proudly presents
Teacher’s Study Guide School residency workshops Sept. 26 & 27, 2011
OUTLINE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
I. Music
The music of Los Pinguos can be presented in an educational manner to students of all ages. With major influences stemming from Latin America (flamenco, samba, cumba, salsa and tango), they are able to explain how this music is influenced in their unique style and sound.
II. Instruments
Los Pinguos will explain and demonstrate their instruments, many of which are unique to Americans. The Peruvian box (cajon) which is used for percussion. This instrument is always a popular topic at live performances. They also use two Spanish guitars, with nylon strings which are not commonly used in the United States.
III. Culture
The band can discuss the cultures of Argentina and the differences between South and North America life styles. They have rituals such as the mate tea and the many traditions of the gauchos (Argentine cowboys), all members of the band are very well read and love to share the customs of their country.
IV. Experience
The band has performed for children 3 to 11 in the Summer Sounds performance for the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Lee Vining High School, County Elementary, Bishop High School, and many more. They are always enthusiastic to share their music & traditions with an interested audience.
MARCELO COULON ABOUT ARGENTINA
Argentina is the second largest country located on the continent of South America, taking up almost the entire southern half of South America. It has an area of 2,766,890 sq. km, which is slightly less than three –tenths of the size of the United States. Argentina also lays claim to a section of Antarctica of about 1,235,000 sq. km (477,000 sq. miles).
Capital: Buenos Aries
Population: 41,769,726
Government: Republic Federation of 23 provinces; one self-sustained, independent city, Buenos Aries
Money: Argentine peso (ARS)
Climate: mostly temperate; arid in southeast; sub-antarctic in southwest
Languages: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German
Fun Facts:
Argentina declared independence from Spain on the 9th of July, 1816.
Current President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was the first woman President to be elected in Argentina.
Argentina was one of the first countries to have radio broadcasting. The first broadcast was made on the 27th of August, 1920. Only twenty people had a receiver at the time!
Average life expectancy in Argentina is 76 years.
Argentina has a very good literacy rate- 97.6%. This ranks them at equal 58th in the world.
Pato is the official national sport of Argentina. It is a combination of polo and basketball.
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Argentina.
Like animated films? The world’s first animated films were made and released in Argentina, by a man named Quirino Cristiani in 1917.
Argentina loves movies! They have one of the highest rates of movie watching in the world. They enjoy watching both locally made movies and Hollywood movies.
20% of the population (according to the 2001 census) lack indoor running water and/or indoor plumbing.
Argentina produces a lot of honey, soybeans, sunflower seeds, maize and wheat.
Crocodiles live in Argentina.
The hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in South America have occurred in Argentina.
Buenos Aires is the largest city with 3,050,780 people
Source: http://wanttoknowit.com/interesting-facts-about-argentina/ MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
CAJON
Cajon drums (pronounced ka * hone), are boxlike instruments that originated in Africa and were brought to the western hemisphere by slaves. While slaves didn't have what we know today as cajon drums, they used shipping crates and even small dresser drawers. The use of these common items was as much necessity as it was likely a form of camouflage needed due to the suppression of slave music by the Spanish. The slaves could sit upon the boxes like stools and disguise the fact that it was a musical instrument of sorts.
Since then, cajon drums have evolved into beautifully engineered percussion instruments that are used around the world. They are constructed of one-half to three-quarter inch thick wood on five sides and the sixth side is a thin sheet of plywood and functions as the drum head. On the back - the side opposite the head - there's a sound hole. To play the instrument, the percussionist sits astride the box and uses his palm or fingers to hit the head between his knees. Traditionally just the hands were used to play, but some also use the plastic and metal brushes common to other types of drums.
There are at least four different types of cajon drums, each designed for a different effect. The snare has a chain along the front and is a good choice for a variety of music, but is best known as a choice for Flamenco music. String cajons have strings either along the inside of the head or in the center of the drum and they vibrate when played to produce rich tone. Slap cajon drums are constructed in a variety of ways designed to produce specific sounds. Some have corners that aren't fastened tightly to the cabinet, which buzz or make a sizzling sound when slapped or tapped. Other slap styles have soundboards that are secured to the cabinet which produce a deep, rich base tone. Finally, there are styles that have two sound boards that can be adjusted to produce different sounds. The fourth type of drum is called a pick-up cajon, which has a built-in amplification microphone and preamp so the drummer can plug into the amplification system and take advantage of the added features the system offers. While this version's construction doesn't offer a variation in sound or tone, it does allow the musician to play in large venues.
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Are-Cajon-Drums?&id=2831980
SPANISH GUITAR (CLASSICAL GUITAR)
The classical guitar is distinguished by a number of characteristics:
It is an acoustic instrument. The sound of the plucked string is amplified by the soundboard and resonant cavity of the guitar.
It has six strings, though some classical guitars have seven or more strings.
All six strings are made from nylon, or nylon wrapped with metal, as opposed to the metal strings found on other acoustic guitars. Nylon strings also have a much lower tension than steel strings, as do the predecessors to nylon strings, gut strings (made from ox or sheep gut). The lower three strings ('bass strings') are wound with metal, commonly silver plated copper.
Because of the low string tension
The neck can be entirely of wood without a steel truss rod
The interior bracing can be lighter
Typical modern six-string classical guitars are 48–54 mm wide at the nut, compared to around 42 mm for electric guitars.
Classical fingerboards are normally flat and without inlaid fret markers, or just have dot inlays on the side of the neck—steel string fingerboards usually have a slight radius and inlays.
Classical guitarists use their right hand to pluck the strings. Players shape their fingernails for ideal tone and feel against the strings.
Strumming is a less common technique in classical guitar, and is often referred to by the Spanish term "rasgueo," or for strumming patterns "rasgueado," and uses the backs of the fingernails. Rasgueado is integral to Flamenco guitar.
Machine heads at the headstock of a classical guitar point backwards—in contrast to most steel-string guitars, which have machine heads that point outward.
The overall design of a Classical Guitar is very similar to the slightly lighter and smaller Flamenco guitar.
Parts of the guitar
Parts of typical classical guitars, numbered
1 Headstock 2 Nut 3 Machine heads (or pegheads, tuning keys, tuning machines, tuners) 4 Frets 7 Neck 8 Heel 9 Body 12 Bridge 14 Bottom deck 15 Sound board 16 Body sides 17 Sound hole, with rosette inlay 18 Strings 19 Saddle (Bridge nut) 20 Fretboard
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_guitar