The Amazing Tale of Gibson

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

Teacher Resource Booklet

Teaching ideas designed around repertoire from the Education Concert

THE AMAZING TALE OF GIBSON

Story by Jenny Compton

Prepared by

Sharee Bahr, Carolyn Cross and Dianne O’Toole

CONTENTS

Page

The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra 1

The Amazing Tale of Gibson 2

Teaching Ideas 4

A What’s an Orchestra 4

B Emotion in Music 6

C Texture in Music 12

D Patterns from the Program 26

E Cross-Curricular Possibilities 30

TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Marko Letonja Chief Conductor and Artistic Director

The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has been at the forefront of concert life in Tasmania for more than six decades. Established in 1948 and declared a Tasmanian Icon in 1998, the TSO gives nearly 80 concerts annually including seasons in Hobart and Launceston, and appearances in Tasmanian regional centres. Additionally, the TSO collaborates with other Tasmanian arts organisations, including highly successful projects with the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).

Resident in Hobart’s purpose-built Federation Concert Hall, the TSO has a full complement of 47 musicians. Marko Letonja is the orchestra’s Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. For works that require choral forces, the TSO is joined by the TSO Chorus. With approximately 80 CDs in its catalogue, including 21 titles in the Australian Composer Series on ABC Classics and 14 in the Romantic Piano Concerto Series on the British label Hyperion, the TSO is known and heard nationally and internationally. In December 2016- January 2017 the TSO gave a highly successful tour of China, performing nine concerts in seven cities, including Shanghai and Nanjing.

The Amazing Tale of Gibson This concert traces the story of an amazing violin, one that survived theft and neglect before finding glory in the hands of one of the world’s most famous violinists. A LITTLE OF THE HISTORY BEHIND THE STORY OF “THE AMAZING TALE OF GIBSON” The narration that you will hear during the performance of The Amazing Tale of Gibson was written by Jenny Compton and is loosely based on the history of the Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius. The following links provide more information: Orchestra of Exiles http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1906443/ - This is a documentary about Huberman who owned the Gibson Stradivarius and Jenny makes reference to Huberman playing for Brahms when Huberman was a boy and also the famous night when the Gibson Stradivarius was stolen. The Gibson Stradivarius is now owned by Joshua Bell. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Stradivarius - a concise history of the Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius https://rhapsodyinwords.com/2015/08/24/the-astonishing-300-year-history-of-the-gibson-ex- huberman-stradivarius/ - this is an in-depth look at the 300 year history of the Gibson ex- Huberman Stradivarius https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5aLHuk0PUU Joshua Bell the renowned concert violinist has owned his pride and joy, a Stradivarius violin for over a decade, it is over 300 years old. The story of the theft, return, and subsequent acquisition by Bell is told in the 2013 documentary The Return of the Violin, directed by Haim Hecht. Bell's first recording made with the Gibson ex Huberman was Romance of the Violin (for Sony Classical Records) in 2003.

A FURTHER LINK TO JOSHUA BELL AND HIS VIOLIN … SO WHAT’S GIBSON DOING NOW? In a 2007, violinist Joshua Bell went busking in an experiment to see if the public would recognise one of the finest talents in the classical world. It did not work out like that. http://www.classicfm.com/artists/joshua-bell/guides/busking-subway/#f3SIwmaVeQdq5xPV.97 In September, 2013 The Man With the Violin by Kathy Stinson illustrated by Dušan Petričić from Annick Press was published. It tells the story of the Washington Press’s experiment where they asked Joshua Bell to play in the subway incognito. This link provides https://vimeo.com/65555503 information about the book. CONCERT REPERTOIRE

Please note: a) Most of these pieces are either extracts or abridged versions, omitting repeats, to keep the durations in the 2.00 – 3.00 minutes range.

2 b) Most are readily available on YouTube and/or iTunes/Spotify. The YouTube clip links have been included in this resource booklet.

Composer/ Title Country Year Written Duration

HUANG Saibei Dance from Saibei Suite No 2, Op 21 China 1975 4’00 TRAD ARR. SHAWCROSS Australia 2015 1’00 Ai Hai Yo CORELLI Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op 6, No 8 Christmas Concerto Italy 1690 2'00 II Allegro; III Adagio VIVALDI Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8 Italy 1723 3'00 No 2 in G Minor L’estate (Summer) III Presto BACH Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 Germany 1717 –1723 1'15 II Largo MOZART Serenade No 13 in G Major, KV 525 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Austria 1787 3'00 IV Rondo BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 61 Germany 1806 3'00 I Allegro ma non troppo MENDELSSOHN Symphony No 4 in A Major, Op 90 Italian Germany 1833 2'30 I Allegro vivace SAINT- SAËNS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op 28 France 1863 3'30 LALO Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op 21 France 1874 2'20 I Allegro non troppo TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 Russia 1878 4'20 I Allegro moderato; III Finale: Allegro vivacissimo BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 27 Germany 1878 2'00 II Adagio BRUCH Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor, Op 26 Germany 1866 0'30 I Vorspiel: Allegro moderato; II Adagio HOLST St. Paul’s Suite Op 29, No 2 England 1912 1'45 III Intermezzo MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op 64 Germany 1838 - 1844 2'00 III Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace

TEACHING IDEAS A WHAT’S AN ORCHESTRA?

Having the opportunity to listen to and see an orchestra playing is an incredibly special and memorable event for children. While it is really important for the students to be familiar with all or at least some of the pieces the TSO will play it is equally important for them to have an understanding of what an orchestra is. Please take the time to familiarise your students with the four sections of the orchestra and the instruments in them. Look at a clip of an orchestra playing a familiar piece, use the colouring page, watch the YouTube clip ‘George meets the Orchestra’ or look at the many interactive on-line websites.

1 Listening to an orchestra Play a piece that the students are familiar with being performed by an orchestra. Playing the students a piece that they are familiar with allows them to connect immediately with the music and they are very excited because they know the piece and it can conjure up images in their mind and stir up memories. Once this connection has been created you can move on and focus on the sections of the Orchestra and the instruments in them. A good starting point would be Pirates of the Caribbean. Here is a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zTc2hD2npA to a performance by the Auckland Symphony Orchestra.

2 Colouring page Ask the students to colour in the 4 sections of the orchestra using the colours that the players will be wearing in the concert: Woodwind = dark blue Brass = green Percussion = light blue Strings = red

Use this link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/475692779367242089/ OR http://www.myriad- online.com/cgi-bin/workshop/YaBB.pl?board=request;action=display;num=1305290627 for a free orchestra layout chart.

3 George meets the orchestra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Jc4sP0BEE George is going to meet an orchestra for the first time! He wants to learn an instrument – but which one? Follow George as he chats with players of the Sydney Youth Orchestra and learns all about the four families of the orchestra – strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. A perfect introduction to orchestral music for Prep – Grade 2 students. 4

4 Instruments of the orchestra https://www.thinglink.com/scene/374799720679211009 Instruments of an Orchestra – Roger Gunn. Thinglink – each image has a clip linked to it to enable the viewer to see and hear each of the instruments from the orchestra playing. Find out about the conductor’s role as well. There are many interactive online websites. For example: San Francisco Symphony Orchestra: http://www.sfskids.org/classic/templates/instorchframe.asp?pageid=3 Philharmonia Orchestra: http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/explore/instruments MSO Learn app: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/mso-learn/id441422027?mt=8 Composition Lab: http://www.compositionlab.co.uk

5 Create your own “Stand-up Symphony” http://colorinmypiano.com/2012/09/20/instruments-of-the-orchestra-study-free-orchestra-stage-pieces/ There are 20 cut out figures for students to colour in and cut out and put in place on a stage plan. It’s a hands on way of reviewing the instruments as well as learning where the orchestra members sit.

6 A monster collection of links from Katie Wardrobe Katie Wardrobe is a music technology trainer and consultant with a passion for helping music teachers. This link will take you to an amazing collection of free resources online that she has collated to help introduce or expand upon the topic of Instruments of the Orchestra. http://www.midnightmusic.com.au/2014/12/instruments-of-the-orchestra-a-monster-collection-of- links-for-music-teachers/

7 The violin The featured instrument in this program is the violin. Use the following links to introduce the violin to your classes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgaQFLUdUL0 Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay from the Philharmonia Orchestra (London U.K.) introduces his instrument, the violin. (8.39 minutes) https://www.thinglink.com/scene/374799720679211009 click on the Violin link from Roger Gunn’s Orchestra thinglink page http://coloringcafe.com/coloring-pages/violin/ a free, downloadable violin colouring page Using the parts of the violin picture from Get-Tuned.com ask the students to label the parts of the violin on the colouring page above http://www.get-tuned.com/violin.php Go to Wikipedia for more information on the violin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin

B EMOTION IN MUSIC

As a means of introducing the concept of emotion in music you could use the following interactive website http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/4_11/music/mm/mood01.shtml Musical Mysteries was designed to help support the Northern Ireland Music Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2 (7-11 year olds). The resource helps pupils to explore basic musical concepts in sound, rhythm and mood. The students need to help Robbie and Curly solve some musical mysteries. The link above takes you directly to the page that focuses on mood. What is it about music that makes us feel happy or sad, or makes us want to dance?

Students need to be able to identify the way the music makes them feel. Page nine of this document has an excellent list of positive/negative mood words https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mood-Guess- My-Mood-FREEBIE-668428 . There is also a list below **

Ask students to draw how the music makes them feel by drawing different facial expressions on the blank faces http://www.getcoloringpages.com/blank-face-coloring-page

How do I feel right now? https://skinnurse.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/how-do-i-feel-right-now-faces- visuals/ this link will take you to several Feeling or Emotion Charts that are free printable visuals.

Apart from identifying how the music makes us feel students also need to be able to identify the elements that are used by composers when they compose a piece of music that lead us to feel that way.

Listening glyphs are worksheets that ask students to colour each object or portion of the picture based on what they hear. These glyphs are an excellent way for students to identify musical elements. They are a way to share information about a piece of music in a pictorial way that students can easily interpret. Some of the concepts covered: loud/soft, fast/slow, steady beat/no steady beat, lullaby, march, smooth/separated, mood and more. The listening glyphs are available from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Listening-Glyphs-for-Listening-to-and-Analyzing-Music- 597898 $4 - The Bulletin Board Lady – Tracey King. Included in the kit are 7 glyphs: butterfly, penguin, house, Christmas tree, snowman, pizza and gingerbread man.

Ask your students to imagine that they are a composer. Ask them the following questions:

 “If you wanted to create a piece of music that sounds happy and exciting, describe the music that you would write”  “How would this music change if you wanted your music to sound sad?”  Lead the discussion to talk about musical elements of instrumentation, tempo and dynamics.

1 ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

Mood/Expression: This is how the music affects you emotionally. For example: an upbeat tune may make you joyful, while a slow violin song may make you feel lonely, cold, and depressed.

Use adjectives which describe how the mood of the music sounds to you. What do you hear in the music that suggests this mood? Does the mood ever change? Describe the changes. ** Use adjectives (descriptive words) to describe the music. Here are some examples: dark, cold, mysterious, joyous, loud, soft, morbid, sad, swift, bubbly, gurgling, light, buoyant, heavy, dragging, bouncy, smooth, choppy, sensitive, weak, strong, bright, excited, warm, colourful, cheerful, dramatic, exciting, exhilarated, passionate, sensational, soaring, dreamy, scared, triumphant, tragic, yearning, agitated, angry, restless, tense, depressing, gloomy, melancholy, mournful, solemn, dreamy, sentimental, tranquil, forlorn.

Tempo: Refers to the speed of the beat (i.e. fast/slow). Does it ever change? Is it steady? Does it get faster or slower? When does it change? We use mainly Italian terms to indicate tempo:  Adagio = slow  Andante = moderately slow tempo  Moderato = moderately  Allegro = fast  Presto = very fast  Accelerando = getting faster  Rallentando = getting slower

Dynamics: Refers to the level of volume at which the music is played (i.e. loud/soft). Do they change? We use mainly Italian terms to indicate dynamics:

 pp = pianissimo = very soft  p = piano = soft  mp = mezzo piano = moderately soft  mf = mezzo forte = moderately loud  f = forte = loud  ff = fortissimo = very loud  crescendo = gets gradually louder  decrescendo = gets soft gradually

Pitch: Relates to the notes used (high, medium, low) and what sequence they are used in. Melody (tune): a melody is the part of the song you might hum to yourself as you remember the song. This is the horizontal aspect of pitch. When pitches are put together they make melodies. What is the shape of the melody? Melody can be described as monotone, ascending, descending, wavy contour, jagged. What instrument/s are playing the melody? Harmony (accompaniment): The vertical aspect of pitch: what is being played with the melody. Tonality: a melody (and its supporting harmony) is based on a particular scale (e.g. major, minor, blues, chromatic)

Rhythm: the pattern of long and short sounds or silences. What time signature is being used? (Meter 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 3/2), Does the piece use patterns? Repetition? An ostinato? A drone? Listen for repetitive patterns.

Tone Colour/Timbre: Refers to the individual sound of an instrument or voice. What instruments/ voices do you hear? Each instrument has a different tone colour. Is the sound pleasant? Is it harsh? Is it mellow? Is it dark?

Texture: Texture refers to the layers of sound and how the layers relate to each other. Is the sound thick (lots of instruments) or thin (few instruments)

Instrumentation: In what combination are the instruments being used? What is the type of ensemble you can hear?

2 VIVALDI Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8 No 2 in G Minor L’estate (Summer) III Presto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJTfG1MmMwQ Summer is played during the story when Gibson’s brother Daniel is bought by someone and taken away on horseback. Gibson is feeling horrified as he watches his brother being taken away by the stranger on the back of a galloping horse.

 Share the narrative from the concert and ask students to listen to the recording of Vivaldi Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8 No 2 in G minor - "Summer" 3rd Movt, and fill in the table below:

Describe your feelings when you What does the music do to Name the musical elements listen AND think about how Gibson help you feel that way? Vivaldi used must have felt.

Example : unsettled - anxious it’s fast Tempo

 Younger students might like to draw a picture of the stranger on horseback taking away Gibson’s brother, they need to draw Gibson in the picture so we can see his face.

 Ask them to write three things about the music that made them feel that way / draw what they drew.

 Use a listening glyph to help students focus on the musical elements used.

3 SAINT- SAËNS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op 28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWwi0iR65E 0.00 – 3.39 Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso is played during the story when Gibson was really enjoying himself and life was wonderful. Gibson played music all day and all night. It was so much fun. This piece made Gibson feel like he was a superstar ballet dancer and very handsome!

 Listen to the recording of Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op 28 and draw a picture that shows how Gibson was feeling.

 How did you decide what Gibson was feeling?

 What was it in the music that made you decide that is what Gibson was feeling?

 Using a blank face template, draw in the features of your face to show how the music is making you feel. Discuss what is happening in the music to make you feel this way.

Provide a face feelings guide to assist students, available from “how do I feel right now”. These can be found at this link https://kk107.k12.sd.us/new_page_2.htm or there are several at this link https://skinnurse.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/how-do-i-feel-right-now-faces-visuals/ Templates for blank faces are available from: http://www.getcoloringpages.com/blank-face-coloring-page.

 After listening to the Saint-Saëns, fill in the table below:

Describe your feelings when you What does the music do to Name the musical elements listen AND think about how Gibson help you feel that way? Saint-Saëns used must have felt.

 Students could compare their responses to the Vivaldi and the Saint-Saens and create a list of musical elements used in both and discuss the differences between the two pieces. How were the elements used differently in the pieces?

4 HOLST St Paul’s Suite Op 29, No 2 III Intermezzo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XazbSPIYNIw 0.00 – 1.44 Gibson was stolen from Bronislaw and put inside a hard and bumpy case. He felt sad and lonely. He didn’t understand what was happening; he didn’t make beautiful music with the nasty man and this made Gibson even sadder. He would lie in the case and wonder what his friends were doing. He was all alone, with no idea if he would ever see the people he loved again.

 Listen to the recording of HOLST’s St. Paul’s Suite Op. 29, No. 2 III Intermezzo without explaining the narrative that goes with it in the concert. Use the link above for a recording 0.00 – 1.44. a) What do you imagine is happening in the music? How does the music help you imagine those things? (The use of solo violin for the melody, accompanied by pizzicato strings - thin texture, tonality, tempo, rhythms establish a melancholy and sadness) b) How does the music make you feel? Compile a list from the students and discuss what musical elements made them feel that way. c) Draw a picture of what you think the music is creating. Give your picture a title. d) Let the students share their artwork, with the title, and discuss what they heard in the music that led them to draw this.  Once students have completed this work reveal to them the narrative from the story and see how their ideas match.  Play the following excerpt below from the Intermezzo at the tempo that it should be – (Andante con moto) and then try playing it at a moderate tempo (Moderato) and then a fast tempo (Allegro) and a very fast tempo (Presto) 9

 Does changing the tempo of the excerpt change its mood? How does it make you feel when it’s faster?  Using a blank face template draw in the features of your face to show how the music is making you feel. Discuss how the music is making you feel this way.

 To lead to further understanding of the impact that the elements can have on a piece, ask students to manipulate Frere Jacques by changing the tonality.  Sing and play through the piece.  Discuss how changing this element can completely change the mood. Major:

Minor:

 Students could also experiment with playing Frere Jacques with different instruments and discuss the effect that this has.

5 MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op 64 III Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K67o86CS5uo 20.40 – 22.31 Gibson has been saved, he has a new gorgeous velvet lined case, he’s been cleaned up and he’s finally feeling loved again. He feels like his old self again. He is ecstatic.

 Play a recording of the selection of the piece that will be used in the concert using the link above starting from 20.40 and finishing at 22.31, and ask the students move to the music in a manner which shows the mood of the music. a) Ask them why they chose to move that way b) What features of the music made them respond in that way? c) Ask them to move in a way that does not reflect the mood/style of the music d) Discuss why this is not appropriate

 Use a listening glyph to help students focus on the musical elements used.

 How does the music make you feel and what are the musical elements that are used?

C TEXTURE IN MUSIC

Texture in music refers to how the music is organised – how the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements interact; it is often referred to as ‘thick’ or ‘thin’. A good illustration to share with students is that of a sandwich: a sandwich with only one filling represents a ‘thin’ texture ie minimal different musical sounds (eg unison singing/playing); a sandwich with multiple fillings represents a ‘thick’ texture ie many different musical sounds happening at one time, woven together. For the purposes of this concert program we will be focusing on three different examples of musical texture: A) Melody/accompaniment B) Solo/group C) Duet (two equal parts) In the table below you will see how each piece from the concert repertoire may be classified in relation to these examples of musical texture.

CORELLI Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op 6, No 8 Christmas Concerto C II Allegro; III Adagio VIVALDI Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8, No 2 in G Minor L’estate (Summer) A III Presto BACH Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 C II Largo MOZART Serenade No 13 in G Major, KV 525 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik A IV Rondo BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 61 A I Allegro ma non troppo MENDELSSOHN Symphony No 4 in A Major, Op 90 Italian A I Allegro vivace SAINT- SAËNS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op 28 A LALO Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op 21 B (+A)* I Allegro non troppo TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 A** I Allegro moderato BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 27 A II Adagio BRUCH Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor, Op 26 II A I Vorspiel: Allegro moderato; II Adagio I B (+A)* HOLST St Paul’s Suite Op 29, No 2 A III Intermezzo MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op 64 A III Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 A-B-A III Finale: Allegro vivacissimo

(+A)* = very minimal accompaniment. A** = lots of ‘solo’ passages but these are more like cadenzas than a change to solo/group texture, a feature of a few other pieces also.

Throughout this section, TP refers to tuned percussion and UP refers to untuned percussion.

A MELODY/ACCOMPANIMENT

1. Pudding on the Hill: sing (melody) and play TP (accompaniment)

‘Pudding on the Hill’ (from Marimba Music for Little Kids by Jon Madin):  Listen to recording and sing along  Join in by clapping the ostinato  Sing descending scale pattern  Show how (descending) ostinato and (ascending) scale are notated – discuss pitch direction also  Sing along while following notation  Learn to play ostinato and scale on TP  Sing melody while playing accompaniment on TP 

2. ‘Holidays’ composition: created melody accompanied by bordun and UP ostinati

Create simple rhyme to a set theme eg ‘Holidays’ using basic rhythms made up of note values such as ta, ti-ti and za – an example of one I have done with my students to commence the year is below:

 Read rhythms together  Clap rhythms together  Add words  Play the rhyme on UP  Transfer to TP on limited notes eg C and G  Discuss key concepts – scale, pentatonic, improvisation  Try improvising a melody with notes of the C Pentatonic scale using the rhythm of the rhyme  Share some and reflect/evaluate  Discuss ways to improve  Notate melody  Add accompaniment parts – bordun using C and G + UP parts (students create UP ostinati by taking snippets from the rhyme)  Notate bordun and ostinati – see below for an example  Prepare for performance

3. Popcorn – sing (melody) and play UP (accompaniment)

‘Popcorn’ (from Great Southern Songbook 2001):  Listen and learn words to sing along  Add UP accompaniment as below  Learn the ‘Popcorn Line Dance’ and add to the song  Work in groups to sing melody/dance and play the UP ostinati  Swap roles

UP ostinati:

4. Good Morning Rainbow – sing (melody) and add movements + TP bordun (accompaniment)

‘Good Morning Rainbow’ (used with permission):

 Sing whole song for students  Teach phrase by phrase  Add hand movements to reflect pitch – solfa if possible  Split class in half to sing half phrase (ie one bar) each in call and response style then swap roles  Add actions to complement the text  Add basic pentatonic accompaniment using a pedal (tonic) then bordun (tonic + dominant) then some melodic ostinati: see examples below

 Allow time for melodic improvisation using D Pentatonic scale  Combine all elements with sung melody and TP accompaniment

5. Coconuts – sing and play (melody) and add UP ostinati (accompaniment)

‘Coconuts’ (from Terrific Tunes for Novice Performers by Glen Hughes and Frank Wakewood):

 Discuss non-conventional pitch notation and devise a simple score for the above song  Learn to sing the song – check for vocal pitch accuracy and follow the created score  Add UP ostinati as below  Label and learn to play melody on TP instruments  Rehearse all together – sing/play melody, accompanied by these UP ostinati (these could also be transferred to TP eg the drums ostinato could become a bass part – C, C, G)

6. The White Flower – melody + accompaniment, both played on TP

‘The White Flower’ (from Marimba Music for Little Kids by Jon Madin):  Listen to recording and discuss mood (minor tonality)  Look at notation and label notes of melody  Discuss how phrases differ re pitch of phrase endings  Learn to play melody on TP  Which note is not used? (Remove ‘G’ bars)  Add bass part  Combine two parts  Add some UP  Rehearse in two groups – melody (TP) and accompaniment (Bass – TP + UP)

7. Porog Ata e – sing (melody) and play TP Bass/UP ostinati (accompaniment)

‘Porog Ata e’ (from Children’s Songs of the Torres Strait Islands transcribed by Frank York):

 Learn to sing the song  Add appropriate movements  Add instrumental accompaniment – Bass part + UP ostinati (see below for suggestions)

8. Movement pathways – movement (melody) and TP/UP (accompaniment)

Students work in groups of three to explore movement pathways where one student is responsible for movement and the other two accompany this movement, one using TP and the other, UP:  Map out a route across/through the space – for example, using train station names: choose three stations to include in your movement piece  Student responsible for movement must choose three different ways of moving from station to station  Demonstrate this for others in the group  Based on this demo others then make a choice regarding an appropriate instrument (one person UP, one person TP) to accompany the movement ie to represent the movement in sound  Rehearse together  Swap roles (and change the movement and sound patterns according to what the new ‘leader’ chooses – all improvised)

9. Wind Song – Choral speaking poem (melody) with UP and vocal sound effects (accompaniment)

‘Wind Song’ by Lillian Moore (from Vocal-Ease Module 1: From speaking to singing):

When the wind blows the quiet things speak. Some whisper, some clang, Some creak.

Grasses swish Treetops sigh. Flags slap and snap at the sky. Wires on poles whistle and hum. Ashcans roll. Windows drum.

When the wind goes – suddenly then, the quiet things are quiet again.

 Read poem together  Discuss sound words found in the poem eg whisper, clang, creak, swish  Add vocal sound effects to all of these words  Add any extra atmospheric sounds which are appropriate to the context  Transfer some of the sounds to UP and perform along with vocal sounds as an accompaniment to the poem

10. Improvisation – Improvise (melody) with TP ostinati (accompaniment)

Work with students to create three ostinati on TP which can be used as the accompaniment to an improvised pentatonic melody (in time signature of choice – examples below in simple triple time):  Bordun to become a Bass part (‘X’ in example below = cross-stick tap)  Two other melodic ostinati – see examples below  Remove bars (fourth and seventh) to make improvising using the pentatonic scale easier for students to manage  Split class – half accompanying, half improvising and then swap roles

B SOLO/GROUP

1. Join in the Fun

‘Join in the Fun’ (from Join in the Fun by Sharee Bahr):

 Teach all parts beginning with Bass and layering other parts in  Once all parts have entered play tutti twice then feature ‘solos’ by individual parts one at a time (eight bars) in between repetitions of the piece played tutti

2. UP Rhythmic Rondo

A rondo form activity for students to experience solo vs group:  Learn each of the five parts below  Divide the class into five groups – each group to play one of the parts  Allow time for students to create their own rhythm piece using given instruments featuring from one to all of their group members, playing in unison or two parts  Hear these and provide feedback  Assemble into a rondo form piece

3. Y.M.C.A dance project

Students work in groups to create a dance to the music of the song ‘Y.M.C.A’ by The Village People:  Work as a whole class and learn actions to the Chorus of ‘Y.M.C.A’  Try with the music  For the verses teacher lead some movements then ask for student volunteers to lead the class  Show students a set of movement cards and go through each one with the class (eg clap your hands, stamp your feet, step to the right, bob up and down). Explain that each movement needs to last for eight beats  Spread the cards out in the centre of the circle so that everyone can see all of them  Choose one student to select four cards and assemble them into the order of his/her choice. Try this sequence in time with the music and repeat with another student and another four cards to create a dance to go with the verse of the song  Divide class into groups with the task of creating their own dance sequence using original ideas or ideas from the cards – eight ideas to last for eight beats each  Students rehearse and try to memorize their sequence in order to perform with the music  Share group work with the class then assemble into a performance: Group 1 (solo), Chorus (whole class), Group 2 (solo) etc

4. Balafon

‘Balafon’ (from Hot Marimba by Walt Hampton):  Learn all three parts of the song  Combine and rehearse together  Assemble into performance order: layered beginning (Bass begins), then tutti, solo (last group to enter), tutti, solo (second group to enter), etc

5. Solo’s Here for Everyone

‘Solo’s Here for Everyone’ (from Music for Children vol. 1: Pentatonic by C. Orff and G. Keetman, adapted by Margaret Murray):

 Learn to sing the song  Give four pitches to students and let them ‘find’ the melody  Share and play altogether  Add bordun accompaniment – C and G  Combine parts  Create ‘B’ section with improvisation  Assemble into Rondo form: ‘A’ section = song tutti (“Now the first one’s turn has come”), ‘B’ section = improvised solo (with one person to continue playing bordun), ‘A’ (“Now the second one’s turn has come”), ‘C’ section = a second improvised solo and so on

6. Charlie Over the Ocean

‘Charlie Over the Ocean’ (from 150 American Folksongs to Sing, Read and Play ed. Peter Erdei):

 All learn the song by echoing teacher ie class sings lyrics in brackets  Check the last phrase for pitch accuracy  Add the game – one student to be soloist, class echoes each phrase (solo, group, solo, group, etc); whilst singing, the ‘leader’ walks around the outside of the circle and on the last phrase taps someone on the shoulder who then has to chase him/her ‘home’ (once around the circle) and that person has the next turn  Students ‘out’ or caught sit down but still participate

7. Cool Cats

‘Cool Cats’ (from Pukeko Stomp by Janet Channon and Wendy Jensen – Kids Music Company):  Teach the first half of the song by having students echo phrase by phrase  Demonstrate movements for first half of song using pegs to represent feet  Students imitate using fingers  Clarify movements with students and then try with music, standing in a circle  Teach second half of song words and movements together, phrase by phrase  Demonstrate role of ‘leader’ in centre of circle and then ask for a volunteer to take on this role: Devise a simple movement/body percussion pattern for class to copy and demonstrate this during the phrase: “So copy carefully, you can do it”; class then copies during the next phrase: “It’s lots of fun you’ll see, when you do it”  Form groups of six and sing with CD (plays six times so all have a chance to be leader); movement sequence = group, solo, group (once through the song)

8. Improvisation

An exercise to help students become familiar with improvising, build confidence and allow time for them to collect ideas from their peers:  Clap some four-beat phrases for students to echo  Ask for some volunteers to have a turn at leading the group in this way  Choose one rhythm to be our ‘theme’ clap and teach this to students  Sitting in a circle, have each student improvise a four-beat pattern in between tutti repetitions of the theme, going around the circle so all have a turn; teacher keeps the beat going quietly during the improvisations

9. Singing Sockie

‘Singing Sockie from Salzburg’ from Margaret McGowan-Jackson, 2008, OSASA State Conference:

 Introduce Sockie – never whispers, speaks, etc – only sings  Sockie teaches his ‘Sockie Song’ and then leads lots of echoing using a variety of sung phrases and vocal sounds  Sockie then tells the class he is lonely and needs some friends to sing with who, like him, only sing; teacher gives out socks to all students and once all have a sock on their hand they join in the song, the echoing and also some ‘conversation singing’  Students work with a partner, having a play at singing conversations  Game: students sit in a circle and individual students sing odd-numbered bars with the class singing even-numbered bars (solo, group, solo, group, etc)

C DUET: 2 EQUAL PARTS

1. Partner songs

Partner songs work really well when introducing two-part songs. Some great examples are:  Shoo Fly/Get That Fly (from Sing! 2006)  Ten Green Bottles/Green Glass (from Sing! 1998)

2. Rhythmic Rondo

‘Rhythmic Rondo’ (from Music for Children vol. 1: Pentatonic by C. Orff and G. Keetman, adapted by Margaret Murray):

 Use speech to teach the rhythms – two parts separately (words source unknown)

Turn the TV off and go to bed now Oh no I won’t

Turn the TV off and go to bed now Oh no I won’t Turn it off Every time I want to watch a Go to bed program that I really like, it’s “No!” Turn the TV off and go to bed now Oh no I won’t

 Work in two groups and put two parts together  Add body percussion to words and include dynamics  Try without words  Transfer to UP  Give opportunity for improvisation and use this to create a ‘B’ section

3. Score-reading

Use a simple two-part rhythmic piece for students to experience score-reading:

 All read Part 1  Add body percussion  All read Part 2  Add body percussion  Work in two groups – reading rhythms + body percussion  Transfer body percussion to UP

4. Monday’s Child

‘Monday’s Child’ (from Marimba Music for Little Kids by Jon Madin):  Listen to song and join in with ostinato after hearing this a few times – tap knees for TP, clap for stick taps  Listen out for bass pattern and discuss pitch direction  Learn to play both ostinato and bass pattern (remove bars between notes of ostinato to make it easier for young students)  All play bass, all ostinato then split class and try both parts together as a duet

5. Evolving Shapes

Movement activity for students working in pairs:  Students experiment with curvy and pointy shapes that they can make with their bodies  Work in pairs to make a statue together with one student making a pointy shape, the other a curved shape  Continue working to come up with a total of four different statues  Share with the class – holding each statue for several seconds before moving to the next statue (half at a time: half audience, half performers)  Students work together again to devise a smooth pathway to flow from shape to shape so that each ‘statue’ seems to evolve  Share with the class again

6. Thursday Song

‘Thursday Song’ (from Treasures from the Orff Attic by Konnie Saliba):

 Teach song by imitation  Add clapping pattern in pairs (‘L’ (left), ‘R’ (right) and ‘both’ refer to which hands to use when clapping with a partner):

 Explain purpose of the rest at the end of the song: to jump 180 degrees and meet your new partner  Add another similar jump at the end of bar four (halfway) – then there will be two people to sing and clap with each time through the song

7. The Mouse and the Elephant

‘The Mouse and the Elephant’ (from Children’s Folk Dances 1997 compiled by Andre Van de Plas):  Listen to the music and ask students what they notice about it  Discuss the two very different types of music and how these types differ – pitch, character, etc  Discuss instrumentation  Listen again for students to identify section in the middle where both types of music are playing at the same time – a duet of opposites  Students to work in pairs to create their own piece of music portraying opposites, using one TP instrument and one UP instrument

8. Movement + UP

Students work in pairs to create a representation of an Australian animal:  Brainstorm a list of Australian animals and/or have some pictures available  Students work in pairs to create their own representation of one of these animals, one using movement, the other an UP instrument  Plan a pathway for the animal and rehearse the movement and corresponding sound together  Share with the class (half audience, half performers)

9. Brothers

‘Brothers’ (from Ragtime and Blue by Elena Kats-Chernin):  Listen to the music and have students identify the two instruments used to portray the two brothers  Discuss what was the same and different about the ‘brothers’

D PATTERNS FROM THE PROGRAM

Many of the pieces in the program have melodies with a singable range, and/or repetitive rhythms or motifs which may be useful for class work. The examples here have been given words or vocables, as that usually helps children to learn to play or sing them. It is, of course, each teacher’s decision about whether an example should be identified as part of the concert program before children attend, or indeed when (or if) any work will be undertaken. Students do enjoy finding something familiar in concerts, but it’s just as valid to use the concert as a starting point. Every teacher will have plenty of ideas about how to make use of these examples: singing, playing, creating, moving, listening – exactly what you’d do with any stimulus material. As a starting point, the first example is the A tune in a Rondo, and can be used in your classroom in the same way, with students groups / pairs / individuals creating other material to come between repetitions of this theme. The Lalo extract offers an opportunity to build understanding of some musical vocabulary (unison, harmony, scale). The Saint-Saens 3-part rhythm could become an exercise in interlocking patterns and working with syncopation.

1 MOZART Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in G major, KV 525, IV, Rondo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsztV6HFGuA

2 BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D major, Op 61, 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD_CaKUqsgE This melody is played by oboe, clarinet and bassoon

3 MENDELSSOHN Symphony No 4 in A major, Op 90, Italian, I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HX_jF1_Tgc

4 SAINT-SAENS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op 28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWwi0iR65E The top line is the rhythm of the solo violin. You could try it first without syncopation, by removing the ties. The vocables in brackets are those that need to become internalised (“in your head”) in order for the syncopated rhythm to be accurate. It’s obviously easiest to get it together by establishing Line 3 first, then Line 2, so you have a solid repeated pattern over which to try the more testing one; or to use as the accompaniment for improvisation.

5 LALO Symphonie Espagnole, Op 21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-C5ujRHpZw This melody is played by the bassoon.

This 2-bar rhythm pattern is the basis of the whole movement.

There are lots of variations to the base pattern, including all those shown here. You can mix and match as you see fit, and of course they don’t have to be 2-bar patterns.

6 TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D major, Op 35, I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTE08SS8fNk This melody has been transposed from D major to make it easier to sing and play. In the original key, the low A pushes the range of younger children (and needs a C# for playing purposes).

7 BRAHMS Violin Concerto, II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QelR9_EIMgs This duet is played by oboe and bassoon.

8 HOLST St Paul’s Suite Op 29 No 2, III Intermezzo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XazbSPIYNIw This ostinato rhythm is used extensively.

The very simple melodic version is played by the low strings, also as an ostinato. The scale used in the piece is included as a basis for improvisation work.

Here is a treble clef version:

Scale:

E CROSS-CURRICULAR POSSIBILITIES

Literacy Speaking and thinking There are many opportunities for discussion and reflection throughout the teaching ideas. Vocabulary building Activities in Section B Emotion in Music offer opportunities for the development of students’ vocabulary of adjectives and synonyms. Musical vocabulary will be developed through many of the teaching ideas.

Thematic work related to Empathy The attribution of human characteristics to an inanimate object is a well-established strategy for helping students to become articulate about their feelings and those of others. The story of Gibson is an example of this, and references many emotions and life experiences such as fear, loneliness, pleasure, resilience, friendship, sadness and joy.