2018 Learning Guide for the Berton Family Young People’S Concerts

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2018 Learning Guide For the Berton Family Young People’s Concerts

Presented in collaboration with:

Jacobs Music Center/Copley Symphony Hall 750 B Street, San Diego, CA

Dear Teachers:

Thank you for attending the San Diego Symphony’s Berton Family Young People’s Concert entitled “Symphology: The Science of Sound.” This packet contains lesson plans and composer biographies that are designed to help you prepare your students for the program on October 26th and 27th, 2018. We hope that the guide will be useful to both music and classroom teachers. Feel free to adapt or change the lessons to suit the needs of your students depending on their age and ability.

The lessons align with Common Core standards and California Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards:

1.0 Artistic Perception: Processing, Analyzing and Responding to Sensory Information Through the Language and Skills Unique to Music 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing: Responding to, and Making Judgments About Works of Music 5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications: Connecting and Applying What is Learned in Music to Learning in Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers

If you have any questions regarding this packet please call Maria Araujo, Vice President for Learning and Community Engagement at (619) 615-3951 or Emily Persinko, Learning Programs Assistant at (619) 237-1967 or [email protected].

We hope you enjoy the concert!

We wish to thank the education department of the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center for their assistance in developing and presenting this program. Www.rhfleet.org

The Education & Outreach programs of the San Diego Symphony are generously supported by:

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, The Berton Family Foundation, League of American Orchestras, The Alexander and Eva Nemeth Foundation, Price Philanthropies, The Symphony Notables, Catherine Van Dyke*, Qualcomm, Frank Subaru Motors, Dr. William and Evelyn Lamden, Linda and Shearn* Platt, Anonymous, US Bank, Bank of America, Cox Communications, The Wells Fargo Foundation, County of San Diego, Southwest Airlines, National Endowment for the Arts, Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation, Ashford University, David C. Copley Foundation, Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation, ResMed Foundation, Menard Family Foundation, City of Encinitas/Mizel Family Foundation, Samuel I. and John Henry Fox Foundation, Downtown Lion's Club, Pratt Memorial Fund, Ellen G. & Edward G. Wong Family Foundation, Community Service Association of San Diego City Schools, San Diego Foundation, Advocates for Classical Music and the California Arts Council.

*deceased

Table of Contents

Meet the Orchestra 4 Where do the Musicians Sit on Stage? 5 Classifying Instruments 6 Instrumental Families 7 Meet Sameer Patel 8 What Does a Conductor Do, Anyway? 9 Concepts of Energy 10 Lesson 1: What is a Sound Wave? 12 What is the Scientific Method? 13 Lesson 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra By Richard Strauss 14 Lesson 3: Pizzicato Polka By Johann Strauss, Jr. 16 Lesson 4: Sandpaper Ballet By Leroy Anderson 17 Orchestral Instrument Activity 18 Composer Biographies 23 Meet the Scientists 26 Quick Facts about Symphony Hall 27 Tips for Listening 28

3 Meet the Orchestra

The modern symphony orchestra consists of 75-100 musicians and up to 20 different musical instrument types. There are four main groups or families of instruments: Strings (violin, viola, cello, bass, and harp), Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba), and Percussion (including the piano). Can you find them in the theater?

The word “symphony” means “sounding together.” Your 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 live and work in the area. If you were to start up a neighborhood or classroom orchestra, what would you call it? Think of special characteristics that you could include in the name.

San Diego Symphony Orchestra

*Its members are some of the top players in the country, who live and work in the area.

4 Where do the Musicians Sit on Stage?

*Please note that conductors may choose to change these seating arrangements at times

5 Classifying Instruments

Many people are familiar with the instrument families, but there are other ways of classifying instruments. Instruments can be classified according to how they produce sound! Below you will find four classifications, how they produce sound, and examples of each.

AEROPHONES MEMBRANOPHONES Primary cause of sound is vibrating air Examples include: flute, recorder, bassoon, trombone, trumpet

Sound is made primarily by a vibrating membrane Examples include: bass drum, snare drum, timpani

IDIOPHONES CHORDOPHONES

Produce sound primarily through the vibration of a string or strings Examples include: piano, double bass, cello, violin, guitar

Produce sound without the use of strings or a membrane Examples include: cymbals, gong, triangle, marimba

6 Instrumental Families Teacher’s “Cheat Sheet” to be used with the following activity. Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass

What do they have in common? How are they different?  They are all made of wood and have the same  They are different sizes which affect the pitch basic shape (the smaller the instrument, the higher the  They have two parts—the instrument itself and pitch; the larger the instrument, the lower the the bow pitch  Sound is made by either drawing the bow  Violin and viola are held under the chin while across the strings (called arco) or by plucking being played and the cello and bass stand on the strings with the finger (called pizzicato) the floor  They sit in the front because they are quiet instruments

Woodwinds: Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon

What do they have in common? How are they different?  They all have a similar tubular shape  The piccolo and flute do not have reeds  Sound is made by blowing air through the in-  The clarinet is a single reed instrument strument  The oboe and bassoon are double-reed instru-  Most are made of wood (the flute is made of ments precious metals like silver, gold or platinum,  They are different lengths, which affects the but used to be made of wood) pitch (the shorter the instrument, the higher the  They sit behind the string section because they pitch; the longer the instrument, the lower the are louder (but not as loud as the brass instru- pitch) ments)

Brass: Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Tuba

What do they have in common? How are they different?  They are all made of metal  The tubes are different lengths which affects  They are all just tubes with a mouthpiece at- the pitch (the shorter the tube, the higher the tached and a flared bell at the end pitch; the longer the tube, the lower the pitch)  Sound is made by buzzing the lips into the  They are different shapes mouthpiece  The trombone changes pitch with a slide, the  They sit behind the woodwinds because they trumpet, horn and tuba change pitch with are very loud valves

Percussion: Various drums, cymbals, tambourine (this family also includes piano and harp).

What do they have in common? How are they different?  They all make sound by being shaken or struck  Made of different materials, including by a stick, hammer, mallet or hand wood, metal and plastic  They sit in the back of the orchestra (or to the  They are different shapes side) because they are loud  They make different sounds 7  Some have a definite pitch and some do not Meet Sameer Patel

Where did you grow up? I grew up in a town called Port Huron in the state of Michigan. It gets pretty cold there during the wintertime, so I’m definitely happy to be here in sunny San Diego!

What were some of your early experiences with music? I started playing piano at the age of nine, and two years later I started playing the saxophone in band. Even though I didn’t care for practic- ing when I started, 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 I have been doing it ever since!

Did you study music in college? Yes! I went to the University of Michigan, and to this day I’m a big fan of its football team! Go Blue!

What do you like about conducting? It’s incredible how so many people on stage can make such a grandiose sound, and I love the teamwork and creativity that goes into this. I also like that it allows me to get to know our audience members (like you!) through our concerts.

What do you like to do when you’re not making music? I’m a very curious person and enjoy learning about a variety of things. I’m constantly reading a book, for instance! I also enjoy exploring San Diego and spending time with friends and family.

Do you have a favorite food? I love all types of food, especially ethnic food. We’re lucky that here in San Diego we have so many great restaurants!

Do you like to travel? Yes, I love it! I’ve been fortunate to travel extensively throughout Europe and have also been to Asia, Africa, and South America!

Do you like animals? You bet! I’m a San Diego Zoo member, and love going to see the different animals there. I also grew up with cats and a dog, and I even help foster an orphaned elephant in Kenya.

What is your favorite place in San Diego? I love Balboa Park. I live pretty close to it, so I enjoy running through the park in the mornings or visiting the many museums. I also love being by the water. Growing up in Michigan, I lived right on Lake Huron, so I’ve always felt a sense of wonder when being near a large body of water. So because of that, I also really enjoy going to Coronado and Sunset Cliffs and being near the Pacific Ocean!

8 What Does a Conductor Do, Anyway?

When we watch an orchestral concert, we are looking not only at the musicians, but at the conductor and wondering, what exactly do they do? For our purposes today, we’ll refer to a conductor as “he”, though there are also female conductors.  First, a conductor chooses music for the concert, usually in collaboration with a person on staff of the orchestra.  Second, a conductor spends most of his time studying the music so that he knows each and every part that the individual musicians play and how they work together. Studying music is a solitary activity and does not take place with musicians or even onstage. Most conductors prefer a quiet room in which to study their music scores.  Third, a conductor will practice with musicians in a rehearsal to have them play the music just as he is imagining it in his head. He will sometimes talk to the musicians to convey his ideas but more often he communicates his ideas through his gestures, eye contact and other body language. The conductor works on articulation (how sounds are played), tuning, phrasing, and overall energy and communication within the orchestra.  Fourth, he performs the music with the orchestra in front of an audience. This is when all the hard work pays off! At this time, no words are used to communicate to the musicians— only gestures, eye contact and body language.

Learn to Conduct

When working with the musicians, you’ll see the conductor using their hands or a baton to communicate with musicians. The conductor uses each of his hands differently. With the right hand he keeps the beat with a specific pattern (see below), with the left hand, he communicates the expressive qualities of the music.

9 Conducting in 2 Conducting in 3 Conducting in 4 Concepts of Energy

“Energy can appear in many forms-as the energy of motion or in the form of heat and light. It can appear in the flow of electrical current or on an atomic or molecular scale as a chemical energy. In physics, energy is defined as “the ability to do work” or “the ability to make things move.” In biology, energy provides living things with the ability to grow and to reproduce. Light, heat, sound, magnetism, and electricity are all manifestations of energy.

Artists use energy in its various forms to create movement or intensity in a work of art. Some sculptural forms, such as mobiles use wind or heat energy to maintain their motion. Other works of art use the energy produced by neon and laser light to generate compositions of varied, brightly colored designs.

In the visual arts, energy often is expressed metaphorically. Students learn to evoke the quality of energy in their artwork. Bold lines, forceful brush strokes, and bright colors all contribute to vitality of expression in drawing and painting. By learning to evaluate the expressive qualities of their own work, students develop the ability to recognize the quality of energy in the work of other artists.”

Tolley, Kimberley. The Art and Science Connection: Hands-on-Activities for Intermediate Students. Addison-Wesley, 1994.

How do you think musicians use energy? Do they use light, heat, sound, magnetism, or electricity to make music?

10 11

Lesson 1: What is a Sound Wave?

Material from Rice University Lesson Plan 1.5.1 Sound and Music Activities Schmidt-Jones, Catherine. “1.5.1 Sound and Music Activities.” OpenStax CNX, cnx.org/contents/[email protected]:M8ISkDD_@16/Sound-and-Music-Activities. CALIFORNIA STATE LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED Heat (Thermal Energy) (Physical Sciences) 3a. Students know energy can be carried from one place to another by heat flow or by waves, including water, light and sound waves, or by moving objects.

Terms and Concepts  Sound Waves - When something vibrates, it makes a sound. The vibrations travel out in all directions from the "something" in the same way that ripples travel out from a pebble that has been dropped in water. But instead of being waves of water, these are waves of vibrations of air: sound waves. Because it is the air itself that is vibrating, sound waves, unlike water waves, are invisible.  Frequency - or Pitch - Think of water waves again. They can be close together or far apart. If they are close together, there are more of them; they are more frequent. Frequency is the term that scientists and engineers use to describe how many pulses of a sound wave arrive at your ear in one second. Musicians use the term pitch. A sound with a higher frequency (more waves) has a higher pitch, and sounds higher.  Amplitude - or Dynamic Level - Water waves can also be great, big, tall waves, or small ripples. The size of a wave is called its amplitude. In sound waves, the bigger the wave, the louder the sound is. Musicians call the loudness of a sound its dynamic level.

Music is the art of sound, so let's start by talking about sound. Sound is invisible waves moving through the air around us. In the same way that ocean waves are made of ocean water, sound waves are made of the air (or water or whatever) they are moving through. When something vibrates, it disturbs the air molecules around it. The disturbance moves through the air in waves - each vibration making its own wave in the air - spreading out from the thing that made the sound, just as water waves spread out from a stone that's been dropped into a pond.

Surf rolling down a beach, leaves rustling in the wind, a book thudding on a desk, or a plate crashing on the floor all make sounds, but these sounds are not music. Music is sound that's organized by people on purpose, to dance to, to tell a story, to make other people feel a certain way, or just to sound pretty or be entertaining.

Music is organized on many different levels. Sounds can be arranged into notes, rhythms, textures and phrases. Melodies can be organized into anything from a simple song to a complex symphony. Beats, measures, cadences, and form all help to keep the music organized and understandable. But the most basic way that music is organized is by arranging the actual sound waves themselves so that the sounds are interesting and pleasant and go well together.

A rhythmic, organized set of thuds and crashes is perfectly good music - think of your favorite drum solo - but many musical instruments are designed specifically to produce the regular, evenly spaced waves that we hear as particular pitches (musical notes). Crashes, thuds, and bangs are loud, short jumbles of lots of different wavelengths. The sound of surf, rustling leaves, or bubbles in a fish tank are also white noise, the term that scientists and engineers use for sounds that are mixtures of all the different wavelengths (just as white light is made of all the different wavelengths, or colors, of light).

What is the Scientific Method?

The scientific method is a procedure that consists of observation, measurement, and experimentation to formulate and modify hypotheses in order to develop a theory.

The steps of the scientific method are to:

Lesson 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra By Richard Strauss

ESSENTIAL QUESTION/OBJECTIVE How would you describe the sounds you hear in this piece? How many instruments are played? Potential answers include long/sustained notes by a few at the beginning of the piece, gradual increase in volume and number of players; large volume contrasts (Duration, timbre, dynamics and instrumental texture exploration) How is this music organized? Can you hear a sequence of events? (Structure/ Music plan)

CALIFORNIA STATE LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED 1.0Artistic Perception: Identify instrument voices, families/colors, and sound variables such as duration and volume, and learn the specific music terminology. Identify patterns, sections and structure in a piece of music as the composer organized it. Follow how graphic notation illustrates (maps) the piece structure. 1.4 Describe music according to its elements, using the terminology of music (instrumental families, orchestra, piano, forte, dynamics, contrabassoon, woodwinds, trumpets, brass)

MATERIALS Prep CD tracks, screen, Zarathustra Music Map http://www.uen.org/utahlink/lp_res/cma07.gif

LISTENING REPERTOIRE “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss (CD Track 1)

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Students should be familiar with music instrument names and types (classifications). The lesson provides further practice to this skill.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (meaning “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”) is a tone poem—music that depicts something. In this case, Strauss wants to evoke a sunrise to symbolize the earliest time of civilization. He uses 4 trumpets and gradual, sudden changes in volume to depict the bright sun rising in the sky. What do you hear next? What do you think he is describing next? Listen for the throbbing timpani pulses (describe what an accent is).

PROCEDURES  Play the CD section of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Strauss (CD Track 1)  Prompt the students to answer the following questions: 1) What do you hear? What is producing the sound? How many musicians do you think are playing? How does the sound change through the piece?  Potential answers: Aerophones, Membranophones, Idiophones, Chordophones, Brass, Drums, Air, skin etc.  Explain that this section was the “dawn” of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Place the Zarathustra Music Map on a screen or document camera.  Play the CD section again, following the instrumental pattern on the map.  Have the students explore and discuss why certain sections are depicted as “stars,” some appearing larger and bolder than others? What do the stars represent?  Have the students listen again to the music and follow the music map to check on their answers. 14 INDICATORS OF SUCCESS Students will identify musical instruments, dynamic and texture changes and follow the music map as they listen. Students will identify the at least two different instrument groups (brass and percussion). Students will identify pitch changes in the timpani. There is a pattern of 2 different pitches played by the timpani in this piece repeatedly (high sound and low sound).

LESSON EXTENTION  Play the CD section of Fanfare pour preceder La Peri By Paul Dukas (CD Track 2)  Prompt the students to answer the following questions: 1. What do you hear? What type of instruments do you think is providing the sounds? 2. How do these sounds compare to the sounds in Zarathustra? How do they differ? Topics associated with Brass Instruments: Fanfare, Celebration Music, Outdoor Events, Military, Heroism, Authority, Importance, etc.  Students should successfully identify that both pieces use brass instruments

15 Lesson 3: Pizzicato Polka By Johann Strauss, Jr.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION/OBJECTIVE What is articulation? How are string instruments played? How may one elongate the sound on a string? Students will learn to distinguish two types of string family articulations bowing and plucking.

CALIFORNIA STATE LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED 1.0 Artistic Interpretation: Students read, notate, listen to, analyze, and describe music and other aural information, using the terminology of music 1.4 Describe music according to its elements, using the terminology of music

MATERIALS Prep CD LISTENING REPERTOIRE “Pizzicato Polka” by Johann Strauss, Jr. (CD Track 3) Britten’s Guide to the Orchestra (CD Track 11)

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Pizzicato- the technique string players use that involves plucking strings. Bowing- the technique string players use that involves rubbing the bow across the strings on the instrument

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Johann Strauss, Jr. composed “Pizzicato Polka” with his brother Josef in 1869, and it was pub- lished in 1870. It became very popular, especially in Italy.

PROCEDURES  Play CD track 3. Ask students: 1. What instruments are being played in this piece? 2. How are the instruments being played in this piece? (pizzicato) 3. What is the duration of the notes like? Long or short?  Demonstrate what pizzicato looks like on a string instrument.  Play CD Track 11 1. What technique are the string players using to create sound (They use a bow to create friction with the strings) 2. How does using the bow affect the length of the note? (It makes the note last longer)  Demonstrate what using a bow on a string instrument would look like.

INDICATORS OF SUCCESS  Students will actively listen and participate in following the music at it is played.  Students will be able to identify the two articulations for string instruments as they listen.  Students will be able to describe note lengths.

16 Lesson 4: Sandpaper Ballet By Leroy Anderson

ESSENTIAL QUESTION/OBJECTIVE What is friction? Students will understand how sound is created through friction. What is a sand block? Students will learn about this instrument and that some percussion instruments have definite and others non-definite pitch sounds (See page 22 for examples).

CALIFORNIA STATE LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED 1.0 Artistic Perception: listen to individual and groups of instrument sounds. Identify the medium that produces the sound, timbres, tuned and untuned instruments, music patterns and structure in a piece of music as the composer organized them. 1.4 Describe music according to its elements, using the terminology of music

MATERIALS Prep CD, computer and projector screen

LISTENING REPERTOIRE “Sandpaper Ballet” by Leroy Anderson (CD Track 4)

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Students should know that an accompaniment is a musical part that supports a more prominent one, generally a melody. They should know most music has a melody and an accompaniment.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Leroy Anderson composed “Sandpaper Ballet” in 1954 as a tribute to the soft-shoe style of dancing associated with vaudeville. Vaudeville dancers would use sheets of sandpaper as rhythmic accompaniment to their routines.

PROCEDURES  Play CD (Track 4) and listen to the piece (without telling class the title). Find out if any students can correctly guess the sound.  Introduce the concept of friction. Ask students: 1. How is sound produced with the sandpaper? (rubbing pieces together, friction) 2. Is it playing a melody? ( No, the instrument has no definite pitch, it plays a rhythm) 3. Can we produce a similar sound with just our hands? (yes) 4. Can you think of a family of instruments that use friction to make sound? (Strings) 5. What are the other instruments playing? (Harmony/Melody) 6. Can you tell which family of instruments plays the melody in this piece? (Strings play the melody first, then woodwinds, then there is alternation of instrument groups)  Ask students to get together in groups and explore how other instruments generate sound. INDICATORS OF SUCCESS  Students will produce clear pitched sounds and non-pitched sounds upon request.

17 Orchestral Instrument Activity

Copy the following pages of instruments onto colored paper and cut along the bold lines to make cards. Put tape on the back of each card and tape them around the room, on the walls, chalkboard, desks, etc. The students pick a partner. They walk around the room with paper, pencil and a book for a writing surface, and write the name of each instrument in its correct family box (string, woodwind, brass, percussion). After about 10 minutes, they should return to their seats and check their answers.

STRING WOODWIND

BRASS PERCUSSION

18 String Orchestral Instruments Play CD 11 to introduce the sounds of the string instruments.

Violin Viola  Highest sounding of all the string  Second highest sounding string instruments instrument  Similar to soprano voice in a choir  Similar to alto voice in a choir  Held under chin when played  Held under the chin when played

Cello

 Second lowest instrument  Similar to tenor voice in a choir, but has a very wide range Bass  A peg at the base of the cello rests  Lowest sounding string instrument on the floor; instrument is held  Similar to bass voice in a choir between knees of player  Player stands up or sits on a high stool

19 Woodwind Orchestral Instruments Play CD track 9 to introduce the sounds of the Woodwind instruments

Flute and Piccolo Clarinet Clarinet Bass Clarinet Highest sounding of all woodwind Single reed is used in the mouthpiece instruments Wide range from low to high Held sideways when played Sounds hollow and mellow Flute is 26 inches long and has a light, Easily handles changes in tempo and vol- lovely sound ume Piccolo is half the length of a flute and Bass Clarinet reaches lower pitches and has a very high, clear, piercing sound curves up at the bottom like a saxophone

English Horn

Oboe  Double reed is used in the mouthpiece Bassoon  Medium high pitch  Double reed is used in the mouthpiece  Creates a thin, buzzing sound  Low range  Requires great breath control from the  Sounds like a low oboe player  Is 9 ft. 2 in. long and is folded in two  Developed from the shawm in the 1700s  Early bassoons had only 2 keys; more keys  English horn is lower version of the oboe were added to allow for extra notes  Contrabassoon reaches even lower pitches

20 Brass Orchestral Instruments Play CD Track 10 to show students what brass instruments sound like

Trumpet  Highest sounding of the brass instruments French Horn  Similar to soprano voice in a choir  Medium-low range  Trumpets date back to at least 1350 BC -  Similar to alto voice in a choir Straight trumpets were found in the tomb  Hunting horn originally, then inner coils of of Pharaoh Tutankhamen tubing were added to produce more pitches  Sounds brilliant and strong  Right hand is placed in a bell to control  Length uncoiled is 6 feet pitches and tone  Different kinds of mutes can be inserted  Sounds warm and rich in the bell to muffle or change the sound  Length uncoiled is 16 feet

Trombone Tuba • Medium-low range • Lowest sounding brass • Similar to tenor voice in a choir instrument • Trombone design has been the • Similar to bass voice in a choir same for 500 years • Developed in the 1800s • It was called the sackbut (French • Sounds deep and rich for “push-pull”) in medieval days. • Length uncoiled is 16-18 feet • Sounds powerful and majestic • Length uncoiled is 9 feet

Percussion Orchestral Instruments Play CD track 12 to introduce the sounds of the Percussion instruments

Timpani  Also called kettledrum  Definite pitch instrument: tuned to precise notes  Drum head, usually plastic, is stretched over a copper kettle  Drum head skin can be tightened to raise the Bass Drum pitch  Indefinite pitch instrument: no specific pitch is  Played in groups of 3-5 drums played  Produces deep tones and can sound like thunder  Sounds very low, strong tones

Snare Drum Cymbals  Indefinite pitch instrument  Indefinite pitch instrument  Snares (wire strings) are  Two circular brass discs that stretched along the bottom of the look like large dinner plates drum head and vibrate when the  Ancient Greeks and Romans used them in their drum is struck. religious rituals  Sounds are loud and sharp.  Sounds loud, exciting tones

Tambourine Other Percussion Instruments  Indefinite pitch instrument  Pictured are xylophone, castanets, maracas and  Can be shaken or hit with hand or against knee triangle  Rolled sound is made when thumb rubs along the  There are many other percussion instruments such edge of the head as the glockenspiel, celeste, tubular bells, gongs,  Sounds high, jingling tones vibraphones, woodblock, etc.

22 Composer Biographies

Meet Richard Strauss Life Dates: 1864-1949 Country of Origin: Germany Musical Era: Late Romantic Richard (pronounced Ree’ kard) Strauss was born in Munich, Germany. His father was a professional horn player for the Munich Opera and was also his music teacher during childhood. Strauss started piano lessons at the age of four and composed many pieces starting from the age of six. During his high school years he had his first and only lesson in music composition. By the age of 18 he had written around 140 pieces! At the age of 21, Strauss became conductor of the Meiningen Court Orchestra. One year later, he conducted for the Munich Court Opera. During this time he also traveled to Italy, where he found inspiration for several of his compositions. Around the end of the 19th century, Strauss began writing for the opera. His first two attempts were not quite successful. In 1905, his opera Salome was a huge success and considered ground-breaking. By the end of his career, Strauss had written many operas. Meet Russell Peck Life dates: 1945-2009 Country of origin: United States of America Musical era: 20th century Russell Peck’s music has been played by hundreds of orchestras around the world, such as the London, Boston, and Montreal Symphonies. One interesting feature of Peck’s music is that many of the compositions have interesting and descriptive titles, rather than being titled “Concerto No. 1” or “Symphony No. 5” as many composers identify their music. Some of Russell Peck’s pieces include “The Upward Stream”, “Mozart Escapes” and the piece you are about to hear, “The Thrill of the Orchestra”.

Peck was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 25th, 1945. In high school, he played the trombone in band and orchestra. He continued his studies in music and eventually earned his doctoral degree in composition. In addition to composing music, Peck taught as a professor of music at several universities.

23 Meet John Williams Life Dates: 1932-Present Country of Origin: U.S.A. Musical era: 21st century In a career spanning more than five decades, John Williams has become one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and for the concert stage. His 45-year artistic partnership with director Steven Spielberg has resulted in many of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and successful films, including Schindler’s List, E.T. The Extra- Terrestrial, Jaws, Jurassic Park, the Indiana Jones films, and War Horse. Mr. Williams composed the scores for all eight Star Wars films, the first three Harry Potter films, and Superman. He holds the Academy Award record for the most nominations for a living person; he has been nominated 51 times! Meet Paul Dukas Life dates: 1865-1935 Country of origin: France Musical era: Late Romantic, early 20th Century French composer Paul Dukas was born in Paris on October 1st, 1865. His family was Jewish and he had two siblings. He took piano lessons when he was young and began writing music when he was 14 years old, and two years later he began his formal music education at the Conservatoire* de Paris. One of his closest friends at the conservatory was the famous composer Claude Debussy. He won many prizes for his compositions, and later began his career as a music critic in addition to composing.

Dukas’s music was influenced by many composers, including Beethoven, Berlioz and Debussy. His musical compositions include an opera, ballet, and works for orchestra as well as solo piano. Only a few of his many compositions remain because he was known to be a perfectionist and would destroy compositions he wasn’t completely satisfied with. His most popular composition is entitled L’apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice), an orchestral work that was featured in the Disney film “Fantasia”. Meet Johann Strauss, Jr.! Life dates: 1825-1899 Country of origin: Austria Musical era: Romantic Johann Strauss was a composer and violinist born in Austria. As a child, he learned how to play the violin in secret because his father wanted him to be a banker, not a musician. His father, Johann Strauss I was a musician and did not want his son to live a musician’s life. However, with the support of his mother, Strauss was able to concentrate fully on his career as a composer. He studied counterpoint and harmony with Joachim Hoffmann. He made his composition debut at Dommayer’s Casino in Hietzing in 1844. He was awarded the honorary

24 bandmaster position of the 2nd Vienna Citizens’ Regiment. His father was the bandmaster of the 1st regiment. Rivalry between father and son ensued and lasted until his father’s passing in 1849. After that, Strauss, Jr. combined both his and his father’s orchestras and led a successful career. He wrote more than 500 musical compositions. 150 of his compositions were waltzes, including the famous The Blue Danube.

Meet Leroy Anderson Life dates: 1908 – 1975 Country of Origin: United States Musical Era: Contemporary Anderson did not believe music would hold any future for him, so he

decided to be a language teacher. Deciding to give music a final shot, he took the position as director of the Harvard University Band and in 1936, he was discovered by Boston Pops Orchestra director, Arthur Fiedler, who loved the arrangements Anderson created for his band. In 1976, shortly after his death, he was awarded a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the recording industry. In 1988 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Harvard University renamed its music building in his honor. Meet Tan Dun! Born: 1957 Country of Origin: China Musical Era: 21st Century The world-renowned artist and living composer Tan Dun, has made an unforgettable mark on the world’s music scene with a repertoire that spans the boundaries of classical music, multimedia performance, and Eastern and Western traditions. A winner of today’s most prestigious honors including the Grammy Award, Oscar/Academy Award, Grawemeyer Award, Bach Prize, Shostakovich Award, and most recently Italy’s Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement, Tan Dun’s music has been played throughout the world by leading orchestras, opera houses, international festivals, and on radio and television. This past year, Tan Dun conducted the grand opening celebration of Disneyland Shanghai which was broadcast to a record-breaking audience worldwide. Tan Dun’s individual voice has been heard widely by international audiences. His first Internet Symphony, which was commissioned by Google/YouTube, has reached over 23 million people

online. His Organic Music Trilogy of Water, Paper and Ceramic has frequented major concert halls and festivals. Paper Concerto was premiered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the opening of the Walt Disney Hall. His multimedia work, The Map, premiered by YoYo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has toured more than 30 countries worldwide.

25 Meet the Scientists Victor Minces PhD. Research Scientist at the Department of Cognitive Science and Listening to Waves Program University of California, San Diego

After studying fine arts and physics at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Victor Minces obtained his PhD in computational neuroscience at the University of California in San Diego. Since 2010 he has been studying the science of music, in particular the influence of music in education and children's development.

Julie Medina Education Manager of School Programs Fleet Science Center

Julie is a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL and received both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Marine Biology. She has been in the education field for over 10 years and has taught at a variety of institutions ranging from a local county zoo to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She loves spreading science knowledge to all learners and hopes to excite an interest in everybody she encounters. .

Jackie Valentine Exhibits Experience Lead Fleet Science Center

Jackie Valentine has worked at the Fleet Science Center since 2014 performing in the Don't Try This At Home Science Show as well as running the Fleet's maker space: Studio X. Previously, he worked as an educator for the Cajon Valley Union School District and Star Education based in Los Angeles. He also has a musical background with training in several instruments including classical piano, guitar and percussion.

About the Fleet Center

The Fleet Science Center connects people of all ages to the possibilities and power of science to create a better future. Their mission is to realize a San Diego where everyone is connected to the power of science. At the science center, you can explore and investigate more than 100 interactive exhibits that pique your curiosity and become immersed in an IMAX film adventure that shows the wonders of the planet—and beyond—in the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. For young science enthusiasts, the Fleet hosts school field trips, science workshops and educational camps. For adults, they offer events like Fleet Night of Science and community events, such as Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar. In the community, they also provide free neighborhood science events weekly through 52 Weeks of Science. Teachers are encouraged to join their Teacher Partner Program and take advantage of our professional development opportunities.

For information regarding current admission prices, please call (619) 238-1233 or visit their website at fleetscience.org.

26 Quick Facts about Symphony Hall in the Jacobs Music Center

When was Symphony Hall built? • Opened in 1929 as the Fox (movie) Theatre • Construction cost was $2.5 million (today’s cost would be $50 million) • Included a huge $50,000 pipe organ used to accompany the black and white silent movies

What style of architecture is used? • Interior motif is in a Rococco theme, typical of French Renaissance • Wall designs copied from towns in France

When was the theatre remodeled? • 1985 - $6 million dollar renovation project • Summer of 2012, bathrooms were expanded and remodeled • Summer of 2013, lobbies were remodeled

How many seats are in Copley Symphony Hall? • 2251 seats

When did the San Diego Symphony start? 1910

How many concerts are played each season? •Over 100 full-orchestra concerts •The Symphony performs Classical, Pops and Educational concerts for a variety of people. We also host a film series and an international music series.

The Fox Theatre in 1929

27 Tips for Listening Please share this information with all adult chaperones and students. Going to a concert may be a new experience for your students. The following guidelines will help them and those around them enjoy the concert more fully.

 Concert manners begin the moment you enter Symphony Hall in the Jacobs Music Center. An usher will lead you from the lobby into the chamber. You will be asked to walk in a single-file line to your seating area. Symphony Hall is a big place and we don’t want you to get separated.

 After you are shown your seats, teachers and students are asked to remain seated. When people stand and talk in the aisles, it takes much longer to get everyone seated.

 At this time, you’ll notice the musicians warming up onstage. Just as an athlete warms up be- fore a big game, the musicians have to also. Watch them to see if they do anything you don’t expect.

 When the lights go down you’ll know the concert is about to start. When the concertmaster walks onstage, clap enthusiastically! He will help the orchestra tune.

 After the concertmaster sits down, the conductor will walk onstage. Again, clap loudly for the conductor and the musicians. Then get ready to listen.

 While the music is playing, listen and watch carefully. Think about things you learned from your teacher and that you might already know. Keep your hands to yourself and do your best to sit still.

 Sometimes the conductor might ask the audience a question or ask you to clap along. This is your turn to add to the concert experience. Please answer him so he knows you are listening. When he turns to face the musicians, be silent and ready to listen actively again.

 If a neighbor is talking, try to ignore them or quietly get the attention of your teacher.

 After the orchestra plays the last piece and the clapping ends, please stay seated until the head usher dismisses you. As you leave, make sure you have your personal belongings with you. As you exit the hall, please stay together in a single-file line.

 On your way back to school, talk to your friends about what you saw and heard. Tell them your favorite piece and ask them what their favorite piece was. Maybe your teacher will quiz you on instrumental families. You can write a letter to the musicians or Maestro Patel when you get back to your classroom. Be sure and tell your parents about the concert when you get home! No food or drink in the Hall No audio or video recording allowed 28