a Teacher’s GuideFor the 3rd Grade Arts Trek Concerts

2012 - 2013 season

“Music & Fantasy”

3rd grade arts trek • 2

A Letter for Students

Dear Friends,

Hi! My name is William. Did you know that you and your class are going to Five Flags Theater in downtown Dubuque to see a concert on October 19th? It’s a concert with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and it’s going to be loads of fun!

How many of you know what an orchestra is? Yep, it’s a bunch of musicians who play their musical instruments and make beautiful music come alive. An orchestra is different from a band because it has a lot more musicians and it has a bunch of string instruments—we’ll tell you more about them later.

The orchestra musicians play together as a team, and like any team, they have a coach—that’s me. I’m the conductor. My job is to inspire them and help them to play their best. It’s a fun job!

At the concert you will hear music that brings out different feelings. You will also hear music that paints pictures of places in your imagination. Many of the musical pieces will be familiar to you from movies, TV, and video games. As you listen carefully to them at the concert, you can use your imagination to see images and to create make believe stories.

In addition, we will introduce all the instruments of the orchestra to you. We hope you will want to play an instrument yourself! And, as added inspiration, we will show you what it’s like for a young person to play an instrument…by featuring Meghan Peterman, a young viola player. Meghan is the winner of our annual music competition for young people, so she gets to play a special solo for you on these concerts. Should be fun!

Like many of you, when I saw my first orchestra concert I was in grade school and I didn’t play an instrument yet, but I was a little curious about it. Then I started playing music, and I loved it! Now it’s what I do for a living. Some of you may already play an instrument or do a lot of singing. Great! For others, maybe after you see our concert, you will want to sing or play an instrument—that would be wonderful! Maybe you’ll play in the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra someday! I hope so.

See you at the concert!

Dr. William Intriligator

5 • a teacher’s guide

AurAl ExpEctAtions

Listen to the recordings of the concert program (provided upon request). This is one of the most important things you can do to prepare your students for the concert. Becoming familiar with the sound of the music will enhance the concert experience for your students. See the “What Will We Hear?” box to get started!

1. Can you pick out any individual instruments? (examples: flute, trumpet, violins?)

2. What do the sounds remind you of?

3. How would you describe the music?

4. How does the music make you feel?

5. How would you conduct this music?

6. How would you dance to it?

whAt will wE hEAr?

Before the Concert

listEning

Talk to your students about silence and sound in the environment around you. This will encourage their sensitivity to subtle sounds and listening skills to music.

Tell your students that on the count of three everyone should be absolutely silent and as still as possible. Explain to them that during this time they are to listen for any sound and that they will need to identify what they hear. Then, BE QUIET and LISTEN. After a minute or so, break the silence and ask if anyone heard anything interesting (other than giggling, of course!).

You might be amazed at how many sounds your students will pick up, and they may be impressed at how many sounds they had not heard before. Likely examples include wind, trees rustling, distant airplanes, people walking and talking, fans, clocks, fluorescent lights buzzing, etc.

Then suggest to your students that, just as they’ve been quiet and attentive and have heard many different types of sounds, there are other times and places when it is important to stop and listen very carefully. Can they name some of these times and places and why? Why is it important to stop, be silent and listen carefully during their experience in Five Flags Theater?

If they listen carefully, they will be able to hear the different instruments of the orchestra as they play alone or together. By listening quietly, they will give other audience members the chance to hear instruments alone and in combination as well.

Before the Concert

3rd grade arts trek • 8

rossini: FinAlE From williAm tEll ovErturE

Gioachino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868) was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, instrumental and piano pieces. Rossini was born into a family of musicians in Pesaro, Italy. His father, Giuseppe, was a horn player and inspector of slaughterhouses. His mother, Anna, was a singer and a baker’s daughter. Rossini’s parents began his musical training early, and by the age of six he was playing the triangle in his father’s musical group. In addition to his musical training, Rossini also apprenticed as a blacksmith.

The William Tell Overture premiered in 1829 and is from Rossini’s opera Guillaume Tell (in English, William Tell). An opera is an art form in which singers and instrumentalists perform together in a theatrical setting. Operas have plots, acting, scenery, and costumes like plays, but instead of speaking their lines, the performers sing their dialogue along with orchestral accompaniment.

The piece you will hear today is from the William Tell opera’s overture, also known as the instrumental introduction. Overtures are typically played by an orchestra before the curtain rises onstage. The William Tell Overture was written in four parts, with the last (and final) section called the finale. This section of the score is also referred to as the “March of the Swiss Soldiers”. The music is very exciting and attempts to mimic sounds you might hear during a cavalry charge: trumpets blaring, galloping horses, and a hero riding to the rescue.

The William Tell Overture is extremely famous and well-known. You’ve probably heard it in movies, TV commercials, and cartoons and didn’t even realize it. The music has been featured in everything from the classic Wild West TV show, The Lone Ranger, to Bugs Bunny cartoons.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto

3rd grade arts trek • 12

All musical instruments can be sorted into four groups called “families.” They are: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion. Except for singing, all music-making is created by members of these groups. The symphony orchestra uses a variety of instruments from all of the families to create beautiful music.

thE string FAmily

Violin Viola Cello Bass

The string section has the most musicians in an orchestra. Why? Because a single string instrument cannot make as much sound as those in the other families. It takes many strings to produce a rich sound that will balance the volume of the woodwinds, brass, and percussion. The orchestra has four main types of string instruments: violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. They are all similar in shape and general design, but they are much different in size and sound.

All instruments in the string family have strings. The different types and sizes of strings are what make the instruments sound so different. They are all played with a bow – a long stick with horsehair stretched across it – which is drawn across the strings. This is called “bowing”. Musicians can also pluck the strings with their fingers, kind of like playing a guitar.

Instruments of the Orchestra

3rd grade arts trek • 18

The “Concertmaster” is the first-chair, lead violinist in a symphony orchestra. This is a special position of leadership and respect. If the conductor of the orchestra is like the “coach,” then the concertmaster is very much like the “captain” of the team. That person makes important musical decisions, leads the tuning of the orchestra, coordinates with the leaders of the other instrument sections (called “principals”), and is a spokesperson for the musicians. The concertmaster makes a special entrance at the beginning of each concert. The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster is Caroline Curtis.

Caroline has played with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra for over 25 years. She began playing with the orchestra while still a student attending DePaul University and has been Principal 2nd Violin, Associate Concertmaster, and now Concertmaster. In March 2007, she was a featured soloist on the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra Classics Series, performing Saint-Saens’ Violin Concerto No. 3.

Caroline’s credentials are quite extensive. She taught orchestra in the public schools for 7 years and guest conducted for many orchestra festivals. She then went back to performing on violin, which she truly loves. “I love to play for people and connect with them through my music. I believe it’s my calling in life.”

Caroline is what one might call a versatile violinist. Besides the DSO, she played for 15 years with the Northwest Indiana Symphony and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. She recently performed as Concertmaster with the Polish American Orchestra, The Joffrey Ballet, and Opera Piccola, all in Chicago. She also plays sometimes with the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra.

On another side, she plays with many famous entertainers, including Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Led Zepplin (Page-Plant Tour), Moody Blues, Kansas, Dennis DeYoung, Johnny Mathis, Garth Brooks, Andrea Bocelli (with an Oprah Winfrey performance and taping), and Bob Hope. She was also on a TV program performing with Lyle Lovett and Randy Newman. In April of 2003 she was flown to Hawaii to perform with Charlotte Church.

“I love playing orchestral music and chamber music the most,” says Caroline. “I look forward to playing with the DSO for many more years.” Caroline resides with her husband, Paul, in Oak Park, Illinois. Her daughter Sabrina and son Alex are college students. Caroline’s violin is French and it was made in Paris by Nestor Audinot in 1896. Her bow was made by Thomas Hill.

mEEt thE concErtmAstEr: cArolinE curtis

21 • a teacher’s guide

Concert Etiquette

Imagine you are at a Dubuque Symphony Orchestra concert. You are in a fancy concert hall. When you arrive, the stage has many musicians on it, each playing their instrument to prepare for the concert. They are “warming up,” just like athletes before a game or competition.

This can be fun to watch. Notice how they aren’t playing as a group; rather, each player is playing their own warm up alone. Some of them practice a difficult part, others play a special warm-up exercise, and some just play a favorite piece of music. Sometimes they chat with other players near them. Then the lights go down in the audience. This signals the concert is about to begin.

Q: What should you do at this time?A: Take your seat and sit quietly.

Next, the Concertmaster walks onstage carrying her violin.

Q: What is the appropriate thing to do?A: Applaud, and then sit quietly.

The Concertmaster bows to recognize your applause. Then she turns to the oboist and asks him or her to play the note “A” for the entire orchestra to tune.

Q: What do you do during this?A: Sit quietly so the musicians can focus and hear the tuning.

The Concertmaster takes her seat. The entire orchestra sits quietly, waiting for the entrance of the conductor. Then Maestro Intriligator enters the stage.

Classroom Activities

25 • a teacher’s guide

In preparation for your classroom’s live symphony experience, the following ideas for classroom activities may help boost the level of excitement for your students. Feel free to modify and adapt the activities to best suit the needs of your class.

objEctivE:The purpose of this activity is to engage the students’ minds to identify the mystery composer! The students will need to think of descriptive yes or no questions that may help them identify who they are trying to unveil. Of course, they will need to be more creative than, “Is it Beethoven?” in regards to the questions they ask. Instead, they should ask questions such as, “Did they lose their hearing?” or “Are they still living?” to help guide them.

mAtEriAls nEEdEd:• Images of the composers recently discussed that are related to the Arts Trek performance on flashcards: Rossini, Telemann, Grieg, Williams, Elfman.

ActivityHave a student pick a composer out of the stack of flashcards. Ask that student to show you who they picked so you can help guide the other students if necessary. The rest of the class asks up to twenty yes or no questions – one at a time of course! The questions must be yes or no based which will help hint at who the student is thinking of. The student who correctly identifies the composer the other student is thinking of gets to choose a new composer and the game starts again!

Activity #1

TwenTy QuesTions