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Music Workshop Q&A for Episode Grades 6-8

Note to Music Maestros: These questions serve as a guideline for the Piano program. Please work through them at the pace of the class, keeping each Q&A section to no more than 3 minutes. Please encourage the students to move their bodies to the music if they feel like it.

Intro: Welcome to Music Workshop. I am (insert your name here) your Music Maestro. Today you will be learning about the Piano. Before we start the video let’s talk about the piano.

Pre- Episode Questions 1. How many of you have played or do play the piano? 2. How many of you would like to learn to play the piano? 3. How would you describe piano music?

(START VIDEO / PAUSE VIDEO WHEN BELL RINGS / PRESENT PART 1 Q&A)

Part 1 (history and fun fact 1) 1. What instrument families does the piano belong to? a. Suggested answer: Percussion and String families 2. Why is it in the Percussion Family and String families? a. Suggested answer: You hit the keys to make sound which puts it in the percussion family. It has strings to make sound, so that puts it in the string family. 3. Who invented the piano and when was the first piano built? a. Suggested answer: Bartolomeo Cristofori in the 1700’s 4. How are the piano and the harpsichord different? a. Suggested answer: Piano is louder, has more keys, can be loud or soft, piano strings hit with hammers harpsichord strings are plucked 5. What kinds of music do you hear piano in? a. Suggested answer: Almost all. , Country, Pop 6. What can the piano do with Rhythm and Melody that no other instrument can? a. Suggested answer: Play them at the same time. It can play the beat and melody at the same time. 7. What obstacle did Charles and have to overcome to become piano players? a. Suggested answer: they were blind (START VIDEO / PAUSE VIDEO WHEN BELL RINGS / PRESENT PART 2 Q&A AND MUSIC IN LIFE INSTRUCTIONS)

Part 2 – (Styles and Parts of the Piano)

1. What are the types of modern ? a. Suggested answers: Vertical - Spinet, Console, Studio, Upright or Player. Horizontal - Petite Grand, , Medium Grand, Parlor Grand, Ballroom and Concert Grand. 2. How many parts are in a piano? a. Suggested answer: Over 7000 3. Why do pianos need to be made of such hard materials? a. Suggested answer: The hard strength of the materials amplifies the vibrations improving the quality of the sound. 4. What are some of the materials used in making a piano? a. Suggested answer: Wood, Cast Iron, Metal, Carbon Steel Wire, Steel Wires wrapped with copper, Plastic 5. What are some of the parts of the piano? a. Suggested answer: Case, Structure, Pin Block, Plate, Soundboard, Strings, Tuning Pins, Keys, Keyboard 6. What is the “action” of the Piano and keys? a. Suggested answer: The action is how the piano can be played louder or softer. How heavily the hammers hit the strings and how quickly they bounce back from being hit is the action of the keys.

Music in Life Lesson Instructions to the students: You will be listening to part of a song by called Brave by Sara Bareillies. Close your eyes and think about how the music makes you feel and what color you think of when you hear the music. When the music finishes I will ask you to share with the rest of the class how the music made you feel and what color it made you think of. When the music is playing, please do not talk so that everyone is able to hear the music.

(Note to Music Maestro: after the music is done playing spend approx. 3-4 minutes talking through the following questions) Sample Maestro questions for Music in Life Lesson: 1. How did the music make you feel? 2. What color did the music make you think of? 3. What do you think the song is about?

(START VIDEO / PAUSE VIDEO WHEN BELL RINGS / PRESENT PART 3 Q&A)

Part 3 (Great Pianists from the Past) 1. What are some of the pianists that we just heard about? a. Suggested answer: Sergie Rachmaninov, Amy Marcy Beach, , Mitsuko Uchida, , Clara Haskil 2. Do you like Piano Music from the past? Why? a. Suggested answer: Yes, no, maybe. 3. How does it make you feel? a. Suggested answer: Happy, sad, bored, tired, etc. 4. Raise your hand if you recognized the music of ? a. Suggested answer: Yes, no, maybe

(START VIDEO / PAUSE VIDEO WHEN BELL RINGS / PRESENT PART 4 Q&A)

Part 4 (Pianists of Today) 1. Who is the pianist who is one of the few alternative rock performers who uses the piano as a main instrument? a. Suggested answer: Tori Amos 2. How many top 10 hits has had? a. Suggested answer: Over 50 3. Name some of the styles of music that we saw in the performers of today? a. Suggested answer: Jazz, Alternative Rock, Funk, Gospel, Singer/Songwriter, Pop, Rock, Top 40, Classical

Take the next few minutes to talk about the additional handouts that are going to be sent home with them. Please encourage the students to share what they learned with their parents and to continue pursuing their love of music.