San Diego Symphony Family Festival Series Presents:

A Family Guide to:

Much Ado About Music: Shakespeare and the Symphony

How to prepare your child for the concert and extend the experience beyond the concert hall.

Sunday, April 17th at 2:00 pm at Copley Hall in the Jacobs Music Center

1 Dear Parents, Families, and Symphony Patrons,

Thank you for taking the time to read this guide to Much Ado About Music: Shakespeare and the Symphony and for attending the upcoming concert on Sunday, April 17th at 2 pm. We look forward to welcoming you to the Symphony!

Bringing children to the Symphony is a wonderful way to introduce them to the world of music, classical and otherwise, and to provide them an opportunity to learn to listen, focus, and appreciate in a world whose attention span is shrinking and whose focus is waning. In compiling this short guide, we aim to provide you with: A) Ideas on how to prepare your child or children for the concert going experience B) Information about Shakespeare and his plays that will give you better context for understanding and enjoying the music C) Things to listen for during the concert D) Ideas for activities that will extend and enrich your connections with the music afterwards

We hope that this guide is helpful to you. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or comments for us. We’d love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

The San Diego Symphony Education Department

Adrienne Valencia Allison Morrissey Director of Education and Community Engagement Education Programs Coordinator [email protected] [email protected]

In this Guide: Get to Know the Instruments of the Orchestra ……………………………………………………………………... 3 For Parents: Getting Children Ready For the Concert ……………………………………………………………..4 Get to Know Conductor, Sameer Patel……………………..……………………………………………………………..6 Get the Most Out of The Music…………………………………………….. …………………………………………………….7 The Life and Times of Shakespeare………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Romeo and Juliet Comic………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Comic………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Extending Your Experience: Post-Concert activities …………………………….………………………………...11

2 Get to Know the Instruments of the Orchestra!

The modern orchestra has around 20 main instruments that can be broken down into 4 main groups: Strings (violin, viola, cello, bass, and harp), Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba), and Percussion (drums, triangle, timpani, and includes the piano). Can you find all of them in Symphony Hall? Each family of instruments sits together onstage, strings are usually in the front, percussion on the back left, woodwinds across the middle, and brass across the back middle and on the back right. The word “symphony” means “sounding together.” Our orchestra is called the San Diego Symphony because it is located in the city of San Diego, California and it is a group of musicians who sound good together.

3 For Parents: Getting Children Ready for the Concert

By Holly Mulcahy

The following tips were excerpted with permission from the author from the article “Kids at the Symphony: A How To Guide” written by Holly Mulcahy for the website Neo Classical: Holly Mulcahy on the future of Classical Music. These tips are intended to be used as a springboard for your own discussion on concert manners with your children and not as strict rules by which to abide. We realize that children are energetic, often vocal and wiggly, and we welcome their exuberance and enthusiasm. However, we see our Family Festival Concerts as opportunities to teach our young audiences how to listen to classical music while showing respect for fellow audience members and the professional musicians onstage by being as considerate as possible. We hope you find these ideas helpful.

Sharing orchestral music is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child. In a society where attention spans are shrinking, this is a great vehicle to give a child access to a longer attention span and a calmer thought process. Additionally, encouraging children to use their imagination is a marvelous way to encourage creativity while helping them direct their emotions.

Groundwork Preparation: try these a week or two before your concert date. 1. Sit with your child and listen to a three minute piece. Before the piece starts, ask the child to listen for three things. Is it a happy or sad piece? Was it quiet or loud? Was it fast or slow? It is important that you convey that while listening they are not to talk but to listen fully! After you listen with them, discuss what they thought. I think it would be a nice tradition to discuss over cookies or some kind of treat. 2. A week later try a longer piece. Same questions, same discussion afterwards. Do not forget the cookies during the discussion! 3. After you bumped up their listening lengths, start to ask them to use their imagination more. What did the piece remind them of? Did the work make them think up a story? Perhaps they could paint a picture of the images that came to mind. Painting, discussing, and the cookies now become a thing, your bonding tradition. You are sharing a very powerful experience that is fun and meaningful. 4. Bonus discussions may pop up such as what instrument is making what sounds. Be prepared to Google what you don’t know and you might learn something fun, too!

4 Pre-Concert Preparation Sit with your child and play portions of the recordings to be performed on the concert program. Ask the questions listed above and draw some pictures, tell some stories, and share some cookies. Tell them you are proud of how they can sit quietly and you’d like to reward them by taking them to see the music in person! Explain what will happen from picking the tickets up, to finding a seat and sitting quietly while a real orchestra plays the music they have come to know. Explain that there will be a time to talk during intermission and after the concert you will take them for a special treat so you can talk about the concert.

During the Concert Possible Guidelines to help you: 1. Ask your child if they need to use the restroom before the concert. 2. Try to take your seat about 5 minutes before the concert starts. 3. Notice as many exits as possible, have a plan and several backups. 4. If you feel that your child is moving too much (more than a little natural wiggling) consider placing your hand on his/her shoulder as a signal. 5. If your child begins crying, consider taking them to the back of Symphony Hall or even into the lobby to soothe them. (You’ll still be able to hear the music.) 6. If your child has listened long enough, they can tap your leg as a signal that they are ready to leave at the end of a piece. 7. Wiggling feet can sometimes kick the seat of the person in front. If you see this happening with your child, gently remind them to not kick. 8. With so much to see, it’s natural to want to point out something interesting. Encourage minimal talking, and only in a whisper. 9. If you want to look through the program book, flip through it quietly. If it falls from your lap, leave it on the ground until the music stops, then try to retrieve it. 10. After the concert, go out for a treat afterwards to celebrate appropriate behavior!

Post-Concert Follow-up 1. Hopefully you and your child had a great time. Good preparation usually allows for that! 2. Ask your child what was the best part of the concert and what wasn’t. Make notes for future concerts you might consider. 3. Start introducing some other music, keeping your tradition and special time going strong.

5 San Diego Symphony’s Assistant Conductor, Sameer Patel joined us officially last fall. We are thrilled to have him here and wanted to introduce him to you.

Where did you grow up? I grew up in a town called Port Huron in the state of Michigan. It gets really cold there in winter! What were some of your early experiences with music? I started playing piano at the age of nine. Two years later, I began playing the saxophone. Even though at first I didn't care for practicing, I became very interested in music in high school because I had really great teachers. I was lucky enough to have my first experiences conducting while in high school and have been doing it ever since! Did you study music in college? Yes, I went to the University of Michigan. What do you like about conducting? I like the creativity and teamwork involved in making music. I also like that it has taken me all over the world to meet other people who love music the way I do. Finally, through my work with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, I have seen how music can help young people and benefit their lives. What do you like to do when you’re not making music? I am a very curious person and enjoy learning about all sorts of things, from airplanes to countries around the world, to animals and people. In my spare time I like to travel, read, follow University of Michigan football (go Blue!), and watch tennis. What’s your favorite Shakespeare play? My favorite play by Shakespeare is Hamlet because I love the intricacy of the plot and the complexities of the characters. While reading a play is fun and insightful, it's only in watching a performance of it that you see how the words and drama come to life. That being said, I loved Kenneth Branagh's film version, as well as the recent Barbican production featuring Benedict Cumberbatch. What’s your favorite musical piece, movie, or piece of pop culture inspired by Shakespeare? My favorite Shakespeare-inspired work is the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev, which was written almost 350 years after Shakespeare's play. I conducted a full performance with dancers two years ago, and alongside the music I reread the whole play, which I hadn't encountered since high school. While Shakespeare's play is indeed incredible, Prokofiev's music is so vivid that you can follow along with the drama even without dancers or spoken lines.

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Get The Most Out Of The Music Want to know what to listen for during the concert? Here are some ideas from your conductor, Sameer Patel:

Korngold, Much Ado About Nothing Suite, Mvt. 4: Intermezzo (Garden Scene) This music is enchantingly vivid, almost as if it sets the scene for a fairy tale. Listen for the piano and harp which gently accompany the beautiful string melodies.

Vaughan Williams, Fantasia on Greensleeves The wistful sounds of the flute and harp at the beginning remind us that this music is in fact based on an old folk song, Greensleeves. Listen especially for the middle section when the music gets faster and definitely feels like a gentle folk dance. This makes its way into a solo moment for the flute (what we call a "cadenza") before the orchestra comes back in with the Greensleeves melody.

Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet: Overture- Fantasy This music is full of contrasts: sometimes the music is rhythmically agitated and dramatic, other times it's passionately melodic. Those who know Shakespeare's play might be able to "hear" the plot, characters, or setting. The music also contains one of Tchaikovsky's most beloved melodies, which appears in the music to characterize Romeo and Juliet's love for each other (naturally this melody has become famous - you've probably heard it before!).

7 The Life and Times of Shakespeare England, 1564-1616

Shakespeare’s Life What Life Was Like in England

April 23, 1564 – William Shakespeare is born 1558-1603—Queen Elizabeth reigns over England. She was 1582—William moves to London and begins his a great supporter of theatrical career Shakespeare and his plays

1589-1591—His first plays are a success

1599—William’s theater company London in Shakespeare’s day was a builds the famous Globe Theater in bustling, urban center much like it London. is today. However, then it was crowded, dirty and a hotspot for 1600-1606—He writes his most famous tragedies gambling and even public executions. 1616—William dies 1623—William’s friends published his plays Festivals were a big part in The First Folio of life in Elizabethan England. Life was difficult for Londoners at that time especially due to the outbreak of the plague. Therefore, any opportunity to celebrate was welcomed.

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Romeo and Juliet and Romeo

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream Midsummer A Night’s

10 Extend Your Experience! Keep the excitement going after you leave the concert with these fun activities you can do at home!

See some Shakespeare-inspired pop culture : Shakespeare inspired artists from all different genres to create works based on his plays. Here are some fun movies and works created that are based off of the works of the Bard himself.

Movies: The Lion King—based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet She’s The Man—Based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night Ten Things I Hate About You—Based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew

Musicals: Kiss Me Kate —based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew West Side Story—based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet The Boys from Syracuse—based on Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors

Check out versions of Shakespeare plays written for young readers at your local library: Usborne Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare Tales from Shakespeare by Marcia Williams Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times, 21 Activities by Colleen Aagesen

Listen to how other composers have depicted Shakespeare’s works in music. You can find recordings of these pieces at your local library or on YouTube: The Tempest by Sibelius Three Shakespeare Songs by Vaughan Williams A Midsummer Night's Dream by Britten

11 See More Shakespeare! The young actors you’ll see onstage at the Symphony will be performing as part of the San Diego Student Shakespeare Festival!

12 Coming to the Downtown Central Library! The First Folio! See an original, fist edition copy of Shakespeare’s plays!

Summer 2016

In honor of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the Folger Shakespeare Library is sending Shakespeare's First Folio on a nationwide tour. The exhibit, First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare will make its only California visit at the San Diego Central Library at Joan and Irwin Jacobs Common from June 4th through July 7th, 2016.

The importance of the First Folio cannot be overstated. Without it we would likely have lost the plays of Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night and The Tempest. Compiled by fellow actors following Shakespeare’s death, the First Folio is the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, containing 36 complete works.

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