An American Soundscape

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
Young People’s Concert
Neal Gittleman, Music Director
An American
Soundscape
May 13, 2009
An American Soundscape
Sounds of Our Nation
Festival Overture
Dudley Buck
Sounds of Nature
Painted Desert from Grand Canyon Suite
Ferde Grofé
Sounds of Our City
Fanfare for a City
Steve Winteregg
Sounds of Young Talent
Symphonie Espagnole, 1st movement
Katherine Ballester, violin
Édouard Lalo
Sounds of Our History
Lincoln Portrait
Aaron Copland
This concert is underwritten by MeadWestvaco Foundation
with additional support from KeyBank, Charles D. Berry,
Charles E. Hoffman and J. Edward and Jennie V. Hoffman Funds of
The Dayton Foundation
P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Troy Foundation
Dear Educator,
Welcome to the May 13, 2009 Young People’s
Concert, An American Soundscape. Each
of the compositions featured in this concert was
inspired by various aspects of American life – a
beautiful landscape, important historical events,
or the grandeur of an American city. Students
will learn how composers can evoke these images
in their imaginations with and without the use of
words. They will hear Sounds of Our Nation,
Sounds of Nature, Sounds of Our City, Sounds of Our
Youth and Sounds of Our History.
The program notes are created to assist music specialists and classroom teachers in preparing
their students for the concert experience. Enclosed is a CD that includes concert music excerpts
with introductions by Music Director Neal Gittleman. Please copy these materials to share
with other teachers in your building who will attend the concert. You may also download
these materials from the DPO website www.daytonphilharmonic.com. From the homepage,
select Education at the top of the page, then Field Trip Programs, then Intermediate Grades.
The download for this guide appears at the bottom of the page.
The teacher notes contain information about the composers and their music, and ideas for
integrating this information across the curriculum. The activities are meant to be used in the
regular classroom, as well as the music classroom, and do not require familiarity with the music.
We hope these ideas will help provide an enjoyable and enriching experience for students
and teachers.
Gloria S. Pugh
Director of Education
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
This concert theme and the information in these notes reinforce
Ohio Academic Standards
in
Fine Arts, Language Arts, and Social Studies.
Meet Our Conductor
Neal Gittleman, Music Director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
Birthplace: Panama Canal Zone
First Music Lesson: Unless you count singing, it
was piano lessons from my mother when I was
about six
Instruments I play: Violin, viola, piano…
I become a conductor because: I love orchestral
music and I love the music-making that goes on in
orchestras
My job as a conductor is: To help the musicians
play the music as well as they possibly can
Favorite food: Black beans and rice
Favorite childhood book: Winnie the Pooh
What I like to do in my spare time: Play golf, squash, t’ai chi, read books, see movies
Vocabulary
conductor
♪ Listen to CD Track 1.
Sounds of Our Nation
Festival Overture
Dudley Buck (1839-1909)
About the Composer
Dudley Buck was an American composer born in Hartford,
Connecticut in 1839. He became interested in music later than
most well-known composers, but once he decided to follow this
path, his father did everything he could to support him in
achieving his goals. He began piano lessons at the age of 16. He
studied music at college for two years and then traveled to Leipzig,
Germany and Paris, France to continue his studies.
Dudley Buck is best known for his church music compositions. He played the organ in several
large city churches while also composing music for organ and for church choirs. In fact, Buck’s
music was the most performed choral music of any composer in the 1880’s. He was also a
teacher and author of books on music. In addition to his church music compositions, he wrote
two operas and several works for orchestra.
About the Music
Festival Overture was actually first written as an organ composition titled Concert Variations on
the Star-Spangled Banner. Composers often borrow parts or all of a familiar tune to include in
their compositions and then change that tune in different ways to create variations. In 1879
Buck wrote an orchestra version of the Concert Variations and titled it Festival Overture.
♪ Listen to CD Track 2.
The overture begins with a bright and cheerful theme. ♪ Listen to CD Track 3.
What adjectives would you use to describe this music?
The “Star-Spangled Banner” is introduced as the second theme and each phrase is played by
different groupings of instruments. ♪ Listen for these groupings on CD Track 4.
♪ Listen to CD Track 4 again.
Think the song as you listen and then answer the following questions:
1. Do you hear the entire “Star-Spangled Banner” in this excerpt or is there a phrase
missing?
2. If there is a missing phrase, which phrase is it?
3. What are the ways in which the “Star-Spangled Banner” melody is varied in this excerpt?
Is the speed the same as when you sing it? Are there extra notes added to the melody?
After this section the first theme (A) returns and then Mr. Buck combines the opening theme
with the theme of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
♪ Listen to CD Track 5.
The overture ends with the entire “Star-Spangled Banner” sung by a chorus with the orchestra.
At the concert, that chorus will be the audience. Be sure you know all the words before the
concert!
See below for more information about the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Vocabulary
choral
chorus
composer
overture
phrase
theme
variation
Think About This: Can you name some everyday examples of Theme
and Variations?
For example: Theme --------------------Sandwich
Variation -----------------Hamburger on a bun
Ham and Swiss on Rye
Grilled cheese
Peanut butter and jelly
The Star-Spangled Banner
John Stafford Smith (1750-1836) (arr. Custer)
Words by Francis Scott Key (1779-1843)
“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the National Anthem of the
United States of America. This patriotic song traditionally
opens the first concert of each orchestra season.
At the end of Dudley Buck’s Festival Overture, Maestro
Gittleman will invite the audience to stand and sing “The StarSpangled Banner” with the orchestra.
Our National Anthem was created during the War of 1812.
During this war between Great Britain and the United States, the British fleet attacked Fort
McHenry, which protected the city of Baltimore. On September 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key
visited the British fleet in Chesapeake Bay to ask for the release of his friend Dr. William
Beanes, who had been captured after the burning of Washington D.C. He was held so that he
could not pass on any warning about the Fort McHenry attack.
The British admiral released Dr. Beanes, but told Key that they could not leave until after the
coming battle. At sunset the British sailors told the Americans to “look well on their flag,” for
by morning it would no longer fly over Fort McHenry. All during the night Francis Scott Key
watched the battle. Whenever the sky was lit by the shells exploding over the bay, he looked
for the American flag waving over the fort. As long as the flag still flew, he knew that Fort
McHenry had not been taken.
As the sun rose Key looked through the early morning fog. There, flying over the fort was the
American flag. The British had failed to take Baltimore. Key was so moved by the sight that he
took an old envelope from his pocket and began writing these words - "Oh, say can you see...."
The day after his return to Baltimore, Key's poem was printed as a flyer under the name
"Defense of Fort McHenry”, and passed out all over the city. Two days later it was set to the
tune of a popular song of the times, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” composed by the English
composer John Stafford Smith. Within a week the song was being heard as far away as
New Orleans. “The Star-Spangled Banner” became the official national anthem of the U. S.
on March 3, 1931.
Of course, “The Star-Spangled Banner” wasn’t originally written for an orchestra to perform.
You will hear an arrangement (a reworking of the melody for orchestra instruments to play)
by Calvin Custer.
At the concert the audience will sing the national anthem with the orchestra. Be sure you know
the words and understand the meaning of each line!
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
.
Do This: Make a list of all the events where you have heard the National Anthem
performed. What is the purpose of playing this song at these events?
Sounds of Nature
Painted Desert from Grand Canyon Suite
Ferde Grofé (1892-1972)
(FUR-dee GROW-FAY)
About the Composer
Born in New York City, Ferde Grofé came from a family of
musicians. He grew up listening to popular music and jazz, while
also studying the piano, violin, and viola. His music and his career
were influenced by this early exposure to both classical and pop
styles. He was a violist in the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra for
ten years, while at the same time performing as a pianist in dance
halls, with hotel bands and for silent movie sets. For twelve years
he was pianist and arranger for a famous dance band of the time
called the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.
In addition to composing and arranging, Grofé also was a
conductor and taught composing at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.
Grofé composed several pieces of music for orchestra, including a ballet, a piano concerto, and a series
of pictorial pieces, the most popular of which was the Grand Canyon Suite.
♪ Listen to CD Track 6.
About the Music
The inspiration for Grand Canyon Suite came from Grofé’s travels through the desert and the mountain
areas of the western United States. The Grand Canyon is a spectacular gorge carved by the Colorado
River in the state of Arizona.
A suite is an instrumental composition consisting of several movements. The Grand Canyon Suite has
five movements, each describing an experience you might have while visiting the Grand Canyon. The
movement titled “Painted Desert” is the second movement in this suite. The other movements are
“Sunrise,” “On the Trail,” “Sunset,” and “Cloudburst.” For nearly 40 years, Grand Canyon Suite was one
of the most often played and recorded American concert pieces for orchestra!
Think About This:
What is a desert?
•
What comes to mind when you imagine a desert?
•
What would it look like?
•
What would it feel like to be in a desert?
•
What kind of wildlife would you expect to find in a desert?
What is the Painted Desert?
The Painted Desert is an area of the Grand
Canyon in Arizona spanning 160 miles.
Over millions of years rock walls of different
colors have grown layer upon layer much
like a multi-layered cake. The colors seem
to change depending upon the time of day
and the position of the sun, creating quite a
spectacular site.
Can you predict what music that describes a
desert might sound like? List your ideas
and then compare them to what you hear
on CD Track 7. How did your predictions
compare to the music you heard?
Try This: Draw a picture in response to this music or write a one paragraph description of
the desert scene you imagine as you hear the music.
Research This: Research the Grand Canyon. Where is it? How was it
formed? How big is it? What does it look like?
Vocabulary
arranging (in music)
movement
suite
Sounds of Our City
Fanfare for a City
Steve Winteregg (b.1952)
About the Composer
Steve Winteregg is a composer and tuba player who currently is the Chair of the
Music Department at nearby Cedarville College. For several years he was also
the Principal Tubist with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, but resigned this
position in order to spend more time writing music.
Mr. Winteregg was born in Dayton and still lives in Dayton. He went to Northmont High School and
then continued his music studies at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Wright State
University, and The Ohio State University.
Steve Winteregg has received dozens of awards in composition and his works have been performed
throughout the world: North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
♪ Listen to CD Track 8.
About the Music
Fanfare for a City was written for the 1996 Bicentennial Celebration of
Dayton. It was first performed New Year’s Eve 1995 during the first “Celebrate
Dayton” event.
A fanfare is a piece of music that introduces an important event or person. Kings and Queens often
were introduced by a fanfare before they entered a room. Our President is introduced with a
fanfare before he arrives at an important event.
The music is a “fanfare for Dayton” with many of the notes centered on the pitch “D.” Mr.
Winteregg considers the piece to be forward-looking and optimistic with lots of energy. He
suggests that it portrays the energy of the city (Dayton) with machine-like sections representing the
factories, and other musical ideas that describe active, busy city streets. What an exciting
opportunity to hear the music of a living “Dayton” composer!
There is no commercial recording of this work, so let’s predict what this music might sound like.
Think About This: What instruments of the orchestra would you expect to play a fanfare? How will
the music sound? Will it be loud or soft? Will it be fast or slow?
Vocabulary
What do you know about Dayton?
bicentennial
• Name three Dayton landmarks (important places).
fanfare
• Name three inventions that were discovered in Dayton.
Sounds of Young Talent
Symphonie Espagnole, 1st movement
Édouard Lalo (1823-1892)
About the Composer
Édouard Lalo was born in northern France in 1823. He
was very interested in music and studied at his
hometown’s music school. But his dad didn’t want him to
become a professional musician, so he left home at the
age of 16 and traveled to Paris to continue his studies. He
studied violin and composition. During this time he often
performed as a violin soloist and gave violin lessons while
he continued to compose.
Lalo wrote orchestral music, chamber music, and two
operas. His style of music is very expressive with strong memorable melodies.
About the Music
Symphonie Espagnole, 1st movement
The title of this music is in French and means “Symphony in a Spanish Style.” Lalo’s parents
were of Spanish background, so this may have inspired him to write a piece of music with
Spanish influences in it. This work is Lalo’s most performed composition. Written for a famous
violin soloist of Lalo’s day, the piece was meant to show off the soloist’s skillful playing with lots
of flashy parts and violin tricks.
♪ Listen to the introduction to this piece and the statement of the main theme by the orchestra
and solo violin on CD Track 9.
For the rest of this piece the violin is in the spotlight and the orchestra serves as
accompaniment.
♪ Listen to CD Tracks 10 and 11. How are these two excerpts different? Make an adjective list
for each section and see how your words differ on each list.
♪ Listen to CD Track 12. Here is a part of the music where the violinist gets to show off! How
many times do you hear the main theme that you heard in CD Track 9? How would you
describe the rest of the music that you hear?
About the Soloist
At our concert we will have the opportunity to hear the winner of the Dayton Philharmonic
Orchestra David L. Pierson Young Musicians Concerto Competition perform the Symphonie
Espagnole. The competition is open to students in Grades 10-12. Talented young musicians
annually perform for judges who choose the winner along with Music Director Neal Gittleman.
Katherine Ballester won this competition last spring. She won a cash prize and the opportunity
to perform with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at a Young People’s Concert.
Congratulations, Katherine!
Katherine is 17 years old and has been studying and
practicing the violin for many years. She has been a
member of the Dayton Philharmonic Junior String
Orchestra and is now in the Dayton Philharmonic Youth
Orchestra where she has served as one of the youth
orchestra’s concertmasters for the past two years.
Katherine is home-schooled and takes violin lessons at
the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. When
she isn’t working on her school work or practicing the
violin, Katherine loves to ride horses and to be outdoors
working in the garden. The Ballester family is very
musical. Four of Katherine’s brothers play instruments:
three play string instruments and
her fourth brother plays the
Vocabulary
piano. The Ballesters often
accompaniment
perform together as a quartet or
concerto
quintet for area events.
quartet
quintet
Imagine This: What would it be like as a teenager to be a solo performer on the Schuster
Center Stage with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra? Katherine is sure to be a little
nervous, so remember that the audience can support her and help her play her very best
by listening very quietly and showing appreciation at the end of her performance with
enthusiastic applause!
Sounds of Our History
Lincoln Portrait
Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
About the Composer
Aaron Copland is often referred to as the first truly
American composer whose works have a real American
sound. He grew up in New York City, and his music was
influenced by the jazz and pop sounds he heard. In his
autobiography Copland says,
“I was born on November 14, 1900 on a street in
Brooklyn that can only be described as drab. It had
none of the garish color of the ghetto, none of the
charm of an old English thorough-fare, or even a
pioneer street…. I mention it because it was there that I spent the first twenty years of my life.
Also, because it fills me with mild wonder each time I realize that a musician was born on that
street…. Music was the last thing anyone would have connected with it. In fact, no one ever
connected music with my family or with my street. The idea was entirely original with me.”
Copland was the youngest of five children. He became interested in music when he took piano lessons
from his sister. When he started attending New York Symphony Orchestra concerts, he fell in love with
music. So he decided to study composition rather than go to college. He traveled to France to further
his studies and also study conducting.
When he returned to the USA he was writing very harsh sounding music which audiences did not like
very much. In the mid 1930’s he decided that he needed to change his style in order to communicate
better with audiences. During this time period he produced his most well-known works which have
been labeled as truly American music. Many of these pieces include parts of traditional American folk
tunes. Some of Copland’s most famous compositions are Rodeo, Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid,
Fanfare for the Common Man, and Lincoln Portrait.
In addition to his classical compositions, Copland wrote music for eight movies.
Copland also was the author of a book, What to Listen for in Music and the recipient of many awards:
the Pulitzer Prize, the New York Critics’ Choice Circle Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences Oscar, The Gold Medal of Freedom, and others.
♪ Listen to CD Track 13.
About Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. He was born in 1809 in a one-room log
cabin in Kentucky. This year, 2009, we celebrate the 200th year or bicentennial of his birth! Lincoln’s
family was poor and moved around a lot. His mother died when he was only 10 years old, and his father
moved the family to Indiana and Illinois. Lincoln didn’t have the opportunity to go to school so he
educated himself. By the time he was an adult he could read and write. He left home and worked at a
variety of odd jobs: splitting rails for fences, farming, and working in a store.
Lincoln became interested in the law, educated himself in the subject, and became a successful lawyer.
He was also very interested in politics and ran for several offices. Eventually he served in the Illinois
General Assembly and the United States House of Representatives. These experiences prepared him to
run for President of the United States.
Lincoln was especially well-known for his speeches (he even came to Dayton to give a campaign speech!)
and often spoke out against slavery, a central issue in the Civil War which occurred during his
presidency. This caused him to have many enemies. He was the first US president to be assassinated
when John Wilkes Booth shot him while he was at the theatre in 1865.
Abraham Lincoln was respected for being able to bring together people of different opinions to work for
the good of the country. He is best-known as the president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation
which freed (emancipated) the slaves. Today there are many monuments and statues of Lincoln and his
image appears on our five-dollar bill and on the penny.
About the Music
Lincoln Portrait (1942)
In 1942, while the US was at war,
conductor Andre Kostelanetz asked
Aaron Copland to write a piece of
music about a famous and inspiring
American. He wanted to help uplift
and inspire the American people
during a time of war (World War II).
Copland chose Abraham Lincoln but
he decided that he could not truly
portray Lincoln only with music, so he
chose to bring the words of this great
man into the composition. The text is
taken from several of Lincoln’s
speeches and letters. The final
excerpt is from the Gettysburg
Address. A Lincoln Portrait has been
performed more than any of
Copland’s other compositions.
Lincoln Portrait is divided into three sections:
1. The opening music is quiet and dignified and pictures the
serious yet simple and strong personality of Lincoln.
♪ Listen to CD Track 14. How many adjectives can you list that
describe this music?
2. The middle section describes the times during which Lincoln
lived. The music includes parts of two folk songs of the
time: “Camptown Races” and “Goodbye Old Paint.”
♪ Listen to CD Track 15. How would you describe American
culture of this time based on the music you hear?
3. The final section is narrated, with
Vocabulary
music in the background used as a
assassination
connection between the various
emancipation
narrated parts.
narration
politics
Study This: Study Abraham Lincoln’s words below that you will hear at the concert. The style of
Lincoln’s speech was different from what we are used to hearing today. So, each of the sections
below is followed by a brief explanation (in parenthesis) of Lincoln’s words. Studying this will make
listening to Lincoln Portrait more meaningful for you.
Narration from Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait
Narration 1: “Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We
of this congress and this administration will be remembered
in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or
insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial
through which we pass will light us down in honor or
dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold
the power and bear the responsibility.” [Annual Message to
Congress, December 1, 1862]
(We will have to fight a war, a Civil War. This war will be
remembered forever. We made the decision and will take
the responsibility for its outcome.)
Narration 2: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate
to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with
difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is
new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must
disenthrall ourselves and then we will save our country.”
[Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]
(We cannot use what happened in the past to guide us. To
save our country, we will have to find new solutions to our
problems.)
Narration 3: “It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world.
It is the same spirit that says ‘you toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.’ No matter in what shape
it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live
by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the
same tyrannical principle.” [Lincoln-Douglas debates, October 15, 1858]
(There will always be conflict between right and wrong, and whether it is a king making slaves of his
own people or one race making slaves of another race, it is wrong.)
Narration 4: “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of
democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.”
(No one should be a slave, and no one should be a master. If a government differs from this, it is not a
democracy.)
Narration 5: “That from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the
last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve
that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this
nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and
that government of the people, by the people and for the
people shall not perish from the earth.” [Gettysburg
Address, November 19, 1863]
(We should honor these thousands who died bravely and
we should preserve the freedom they fought for and died
for. We must make this pledge: A government of the
people, by the people and for the people shall not perish
from the earth.)
Actual photograph of Lincoln at Gettysburg
Increase your vocabulary: Listed below are some words taken from Lincoln’s narration that may be
unfamiliar to you. Circle them in the narrations written above. Can you infer what the word might
mean? If not, look up the ones you don’t know in the dictionary, write down their meaning, and then
write a sentence using your new word.
bestride
disenthrall
dogmas
eternal
inadequate
insignificance
principles
significance
toil
tyrannical
Do This: Divide the class into two groups. One group recites Abraham Lincoln’s actual words and the
other half recites the shorter version.
Music and Language Arts
Write an interview with one of the composers from the concert. What would you like to know
about his life? Research the answers.
Following the concert, write a paragraph about the composition
you enjoyed the most. Describe what you heard in the piece and
what you liked about it.
Write a thank-you note to Mr. Gittleman and the musicians of the
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra for preparing the concert for you.
Be sure to tell them what you liked about the concert and why!
Imagine you are an instrument in the orchestra and write a poem
or story about yourself.
Write a review of your concert experience.
Compare and contrast the lives of the composers represented on this concert.
A Reading Scavenger Hunt
Where is the Painted Desert? ____________________________________________________
Where does the composer Steve Winteregg live? ____________________________________
Which composer was the most famous choral music composer of the 1800’s? ______________
Who is Katherine Ballester? ______________________________________________________
In what state was Abraham Lincoln born? ___________________________________________
What composer won an Oscar for his music? _________________________________________
Who wrote the words to the “Star-Spangled Banner?” _________________________________
Why did Aaron Copland write Lincoln Portrait? _______________________________________
Music and Math
Composer
Dudley Buck
John Stafford Smith
Ferde Grofé
Steve Winteregg
Édouard Lalo
Aaron Copland
Birth and Death Dates
1839-1909
1750-1836
1892-1972
19521823-1892
1900-1990
Years Lived
Complete the chart above and answer the following questions:
1. Who had the longest life, Grofé or Copland? ________________________
2. Which composer is still living? __________________________________
How old is he? _______________________
3. How old was Lalo when Buck was born? __________________________
4. How many composers lived in the 20th century? ___________________
More Music and Math
Circle the correct answer to the following questions using the Orchestra Chart above:
1.
The number of first violins in the orchestra as compared to second violins is
greater than
2.
equal to
less than
equal to
The number of French horns to clarinets is
greater than
5.
less than
The number of trombones to trumpets is
greater than
4.
equal to
The number of cellos (celli) to double basses is
greater than
3.
less than
less than
equal to
The family of instruments that has the most instruments in the orchestra is the
woodwind
brass
string
percussion
Music and Geography
Composers and Their Countries
Use the chart below to answer the following questions:
1. The birthplace of each composer is located on what continent?
(Use your school globe if necessary)
Composer
Dudley Buck
John Stafford Smith
Ferde Grofé
Steve Winteregg
Édouard Lalo
Aaron Copland
Birthplace
United States
United States
United States
United States
France
United States
Continent
Using your classroom map and your answers in the chart above, answer the following
questions:
1. How many composers were born in North America?
________
2. How many composers were born in Europe? _____________
3. Which direction would Lalo travel to visit the United States? _______________
Music and History Timeline
Composers’ History
Your Choice
1700
John Stafford Smith born 1750
1800
Édouard Lalo born 1823
Dudley Buck born 1839
Ferde Grofé born 1892
Aaron Copland born 1900
1900
Steve Winteregg born 1952
2000
Music and History
Choose two events that occurred during each composer’s lifetime, and place those events on
the Music and History Timeline.
1751 The minuet becomes a fashionable European dance
1752 Benjamin Franklin flies kite to demonstrate electricity
1764 Mozart composes his first symphony at age 8
1776 Declaration of Independence
1787 George Washington becomes President
1812 First canned food
1814 Francis Scott Key writes words to The Star-Spangled Banner
1826 World’s first photograph
1849 California Gold Rush
1865 Civil War ends slavery
1869 Transcontinental railroad
1876 Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone
1879 Thomas Edison invents light bulbs
1886 France gives America the Statue of Liberty
1894 Italian engineer Marconi builds first radio equipment
1895 First motion picture
1896 Henry Ford builds his first experimental car
1900 Coca Cola introduced
1903 Wright brothers first flight in North Carolina
1908 Ford builds the Model-T car
1925 Scottish inventor John Baird transmits human features by television
1931 Empire State Building opens in New York City
1938 Oil discovered in Saudi Arabia
1943 Penicillin discovered
1951 Color TV introduced in the U.S.
1954 Segregation in U.S. schools declared unconstitutional
1961 First manned space flight
1964 U.S. Civil Rights Act
1968 Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated
1969 First manned landing on the moon
1981 Home computers widely available
1992 World Wide Web created for home use
1995 Leaders of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia sign peace agreement in Dayton, OH
1998 E-mail becomes popular
1999 First balloon flight around the world
2000 International space station launched
2001 Terrorists strike at USA in New York City’s World Trade Center
2008 Barack Obama elected first black president
Music and Citizenship
Concert Audience Responsibilities
Being a member of an audience is an important responsibility. Musicians can concentrate and play
their very best when all audience members observe appropriate concert manners.
Discuss the difference between attending a live symphony orchestra concert, attending a rock
concert, and listening to music or watching a television show at home.
Review the following concert manners:
• Welcome the concertmaster to the stage with applause
• Welcome the conductor and/or soloist to the stage with applause.
• Sit quietly while the music is played.
• Remain in your seat throughout the concert.
• Applaud when the conductor puts down his baton at the end of each composition.
Think about this: How do you feel when you have to perform or make a presentation
in front of a group of people? Does the audience response and behavior have an effect
on how well you perform?
Music and Citizenship
Concert Listening Tips
Going to an orchestra concert takes mental
energy. Here’s what you can do to be sure you
get the most from your concert experience.
NOTICE! When you are seated you will be part of an audience of about 2,100 people. Some of
the musicians will already be on the stage warming up. When it is time for the concert to
begin, the concertmaster, who sits in the first violin chair, will stand and all the musicians will
tune their instruments to a note played by the oboe. When they are ready, the conductor will
enter the stage and it is appropriate for you to welcome him with applause.
CONCENTRATE! Listening to music is like going on a trip in that all parts of the trip, the exciting
parts and the less exciting parts, make up the whole thing. But music is more of a challenge
because you must concentrate to see and hear what is happening. Here’s what you can do to
stay focused and enjoy the concert.
Don’t let people around you distract you. Let the music get inside you. Remember that the
music is being played just for you!
Take time to look at each instrument as it is being played. As you watch, can you hear THAT
instrument?
Musicians have conversations with their
instruments. Which instruments seem to be
talking back and forth to each other?
Observe how many different ways sound is
produced in an orchestra.
What does the conductor do? How does he show
the loud and soft, fast and slow parts of the music?
What else do you notice that he does?
It’s a workout, but if you really concentrate and
are alert to everything happening on the stage,
the music will speak to you and you will have a great time!
Learn to Listen – Listen to Learn
After the Concert
If you were really listening and observing carefully
at the concert, you should be able to answer the
following questions after the concert.
Answer all of the following questions and you will
become an ace Concert Scene Investigator!
•
Who was on the stage?
________________________________________________________________________
•
How many different types of instruments did you see on the stage? ________________
Can you name them?
1. ________________________ 2. _________________________
3._________________________ 4. _________________________
•
Name some different ways sound is produced in an orchestra?
________________________________________________________________________
•
Did everyone play all of the time? ____________
•
Which instruments seemed to be the most active? ______________________________
•
Which seemed the least active? _____________________________________________
•
Would you say that any one of the instruments was more important than the others at
any given moment?
Yes _____
No _____
•
Which instruments seemed to have the “main theme” or the “melody?”
_______________________________________________________________________
•
What did the musicians do when they didn’t have the main melody? Check one:
_____ Did they stand up and leave the stage?
_____ Did they just sit and stare at each other?
_____ Did they sometimes play “background music” for the melody?
•
Which instruments played alone or solo? _____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
•
Which instrument or group of instruments played the loudest? ____________________
________________________________________________________________________
•
Which instrument or group of instruments played the quietest? ____________________
________________________________________________________________________
•
Which instruments seemed to be able to play the fast notes? ______________________
________________________________________________________________________
•
What words can you use to describe the music you heard? _______________________
________________________________________________________________________
•
How did listening to the music change how you feel? ____________________________
________________________________________________________________________
•
If the music did change your mood, how did it do that? __________________________
________________________________________________________________________
•
Did the music seem to tell a story? ___________________________________________
•
What role did the conductor play at the concert? _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Map Skills
Points of Interest
2. Courthouse Square
4. Dayton Art Institute
5. Dayton Convention Center
7. The Dayton Metro Library
8. The Dayton Visual Arts
Center
10. Fifth Third Field
12. K-12 Gallery for Young
People
13. The Loft Theatre
14. Memorial Hall
15. National City 2nd Street
Public Market
16. The Neon Movies
17. Old Court House
18. Oregon District
19. RiverScape MetroPark
20. Schuster Performing Arts
Center
21. Sinclair Community
College
22. The Victoria Theatre
Use the Points of Interest key to the right to answer the following questions.
What number represents the Schuster Performing Arts Center on the map? _____ Draw a circle
around it.
Is your school to the north, south, east or west of downtown Dayton? _________
What downtown street could your bus driver or chaperone take to arrive at the Schuster Center?
______________________
What number represents the Dayton Metro Library on the map? _____ Draw a circle around it on the
map. Describe a route you could take to travel from the concert at the Schuster Center to the library?
Glossary
accompaniment – the background music for the main theme or melody
arranging (in music) – writing music for instruments for which it was not originally written.
For example writing a piece of jazz music for an orchestra to play.
assassination – to kill by surprise attack
bicentennial – a celebration of 200 years
choral – written for a choir to sing
chorus – a large group of singers
concerto – a long piece of music for a solo instrument
and orchestra
conductor – a person who leads an orchestra
composer – a person who writes music
emancipation – the act of setting someone free
fanfare – a musical introduction for a famous person or special occasion
movement – a section of music that is part of a longer composition.
narration – the telling of a story or important words
orchestra – a large group of instruments divided into four families: strings, brass, woodwinds,
and percussion
overture – a musical introduction
phrase – a musical sentence
politics – art or science concerned with government, also with winning control over
government, influencing governmental policy
quartet – a group of four
quintet – a group of five
suite – a piece of music which is divided into several smaller sections
theme – the main melodic idea in a piece of music
variation – a change to an idea or item or melody
Music Web Resources
allmusic www.allmusic.com AMG (originally known as All Music Guide) website created ‘as a place for
music fans to indulge their passion.’ A comprehensive music source and blog.
Classical Archives www.classicalarchives.com Large classical music site with full-length music files,
composers, live recordings, MIDI files and more. Free use for 5 files/day.
Classical Net http://www.classical.net/music/welcome.html
Find 4200 classical music files right with links to 2500 more
Classics for Kids www.classicsforkids.com Based on the WGUC radio program Classics for Kids, this site
features information about composers and pieces featured on the show.
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra http://www.dsokids.com Music is fun to learn! Dallas Symphony
Orchestra Music Education Site.
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra www.daytonphilharmonic.com On our site find out about education
programs, composers and music being played this season, artists and their instruments. Email us if you
want to change your reservations. To download the Teacher’s Notes, from our homepage select
Education then Field Trip Programs then Secondary Grades. The Notes are at the bottom of that page.
From the Top www.fromthetop.org Explore the world of classical music by meeting other young
musicians. Discover musical facts, stories, or guides to all things music-related.
Fun Music Ideas http://www.funmusicideas.com Fun music ideas is a free monthly e-mail newsletter
full of ideas for helping students learn music.
Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org This site has resources for all
subjects including arts and humanities, plus links to many music sites.
Karadar Classical Music Dictionary www.karadar.com Information on composers,
works by genre, MIDI and MP3 files.
League of American Orchestras: Play Music www.playmusic.org An
interactive site featuring music games and interviews with young artists
and contemporary composers.
Music Notes: An Interactive Online Musical Experience
http://hyperion.advanced.org/15413/
Clear, concise explanations of many aspects of music, plus a section of interactive games.
The New York Philharmonic Kidzone! www.nyphilkids.org Interactive web site for kids, parents, and
teachers.
Available CD Recordings
Buck: Festival Overture on “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra,
Leonard Slatkin, conductor; BMG Classics 09026-60983, Tr 3.
Copland: Lincoln Portrait. Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin, conductor; BMG
Classics 09026-60983, Tr 10.
Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite. Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Erich Kunzel, conductor; Telarc 80086,
Painted Desert, Tr 7.
Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21. French National Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa, conductor;
Angel/EMI 47318.