A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth 16 BE PRESENT 17

Home , A Far Cry, Doo Wop (That Thing), Pied Piper Fantasy

2016-17 UMS LEARNING GUIDE A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth 16 BE PRESENT 17

BE PRESENT 1 Table of Contents

04 05 06 21 ATTEND THE DETAILS LEARN CONNECT

07 Why? 22 Being an Audience Member 09 Artist 25 Arts Online 11 Art Form 27 Recommended Reading 18 Performance 31 Writing About Live Performance 34 About UMS 36 Credits and Sponsors april 12 UMS SCHOOL DAY PERFORMANCE

A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth

Wednesday, April 12 // 11 am Rackham Auditorium

BE PRESENT 3 Attend

Coming to your E-mail Inbox!

Map and Driving Directions Logistical Details (drop-off/pick-up locations) Venue Information

UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122

BE PRESENT 4 The Details

ACCESSIBILITY We aim to maximize accessibility at our performances and below are details regarding this performance’s points of accessibility. If you have further question e-mail [email protected] or call 734-615-0122.

PARKING There is handicapped parking very close to the Rackham on Fletcher Street and in the parking structure behind the Power Center on Palmer Drive. The first three levels of the Palmer Drive structure have 5 parking spots on each level next to each elevator. There are a total of 15 parking spaces in the garage.

BATHROOMS ADA ADA compliant toilets are available on the front west corner (women) and the front east corner (men) of the building. Use the ramp located on the west end of the building to access the powered, left most, door.

VENUE ADDRESS ENTRY Rackham Auditorium, 915 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Except for the left most door, the front doors are not powered, however, there will be an usher at the front door opening it for all patrons. EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER 734-764-2538

ARRIVAL TIME Between 10:30-10:50am

TICKETS We do not use paper tickets for School Day Performances. We hold school reservations at the door and seat groups upon arrival.

FOOD No food or drinks (including school lunches) are allowed in the theater.

BE PRESENT 5 Learn

A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth

UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122

BE PRESENT 6 LEARN

Why? UMS EDUCATION ARTISTIC STATEMENT

A Far Cry and Roomful of Teeth are two dynamic ensembles that challenge chamber music conventions by offering fresh commissions and diverse soundscapes. A Far Cry is a 17-member string orchestra that performs without a conductor, with a repertoire covering everything from 12th-century church music to recent works from leading living composers. The group was founded in Boston in 2007 and operates out of an open storefront in nearby Jamaica Plain, which allows the community to witness rehearsals from the street. The musicians of A Far Cry (who call themselves Criers) share musical and administrative leadership, giving them great agency in their artistic product.

The vocal octet Roomful of Teeth will join A Far Cry for this performance. Roomful of Teeth was founded by Brad Wells in 2009, with the mission to “mine the artistic potential of the human voice.” The octet achieves this feat by embracing vocal traditions from all over the world, expanding its ideas and vocabulary through a commissioning project with new composers.

When A Far Cry commissioned Roomful of Teeth ensemble member Caroline Shaw to write a new work, two of the most influential chamber ensembles today joined forces. They are now presenting this work on their first tour together.

UMS is thrilled to bring the fearless approach of A Far Cry and Roomful of Teeth to the School Day Performance Series. We hope that students will engage with and learn from the collaborative and groundbreaking spirit of these ensembles.

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Why? ONLINE: CONNECTING TO THE PERFORMANCE

Every year that this group continues to exist, it basically has to continue to exist by growing and by pushing itself and by developing and by becoming more coherent, more supported, more real, more fully itself. You literally have two options: to die or to grow. And it’s been just absolutely awesome to me to experience all the different aspects of that growth. Listen to this Spotify playlist.

-SARAH DARLING, VIOLA, FOUNDING MEMBER A FAR CRY

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Artist A FAR CRY & ROOMFUL OF TEETH: FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

A Far Cry has pioneered a unique rehearsal strategy that enables the orchestra to function without a conductor. The Criers nominate five section leaders for each piece, called principals. These principals are in charge of the piece’s musical ideas and guide its rehearsal process, fostering collaboration while maximizing efficiency.

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Roomful of Teeth is known for its mastery The founding musicians of A Far Cry chose Both ensembles hold residencies at art of a variety of global vocal traditions its name to evoke a distance from classical museums — the Criers at Boston’s Isabella including Tuvan throat singing, Korean music’s norms and traditions. Roomful of Stewart Gardner Museum and Roomful storytelling, yodeling, Hindustani music, Teeth refers to a line from the 1942 film of Teeth at the Massachusetts Museum and Persian classical singing. The Road to Morocco. This unconventional of Modern and Contemporary Art. These ensemble’s ability to sing in these diverse name ties into the all-vocal instrumentation residencies provide valuable space, time, styles creates a soundscape so unique and hints at the fact that the ensemble and financial resources to experiment with that some of its commissions have never thinks of itself as a band rather than as a new works and ideas. been performed by other groups. classical chamber group.

This School Day Performance will feature works by Caroline Shaw and Ted Hearne. Shaw, a regular member of Roomful of Teeth, became the youngest composer to win the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and is known for a joyful, eclectic style. Hearne’s works have been performed by numerous ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco and Chicago symphonies. The performance will explore how music can evoke narratives even when there are no lyrics or concrete storyline. Selected students will be invited on stage to participate in this interactive experience, collaborating with the artists to improvise stories as expressed by music.

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Artist ONLINE: GETTING TO KNOW A FAR CRY

Catch a glimpse of A Far Cry’s unique rehearsal process in this video.

Follow A Far Cry on Twitter at @afarcrymusic Or visit website at afarcry.org

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Art Form CHAMBER MUSIC

PLAY Sharing a musical performance experience with others can be a sublime and joyful experience and the following thoughts are some considerations of musicians when playing in small ensembles, linked by the acronym, PLAY: Produce a Group Sound, Look and Listen, Ask for Help, and Yield to Others.

P L A Y

Produce a Group Sound Look and Listen Ask for Help Yield to Others The historical context of the In order to match pitch and play Any ensemble player might Fellow ensemble members instruments or music being together, ensemble members have a musical idea (planned or might be inspired to make a performed can influence the rely on eyes and/or ears to spontaneous in performance) spontaneous musical decision, ensemble’s initial decisions monitor their own playing and to or need help finding their and for the sake of the ensemble about style and sound. While be responsive to other’s playing. spot in the music. Playing in playing together, it can be playing, members consider the This visual and aural awareness a small ensemble involves helpful for other members of the balance of the ensemble and can be active during the pre- knowing when and how to ensemble to support, without constantly assess who has performance tuning process of ask for this assistance from question, that decision (similar to the solo or supporting role and establishing a group pitch center fellow players. Eye contact and the improv game “Yes and”). It is adjust their playing accordingly or while the ensemble works to body movements (sometimes also helpful to identify someone to achieve a group sound. They maintain or change the tempo exaggerated) can be useful who will take the lead in starting will also coordinate emphasis, during actual performance. communication tools when a piece of music or ending it climaxes, and points of relaxation Performers also look at and listen words are not an option. Pre- neatly, and yield to whatever that in musical phrases. (sometimes to the audience and sometimes planning and discussion about person decides in performance. an ensemble’s objective can respond to their energy, mood, musical directions can also specifically be to not have a or feedback. improve the execution and unified sound too) success of musical ideas.

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Art Form ONLINE

What is chamber music? Watch this video from Houston Public Media to learn more about this art form.

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Art Form ONLINE: GETTING TO KNOW A ROOMFUL OF TEETH

Catch a glimpse of their rehearsal process, watch A Roomful of Teeth experiment with expressive potential of the human voice

A Roomful of Teeth on Twitter @roomfulofteeth or visit their website at roomfulofteeth.org

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Art Form A ROOMFUL OF TEETH: A CAPPELLA SINGING

Roomful of Teeth employs a technique called a cappella singing or simply, A cappella has experienced a recent national revival, garnering media vocal music without accompaniment. This type of composition has been attention and infiltrating college campuses. Colleges across the country around for many hundreds of years, with roots in religious and praise music. have formed groups to emulate long-standing a cappella clubs like the In the late 15th century, the popularity of a cappella music grew significantly Whiffenpoofs of Yale University and the Jabberwocks of Brown University. in Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, as there was strong The 2012 feature filmPitch Perfect features college a cappella competitions, opposition to instruments, which were seen as demonic, during service. and the television series “The Sing-Off” is a virtual “American Idol” for the a cappella world. A cappella has become nothing short of a pop culture A cappella music can also be found in the Jewish tradition. Jewish families phenomenon. often sing traditional a cappella songs on the Sabbath, called “zemirot.” To understand more about this art form, read the New York Times article More modern examples of the a cappella tradition can be seen in ‘doo wop’ about Roomful of Teeth. and ‘barbershop’ music, which was conceptualized in the 1930s and 1940s, and popularized in the 1960s. ‘Barbershop’ came first, and was identifiable by tight four-part harmonies and distinctive vocal parts. ‘Doo-wop’ developed around 10 years later in large African-American communities across the United States and has its stylistic origins in Negro spirituals, gospel, blues, swing, and rock and roll.

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Art Form WHAT ARE THE BASICS OF STORYTELLING STRUCTURE?

CLIMAX The climax is the point of greatest interest in a narrative. It is the culmination of events that have occurred during the rising action, and is the main dramatic event in a story. This is also called the “crisis.”

RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION The rising action is a series of Falling action occurs after events that build tension or the conflict of the climax has suspense in the narrative. This been resolved, and leads to action leads to the climax. the resolution.

INCITING INCIDENT The inciting incident is the decision or event that sets the plot in motion.

EXPOSITION RESOLUTION Exposition occurs at the beginning of the The resolution is typically the end story. It is used to establish the world in of the narrative. It occurs after which the narrative is set, and the routine the crisis has been resolved, and that will inevitably be interrupted during routine has been reestablished. the piece. This is also called the “stasis.”

BE PRESENT 15 LEARN Art Form

What are the methods used to construct a narrative in music without lyrics? Here are some important concepts:

KEY TEMPO Key can be used to denote emotion; a major key feels happy, while a The tempo is the pace of a piece of music. A fast tempo could minor key feels sad. A change in key may represent an emotional shift. represent rising action, while a slow tempo may mean that the narrative has plateaued. THEME The theme is a recognizable melody or complete phrase upon which DYNAMICS the rest of the composition is based. This can be used as exposition, The dynamics of a piece are instructions about volume. Playing a or to establish the mood or tone of a narrative. passage extremely loudly or quietly can aid in story arc and character development. MOTIF The motif is a short reoccurring musical idea that has some special importance. It possesses thematic identity. The theme can be used to establish characters and represent their appearances in the narrative. A motif is often called an “idea.”

BE PRESENT 16 LEARN Art Form

Musical storytelling is an attempt to create a detailed narrative through music without lyrics. Often referred to as “tone painting,” or “program music,” this technique has been employed for hundreds of years.

Examples of Program Music:

1780S 1886 1888 1897 1920

The Symphonies on Ovid’s Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Scheherazade by Nikolai Don Quixote by Richard Strauss The Cat and Mouse by Aaron Metamorphosis by Carl Ditters Ilyich Tchaikovsky Rimsky-Korsakov This “tone poem” tells the Copland von Dittersdorf famed narrative of Don Quixote, Copland’s piano piece is Romeo and Juliet is an This symphonic suite is using large orchestra and cello. based on The Old Cat and Dittersdorf’s Metamorphosis orchestral work based on inspired by The Arabian Nights, the Young Mouse, Jean de la consists of twelve symphonies Shakespeare’s famed tragedy a compilation of South Asian Fontaine’s age-old fable. based on Publius Ovidius Naso’s of the same name. Watch the and Middle Eastern folktales 15-book mythological narrative. London Symphony Orchestra from the Islamic Golden Age. perform the Fantasy-Overture.

1936 1977 1982 1997

Peter and the Wolf by Sergei “Xanadu” by Rush Pied Piper Fantasy by John Loss of Breath by Lowell Prokofiev This epic rock song is inspired Corigliano Liebermann This orchestral piece was by the poem “Kubla Kahn” Corigliano uses flute and This chilling piece is based on written as a children’s story, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. orchestra to tell the tale of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story and is sometimes spoken It begins with a five-minute the Pied Piper of Hamelin. It of the same name. by a narrator. Listen to the instrumental opening, into a was commissioned by widely- performance by the Vancouver narrative written by Neil Peart. known flutist James Galway. Symphony Orchestra.

BE PRESENT 17 LEARN Performance

Watch A Far Cry in performance.

Watch A Roomful of Teeth perform A Letter to My Father from Coloring Book by Ted Hearne

BE PRESENT 18 LEARN Performance

In this video, A Far Cry A Far Cry with plays a standard string orchestra piece similar to Roomful of Teeth the Prokofiev. Wednesday, April 12 // 11 am Rackham Auditorium

This School Day Performance features brand new works by Caroline Shaw and Ted Hearne as well as Sergei Prokofiev’s “Visions Fugitives.”

Get to know Caroline Shaw’s “By and By” by watching this performance of her piece with the Calder String Quartet. Pre-and post- show workshops offered.

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Performance SPOTIFY LINER NOTES

1. “O ignis spiritus paracliti” was written for voices by the 12th- 5. Beneath, by Caleb Burhans, opens with an example of Tuvan throat century abbess Hildegard von Bingen and arranged for A Far Cry singing by Roomful of Teeth. Traditional Tuvan throat singers of by David Krakauer. This piece is played in the simple, pure style of Mongolia and Siberia achieve multiple pitches in a single voice early plainchant. by singing one note and forming different vowels to produce additional pitches. The members of Roomful of Teeth regularly 2. This arrangement of Beethoven’s “Heiliger Dankgesang” from study with masters of these unusual styles to inform their String Quartet No. 15 is an example of Romantic period music in performance practice. A Far Cry’s repertoire. When performing this work, the ensemble must emulate the nimbleness of a quartet despite utilizing multiple 6. Roomful of Teeth member Caroline Shaw won the 2013 Pulitzer players for each part. Prize in composition for her work Partita for 8 Singers. She employs spoken word, Tuvan and Inuit throat singing, and tight Western 3. Ted Hearne’s Law of Mosaics was commissioned by A Far Cry in harmonies to achieve a brilliantly unique sound. 2014. The composer writes, “The warp and woof refers to the lengthwise (warp) and crosswise (woof) threads that together 7. “The Colorado, an Unknown Distance Yet to Run,” is part of the create the texture and foundation of a woven fabric. It is a fitting score to Mark Rylance’s musical documentary The Colorado, which end for a piece that imagines the framing of musical content to explores the landscapes, people, and environmental challenges of be as integral to the structure of a work as the way that content is the Colorado River. Roomful of Teeth performed the score live for framed.” the film’s New York City premiere.

4. Andrew Norman depicts nine different Roman churches in his piece A Companion Guide to Rome. Each movement reflects on the history, architecture, art, and patron saints of a particular church. The ninth movement, “Sabina,” included here, is also performed as a standalone piece.

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Being an Audience Member Arts Online Recommended Reading Writing about Live Performance About UMS

UMS.ORG / 734.615.0122

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Being an audience member WATCHING AND LISTENING

When preparing to attend a live performing arts event, we hope you will think about the concepts of concert conduct and manners. This is not just about saying “please” and “thank you;” rather, it’s like an unspoken agreement you have with everyone else in the performance space, to be thoughtful and considerate in what you do so that everyone can fully engage with the unique and exciting live performance experience. Here’s what we mean:

YOUR SURROUNDINGS and the leg room, for instance — in such a way that both you and your • Concert halls and performing arts venues are some of the most grand and neighbors are comfortable. beautiful buildings you might ever visit, so be sure to look around while you follow an usher to your group’s seats or once you are in your seat. • As an audience member, you are also part of the performance. Any enthusiasm you might have for the performance may help the performers perform • UMS Ushers will be stationed throughout the building and are identifiable better. So, if you like what you are seeing, make sure they know it! Maybe by their big name badges. They are there to help you be as comfortable as clap, hoot and holler, or stand up and cheer. However, when expressing your possible and if you have a question (about the performance, about where own personal enjoyment of the performance, consider whether your fellow to go, or about what something is), please ask them, and don’t feel shy, audience members will be able to see or hear what’s happening on stage or embarrassed, or hesitant in doing so. whether they will miss something because of the sound and movement you are making. Given this consideration, it’s often best to wait until a pause in SHARING THE PERFORMANCE HALL WITH OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS the performance (a pause of sound, movement, or energy) or to wait until the • Consider whether any talking you do during the performance will prevent your performer(s) bow to the audience to share your enthusiasm with them. seat neighbors or other audience members from hearing. Often in large rock concerts or movie theaters, the sound is turned up so loud that you can talk • Out of respect for the performer(s), if you do not like some part of the and not disturb anyone’s listening experience. However, in other concerts performance, please do not boo or shout anything derogatory. Remember, a and live theater experiences, the sound is unamplified (or just quiet), and lot of hard work went in to creating the performance you are watching and it the smallest noise could cause your seat neighbor to miss an important takes great courage for the performer to share his or her art with you. line of dialogue or musical phrase. Lights (from a cell phone or music player, for instance) and movements (body wiggling or shaking) may also distract SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS your neighbors’ attention away from the stage, again, causing them to miss • An important part of any performing arts experience is sharing it with others. important action...and there’s no instant replay in live performance! This can include whispering to your seat neighbor during the performance, talking to your friends about what you liked and didn’t like on the bus back to • At a performance, you are sharing a small physical space with other school, or telling your family about the performance when you get home. audience members. So, consider whether you are sharing — the arm rest

Special thanks to Emily Barkakati for her role in developing this resource.

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Being an audience member RULES AND TOOLS

We share the following “Rules and Tools” to help audience members at UMS School Day Performances connect with the performance and environment around them. As a general suggestion, we encourage audience members to Notice, Feel, and Interpret.

1. BE PRESENT. If something is boring after Being bored means you’re not engaging. In the performance, you might feel any of the following: two minutes, try it for four. If happy sorrow pain horror inspiration confused pride content still boring, then eight. Then joy sad beauty enlightened sixteen. Then thirty-two. The beauty of live performance is the connection between the audience and artist and the energy they share and pass between each other. Have you ever given a Eventually one discovers that presentation and spoken better because people in the room were smiling at you? You have an ability to affect the performance as an audience member and we it is not boring at all. encourage you to use it during the performance.

2. INTERPRET: YOU CAN CHOOSE WHAT IT MEANS. JOHN CAGE, Sometimes an artist will share what the performance is supposed to mean or share COMPOSER the performance’s story. Sometimes there won’t be a story or any meaning beyond creating movement or sound. Either way, feel empowered choosing what the performance means to you or imagine your own story...you can change your mind at any point too.

3. CHECK YOUR OWN EMOTIONS & FEELINGS. Ask yourself: How am I feeling? Am I tired, sore, in a bad mood, sad, upset, sick, (Renowned composer John Cage is simply saying sometimes it takes etc.? These feelings and emotions can affect how you perceive the performance. a little longer than expected to find a point of personal interest in a Be open to letting the performance improve your condition or make you think performance, so don’t give up the search too quick.) differently or more deeply about your condition.

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Being an audience member RULES AND TOOLS

QUESTIONS CONNECTING TO OTHER ART FORMS The following questions are used during TalkOut* and can help audience members connect with or reflect on a performance: • How does this performance relate to where I live? • What does this performance remind me of? • What moment in the performance will I remember? • What question will I ask my teacher back at school?

*For more information about TalkOut, visit http://bit.ly/18rzBzh.

ELEMENTS At any point during a performance, you should feel empowered to notice or focus on any element of the performance — on stage or off stage.

SPACE: venue/building, stage, distance between objects A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth Andô Hiroshige LIGHTING: Eight Views of Ômi: #2 Night Rain at Karasaki, circa 1834 color woodblock print on paper location of light, use of darkness, color of light, movement of light, light in the audience Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker1948/1.135 SOUND: sound created by voices or movements of performers or audience members, the The School Day Performance by A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth location of sound (behind the audience or off stage), use of musical instruments or will explore how music can evoke characters and narratives recorded music even when there is no storyline. Evocative works of art similarly suggest narrative, mood, and sometimes music. This print by Andô MOVEMENT: Hiroshige features a famous and enormous pine tree. The poem in movement of performers, images, objects, or audience members; speed, size, or shape the upper left corner compares a breeze to music and the wind to of movements a voice. It reads: PEOPLE: “Elsewhere will they talk of the music of the evening breeze performers or audience members, the number of people, type and amount of clothing on that has made the pine of Karasaki famous; the voice of the people, facial or emotional expressions of people wind is not heard through the sound of the rain in the night.”

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Arts Online:Explore and Discover SEARCH LIKE A DETECTIVE

Consider the following suggestions and ideas when searching for information online.

TRIANGULATE AND FORM OPINIONS SLOWLY SEEK OUT IDENTIFIABLE SOURCES When looking for information online: Reputable articles, journals, or magazines should cite an author whose identity can be verified and cite a list of sources, either throughout the SEARCH, SEARCH AGAIN, AND THEN SEARCH piece or in a bibliography. 01 AGAIN CHECK THE DATE THEN COMPARE INFORMATION FROM YOUR 02 SEARCHES Consider whether the content is old or outdated. Has the site been maintained? 03 THEN SEARCH ONE MORE TIME BASED ON WHAT YOU’VE DISCOVERED IN YOUR COMPARISON LOOK FOR BIAS Is the site or its author’s objective to sell you something? Is the site’s content overly positive or negative? Does the site’s content lean toward only one viewpoint? Does the site’s content clearly omit facts? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then the site might not represent a reliable information source.

BEWARE Sites with an abundance of advertising, especially ads that look cheap, are neon and blinking, or constantly pop up on the screen. Sites with grammar, spelling, and formatting errors.

Note: Good looking sites don’t necessarily have fair, unbiased, or accurate information (for instance, sites for political candidates are often beautiful, but contain information that ONLY portrays their candidate positively).

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Arts Online: Explore and Discover SITES WE SUGGEST

GO TO THE SOURCE LESSON PLAN SOURCES If searching for information about an artist or organization, first try The following sites have a variety of standards-based lesson plans for visiting their homepage where they are likely to post information, links, teachers and interactive learning resources for families that celebrate an and media they approve. art form, connect the arts to the full range of non-arts subjects, or offer cultural context for the global arts. For instance: Wynton Marsalis - WyntonMarsalis.org ARTSEDGE PBS Hubbard Street Dance Chicago - HubbardStreetDance.com ArtsEdge.org pbslearningmedia.org UMS - UMS.org NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EDSITEMENT RELIABLE SITES (GENERALLY): education.nationalgeographic.com edsitement.neh.gov .EDU educational institutions THREE ‘GO TO’ SITES .GOV The following sites are consistently good and reliable sources of government (particularly good for statistics and reports) information about arts and culture. .ORG organizations (though, only those without a political bias or advocacy THE NEW YORK TIMES THE GUARDIAN agenda) nytimes.com theguardian.com

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR) SEARCHING FOR VIDEO npr.org You will find the best videos online when you search for ones posted by the artist or posted by the “generally reliable” sites having the characteristics VISIT UMS detailed in this document. Avoid bootleg videos Let us do the work for you! Visit our sites ums.org and umslobby.org for posted by random individuals with no relationship to great and engaging videos, blog posts, photos, and web links about artists the artist, as the video might not be representative of and art forms. the artist’s work.

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Recommended Reading YOUTH

Continued.

DAKHABRAKHA A FAR CRY WITH ROOMFUL OF TEETH Ukraine, by Deborah Kent Show Me a Story: 40 Craft Projects and Activities to Spark Children’s Explore an overview of the culture, people, and history of Ukraine. Storytelling, by Emily K. Neuburger Make playful crafts and try fun activities that encourage storytelling at The Kids’ Multicultural Art Book: Art & Craft Experiences from Around the all ages. World, by Alexandra M. Terzian Create works of art representing cultures from around the world. The Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn about the Instruments, the Music, and the Composers Who Wrote the Music, by Robert Levine What is Punk?, by Eric Morse Levine presents mini-biographies of prominent classical composers as Discover the revolutionary musical artists’ representative of the punk well as illustrated pages on each of the orchestra instruments. genre as well as a brief history of the genre’s roots with fun clay illustrations and rhyming text. Sing!, by Joe Raposo Sing along to this illustrated version of the song popularized by the television show “Sesame Street.”

BE PRESENT 30 CONNECT Writing about Live Performance

The following writing exercises were developed by 826michigan, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. For more information about 826michigan and its free programs for students, visit 826michigan.org.

A LETTER TO PERFORMERS AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Primary Audience: Elementary School Students Use your observations to help you write a letter to the performer(s). Remember, these artists are real people who want to know what BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE audiences think about their work. This letter is your opportunity to Before you attend the performance, make a list of what you already share your impressions with the people who created the art you just know about the following things: experienced.

1. Live Performances When starting your letter, be sure to use a greeting like “Dear 2. The Art Form [performer’s name].” Next, be sure to tell the performer(s) where and 3. The Artist(s) when you saw them. Every live performance is different, so it will help 4. Origin of the Art Form or Artist(s) them to know which show you are talking about. Then you can use the notes you took about the performance to share your experience with DURING THE PERFORMANCE the performer(s). At the end of your letter, be sure to include any other To help you organize your observations during the performance, information—about yourself or the performance you saw—that you consider the following: think the performer(s) would like to know. To finish the letter, include a closing like “Your fan” or “Thank you!” and then sign your name. Your I Notice... teacher or parent can help you find the best way to get your letter to the I Feel... performer! I Wonder...

Once the performance is done, write down your notes as soon as possible (either on the bus or back in the classroom) to help you remember your observations of the performance.

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TWO THUMBS UP: WRITING A REVIEW FOR PUBLICATION AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Primary Audience: Middle and High School Students After the performance has concluded—back in class, riding home on the bus, or back at home—think back on what you just saw; it’s like looking at BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE the performance in a rear-view mirror. Take the list of words and thoughts Imagine your local newspaper has asked you to write a review of the event you wrote and compare it with the words you wrote beforehand. Now, you are going to see: this will be your opportunity to write an argument remove all the words that came up twice. These words, the most obvious about your opinions and explain your reasoning. Reviewers attempt to sort ones that come to mind, are off limits (you can use synonyms), but the through the feelings they’re already having in advance of a performance— remainders will help you remember how you felt about the performance. not to put those feelings aside, but rather so that they are aware of what Take these less obvious words and expand upon them. In the first draft of effect pre-performance opinions may have on the review. your review get all of your ideas down on paper. Make sure to include your thoughts on the performance and how they may have changed, stayed Before the performance begins, answer the following questions: the same, or morphed into new feelings. Discuss any preconceptions you • What expectations do I have for the performance? • Do I already have an opinion about what I will experience at the performance? may have had and how they changed or stayed the same after viewing the (Additionally, consider the some of the Questions and Elements outlined in the performance. “Being an Audience Member” section of this guide.) When you’re ready to work on your second draft, read back through your DURING THE PERFORMANCE writing and try to identify the main idea of your review—what themes During the performance, take mental notes about the performance—the keep coming up? What is the tone? What do you ultimately feel about the key is making a little note of something of interest while being aware of the performance? Use that main idea to come up with a hook (a bold, attention- entirety of the performance. As soon possible after the performance ends, getting statement to set the review in motion and give your readers a write down (using whatever paper or electronic device is handy) thoughts sense of what’s to come). and words that come to mind related to the performance. Things to consider: Things to consider: Remember – this review will take a stance on the performance based on the ways • What is striking to me? you’ve interpreted the elements you considered before, during, and after the • Is it vastly different from what I thought it would be? show. Your teacher, parents, or friends (or a broader audience if you’re writing for a • Has the venue transformed into something else during the performance? How? newspaper) are very interested in your thoughts about the performance, and you can • Are there images or ideas popping into my head? What are they? pretend they’re on the fence about it—try and persuade them over to your side with • Is there something about the performance I may remember forever? What made it so? your views about the performance. Don’t be afraid to make strong statements—just • Is the audience quiet and drawn in to what is happening? Are they loud? be sure you can back up your argument with evidence you collected throughout the Are they interacting directly with the performers? performance! A cold, play-by-play of exactly what happened isn’t fun to read, and it Are the performers directly interacting with the audience? doesn’t let the readers, who likely didn’t get to see the same performance that you did, use their imaginations to tell the story and fill in some (but not all) of the blanks.

BE PRESENT 32 CONNECT Writing about Live Performance

THE SUN IS RED NOISE: POETRY ABOUT PERFORMANCE AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Primary audience: Elementary, Middle, High School Students Younger students: Pick one thing that you heard or saw in the performance and try to In white pleated trousers, peering through green describe it in a new way to someone who wasn’t at the performance. sunshades, looking for the way the sun is red Use all five senses in your descriptions. Even if you didn’t smell noise, how locusts hiss to replicate the sun. something, what do you imagine the art could smell like? -Elizabeth Alexander, from “Stravinsky in LA”

The poem excerpted above and “Museum Piece,” the poem by Richard Older students: Wilbur at the beginning of this guide are examples of ekphrastic poetry. • For five minutes straight (time can be adapted based on age group), Ekphrastic poetry is written in response to a piece of art, theatrical write down everything you can remember about the performance you performance, writing, or music. The poem can be written about art, from attended. Every detail that comes to mind is an important one. the point of view of a character or the artist, or about the experience of • Take at least three things that you remember and create an image viewing/hearing the art. around each of them with using some of the tools in your poetry toolbox. BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE • Use one (or all) of these three images to start your poem about the • Think about the way you describe the music that you like to a friend. performance. If it made you feel a certain way (happy, angry, afraid, How would you describe your favorite song to someone who had never alone, joyful), use words and images that match that mood to start heard it? What kinds of words and images would you use to write a joyful • How about to someone who could not hear? poem? A lonely one? • List the tools in your poetry toolbox (description, simile, metaphor, • Can you use repetition in the poem in the same way it was used in the and imagery) that will help you describe the art in new ways. music you heard? If you saw a play, can you use language that reflects what you heard? DURING THE PERFORMANCE • Imagine you are the artist who created/composed the work of art on Keep a record of: the day you were inspired to create it. What did you see, hear, smell, • Words and phrases that come to mind in response to performance. taste, touch, experience? Write a poem that takes us through that day, • Feelings you had about the art, the stage, the audience, the event. using the images you’ve crafted already. • Images (like colors, ideas, memories, smells) that came to mind while

you were listening to the music. Special thanks to Catherine Calabro, Erin Mernoff, Jeremy Peters, David Riva, and • Songs/images/ideas repeated throughout the performance. Kati Shanks for their roles in developing this resource.

BE PRESENT 33 CONNECT About UMS

UMS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT Beth McNally, Allen Elementary, 2016 DTE Educator 2016 DTE School of the Year of the Year STAFF

KEN FISCHER UMS President

JIM LEIJA Director

GRACE BYDALEK Intern

SEAN MEYERS Intern

SHANNON K. FITZSIMONS One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is committed to connecting audiences Campus Engagement Specialist with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. With a program steeped in music, dance, and theater, UMS contributes to a vibrant cultural community by presenting TERRI PARK approximately 60-75 performances and over 100 free educational activities each season. UMS also Education Coordinator commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national, and international partners. MARY ROEDER Manager of Learning is core to UMS’s mission, and it is our joy to provide creative learning experiences for our entire Community Engagement community. Each season, we offer a fun and fascinating lineup of workshops, artist Q&As, conversations, and interactive experiences to draw you in and out of your comfort zone, connect you to interesting people and unexpected ideas, and bring you closer to the heart of the artistic experience. We exist to create a spark in people, young and old alike, exposing them to things they haven’t seen before, and leaving them with a lifelong passion for creativity and the performing arts.

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About UMS 2016-17 SCHOOL DAY PERFORMANCES

Dorrance Dance Thursday, October 20 // 11 am

Jake Shimabukuro Wednesday, November 16 // 11 am

Jake Shimabukuro Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity Ping Chong + Company Friday, February 17 // 11 am

DakhaBrakha Wednesday, March 29 // 11 am Beyond Sacred

A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth Wednesday, April 12 // 11 am

Roomful of Teeth

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Thank You! CREDITS AND SPONSORS

WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY UMS YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM SUPPORTERS: ($5,000 OR MORE) Jordan Miller, Grace Bydalek, and Reflects donations to UMS education programs recognized at $5,000 or more, made between July 1, 2015 Terri Park and May 1, 2016

EDITED BY Terri Park

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation University of Michigan PROVIDED BY Pamela Reister (UMMA) and Kayla Coughlin (Ann Arbor District Library)

Anonymous THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. & P. Heydon) Arts Midwest Touring Fund National Endowment for the Arts Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan New England Foundation for the Arts Jim and Patsy Donahey Quincy and Rob Northrup DTE Energy Foundation PNC Foundation David and Jo-Anna Featherman Mary R. Romig-deYoung Music Appreciation Fund Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Eugene and Emily Grant Family Foundation Endowment Fund David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund Stout Systems Richard and Lillian Ives Endowment Fund Toyota Mardi Gras Fund UMS Ambassadors Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs University of Michigan Credit Union Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.

BE PRESENT 36 WWW.UMS.ORG

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