St. Louis Symphony

Education Concert Series 2019/2020

Peter and the Wolf Teacher’s Guide

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 9:30am & 11:00am Wednesday, October 23, 2019 9:30am & 11:00am

Stéphane Denève, Music Director Gemma New, Resident Conductor

slso.org/education

Table of Contents

Letter from the EDCP Team……………..……………..…………………………………...... 2

Contact Information…………………………..………………………………………………………………………………….………… 2 Subsidized Tickets & Transportation…………………………………………………………………………………….…………. 3 Planning Your Visit………………………………………………………….……………………………………………..……….……….. 3 Concert Overview………………………………..……………….………….…….…………………………….……….……………….. 3 Lesson No. 1 – The Story …………..…..………..…….…………………………….………………………….…………………….. 4 Lesson No. 2 – Musical Characters…………………………...... 7 Lesson No. 3 – Identifying Instruments of the Orchestra...... 10 Lesson No. 4 – Music Tells a Story ……………….…...... 12 Lesson No. 5 – Character Composition …..……………………………….………..…..………………………………………. 14 About the Composers ………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………. 17 Picture the Music ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19 For Parents: Family Concerts……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20

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Dear Educators:

Welcome to the SLSO’s 140th season! This season we welcome Music Director, Stéphane Denève, to our SLSO family, and we have an exciting Education Concert Series planned for you. For our youngest audience, don’t miss the brand new SLSO Tiny Tunes Concert featuring The Tortoise and the Hare. We present the classic tale of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf this Fall and Beethoven’s New Groove this Spring for our elementary and younger middle school audience. Beethoven’s New Groove shows us how meter and rhythm work together to create different styles of music. And lastly, for our middle and high school friends, don’t miss the Education Team’s Top Picks, including Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Suite, Ravel’s Bolero and music from living composers Aaron Jay Kernis, Guillaume Connesson, and John Adams. For a full list of SLSO Education Programs please visit slso.org/education.

Thank you for all you do to make music an important part of your students’ development and lives. Many musicians who are members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra credit the influence and mentorship of their school music educators with sparking their passion and dedication to music. The SLSO is devoted to supporting your work through educator-informed resources designed to help inspire your students to get involved and stay involved in music. From introducing students to their SLSO by attending education concerts at Powell Hall to joining us for music educator networking events that encourage idea sharing, we hope you will take advantage of many SLSO education resources in the coming year.

Sincerely,

- Your appreciative friends at the SLSO

Contact Information The SLSO Education Team is available to answer questions or provide additional suggestions for learning activities.

Jessica Ingraham Alex Chang Sarah Ruddy Director of Education Education Programs Coordinator Early Childhood Coordinator 314-286-4407 314-286-4460 314-286-4488 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

For questions about education concert ticketing or invoices, please contact the SLSO Box Office at 314- 534-1700.

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Subsidized Tickets & Transportation Limited financial assistance is available to offset the cost of education concert tickets and buses for underserved schools.* Financial assistance is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. The financial assistance request is located within the online ticket order form.

*Underserved is defined as having a student population of 50% or more on free and reduced lunch.

Planning Your Visit Information for planning your field trip to Powell Hall is available for download at slso.org/educationvisits. To ensure a successful trip for everyone, it is important that all bus drivers follow the bus unloading and loading procedures. Please make sure to clearly communicate the expectations laid out in the “Information for the Bus Company & Bus Driver” handout.

Concert Overview Join Peter and his animal friends on the symphonic adventure that has introduced generations to orchestra music: Prokofiev’s beloved work, Peter and the Wolf. Each character in this musical fairy tale is represented by a different instrument of the orchestra. Together we experience the beautiful tapestry of orchestral color that reflects our own unique voices and personalities.

Objectives Students will • Experience a live orchestra performance. • Aurally identify the instruments of the orchestra by instrumental timbre. • Connect musical themes with characters to experience how music can tell a story.

The lessons in this Teacher’s Guide should be easily adaptable for students in grades 1-5. Repertoire

Composer Piece/Excerpt YouTube Link DUKAS Fanfare from La Péri bit.ly/2OduKzZ

MOZART German Dances, K. 571, no. 6 bit.ly/2SyP0dY RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin, mvt. IV, Rigaudon bit.ly/2Yc0Gtg COPLAND Hoedown from Rodeo (for ) bit.ly/2MbTQwG PROKOFIEV Peter and the Wolf bit.ly/2qSxKnb

Additional Resources

• Visit slso.org/educationvisits for information on Powell Hall, the SLSO, and the instrument families of the orchestra. • For more ideas visit our SLSO Education Concerts 2019/20 Pinterest Board. • For additional recordings visit our Peter and the Wolf Spotify Playlist.

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Lesson No. 1 – The Story

Objectives Students will: • Become familiar with the story of Peter and the Wolf. • Identify emotions and character traits using context clues from the story.

Standards Missouri English Language Arts Learning Standards

• R1A – Develop and apply skills to the reading process. • R2A – Develop and apply skills and strategies to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate fiction, poetry and drama from a variety of cultures and times.

Illinois English Language Arts Learning Standards

• RL.1-4.1-3 – Reading Standards for Literature K-5, grades 1-4, strands 1-3 • SL.1-2.2 – Speaking and Listening Standards K-5, grades 1-2, strand 2

Materials • Story of Peter and the Wolf found on page 5 or use your favorite picture book. (The story on page 5 is similar to the narration that will be used during the concert.) • Character Map on page 9

Procedures • Read the story of Peter and the Wolf to the class. Here are some sample questions focused on social emotional learning for discussion during the read aloud: o How do you think Peter felt when he was trying to catch the wolf? o How do you think the wolf felt when the bird was teasing him? o How do you think the wolf felt when Peter caught him in his lasso? (What is a lasso?) o When the wolf eats the duck, how do you think Peter and his friends felt? o Should Peter have disobeyed his Grandfather? • Have students act out, retell or storyboard the story in small groups or as a class. Use whatever resources are available: stuffed animals, finger puppets, felt boards, etc. • Start the Character Maps (page 9) as a class, in small groups, or individually. Students should use clues from the story to develop a list of character traits for each character. Write the traits in the box labeled “Character Traits.” If working individually or in small groups, allow time to share out.

Assessment • Observe students as they act out/retell the story in small groups or as a class. Students should have a basic understanding of the characters and the order of events.

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They Story of Peter and the Wolf

Early one morning a young boy named Peter took Peter by the hand, led him home, and opened the gate and went out into the big locked the gate behind them. green meadow. No sooner had Peter gone, then out of the On a branch of a big tree sat Peter’s friend, a forest came a great, grey wolf. In a flash the cat little bird. “All is safe, all is quiet” chirped the climbed up the tree. The duck quacked, but in bird merrily. her excitement, she jumped right out of the pond. No matter how fast the duck tried to run, Just then the duck came waddling over. She was she couldn’t run faster than the wolf. He was glad Peter had not closed the gate and decided getting closer and closer, catching up with her. to take a nice swim in the deep pond in the Until, the wolf caught her and with one big gulp, meadow. Seeing the duck, the little bird flew swallowed. down upon the grass, settled next to her, and shrugged his shoulders: So now, this is how things stood: The cat sat on one branch of the tree. The little bird on “What kind of bird are you if you can’t fly?” he another, but not too close to the cat. And the said. “What kind of bird are you,” replied the wolf paced round and round the tree looking up duck, “if you can’t swim?” and he dove into the at them with mischievous eyes. pond. In the meantime, Peter stood behind the closed They argued and argued, the duck swimming in gate watching all that was going on. He knew he the pond, the little bird hopping along the needed to help his friends, so he ran home, got shore. When suddenly, something caught a strong rope and climbed up the high stone Peter’s attention. He saw a cat prowling wall that surrounded his house. One of the through the tall green grass. The cat thought, branches of the tree, around which the wolf “The little bird is busy arguing, I’ll just grab was still pacing, stretched out over the wall. him….” Quietly, she crept towards him on her Grabbing hold of the branch, Peter lightly velvet paws. “Look out!” shouted Peter. The climbed over on to the tree. little bird immediately flew up into the tree while the duck quacked angrily at the cat from Peter said to the little bird: “Fly down and circle the middle of the pond. The cat walked around around the wolf’s head; but be careful that he the tree and thought to herself, “Is it worth doesn’t catch you.” But the bird got so close, he climbing up so high? By the time I get there the almost touched the wolf’s head with his wings. little bird will have flown away.” Startled, the wolf snapped at him from this side and that. Oh, how the little bird did tease the Just then Peter’s Grandfather came out. He was poor wolf! And oh, how the wolf wanted to angry because Peter had gone out into the catch the little bird! But the little bird was much meadow. “It is a very dangerous place,” he said. too quick and clever. And the wolf simply But Peter paid no attention to his Grandfather’s couldn’t do anything about it. words. Boys like him are not afraid. Grandfather

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Meanwhile, Peter made the rope into a lasso, And now, imagine the triumphant procession: and carefully letting it down, he caught the wolf Peter at the head, followed by the hunters by the tail and pulled with all his might. Feeling leading the wolf. And winding up the himself caught, the wolf began to jump wildly, procession, Grandfather and the cat. struggling to get loose. Peter tied the other end Grandfather unhappily shaking his head and of the rope to the tree, but the wolf’s jumping mumbling, “If Peter hadn’t caught the wolf, only made the rope around his tail tighter and what then?” And above them all flew the little tighter. Just then hunters came out of the bird. woods following the wolf’s trail. Just as the procession was leaving the meadow, Peter called down from the tree, “Wait! Stop! something caught their attention. Listen very The little bird and I have already caught the carefully. Can you hear it? Could it be? No… Yes. wolf. Will you help us take him to his new home Yes, it is! It’s Peter’s friend the Duck! He had at the Endangered Wolf Center?” been in hiding all along…

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Lesson No. 2 – Musical Characters

Objectives Students will: • Make predictions, using the elements of music, about the musical themes in Peter and the Wolf, based on prior knowledge of the story and characters. • Make observations, using the elements of music, about the musical themes in Peter and the Wolf. • Compare and contrast predictions to observations made after listening to the musical themes. • Practice active listening skills.

Standards Missouri Music Learning Standards • MU:Re7B.1-5 – Perceive and analyze artistic work. • MU:Re8A.1-5 – Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

Missouri English Language Arts Learning Standards

• R1A – Develop and apply skills to the reading process. • SL2A – Listen for entertainment.

Illinois Music Learning Standards

• MU:Re7.1.1-4 – Perceive and analyze artistic work. • MU:Re8.1.1-4 – Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.

Illinois English Language Arts Learning Standards

• RL.1-4.3 – Reading Standards for Literature K-5, grades 1-4, strand 3 • SL.1-3.2-3 – Speaking and Listening Standards K-5, grades 1-3, strands 2 and 3

Materials • Recording of Peter and the Wolf. The tracks and timings suggested in this lesson are taken from our Spotify Playlist spoti.fi/2Ke2S9R (RCA Victor’s recording with , conductor, and , narrator.) • Peter and the Wolf Character Map on page 9 (use the character maps started in Lesson 1)

Procedures • Revisit the story of Peter and the Wolf. • Explain to students that composer wrote music to accompany the story of Peter and the Wolf. In his piece, each character is represented by a different instrument of the orchestra and has their own musical theme or melody. Each instrument of the orchestra has a unique timbre or quality of sound that makes it recognizable to us, just like we each have a unique timbre to our voice that allows others to identify us just by listening.

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• Demonstrate timbre: Students should spread out around the room and sit in a spot with their eyes closed. The teacher will then walk around the room and tap one student on the shoulder. That student should say or sing the phrase, “I am going to the orchestra.” Then the other students will try to guess who said or sung the phrase. Repeat. Ask students to explain how they were able to identify their classmates. • Refer to the Character Maps started in Lesson 1. Prompt students to make predictions about what each character’s musical theme might sound like. Write down predictions in the boxes labeled “Musical Predictions.” Encourage students to use the elements of music and other musical vocabulary. • The teacher will then play each character’s theme, stopping in between and prompting students to write down their observations in the box labeled “Musical Observations” on their Character Map. Encourage students to use the elements of music and other musical vocabulary. The following timings are taken from RCA Victor’s recording with Eugene Ormandy, conductor, and David Bowie, narrator. spoti.fi/2Ke2S9R o Track 1 ▪ Bird (0:17 – 0:30) – Played by the (woodwind family) ▪ Duck (0:33 – 0:50) – Played by the (woodwind family) ▪ Cat (0:53 – 1:12) – Played by the (woodwind family) ▪ Grandfather (1:17 – 1:40) – Played by the (woodwind family) ▪ Wolf (1:44 – 2:02) – Played by three French Horns (brass family) ▪ Peter (2:06 – 2:26) – Played by the , , and Basses (string family) ▪ Hunters (2:32 – 2:39) – Played by the (percussion family) • Discuss similarities and differences between the students’ predictions and observations. • Depending on prior knowledge of the instruments of the orchestra, you could tell students what instrument is playing which character’s theme or ask them to guess the instrument and the instrument family. Write the instrument(s) on the Character Map in the box labeled “Instrument.” • For younger students (or as an extension for older students) replace the writing with movement demonstrations. Older students can also write their ideas in the “Movement” box on the Peter and the Wolf Character Map.

Assessment • Using a three-point rubric: o Student made musical predictions about the character’s themes using musical vocabulary and based those predictions off already established character traits (1 point) o Student demonstrated active listening and focused attention during listening prompts (1 point) o Student made observations about the musical themes using musical vocabulary (1 point)

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Movement

Pr Musical

edictions

Peter and Peter Wolf the Character Map

Character Traits Character

Character

Musical Musical

Observations

Instrument

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Lesson No. 3 – Identifying Instruments of the Orchestra

Objectives Students will: • Aurally identify the instruments of the orchestra by their timbre. • Classify instruments of the orchestra by their instrument family.

Standards Missouri Music Learning Standards • MU:R7A – Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Missouri English Language Arts Learning Standards • SL2A – Listen for entertainment.

Illinois Music Learning Standards

• MU:Re7.1.1-4 – Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Materials • Recordings of o DUKAS Fanfare from La Péri o MOZRT German Dances, K. 571, no. 6 o RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin, mvt. IV, Rigaudon o COPLAND Hoedown from Rodeo (for string orchestra) • Recordings of various orchestral instruments playing solo • Instrument family signs • Recording of Peter and the Wolf

Procedures • How can we identify instruments? (By knowing what they look like and seeing the instrument. Or knowing what they sound like and hearing the instrument: tone color or timbre) • Review the instruments of the orchestra and instrument families with students. Listen to excerpts from each of the following four pieces: o DUKAS Fanfare from La Péri ▪ What instrument family is featured? (Brass) What brass instruments do you hear? (, , , and ) o MOZART German Dances, K. 571, no. 6 ▪ Have students raise their hand when they hear a . What percussion instruments do they hear? (Timpani, , and ) o RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin, mvt. IV, Rigaudon ▪ At the B section, ask students to identify the woodwind instruments they hear playing solos. (Oboe, flute and clarinet)

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o COPLAND Hoedown from Rodeo (for string orchestra) ▪ What instrument family is featured? What string instruments do you hear? (, , , and bass) • Make four signs, each with one instrument family on it (Strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion). Instruct students that you will play a sound clip of an instrument and they should select a locomotor movement that matches what they hear to use as they move to the sign for the family the instrument belongs to. After each clip, pause and ask students to identify the instrument. There are a handful of videos on YouTube with various sound examples. We recommend DSO Kids resources provided by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. • As a class, listen to the complete recording of Peter and the Wolf. Instruct students to listen for the featured instruments (strings, oboe, flute, clarinet, bassoon, French horns, and timpani) and identify them when they hear them by moving to the correct instrument family card. Take it a step further and ask students to move as the character might move. Assessment • Teacher observation of students’ abilities to recognize the different timbres of the instruments of the orchestra and classify those instruments by instrument family.

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Lesson No. 4 – Music Tells a Story

Objectives Students will: • Synthesize knowledge of the story, characters, and musical themes to create movements that reflect the actions and emotions in the story. • Practice active listening skills.

Standards Missouri Music Learning Standards • MU:Pr4C – Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation. • MU:Pr5A – Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. • MU:Re8A – Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

Missouri English Language Arts Learning Standards

• R1A – Develop and apply skills to the reading process. • SL2A – Listen for entertainment.

Illinois Music Learning Standards

• MU:PR4.1.1-5 – Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation. • MU:PR5.1.1-5 – Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. • MU:Re8.1.1-5 – Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.

Illinois English Language Arts Learning Standards

• RL.1-4.3 – Reading Standards for Literature K-5, grades 1-4, strand 3 • SL.1-2.2-3 – Speaking and Listening Standards K-5, grades 1-3, strands 2 and 3 • SL.1-5.5 – Speaking and Listening Standards K-5, grades 1-5, stand 5

Materials • Recording of Peter and the Wolf

Procedures • As a class, listen to the complete recording of Peter and the Wolf. Instruct students to listen for the featured instruments (strings, oboe, flute, clarinet, bassoon, French horns, and timpani) and identify them when they hear them. You can use a resource such as instrument cards or other manipulative. • At times, pause the music and discuss what is going on in the story and how the music reflects the mood and actions of the characters in the story. • Put students in small groups and assign each group a scene to act out. Allow students a few minutes to create their movements.

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o Scenes may include: 1. Peter goes out in the big green meadow and meets his friend the bird. 2. The duck joins and begins to argue with the bird. 3. The cat enters and tries to catch the bird, but he flies up into the tree. 4. Grandfather, angry that Peter was out in the meadow, goes to get him and brings him home. 5. A wolf comes out of the forest. The cat climbs up into the tree, the duck quacks and accidently jumps out of the pond. After being chased by the wolf, the wolf catches her and swallows her in one gulp. 6. The cat is sitting on one branch, the bird on another, and both are trapped by the wolf. Peter gets a rope and comes to their rescue. 7. The bird distracts the wolf and Peter traps the wolf. 8. Hunters come out of the woods, Peter asks them to help him take the wolf to the zoo. 9. Peter leads the processional to the zoo. 10. The duck comes out of hiding! • Listen to the piece again, this time having each group act out their scene at the appropriate place in the music. You can use a recording of Peter and the Wolf with the narration, or one without (Spotify Playlist), where students must listen for musical cues to determine when their scene starts and ends. • Pause after each scene and ask students who are observing to give feedback on what they experienced. Feedback can follow the Artful Thinking model: o I saw/heard… o I think/value… (What do you think about or value about what you saw/heard?) o I wonder… (What do you wonder about what you saw/heard?) • Allow students an opportunity to refine their ideas based on the peer and teacher feedback. • Present ideas again, this time without pausing between scenes. • At the end, provide students the opportunity to reflect on their performance and their peers, again using the Artful Thinking model.

Assessment ▪ Student created vignettes (3 points) will include: o Student created actions that mirror the action/plot of the story (1 point). o Student created actions that illustrate appropriate emotions for each character (1 point). o Student created actions follow the cues in the music (1 point).

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Lesson No. 5 – Character Composition

Objectives Students will: • Create a new character for Peter and the Wolf. • Demonstrate their understanding of elemental phrase forms. • Compose a theme that musically represents their character. • Perform an 8-beat rhythmic phrase. • Explain how the character they created influenced their musical choices.

Standards Missouri Music Learning Standards • MU:Cr2A – Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Illinois Music Learning Standards

• MU:Cr2.1.1-5 – Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Materials • Character Worksheet on page 16 • Pencil and crayons/colored pencils • 2-beat building blocks (use examples provided or create your own) • Untuned percussion (UTP) instruments

Procedures • Create a new character for Peter and the Wolf. Use the Character Worksheet to help guide students through the process. o What is your character’s name? (Write answer in box 1.) o Draw your character’s portrait. What do they look like? (Write answer in box 2.) o Describe your character’s personality. (Write answer in box 3.) o What instrument will play his theme? (Write answer in box 4.) o How might your character move? (Write answer in box 5.) o What will your character do in the story? (write answer in box 6.) • Instruct students to create a theme for their character, using the following steps (write answers in box 7): o Select a tempo for your character’s theme: fast or slow or use tempo markings such as Allegro and Andante. o Select an elemental phrase form. Write the phrase form in the small square boxes. o Each rectangular box represents one 2-beat building block. Create an 8-beat phrase uses some of the boxes. Remember to follow your elemental phrase form. Teachers should

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review the building blocks with students before allowing them to choose. Here is an example of four 8-beat building blocks. Use these or create your own.

Green mea-dow Litt - le bird

Catch him catch him Wolf

o Select a UTP instrument and perform your character’s theme for a small group or for the class. Ask students to share how the character they created influenced their musical choices. o If time allows, using xylophones or other pitched percussion/recorders, with a select group of notes, allow students to create melodies from their rhythmic phrases.

Assessment • Using a four-point rubric look for the following: o Student created their own character and integrated them into the plot of the story (1 point). o Student created an 8-beat phrase following an elemental phrase form (1 point). o Student performed their rhythm with a steady beat at the tempo they chose (1 point). o Student described how their musical choices were influenced by their created character’s traits and integration into the plot (1 point).

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Character Worksheet

1. My character’s name:

3. Character traits: 2. Portrait:

5. Movement: 4. Instrument:

6. My character’s role in the story:

7. My character’s theme:

Tempo: ______

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About the Composers Paul Dukas Born: October 1, 1865 in Paris, France Died: May 17, 1935 in Paris, France

Paul Dukas was a French composer. He is best known for his piece The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which was made famous by Disney’s Fantasia. When not composing, Dukas worked as a music critic. He would attend concerts and write reviews about the performance for local publications. Dukas also taught music composition and orchestration at a conservatory or school for music. Orchestration is when we take a musical idea and write it out for an orchestra or another large ensemble.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Born: January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria Died: December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the greatest child stars ever to exist. He was a musical prodigy and composed his first pieces for piano by age five and his first opera by age twelve! His father taught him how to play the piano and violin at a very young age. His father, who was a successful composer, taught Mozart and his older sister Maria Anna to compose. As a child, Mozart traveled all over Europe performing for royalty. He rose to fame quickly and when he was 25 moved to Vienna where he secured his place as one of the greatest living composers of his day. Despite his fame and success, Mozart was unsuccessful at managing his finances and lived a life of luxury that he could not afford. He died, poor and young, at the age of 35 having composed over 600 works of music. Mozart loved to dance, and he wrote his Six German Dances for just that, as a commission for the Ball of the Society of Nobles in Prague. A commission is when a composer is paid to compose a piece of music for a specific purpose or event.

Maurice Ravel Born: March 7, 1875 in Ciboure, France Died: December 28, 1937 in Paris, France

Maurice Ravel is one of the most famous French composers to have ever lived. He was only seven years old when he started playing the piano and 14 when he was accepted into a very important music school called the Paris Conservatoire. Ravel liked writing music more than playing the piano. Ravel was a perfectionist, so he didn’t write music very quickly, but what he wrote was beautiful. We can learn an important lesson from this. It’s not always about being the fastest, it’s about doing our very best!

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Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Born: November 14, 1900 in Brooklyn, New York Died: December 2, 1990 in Sleepy Hollow, New York

Aaron Copland was an American composer, pianist, teacher, writer, and in his later life, conductor. Copland was born to a Jewish, working- class family. His mother, a capable singer and pianist, made sure all her children received music lessons. Copland was not particularly athletic and was quite sensitive. He spent most of his time reading and exploring his interest in music. By the age of 11, Copland had dreamt up his first opera, which he had planned to call Zenatello, and at the age of 13 he started taking formal music lessons. At 15, Copland’s heart was set on becoming a composer. Copland dived into the classical music scene in New York City, and at the age of 17, he moved to Paris to study with the most well-known teacher of the time, Nadia Boulanger. She helped him discover his own unique musical voice, which he took back with him to America three years later. Despite the onset of The Great Depression, Copland benefited as many other artists did from the generosity of wealthy patrons. He traveled often to broaden his musical horizons, which can be heard in his American melting- pot compositional style. His most famous works include Rodeo, Appalachian Spring, and Fanfare for the Common Man. Copland is considered one of the first great American composers.

Sergei Prokofiev (pronounced: sehr-gay pruh-“cough”-yehf) Born: April 27, 1891 in Sontsovka, Russia Died: March 5, 1953 in Moscow

Sergei Prokofiev was born in Russia. He was an only child. His mother was his first music teacher. She gave him piano lessons until he went off to a special music school called a conservatory when he was 13 years old. At the music school he studied piano, composition (or how to write music), and conducting. Sadly, Prokofiev’s father passed away while Prokofiev was still in school. Things got tough for Prokofiev and his mother, and Prokofiev had to provide for himself. Fortunately, his hard work began to pay off. During his final year of school, Prokofiev won the highest prize for a student pianist, the Anton Rubinstein Prize, with a performance of his own First Piano Concerto. At the age of 23 Prokofiev graduated from the conservatory and began to work as a pianist, conductor, and composer.

In 1918 Prokofiev chose to leave his home in Russia because of the civil war and instead went on a concert tour abroad. He traveled to places like Japan, the United States of America and Germany (to name a few), and eventually settled in Paris, France. In 1936 Prokofiev move back to Russia. While home in Russia the Moscow Children’s Theater asked him to compose a piece of music for children. He wrote Peter and the Wolf: a musical story that introduces children to the instruments of the orchestra, where each character of the story has their own melody played by a distinct instrument.

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Where will the music lead your students’ imaginations? Picture the Music is a FREE visual art competition that invites students in grades K-6 to discover orchestral music and respond with paintings and drawings that express creative thought and emotion. This season, students will explore Waltz from Khachaturian's Masquerade Suite.

For more information visit slso.org/picture.

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For Parents – SLSO Family Concerts

On Sunday afternoons at Powell Hall, our 3-concert Family Series offers a mix of fun thematic orchestra music to engage and entertain children ages 5-12 and their families. Each concert is 45 minutes in length showcasing a one-of-a-kind live musical experience to share and create magical memories together. Be sure to visit the Instrument Playground in the Wightman Grand Foyer prior to each concert to learn about and play the different orchestral instruments.

Tickets start at just $8! Visit slso.org/family or call 314-534-1700 for more information.

Music Without Boundaries Sunday, October 6, 2019 3:00pm

Music is a language spoken around the world, with unique regional dialects created through differences in rhythm, style, instrumentation and tradition. In partnership with the World Traveler Gallery at The Magic House, we will travel around the world exploring a variety of music from different cultures.

Peter and the Wolf Sunday, February 23, 2020 3:00pm

Join Peter and his animal friends on a symphonic adventure in Prokofiev’s beloved work Peter and the Wolf. Introducing generations to classical music, each character in this musical fairy tale is represented by a different instrument of the orchestra.

World of Water Sunday, April 19, 2020 3:00pm

From vast ocean landscapes to small babbling brooks, the enchanting world of water has been inspiring composers for centuries. In partnership with the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, join your SLSO as we dive into musical works for the entire family, inspired by water.

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