruments in the orchestra are divided into four different groups (or families) based on

how they produce their sounds.

o Woodwind Instruments are played by blowing air into a mouthpiece with a reed (a skinny piece of wood) or across a hole (like a water bottle)

o Brass instruments are played by buzzing/vibrating lips together into the mouthpiece. o Percussion instruments are played by striking, shaking or scraping the instrument o String instruments are played by plucking or pulling a bow across a string

Explain how each of the instruments have distinct characteristics within a family, but resemble the other

instruments in the family. This is a lot like how siblings resemble each other, but have distinguishing qualities in

looks and personality. Some look more alike than others.

Ask students what similarities or differences they have from other members of their families.

Show students pictures of instrument families with instruments side-by-side images (see pages 8-12 of

guidebook). Discuss similarities and differences of each. Use the clips of each instrument, included on the cd to

show how each instrument sounds.

Assign different parts of the room to each of the four instrument families. Distribute instrument index cards to

each student. Have students work gather in their families as quickly as possible in the assigned areas.

Going around the room, have each student identify their instrument.

Repeat, as time permits.

While still in their instrument families, have students sit down. Playing the recording of the Prokofiev Symphony

No. 5, mvt 2, students should raise their index cards any time they hear their instrument families being played.

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PROGRAM NOTES

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MODEST MUSSORGSKY

Born in Karevo, Russia in 1839 was one of Russia’s most

prolific composers, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky.

Mussorgsky, a member of an innovative group of

Russian musicians, known as “The Russian Five” or “The

Mighty Five,” wrote several operas, songs, and piano

pieces and is especially known for his style of vividly

portraying Russian scenery, folklore and everyday life

using a sound and structure of music that often did not

align with the conventions of Western music.

Mussorgsky was highly influenced by the Russian fairy

tales that were read to him by his mother growing up.

His mother also acted as his first piano teacher,

beginning study later on with Anton Gerke at the St.

Petersburg Conservatory.

Before attending the Conservatory, Mussorgsky joined the Army Training Establishment and Guards Cadet Academy in St. Petersburg. His ability to sing and play the piano made him popular with his classmates. Unfortunately, he received no training in harmony, counterpoint, or music theory, but nevertheless, he started composing. Soon after he graduated in 1856, Mussorgsky was introduced to two Russian composers who stimulated his creative interests and aroused in him the ambition to write Russian music. He took theory and harmony lessons, but they were always irregular due to his duties as an officer in the regiment. In 1858 Mussorgsky resigned from military service to devote himself to music. Soon after, he made his first visit to Moscow and was overwhelmed, as for the first time he became conscious of his Russian origin. When serfdom was abolished in Russia in 1861, the Mussorgskys’ lost their income. Young Modest became a clerk at the Ministry of Transport, where he worked for the next seventeen years, making very little money. His composing came in bits and pieces. He was never able to acquire the musical background and training of his colleagues, but continued to dedicate himself uncompromisingly to his ideals and never lost faith in what he was trying to do. His desire to produce a nationalist art led him to become a member of The Mighty Five. Mussorgsky’s health began to deteriorate after the death of his mother in 1865. His creative powers were not affected, but his physical and mental condition worsened. The death of his friend in 1873 further affected him, leading to a period of heavy drinking and unpaid debts, but Mussorgsky still composed between periods of mental confusion and physical weakness. Modest Mussorgsky died of a hemorrhage just after his 42nd birthday in 1880. Compared to other members of The Mighty Five, he was musically illiterate, and composing was relegated to a secondary status while earning a living. But he was able to use his inborn powers to overcome a lack of musical education and sophistication. That he could, in spite of the lack of time and his bad health, produce some of the finest pieces of Russian music, is testimony to his natural genius.

Pictures at an Exhibition Pictures at an Exhibition was originally written for piano. This was later arranged, by Ravel, for the orchestra. Mussorgsky became friends with an artist and architect, Viktor Hartmann around the year 1870. Hartmann, like Mussorgsky, included in his works a uniquely Russian nationalistic quality. Three years later, at the age of 39, Hartmann suddenly passed away from an aneurysm. Shortly after Hartmann’s death, an influential Russian critic, Vladimir Stasov, an admirer of both Mussorgsky and Hartmann’s works, organized an exhibition of over 400 of

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Hartmann’s paintings, watercolors and drawings. Mussorgsky himself loaned a few of Hartmann’s paintings to the exhibit from his personal collection. It was this exhibit that inspired Mussorgsky to write the suite of music, aurally portraying his experience of walking through Hartmann’s art exhibit, which he composed in just six weeks, and was later given the title “Pictures at an Exhibition.”

Although the first movement of this suite, Promenade, will not be performed on this year’s Explorer Concert, it is an important part of the work, occurring five times throughout the piece. The other movements use two or three note chunks of the Promenade movement. The Promenade depicts Mussorgsky, himself, roaming into the exhibit, leisurely and at times more briskly once a picture caught his eye. It is also, at times, solemn, as he remembers his recently deceased friend. The movements are linked in a way that depicts the viewer’s progression through the exhibition.

The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks movement was inspired by a sketch of costumes for a ballet, The Demon of the

Heath, produced at the Bolshoy Theatre in 1871. This brisk, lively scherzino (literally translates to “little joke,” is in

ternary form (ABA).

The work that inspired the movement Catacombs was a painting that depicts Hartmann himself viewing the Paris

Catacombs. Catacombs are underground passageways used as burial grounds, often for religious purposes. They are

also known to be used as refugees, hideouts and secret meeting places. Throughout this slow (“Largo”) movement,

listen for the series of dissonant, alternating loud and soft chords – much like the stillness and echoes of a catacomb.

Also take note of the musical imagery of the observer descending into the Catacombs in the latter part of the

movement.

Baba Yaga is a witch-like character known in Russian folklore, as well as Slavic and Germanic mythology. She flies

around in a mortar, kidnaps children and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs. The painting that inspired this

movement was a large clock on the top of Baba Yaga’s hut. In ternary form (ABA), Baba Yaga’s The Hut on Fowl’s

Legs evokes the sound of the clock’s chimes and a spiraling chase.

The Great Gate of Kiev, in all its grandeur, was inspired by Hartmann’s sketch of his design for a monument,

commemorating the escape of Tsar Alexander II from an assassination in Kiev. A national competition was held to

find a design for this monument. Although Hartmann won the national competition, plans for building this

monument were later cancelled. Hartmann considered this to be his greatest work. There are two themes in this

movement, which is in a pseudo-rondo form: ABABCADA. The first majestic theme, which you may find to sound

similar to the Promenade theme, and the more solemn secondary theme, which was based on a Russian Orthodox

baptismal hymn.

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Below are the pictures that inspired each of the movements. Please see the “Art to Music to Art” lesson plan before

showing these images to your students.

Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks Catacombs

Baba Yaga’s Hut of Fowl’s Legs The Great Gate of Kiev

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MAURICE RAVEL

Maurice Ravel’s family moved to Paris shortly after his birth in 1875, where he stayed for the rest of his life. Ravel’s

father, an engineer and amateur musician, helped develop his son’s taste and enthusiasm for music. Young Maurice

studied piano and harmony and, very early in life, wrote several pieces for piano. He entered the Paris Conservatory

in 1889, where he remained for fifteen years. He was a brilliant student, much admired by his teachers, but his

curiosity led him to experiment with unorthodox harmonies and techniques.

Anxious for new expression and musical techniques, Ravel became a member of a group who regarded themselves as

outcasts because of their progressive ideas. They met and listened to each others’ compositions and discussed music

in general. All were in favor of innovation and experimentation.

By 1907 Ravel was an internationally famous composer, producing one major work after another. By the 1920s he

was the foremost composer in France, and also toured throughout the United States. Like many other composers,

Ravel had five themes in his music. The first, and his finest, is a Spanish influence, as he had a lifelong fascination with

Spain and Spanish music. A second theme is satire. Another is the Viennese waltz, which he recreated in his own

way. A fourth theme is the fantasy of children and animals, as shown in the Mother Goose Suite. Another is

impressionism, with his sensitive and delicate tone pictures drawn with refined strokes. Ravel mastered all of these

themes with extraordinary technique, using rhythm, instrumentation, melody, harmony, and counterpoint in an

elegant style and with beautiful effect.

Ravel was in a taxi accident in 1932. His injuries led to a loss of coordination and eventual paralysis. He died shortly

after a brain operation in late 1937 at the age of 62.

Prelude from Le tombeau de Couperin

The phrase “le tombeau de” is roughly translated as “in memory of,” or “in honor of,” and is used as a heading for a

piece by a composer written in tribute to a departed master.

François Couperin (1668-1733) was a composer whose clarity, grace, and refinement are characteristic of the French

musical tradition. Ravel's original intention was to celebrate that tradition in a set of piano pieces, but the work

instead became a set of memorials to Ravel’s friends who died during World War I, in a style evocative of Couperin’s

creative spirit. It was composed between 1914 and 1917.

Ravel himself had been exempted from military service because of his physical weakness, but in 1915 he enlisted in

an artillery unit as a truck and ambulance driver and served at the front under dangerous conditions. His health

deteriorated, exacerbated by his depression over the carnage he had witnessed and by the loss of numerous friends.

When he completed Le tombeau de Couperin in 1917, he dedicated each of its six movements to one of those fallen

friends. It premiered in 1919.

Later that year, Ravel orchestrated four of the six movements, and the orchestral suite premiered in 1920. The suite

consists of a Prelude, which will be heard on the Explorer concerts, and three dance movements.

The main theme of this movement is first heard by the oboe, echoed by the clarinets, and gradually building to a full

and resonant texture with the strings. Impressionistic textures are formed with the use of muted and pizzicato

strings, contrasting with the clear, pastoral sound of the main theme. A harp glissando, fading into a sustained

tremolo with the flutes, oboes, and muted strings, concludes the movement.

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SERGEI PROKOFIEV

Sergei Prokofiev may be best known to students as

the composer of Peter and the Wolf. This Russian

composer was born in 1891 and died in 1953. Like

many gifted musicians, he got his start at an early age.

He started piano, studying with his mother at the age

of three. With the help of his mom writing it down, he

made up his first composition at the age of five called

Indian Gallop. By nine he had written his first opera,

The Giant.

At the age of thirteen he had complete quite a few works and entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory. One of his

teachers was the well known composer Rimsky-Korsakov. There he was encouraged to find his own musical voice. At

the time, Prokofiev's music was different as it had new harmonies, used dance rhythms and he liked to include

humor.

Prokofiev traveled to America to escape the war of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Hoping to compose in peace, he

was disappointed when his musical works were not embraced by American audiences. Because of this he ran into

financial problems. It forced him to move to Paris where his operas and ballets were better received.

He was able to return to Russia in 1932, where he produced some of his most famous works such as Peter and the

Wolf, Lieutenant Kije, and Romeo and Juliet. He also became active in writing for film. Because of communism and

the governments wish to control its artists and the opinions offered through their art, the "Composer's Union" was

created to establish official Russian policies for compositions. These policies would isolate many Russian composers.

For Prokofiev, eventually his work was considered dangerous for the Russian people.

Symphony No. 5

In 1944, Prokofiev moved to an estate outside of Moscow, to compose his Fifth Symphony. It had been fourteen years since his last symphony. Written during World War II, Prokofiev had found a safe haven run by the Soviet Union. He hoped that the work would be "a hymn to a free and happy man." The second movement which will be played at the concert is written as a toccata around a country dance. It is filled with many variations. This form usually applying to keyboard instruments feels virtuosic. It would turn out to be one of his most successful. It was overwhelmingly received, but shortly afterwards Sergei suffered a concussion from which he never really recovered, and which severely lowered his productivity in later years.

33

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

Claude Debussy was a French composer, who lived

between 1862 and 1918. The oldest of five children,

his father was a shopkeeper and his mother a

seamstress. They struggled financially and he was

only able to begin his piano lessons at the age of

seven because he had an aunt who stepped up and

paid for them. At the age of ten, he entered the Paris

Conservatory. He was recognized by those around

him as having talent. However, his early composing

sound ideas were considered odd. Although he won

many compositional prizes, he often gave his teachers

angst as he would play chords that broke all the rules

of the day. He also expressed his own ideas outside of

music.

Along with Maurice Ravel, both were important figures in the field of impressionist music. This period of music came

after the Impressionist art period of the 1870’s and 1880’s. While the connection between the visual art and the

music of the two composers can be seen, Debussy did not like the term applied to his music. Rather than trying to

musically represent the style, he was simply looking for something new to create. He was looking for a new musical

language, one that he began back at the age of ten.

At the Paris World Exposition of 1889, he discovered the music of Indonesian gamelan ensembles. The term gamelan

describes a set of instruments comprised of bells, metallophones, xylophones, drums, gongs and bamboo flutes. The

music they create features a special scale comprised of whole tones, soft effects and unique rhythms.

Often Debussy's work reflected the activities or turbulence in his own life. He was argumentative and experimental.

He challenged the rigid teaching of the day, favoring instead dissonances and intervals that were frowned upon. He

created music that lacked a strong music key center. His use of dissonance would make him a very influential

composer whose impact is still being felt today. This new music language impacted 20th century composers and jazz

musicians. He is best known for the work: La Mer and Afternoon of a Faun.

Nocturnes

The Debussy piece Nocturnes was inspired by a series of impressionist paintings by James Abbott McNeill Whistler.

Whistler is best known for his painting of his mom, “Whistler’s Mother.” Debussy wrote an "introductory note" to

Nocturnes as follows:

"The title Nocturnes is to be interpreted here in a general and, more particularly, in a decorative sense. Therefore, it is not meant to designate the usual form of the Nocturne, but rather all the various impressions and the special effects of light that the word suggests. 'Fêtes' gives us the vibrating, dancing rhythm of the atmosphere with sudden flashes of light. There is also the episode of the procession (a dazzling fantastic vision), which passes through the festive scene and becomes merged in it. But the background remains resistantly the same: the festival with its blending of music and luminous dust participating in the cosmic rhythm.

Nuages and Fêtes were premiered in December 1900 in Paris. The initial performances met with a cool response from critics and the public, but today these are considered some of Debussy's most accessible and popular works, admired for their beauty.

34

Art inspires Music inspires Art

WORD SCRAMBLE

Claude A) bsdeyus was a B) fenhrc composer.

A) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ B) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Composer Maurice C) erlva wrote music inspired by D) sieotiprcmsiins paintings

C) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ D) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Russian composer, Modest E) smsorgkysu was a F) iapntsi and began playing at the age of

six.

E) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ F) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Symphony No. 5 by G) roefkiovp is H) sauotble music, meaning it was not inspired by any

type of picture or scene.

G) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ H) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

35

WHO AM I? Instrument guessing game

1. I am made out of metal. The player buzzes their lips into a mouthpiece and pushes their air all the way

through my curled up tubes. I use three valves to change my notes. The player has to put their hand inside

my bell when they play me. Who am I?

______________________________________

2. I am the smallest and highest pitched instrument in my family. I have four strings that the player either

plucks or uses a bow to slide against to make my sounds. Who am I?

_______________________________________

3. I am round and have a skin or membrane wrapped around my circumfrence. I have a pedal that can tighten

and loosen the membrane to change my pitches. The player uses sticks (or mallets) to produce my dramatic

sounds.

________________________________________

4. You can shake me, scratch me, or tap me. I am round and have bells around my circumfrence that can make

a variety of different sounds to shake up the mood in the orchestra. Who am I?

________________________________________

5. There is a single piece of wood wrapped onto my mouthpiece that the player blows through to make

vibrations. The air is pushed through my long and straight body. I am usually made out of wood, but can also

be made out of plastic for players who are newer. With my pearly, round sound, sometimes cat-like, I am one

of the higher-pitched instruments in my family. Who am I?

__________________________________________

6. When listening to the orchestra, you can miss my sound. Even though I am quite small, my high, majestic

sound pierces through, in all its glory. The player buzzes their lips into my mouthpiece to push the air

through. I have three valves and am high in pitch. Who am I?

__________________________________________

7. I am a skinny, silver instrument. While the rest of the members of my family make their sound with a reed,

the player will blow across my mouthpiece, kind of like how you would with a water bottle. I am a high-

pitched instrument. Who am I?

____________________________________________

8. I am the biggest and lowest-pitched instrument in the orchestra. The player has to either stand up or sit on a

high stool. A lot of times, I am even taller than the person playing me. I have four strings and my sound is

made by either plucking the strings or using a bow to slide across me. Who am I?

____________________________________________

36

MUSICAL TERMS GLOSSARY

Baton: The stick made out of wood and painted white used by the conductor to give musical direction to

the orchestra. It is needed to that everyone in such a large group can all play together

Beat: The pulse of music. It is similar to the steady and regular pulsation of a heartbeat

Composer: The person who creates the music that the musicians play, sometimes called a composition or

work

Concert: A performance of musical selections played by the orchestra for an audience

Concertmaster: The leader of the violin section of the orchestra. They sit in the very front of the section

near the conductor on the audience side. One of their jobs is to signal the oboe player to play an ‘A’ so the

orchestra can tune

Conservatory: A school specializing in the study, training and research of music

Impressionistic Art: A nineteenth century art movement that originated in Paris, France. Impressionist

painting characteristics include relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis

on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities, inclusion of movement as a crucial element of

human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles

Melody: The tune or theme of a composition

Movements: The sections of music that make up a symphony or concerto

Podium: The platform that the conductor stands on so that he can be seen by the entire orchestra as he

leads them

Program Music: Music that attempts to put pictures or narratives in the minds of the listeners

Rondo: A musical form that begins with a thematic section that is revisited after other episodes of different

thematic section. Rondos end with a return to the original thematic section. For example A-B-A-C-A

Score: The music that the conductor reads off of that contains all the notes played by every instrument

throughout the composition

Tempo: The rate of speed of the pulse or rhythm of the music

Ternary form: Three part musical form. The sections are usually A-B-A

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YOUR OPINIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US!

Did your students enjoy their experience at the symphony? Yes _______ No _______

Do you feel that through this concert experience your students increased their understanding of where music

comes from?

Yes _______ No _________

Do you feel that through this concert experience your students have a better understanding of visual arts?

Yes _______ No _________

Do you feel that through this concert experience your students increased their understanding that art, music and

creative writing can inspire one and another?

Yes _______ No _________

What part(s) of the concert experience did you and your students enjoy best?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

What part(s) of the concert experience did you and your students enjoy least?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Was there a favorite selection on the program? Please tell us why.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you find the Teacher Guidebook useful? If so, which parts?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

What can the Houston Symphony do to make the Student Concerts better? (Use additional paper, as necessary)

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

TELL US ABOUT YOU, please check (OPTIONAL)

Which date did you attend the Explorer Concert? _______ What time? 9:30 ____ or 11:15 _____

Are you a classroom teacher _______ music teacher _______ administrator_________

Please return to the Houston Symphony’s Education Department: 615 Louisiana, Ste 102, Houston – Texas,

77002

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Music Matters!

David Dewhurst Student Concerts

are made possible by:

Lieutenant Governor David H. Dewhurst Cameron International Corporation

Mrs. Alfred C. Glassell, Jr

The Boeing Company

Center Point Energy

Devon Energy Corporation

Embridge Energy Company

ExxonMobil

GDF SUEZ Energy North America

George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation

The Hearst Foundation

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Educational Fund

Houston Symphony Endowment Trust

John & Lindy Rydman/Spec's Wines, Spirits and Finer Foods

John P. McGovern Foundation

JP Morgan Chase

Kinder Morgan Foundation

Lawrence E. Carlton M.D. Endowment Fund for Youth Programs

Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation

Lynne Murray, Sr. Educational Foundation

Macy's Foundation

Marathon Oil Corporation

Margarett and Alice Brown Endowment for Education

Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation

The Powell Foundation

Randalls Food Markets, Inc.

Robert W. & Pearl Wallis Knox Foundation

The Schissler Foundation

Shell Oil Company

Spec's Charitable Foundation

Sterling-Turner Foundation

Strake Foundation

Swift Energy Company

Vivian L. Smith Foundation

Wells Fargo

The activities and projects of the Houston Symphony are funded in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Miller Theatre

Advisory Board and Houston Downtown Alliance.