Bold as Brass Shrewd Brass Quintet - Regional Arts · PDF filePage | 3 Regional Arts Victoria Teacher Resources are designed by the Arts & Education in collaboration with Rosemary

Page | 1 Regional Arts Victoria Teacher Resources are designed by the Arts & Education in collaboration with Rosemary Savage

from Shrewd Brass ©

Bold as Brass

Shrewd Brass Quintet

Teacher Resources

2017

Ideal for Years Foundation - VCE

402460080

The 2017 Arts & Education Program is

Proudly Supported by:



TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE......................................................................................................................... 3

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA ........................................................................................................ 3

ARTS AND EDUCATION TEAM ................................................................................................................ 4

CURRICULUM LINKS .............................................................................................................................. 5

INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM ....................................................................................................... 6

BIOGRAPHIES ......................................................................................................................................... 8

SUGGESTED PRE-VISIT ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................... 10

SUGGESTED POST-VISIT ACTIVITIES: ................................................................................................. 12



ABOUT THIS RESOURCE

This resource has been created to provide teachers with curriculum links to the Victorian

Curriculum, and includes some preliminary and post show ideas and activities as to how to

extend their experience of Bold as Brass. The activities are designed to be open-ended and multi-

ability. They may need differentiation for your specific cohort.

The performances and workshops included in the Arts & Education program are designed to offer

students engaging arts experiences with strong links to the Victorian Curriculum and to VEYLDF,

and VCE subjects where appropriate. Each Arts & Education program varies in its purpose and

content and as a result the scope for integration across the curriculum varies. Please feel free to

contact the Arts & Education team on (03) 9644 1808 or at [email protected],

If you have any questions about this resource, its content or its implementation within your

classroom please do not hesitate to contact the Arts & Education Department.

ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA

Regional Arts Victoria inspires art across the state. Through creative facilitation, touring,

education, specialised resources, artistic projects and advocacy, we develop and sustain creative

communities and artistic practice all over Victoria.

Regional Arts Victoria is an independent, not-for-profit, membership-based organisation working

in long-term partnerships with every level of government, fostering contemporary and innovative

regional cultural practice across five decades. We advise and impact on decision-making across

multiple portfolios and levels of government.

Regional Arts Victoria is the peak body for regional artists and arts organisations, and the leading

organisation for regional creative practice in Victoria.

Our artistic program

Regional Arts Victoria inspires creative communities, creative places and creative catalysts.

CREATIVE

COMMUNITIES

CREATIVE

PLACES

CREATIVE

CATALYSTS

Regional Arts Victoria stimulates

and connects our state’s

communities of practice.

Regional Arts Victoria champions

the places where art is made,

experienced and discussed.

Regional Arts Victoria fosters

current and next generation

creative capacity and practice.

mailto:[email protected]



ARTS & EDUCATION TEAM

Regional Arts Victoria’s Arts & Education team pride ourselves on providing relevant and exciting

activities for children and young people that are complementary to both Victorian and Australian

curriculums. All of our tours come with a free set of education resources to further enrich your

arts experience.

Our team is available to provide local contacts and links to research, and offer advice on how to

make the most of the arts at your school or centre. Our office is a resource for Victorian teachers,

so we encourage you to make use of us!

We also provide significant subsidy assistance (up to 75% of program costs) to eligible remote

and disadvantaged schools. Your school may be eligible so please contact us to find out more!

Suzi Cordell

Arts & Education Manager

Ph: (03) 9644 1805

Mob: 0402 460 080

Email: [email protected]

Jo Chapman

Arts & Education Coordinator

Ph: (03) 9644 1808


Carolyn Lambert

Arts & Education Administrator

Ph: (03) 9644 1819







CURRICULUM LINKS – Victorian F-10 Curriculum

Bold as Brass offers the opportunities for learning across the F – 10 curriculum in all of the

Music strands and Capabilities.

Learning Areas Capabilities

The Arts

Music

In Music, students listen to, compose and

perform music in a wide range of styles from

diverse cultures, times and locations.

Across F-10, students listen to and perform

music from a range of cultures, times and

locations

Strands: Each strands involves making and

responding

Explore and Express

Music Practices

Present and Perform

Respond and Interpret

Critical and Creative Thinking

Questions and possibilities

Reasoning

Meta Cognition

Personal and Social Capability ( L 3 – 10)

Self Awareness and management

Social Awareness and management

Intercultural

Cultural Practices

Cultural Diversity

Ethics

Understanding Concepts

Decision making and actions

VCE Units 1- 4 Please refer to the VCE Study Design

VCE Music is based on active engagement in, and considered response to, all aspects of music.

Students develop and refine musicianship skills and critical awareness of their relationship with

music as listener, performer, composer, consumer and user of music technologies. Students

explore, reflect on, and respond to the music they listen to, create and perform and consider its

contexts, associations and interactions.

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/music/MusicSD-2017.pdf

Music Performance; Music Investigation; Music Style and Composition

Unit 1 and 2 Music performance Music Style and

Composition

Unit 3 and 4 Music performance Music Investigation Music Style and

Composition

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/music/MusicSD-2017.pdf



INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM

The tradition of a brass quintet began in the mid - 20th Century with long running groups such as

The American Brass Quintet and Canadian Brass. With the particular success and popularity of

Canadian Brass the quintet format has become standard and is considered an appropriate

ensemble for weddings, crowd entertainment, church ceremonies, main stage concerts and

more. This means there is a common expectation for University brass students to participate in a

brass quintet as part of their ensemble study and, in the early 90s, this is how the Shrewd Brass

Quintet (SBQ) came to be.

Some initial experience and successes of SBQ came as the original members, still students at

the time, busked in the streets of Melbourne and developed their skills of entertaining the

general public. During this time the group gained a reputation for using comedy to ‘break the ice’

and win over their audience, making them particularly accessible for exposing music to young

audiences or those new to ‘classical’ or jazz music. The available repertoire for brass quintet is

versatile attracting both jazz and classical musicians to perform in this type of ensemble and this

rings true in SBQ.

In spending their playing careers as freelance musicians, each current member of SBQ is

experienced in wearing many different hats and they strive to bring this diversity to their show

Bold as Brass. Between them they have performed extensively ‘in the pit’ doing professional

Broadway shows, musicals, opera and ballet. On the main stage they have performed in large

orchestras, brass bands, a mix of chamber groups, in big bands and small jazz clubs, as well as

performing in the commercial music scene, (e.g television or with pop musicians) and conducting

in the musical theatre scene.

Students can expect to get a taste of all of these things in the Bold as Brass show as there is an

emphasis on this diverse nature of brass instruments. SBQ demonstrate the use of these

instruments for fanfares, memorial ceremonials and their role in classical, pop and jazz. The

idiosyncrasies of the instruments are also explored showing the comical and heroic nature of

these instruments.

Students will also discover how the instruments work as well as some history of brass

instruments and their role in society. In learning to recognise the sounds of these instruments

students come to realise how often they hear brass instruments in everyday life as well as how

music can enrich their experiences of ‘normal’ things such as watching a movie, going to a

festival or sporting event and so on.

All members of SBQ teach music as well as perform. Their specialties range from instrumental to

classroom, and from Primary age students through to University students as well as beginner

adults and mentoring other musicians already working in the profession.



One common belief among the members of SBQ is that there is nothing like experiencing live

music. Being able to combine their passion for education and performance, and sharing a love

for music with others, is what SBQ and the Bold as Brass show is really all about.

By helping students find a way to connect with music which they may never have imagined

listening to, SBQ aims to inspire students to consider learning an instrument or, at minimum,

provide them with an experience of feeling part of the performance as an audience member. Via

the Bold as Brass show SBQ aims to instill a curiosity about the science of music (how the

instruments work), provide students with tools to be able to engage with a wide variety of music

and help students develop an awareness of the emotional and creative impact of being involved

(playing or listening) in music.



BIOGRAPHIES

GREG SPENCE –Trumpet

Greg is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts and is one of the most in demand

commercial session trumpet players in Australia. He has performed with numerous international

stars doing television shows such as the annual TV Week Logie Awards, the Carols by Candlelight,

IMT, Hey Hey It's Saturday, John Foreman's Big Night In, It Takes Two and Dancing with the Stars.

In 2007 Greg performed with Herbie Hancock and the Queensland Symphony. In 2008 he toured

with James Morrison and Deni Hines and in 2009, Greg travelled to New York to play at Carnegie

Hall as part of G'Day USA Australia Week in New York. A Yamaha Artist, Greg and is called upon

by Universities in Melbourne as both examiner and teacher and by retailers and instrument

makers to conduct workshops. Greg has an international reputation as a brass specialist and

teacher through the work he has done with his book and website ‘Mystery To Mastery’ and has

toured during 2015 and 2016 in this role.

LAURA HERTAEG – Trumpet

In 2008 before travelling to America to undertake a Master of Music at the Chicago College of

Performing Arts which she completed in 2010. Laura also has a Graduate Diploma of Education

(2011) and a Graduate Diploma of Psychology (2015) both from Monash University. Laura joined

Shrewd Brass in 2013 and also performs with various groups around Melbourne such as Corpus

Medicorum and the Melbourne Opera Company and Booroondara Brass Band. She currently

teaches Trumpet at Scotch College and Loreto Mandeville Hall.

ROSIE SAVAGE – French horn

Rosie regularly performs in the Melbourne freelance scene which includes casual work with

Orchestra Victoria and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as well as other various Melbourne

ensembles, opera companies, musicals such as Mary Poppins and Love Never Dies. While she

gets a buzz playing big orchestral repertoire, Rosie has a passion for chamber music and enjoys

exploring the world of jazz. Rosie regards music education highly and is regularly involved in

education concerts and workshops via Orchestra Victoria and the Melbourne Symphony

Orchestra as well as tutoring for Melbourne Youth Orchestra and other MYM ensembles. She

currently teaches horn at Eltham High School and The Knox School and has been a member of

Shrewd Brass since 2006. In 2009 Rosie wrote and performed her first original composition for

voice, horn and piano and was later engaged to perform the same piece for a memorial at Deakin

Edge. Shortly after that Rosie was commissioned to compose and perform a piece for solo horn

for the VCA’s Wilin Centre. She also enjoys arranging music for small chamber groups. Outside of

music Rosie has a love for food and writing poetry.



TOM RYAN – Trombone

Tom loves the fact that performing has taken him to every major city in Australia and throughout

Asia on countless occasions. As a founding member of Shrewd Brass, Tom has been performing

with the Musica Viva In Schools Program for 23 years. He is also a founder of musical comedy

group “Wacky” and has taken his roving music trio “Lounge” to Hong Kong on numerous

occasions. Tom has also been active in community theatre throughout his career as both Musical

Director and trombonist for over 150 productions. He is currently the education manager for the

Royal Flying Doctor Service and has taken his one man show to over 50,000 school children in

the last 6 years. Tom believes that all school children need to be engaged in high level creativity

and have a chance to express their enjoyment and learning as they do it. As a performer, it is a

privilege to share my ideas and at the same time, learn from their responses.

MARTIN MACAULAY – Tuba

Inspired by his jazz-drummer father and high-school music teacher, Martin literally fell into a tuba

in 1980 and hasn't been too far away from one ever since. In a career that has been as diverse

as the music he plays, Martin loves the multiplicity of roles the world of music provides. "I get a

thrill from playing great music, but I love the connection we make with kids who are hearing live

music for the first time". Martin is the Music Director at Parade College and has also trained as

an orchestral conductor in Melbourne, Italy, England and Russia, and has a special affinity with

musical theatre.



SUGGESTED PRE-VISIT ACTIVITIES

The following activities are designed for teachers and students to explore before Bold as Brass

incursion.

Research activities

Activity 1 - History of brass instruments

Have your students research different brass instruments going back in history - what were some

of the original or early ‘brass’ instruments? E.g. conch shell, animal horn, serpent etc. Younger

students can simply make a poster of instruments and write the names underneath. To follow up,

you can also generate a class discussion about what students like or think about each

instrument. Older students can write up what they have discovered about the instruments: how

do they work, what different ensembles use brass instruments, what are some famous brass

groups of pieces of music? Some students may like to take this further by doing a poster of how

an orchestra or large brass ensemble is set out.

Suggested Resources - The different brass instruments

http://www.normans.co.uk/blog/2014/08/list-brass-instruments/

http://www.aswltd.com/brass.htm

Activity 2 - Players of brass instruments

Find some examples of different brass music (your students can search many different styles on

youtube). Have them choose their favourite brass instrument and research some famous players

of that instrument – what pieces or styles of music have they recorded? What ensembles did/do

they play in? What country are they from? Are they still alive (when were they alive if not)?

Suggested Resources - Examples of brass musicians who have made a contribution to their field

Louis Armstrong - When the Saints Go Marching In:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyLjbMBpGDA

Wynton Marsalis - Haydn Trumpet Concerto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb5MSJcBb9o

Barry Tuckwell - Baroque Horn Concertos:

https://www.youtube.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5lgAFFeerk

Arkady Shilkloper - Julius Blues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g4cDMdeE5Y

Wycliffe Gordon - Just a Closer Walk with Thee:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xR7x04EhL0

Christian Lindberg - Czardas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GnJ-xL7n3k

Charles Daellenbach - Flight of the Bumblebee:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5YqXjsJAI0

Oystein Baadsvik - Fnugg Blue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV05C2JB-mA

Class activities:

Activity 3 - Introduction to Call and Response

Everyone stands in a circle. Clap a rhythm and have the class respond by copying the same

rhythm. Choose a student to clap their own rhythm for the class to respond to. Once students are

comfortable with the exercise shift to having the ‘call and response’ rhythms move around the

circle: the first person claps their own rhythm (rhythm A), then the next person in circle copies the

first student’s ‘rhythm A’ and adds their own rhythm (rhythm B) to pass on. The next person

responds by clapping rhythm B and adds their own new rhythm (rhythm C) to pass on etc.

To clarify, at any one point, there is only 2 rhythms. The last rhythm heard and the new rhythm to

be passed on. Doing this around the circle allows everyone the chance to practice copying a

rhythm without relying on their classmates and also to create their own rhythm. To keep everyone

involved you can introduce a constant pulse by having everyone rock from one foot to the other in

time to a beat. Alternatively you can have the entire class clap the response and this can help to

keep everyone focussed. If someone is finding it difficult to create their own rhythm, it could be

suggested they use their own name as their rhythm.

http://www.aswltd.com/brass.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV05C2JB-mA



Extensions:

a) try using different time signatures (students can count out loud)

b) introduce foot stomping or tapping other parts of the body (body percussion) instead of only

using just hand clapping.

c) pitch - play or sing a melody using the first five notes of a scale and have students sing it back.

Advanced students may be able to make up their own melodies. This becomes easier if they have

set boundaries such as only using 3 notes or using a pre-set rhythm to begin with.

d) include a bar(s) rest where students sing the rhythm or melody silently in their mind before

copying. This can help internalise rhythm as organised sound rather than just physical

movement.

Suggested Resource - Body Percussion

http://www.bodypercussionclassroom.com/

Activity 4 - Using music and patterns to communicate

Start again by clapping a rhythm and having the class respond. Give a simple instruction to the

class such as ‘Sit Down’. Clap the rhythm of ‘Sit Down’ and tell them each time you clap that

rhythm you would like them to sit down. To practice this, have the class stand up and deliberately

clap an assortment of different rhythms instructing them to only sit when the hear the ‘sit down’

rhythm. Make a short list of instructions each with a corresponding rhythm. E.g ‘Freeze’ -

corresponding rhythm = ta ‘Walk slowly’ = ta ti-ti, ‘Jog on the spot’ (ta ti ti ta) ‘Form a circle’ (6/8

ta-ti-ti-ta). It is important to practice each new rhythm before going to far into the game. Choose a

student to be the ‘leader’ and they can give instructions by clapping a rhythm from the list.

Extension:

a) Write the rhythm on a whiteboard or if some students can read music have them write it

themselves - the rest of the class can help them figure it out.

b) Have a class discussion about how brass instruments have been used to send messages or

signal across long distances throughout history for example the hunting horns which were used

during the fox hunt. An example the students may identify with is the rams horn used in The

Lord of the Rings. This may lead to a more general discussion about some different roles of

music in society such the Fanfare.

c) Once students have played this game once the rhythms will become recognisable and it can be

used at the start of class or as a quick way to use up energy and regain focus in the middle of a

class. Each time you repeat the game you could add in a new instruction.

Suggested resource - Hunting Horn Signals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1MJdiwcb4Y

Activity 5 - The Art of Fanfare! Using music as an announcement!

Make an announcement about yourself and follow it with a matching rhythm: E.g. ‘I am here’ (ta

ta ta) ‘I like many lemons’ (ti ti ti ti ti ti _). Ask individual students to make a verbal

announcement about themselves followed by the appropriate rhythm.

Extension: research activity for home. Research more about Fanfares and

their use in society. Students may choose a particular theme e.g Royalty,

wartime or a sporting event.

Suggested Resources - Fanfare examples:

Daily Sequence of Bugle Calls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBTv4xWwPlQ

Start of a movie - 20th Century Fox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXWFYPk11GM

Wedding - Mendelssohn’s Wedding March:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Oo4z37OUEI

Introducing the news:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV7FJLZIVE0

http://www.bodypercussionclassroom.com/



SUGGESTED POST-VISIT ACTIVITIES:

(Activities that dissect and expand upon the content of the workshop/performance that the

teacher and students can engage in post-performance).

Activity 1 - Making a brass instrument/how does it work?

Make a brass instrument using a length of hosepipe and a funnel. Gaffer tape is enough to

secure the funnel to the hose. Some fittings that would normally attach the hose to tap can be

used as a mouth piece. Alternatively the top part of a plastic bottle could be used. Students can

experiment with different lengths of tubing to see how it affects pitch. How does a different shape

or size funnel affect the sound?

Suggested Resources Vegetable Orchestra -:

http://www.vegetableorchestra.org/about.php

Activity 2 - Music in story!

Choose a selection of music E.g. Film music, a few snippets of jazz or classical music or collection

of songs. Have the class collectively or individually make up a story to go alongside the music. If

done in groups students could act perform their stories. Some students may prefer to draw

in response to the music instead.

Extension:

For homework students could choose from their own music to

write their story.

Contact the Arts & Education team at [email protected] with further questions or, even

better, examples of your work!

This edition is copyright Regional Arts Victoria in consultation with Shrewd Brass Quintet.

© 2017

http://www.vegetableorchestra.org/about.php
