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 1 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 2 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, bas- soon, 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, tri- angle, 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 in- struments 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 audi- ence 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.