Brassy Brass

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra Presents:
Brassy Brass
October 8,9,14, 2014
Dear Teacher,
Welcome to the first DSO Youth Concert of the 2014-15 season! The students who attend this
concert will see and hear brass instruments like they’ve never heard them before. These fascinating
instruments have a long and storied history, and are among the most popular instruments in the world.
It is believed that the ancestor of the brass instruments was first played by someone trying to blow a sea
animal out of a shell. But simply blowing didn’t work, so they tried buzzing their lips into the shell
instead. The result was a resonant and powerful sound that changed the world of music forever. Since
that day, instrument makers have explored countless ways of improving and refining this sound. Today
we enjoy the fruits of their labors in the brilliant family of instruments known as the brass. In the modern
symphony orchestra, this family is usually comprised of four instruments: the trumpet, the trombone, the
French horn, and the tuba.
All of these instruments are unique in that players can get a good range of notes simply by varying the
tension of their lips (otherwise known as the embouchure). Adding valves and pistons to the instrument
increases this range, and allows for greater pitch accuracy, so that today’s top brass players can play
with an unprecedented facility and speed.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! A thorough examination of brass instruments yields such great
rewards in the fields of music, science, math and even social studies, that it could easily be used as the
basis for an entire semester’s worth of study. Included in this teacher’s guide are a number of wonderful
lesson plans designed to prepare your students for their upcoming trip to the Meyerson. Use them and
enjoy them. Also included is a CD of all the selections you and your students will hear at the concert,
because the more familiar your students are with the music on the concert, the more they will enjoy it; so
play it often. And if you want to explore some more, you can always visit www.DSOkids.com.
See you at the Meyerson!
Jamie Allen
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Education Director
We look forward to seeing you at the Meyerson!
VISIT THE DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE
www.DSOkids.com
Activities for the Brassy Brass teacher’s guide were prepared by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Curriculum
Development Team: Jane Aten, Linda Arbolino, Linda Booth, Tony Driggers, Gloria Lett, Jenny Fridge, and Jamie
Allen. This volume of the teacher’s guide was produced and edited by Dallas Symphony Orchestra Education Staff
Members Jenny Fridge and Jamie Allen. Materials in this teacher’s guide can be photocopied for classroom use. If
you have any questions about the concerts or material in this guide, please call Jenny Fridge at 214.871.4006.
Brassy Brass
Page 1
Table of Contents
Concert Specific Information
Concert Activities
Repertoire & CD Track List
Concert Guidelines for Teachers
Who’s Who
Meet the Composers
Introduction to Directed Listening
p. 3
p. 4
p. 5
p. 7
p. 9
1. Audience Etiquette
2. Introduction to Brass Instruments
Orchestra Seating Chart
3. Compare and Contrast
4. Fanfare Poetry
5. Antiphonal Music and Poetry
6. All the Buzz
7. Meet the Composers Scavenger Hunt
p. 10
p. 12
p. 15
p. 16
p. 17
p. 18
p. 20
p. 22
1. Correspondence
2. Student Review
p. 26
p. 27
Post-Concert Activities
Extensions for the Music Specialist
1. Gabrieli: Canzon Septimi Toni, No. 2
2. Vivaldi: Concerto in C Major for
Two Trumpets
3. Dukas: Fanfare to precede La Péri
4. Schumann: Konzertstück in F for
Four Horns and Orchestra
5. Dubensky: “Toccata” from Concerto
Grosso for Three Trombones and Tuba
Resources for Teachers
p. 28
p. 29
p. 30
p. 31
p. 32
p. 33
Concert Logistics
1. Arriving and Departing
2. Meyerson Area Map
3. About the Meyerson Symphony Center
Symphony YES! Request Form
Amazing Music DVDs Order Form
Thanks!
Page 2
p. 34
p. 35
p. 36
p. 37
p. 38
Back Cover
Brassy Brass
Repertoire & Youth Concert CD Track List
1. Aaron Copland
Fanfare for the Common Man
2. Giovanni Gabrieli
Canzon Septimi Toni, No. 2
3. Paul Dukas
Fanfare to precede La Péri
4. Antonio Vivaldi
First Movement from Concerto in
C Major for Two Trumpets
and Orchestra, R. 537
5. Robert Schumann
Third Movement from Konzertstück
in F for Four Horns and Orchestra,
Opus 86
6. Arcady Dubensky
“Toccata” from Concerto Grosso for
Three Trombones and Tuba
7. Chris Hazell
“Borage” from Three Brass Cats
8. Paul Hindemith
Fourth Movement from Symphonic
Metamophosis of Themes by
Carl Maria von Weber
Musical recordings under license from Naxos of America, Inc. www.Naxos.com
(P) 2007 HNH International Ltd. All rights reserved. Unlawful duplication, broadcast or performance of this disc is
prohibited by applicable law.
Brassy Brass
Page 3
Concert Guidelines for Teachers
Before the Concert
 Please contact Jenny Fridge at least one week prior to your Youth Concert experience if
you need to confirm or make changes to a reservation.
 Please prepare your students by using materials in this book or on the www.DSOkids.com
website.
 Students should be briefed on concert etiquette in advance.
 Please contact Jenny Fridge at 214.871.4006 at least one week before the
concert if your group includes any students or teachers with special needs, including
wheelchairs, or if you are in need of infra-red headsets for the hearing impaired.
The Day of the Concert
 Before leaving school, please allow time for students to visit the restroom.
 Learn your bus driver’s name and be sure you can recognize him/her.
 Plan to arrive at the Meyerson at least thirty minutes before concert time.
Upon Arrival at the Meyerson
 If you arrive by bus, please DO NOT UNLOAD BUSES UNTIL YOU ARE GREETED BY A
DSO STAFF MEMBER. Also, please be sure you and your driver have been given
matching numbers by a DSO staff member.
 Check in with a volunteer in the main lobby; a volunteer will guide your group to your
seating area. (Seating sections are assigned on the basis of group size).
 All students should be in their seats at least five minutes before the concert time.
 No food or drink, including chewing gum, is permitted in the concert hall.
During the Concert
 The use of cameras and recorders is prohibited.
 Please turn off cellular phones and any other electronic devices.
 Students and teachers should remain in their seats for the entire concert.
 Restrooms are located on all levels and should be used for urgent needs only.
 If students must visit the restroom, please have an adult accompany them.
 Students not maintaining acceptable standards of behavior will be asked to leave, and
may jeopardize their school’s future attendance at DSO events.
After the Concert
 Please remain in your seats until your school is dismissed.
 Upon dismissal, listen carefully and follow instructions for departing the building.
Back at School
 Refer to this guide or www.DSOkids.com for follow-up activities.
 Student letters/artwork expressing reactions to the concert are appropriate.
Mailing Address:
Attn: Youth Concerts
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
2301 Flora St., Schlegel Administrative Suites
Dallas, TX 75201
Fax Number: 214.953.1218
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Page 4
Brassy Brass
Who’s Who
Karina Canellakis
Newly appointed Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Symphony and winner of
the 2013 Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship, Karina Canellakis is rapidly
gaining recognition as one of the most promising and exciting young American
conductors. In May of 2014, she made her Carnegie Hall conducting debut,
leading works by Adams, Mackey and Carter on the American Soundscapes
series in Zankel Hall. An enthusiast for 21st century composers, she also frequently appears as guest conductor of New York’s groundbreaking International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).
Ms. Canellakis conducted the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Switzerland as a
selected conductor in the 2013 Lucerne Festival Masterclass with Bernard Haitink, the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra in concert in Sapporo, Japan, as well
as the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zürich as part of an international masterclass with
David Zinman. She has also led performances with the Juilliard Orchestra at
Lincoln Center. During the 2013-2014 season, she debuted with the Hamilton
and Toledo symphonies, and returned to conduct the Juilliard Orchestra in the
spring of 2014.
Karina Canellakis holds a Bachelor’s degree in violin from the Curtis Institute of
Music and a Master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard
School, where she studied with Alan Gilbert and James Ross. While at Juilliard, she won the 2013 Charles Schiff Conducting Award for outstanding
achievement in orchestral conducting, as well as the American Conductors
Award, Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship and Isidore Komanoff Award. Other prominent mentors include Fabio Luisi and Sir Simon Rattle.
As a violinist, Ms. Canellakis has appeared as soloist with orchestras across
the United States. For several years she played on a regular basis with both
the Berlin Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. She has also been on
several occasions guest concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
in Norway. As a chamber musician, she spent many summers at the Marlboro
Music Festival.
Karina Canellakis was born and raised in New York City, where she currently
resides.
David Cooper
David Cooper is a third generation French horn player having both his uncle
and grandmother as professional horn players in the Lansing Symphony. He
began playing with Michigan State University ensembles when only 15 and
was in the top MSU ensemble at age 16.
While studying at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, David was awarded
a Tanglewood Fellowship, and since 2011 spent three consecutive summers at
Marlboro Music festival in Vermont. In 2013, David won Principal horn of the
National Symphony in Washington D.C. but was soon after appointed Principal
horn of the Dallas Symphony in May of 2013. He has been with the Dallas
Symphony since 2011, initially as 3rd horn.
David started his career as acting principal horn with the Victoria Symphony in
British Columbia and associate principal horn of the Fort Worth Symphony. He
has been guest principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong
Philharmonic, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. David is an active chamber
musician and is currently Music Director of the Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas,
TX.
Brassy Brass
Page 5
Who’s Who
Ryan Anthony
Ryan Anthony started his relationship with the Dallas Symphony in 2004 as
guest principal trumpet and later served as interim principal trumpet in 2006.
Starting in 2008-2009, Anthony began his tenure as principal trumpet of the
DSO. Other orchestras with which Anthony has performed include the New
York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony. He has received
national acclaim for his varied career, most notably his contribution as a member of Canadian Brass (2000-2004), assistant professor of trumpet at Oberlin
College Conservatory of Music (1998-2000) and studio musician (1995-1998).
As a recipient of numerous national and solo awards, Anthony continues an
active schedule as both classical and pops soloist with orchestras around the
country and in recitals with organist Gary Beard. Anthony grew up in San Diego, California, and received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in music
from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was awarded the Distinguished
Alumni Award in 2001.
John Kitzman
John Kitzman, principal trombonist of the Dallas Symphony, joined the orchestra in 1972. He received his bachelor's degree in music from the University of
Michigan. He has recorded extensively with the Dallas Symphony for RCA,
Telarc, Angel, Pro Arte, Dorian and Delos, with more than 50 recordings on
those labels and a solo CD on Crystal Records. He has performed with the
Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony and the
World Philharmonic and has toured with the Summit Brass Ensemble. He has
soloed with the Dallas Symphony, Amarillo Symphony, West Point Band and
throughout the United States. He has been a guest faculty member at Baylor
University and the University of North Texas, and he is currently an adjunct
professor of trombone at Southern Methodist University. Many of his students
have won jobs in orchestras in the US and abroad. Kitzman has studied with
Henry Smith of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Ed Herman of the New York Philharmonic and Per Brevig of the Metropolitan Opera. While at Tanglewood, he
won the Spaulding Prize for the Outstanding Instrumentalist of the Season.
Matt Good
Matt Good joined the Dallas Symphony in 1995. He began his college career
at The Juilliard School, but was invited to move to Philadelphia to study at the
Curtis Institute after his freshman year. While in school, he performed with the
Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Good was a Tanglewood Fellow in 1984. Upon graduation, Good earned the tuba position at the
Jacksonville Symphony in Florida where he played for eight years. Since 1996,
he has been an adjunct instructor of tuba at Southern Methodist University. In
1997, Good performed with the Aspen Festival Orchestra. Good resides in the
Lakewood area of Dallas with his two dogs, Milt and Stan.
Page 6
Brassy Brass
Meet the Composers
Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
Aaron Copland was an American Composer who began writing music when he was only eleven years old. Born into a family of merchants, young Copland received his first music lessons
on piano from his sister, Laurine. During 1917, Copland moved to Paris to study with Nadia
Boulanger, an influential French composer, to perfect his composing skills. Upon his return to
America, Copland began composing many different types of music such as operas, symphonies and ballets.
Giovanni Gabrieli (1555-1612)
Gabrieli was born in Venice, Italy and was raised and influenced by his uncle, organist and
composer, Andrea. Gabrieli went on to become organist and principal composer at St. Mark’s
in Venice, for which he wrote many works utilizing more than one choir. He was the first composer to use dynamic markings in his scores!
Paul Dukas (1865-1935)
Paris born Paul Dukas had a surprisingly late musical start. Dukas, unlike many of his musical
colleagues, did not show any promising music abilities until he was thirteen years old. At the
age of sixteen, he entered the Conservatoire de Paris to study piano and became interested in
orchestration and composition. As a composer Dukas was often his worst critic. He destroyed
over ten of his own compositions!
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Born in Venice, Italy Antonio Vivaldi was a famous Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist and
even an ordained Venetian Priest! During his lifetime, Vivaldi became head of the music school
at an orphanage which housed over 6,000 orphaned girls. Vivaldi wrote over 400 concerti, sacred music and cantatas for his students at the orphanage. One of his most well known works
is The Four Seasons, a set of four violin concerti. Vivaldi’s nickname was the Red Priest due to
both his red hair and fiery temperament!
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
German born Robert Schumann was an incredibly gifted and talented composer. After attending law school, he dropped out and became a live-in student of acclaimed piano German piano
teacher Friedrich Wieck. He fell in love with Wieck’s daughter, Clara, who was a famous pianist
in her own right. Her father refused them permission to marry so they went to court to get legal
permission. In 1844, Schumann suffered a nervous breakdown and asked to be sent to an
asylum where he later died.
Brassy Brass
Page 7
Meet the Composers
Arcady Dubensky (1890-1941)
Born in Viatka, Russia in 1890, Arcady Dubensky studied violin and composition at the Moscow Conservatory. After spending a year playing piano in hotels in Constantinople, he immigrated to the United States in 1921. He was a member of the New York Philharmonic until
1935 when he retired and focused on composing.
Christopher Hazell (1948-present)
Composer Christopher Hazell was born in Smethwick, England and still resides there today!
Hazell lives in a little village 40 miles north of London, England. The town is much smaller than
Dallas and has only 2 small stores, 2 pubs and a 12th century church that was built over 300
years before Columbus arrived in America.
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Paul Hindemith, born in Hanau, Germany, ran away from home at the age of eleven to become
a musician. While attending classes at a conservatory in Frankfurt, he made his living playing
the violin. His music was banned by the Nazis in 1933 and in 1939 he fled to Switzerland. He
later fled to the United States where he served as the head of the music department at Yale
University for several years.
Page 8
Brassy Brass
Introduction to Directed Listening
In any live music performance, every person in the audience hears the same sounds. But, in
another sense, the way each individual listens determines what he/she hears. Some in the
audience enjoy letting the music “wash over them”—often creating a sense of escape and/or
relaxation. Others may move—outwardly or internally—to the beat. Those who are familiar
with the composition may anticipate hearing a favorite theme or episode in the music.
For many students, the DSO Youth Concert may be their first or only opportunity to hear a
symphony orchestra. The experience will be more meaningful if they know how to focus their
listening on the music itself.
Musical composition is the art of interweaving the elements of music to create a desired effect.
It is the way composers use each element in relation to the others that makes each composition, and each composer’s style, identifiable.
An outline of the elements of music would include:





PITCH—the highness or lowness of musical tones
Melody (or the tune) is created by sequencing pitches, one after another.
Counterpoint occurs when one or more melodies are played at the same time.
Harmony is created when two or more pitches are played simultaneously.
DURATION—the relative length of musical tones
Duration is relative to the underlying pulse (beat) of the music.
Tempo is the speed of the underlying pulse.
Tones of different duration organized over a steady pulse create Rhythm.
TIMBRE—tone quality, or tone color
The same pitch played by two different instruments (i.e., violin and flute)
have a different tone quality. Timbre is the characteristic tone quality
each instrument produces.
DYNAMICS—the relative loudness and softness of musical tone
Dynamics contribute to building and releasing tension, shaping phrases, and
bringing out voices within the musical texture, etc.
STRUCTURE—the organization of musical ideas in a composition
Musical ideas are shaped through the use of repetition, contrast, and variation.
As students listen to music in the classroom, direct their attention to one of the elements and
how it interacts with the others. When they attend the concert, encourage students to focus
on how the elements of music are used in each piece they hear.
Brassy Brass
Page 9
Brassy Brass Activity 1
Audience Etiquette
Teaching Objective
Students will demonstrate an understanding of appropriate audience behavior in a variety of
settings.
Pre-Assessment
Ask students if any have attended an event where they were members of an audience and
not the performers?
Teaching Sequence
1. Ask students to name places where they were members of an audience. Answers could
include a movie, a theater, a sports arena, at home watching TV, a concert hall, etc. List
all answers so that students can see them.
2. Describe the appropriate audience behavior for each of the settings listed above. For
example, how would an audience at a golf tournament be different from the audience at a
basketball game? How would an audience at a rock concert be different from the audience at a classical concert or recital?
3. Ask for a student or group of students to act as performers in each of the scenarios listed.
For example, an individual or small group may pretend to be playing a sport like golf or
tennis; or they could pretend to be playing instruments in an orchestra or rock band. The
rest of the class will act as the audience.
4. After each performance, review with the class the appropriate audience behavior for that
event. Ask the performers if they felt that the audience’s behavior was appropriate for their
performance and why. Point out that some audience behaviors are fine in one setting but
that these same behaviors may be considered inappropriate in another.
Culminating Activity
Pre-concert
1. Tell students that they will soon be going to a concert where they will see and hear an orchestra. Show pictures of the Meyerson Symphony Center (or take the online virtual tour
at www.DSOkids.com).
2. Discuss with the students what appropriate audience behavior might look like. Use the
results of the discussion to create a rubric on Audience Etiquette. This rubric will be used
to evaluate the students after their attendance at the concert. See example on p. 11.
Post-concert
1. After the concert, use the Audience Etiquette Rubric developed by the students, to evaluate the class’s audience manners. Be sure to give a separate teacher evaluation of the
class as well. The final score may be used as an assessment for the day, or as a score for
that particular class in a contest with other classes attending the symphony from the same
school. Which class displayed the most “Awesome!” audience manners?
Evaluation
Pre-concert– Did student responses indicate an understanding of the appropriate audience
behavior in a variety of settings?
Post-concert– Did the students display appropriate audience manners for attending the symphony concert?
TEKS Connections
Music: 117.12 a(1), b (6); 117.15 a(1), b(6) ; 117.18 a (1), b(6); 117.33 b(1), c(6)
Language Arts: 110.14 b(29-31); 110.15 b(27-29); 110.16 b(27-29); 110.18 b(26-28)
Page 10
Brassy Brass
Brassy Brass Activity 1
Audience Etiquette
SAMPLE RUBRIC
for
AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
Behavior Displayed
Behavior Displayed
Walking quietly in line to go to
seat
Softly talking to a neighbor
before and after the
performance
No talking during
performance
Keep body quiet with little
movement during
performance
Clapping to acknowledge
Concertmaster and
Conductor when they enter
stage
Clapping at end of each piece
of music to show appreciation
Actively listening during each
performance
Brassy Brass
What is your score?
Needs
Improvement
Awesome!
1..….2......3......4…...5......6......7......8......9......10
1..….2......3......4…...5......6......7......8......9......10
1..….2......3......4…...5......6......7......8......9......10
1..….2......3......4…...5......6......7......8......9......10
1..….2......3......4…...5......6......7......8......9......10
1..….2......3......4…...5......6......7......8......9......10
1..….2......3......4…...5......6......7......8......9......10
Page 11
Brassy Brass Activity 2
Introduction to Brass Instruments
Teaching Objective
Students will be able to identify the instruments in the brass family by common characteristics,
sound production, and timbre.
Vocabulary
Timbre – the character or quality of a musical sound or voice, as distinct from its pitch and intensity.
Valves – the “keys” on a trumpet, French horn, and/or tuba
Fanfare – a short musical piece written for brass historically used to signal the beginning of a
ceremony or the entrance of royalty
Resources/Materials:
 Accompanying Youth Concert CD – Fanfare for the Common Man - Track 1
 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLMVB0B1_Ts – performance by the New
York Philharmonic. Great close up shots of the instruments.
 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgpnlLz7WR0 – Emerson, Lake & Palmer in
a live practice performance in Montreal at the Olympic Stadium.
 Aural and visual examples of each brass instrument (trumpet, trombone, French horn, and
tuba) found online at DSOkids.com.
 Poster or photo of brass family instruments. (Ask music specialist for the Bowmar poster of
the brass family.)
 Orchestra Seating Chart found on page 15 of this guide – 1 per student
 Red pencils
Note to Teacher: The DSOkids.com website contains a photo of each instrument, informational reading, plus a sound clip of each instrument playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as
well as an orchestra excerpt featuring that particular instrument.
Pre-Assessment
Ask students if they can name any brass instruments. Ask if any student has a brother or sister
who plays a brass instrument. If so, which one?
Teaching Sequence
1. Show a poster of the brass family instruments. Ask the students to identify the characteristics which are common to all brass instruments. (All are made of brass. All have a cupshaped mouthpiece. All end in a bell-shaped flare.) Tell the students to notice that the
trumpet, tuba, and French horn all have keys, called valves, which are pressed in various
combinations to produce different pitches. The trombone does not have any valves, but
instead has a slide, which is used to produce different pitches.
2. Listen to the sound of each of the instruments as found online at DSOkids.com. Hear the
individual sound of each instrument as it plays alone and with the orchestra. Then read the
information given for each instrument. Notice the length of each instrument uncoiled.
What connection can be made between the sound of the instrument and its length? (The
longer/bigger the instrument, the lower the sound.)
3. Tell the students they will be seeing and hearing Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man
performed by the New York Philharmonic. Ask the students to listen carefully to see and
hear the brass instruments Copland choose for his fanfare. Ask the students to name the
brass instruments heard in the order of their performance. Watch http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=FLMVB0B1_Ts.
Page 12
Brassy Brass
Brassy Brass Activity 2
Introduction to Brass Instruments
Culminating Activity
Pass out the orchestra seating chart. Ask the students to locate and identify the brass instruments by coloring them red. As the class is shading in their orchestra seating charts, play the
Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland a second time. Tell the class that this is one
of the selections they will hear at the concert. Share the following information about the
piece. You may wish to share any of the interesting facts about Fanfare for the Common Man
from the bottom of this page.
Fanfare for the Common Man was written by Aaron Copland in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The fanfare, composed for brass and percussion, was
written in response to the entry of the United States into World War II and was inspired
by a speech made by Vice-President Henry Wallace earlier that same year where he
declared that the century was the “Century of the Common Man." Parts of the music
have been used in many TV productions and in the musical scores of many movies.
Extension Activity
To hear how Copland’s Fanfare music has even inspired more contemporary bands, view the
opening of YouTube example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgpnlLz7WR0 performed by
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, an English progressive rock group. The performance took place in
the Olympic stadium in Montreal. Have the students answer the following questions: How did
this version of Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man compare to the original? How were
these versions alike? How were they different? How does the instrumentation affect the original melody?
Evaluation
Were the students able to identify the instruments in the brass family by common characteristics, sound production, timbre, and location within the symphony orchestra?
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 b(1A,B); 117.15 b(1A,B); 117.18 b(1A,B); 117.33 c(1A,B)
Interesting Facts about Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man
from Wikipedia

Several feature films employ the piece for dramatic effect. John Williams' main themes for
the 1978 Superman film are partially based on the fanfare and his original score for Saving Private Ryan draws heavily on its soundworld (though Copland's piece is not actually
heard in either movie). The fanfare functioned as Jimmy King's theme in Ready to Rumble. The Bollywood film Parinda prominently features the piece as background score, including in a haunting opening depicting shots of Bombay.

On January 18, 2009, it was played at the beginning of We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.

On September 21, 2012, Fanfare for the Common Man was played at Los Angeles International Airport as the Space Shuttle Endeavour touched down after its final flight.

On January 12, 2011, the piece opened "Together We Thrive: Tucson and America", the
memorial service for the victims of the 2011 Tucson shooting following the attempted assassination of Gabrielle Giffords and the murder of six others.
Brassy Brass
Page 13
TRUMPET – When uncoiled, the trumpet is 6-1/2 feet long.
TROMBONE – When uncoiled, the trombone is 9 feet long.
FRENCH HORN – When uncoiled, the French horn is 12 feet long.
TUBA – When uncoiled, the tuba is 16 feet long.
Page 14
Brassy Brass
Brassy Brass
Page 15
Brassy Brass Activity 3
Compare and Contrast
Teaching Objective
Students will compare and contrast two musical selections from the DSO Youth Concert.
Vocabulary
Fanfare - a short musical piece written for brass historically used to signal the beginning of a
ceremony or the entrance of royalty
Resources/Materials
 Notebook or journal for each student
 The accompanying Youth Concert CD
Pre-Assessment
Ask students to suggest items that are identifiable based on the age of the items. For example, old cars and new cars vary in many ways – style, technology, safety, speed, power, and
size are all ways that cars from the past are different from modern cars. Tell students that music also varies from generation to generation, i.e. popular music from the 50s sounds very different from the current popular music.
Teaching Sequence
1. Tell students that today they are going to listen to two contrasting pieces of music – one
written in the 1940s and the other written over 400 years ago. Ask students to suggest
ways that the two pieces might vary. Then tell them that in spite of their ‘age’ difference,
both were written for brass instruments and both pieces are fanfares (see vocabulary).
The two pieces are Canzon Septimi Toni, No. 2 by Gabrieli (written in 1597) and Fanfare
for the Common Man by Copland (written in 1942).
2. As the students listen ask them to make notes of their impressions of each piece by recording the following:
Tempo (speed) – how fast? Is the speed steady/consistent or does it vary?
Dynamics (volume) – how loud? Is the volume steady/consistent or does it vary?
Mood/emotions – What emotions do you feel when you listen?
If this were for a specific occasion, what might it be?
3. On subsequent days repeat the process by playing the music again for the students
and asking them to record any additional things they hear.
4. After 3 or 4 times (or when you feel that they know the music pretty well) ask the students to compare the differences between the pieces of music, noting the contrast in style,
tempo, dynamics, tone color, overall feel, or anything else they hear. They can do this individually, but a class discussion is good way to combine all of the information.
Culminating Activity
Have the students pretend to be a composer writing a letter to another composer. Using letter
form to compare and contrast the two pieces, ask them to include their comparisons of tempo,
dynamics, tone color, and which they feel is their favorite and what they liked about it.
Evaluation
Did students compare and contrast two musical selections from the DSO Youth Concert?
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 a, b(1,5A,5C); 117.15 a, b(1,5A,5D,6A, 6B); 117.18 a, b(5A,5E,6A,6B);
117.33 b, c(1,5A,5D,6A,6B)
English Language Arts 110.14 b(17,18,20); 110.15 b(15,17,18); 110.16 b(15,17,18);
110.18 b(14,16,17)
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Brassy Brass
Brassy Brass Activity 4
Fanfare Poetry
Teaching Objective
The students will learn about fanfares and their history. They will listen to a fanfare and make
a word bank to use in writing a poem to explain the purpose of the fanfare.
Pre-Assessment
Ask students to give a definition of a fanfare. When are fanfares typically used? (wedding, coronation, Olympics)
Teaching Sequence
1. Tell students that throughout history, composers have used fanfares to signal that something important is happening. Some of the first fanfares date back over 2000 years ago
and were played on the shofar, an instrument made out of the horn of a ram. In 1241, a
bugle played a fanfare to announce every hour in the Market Square of Krakow, Poland.
Fanfares were used along with drums on the battlefield to signal troops. When you go to
hear the DSO, you will hear the Fanfare to precede La Péri, which is from a ballet.
2. Play the Fanfare to precede La Péri, (track 3 on the accompanying Youth Concert CD). Ask
students to imagine what this music might be announcing. Please remind them that there
are no right or wrong answers.
3. Challenge the students to make two lists – one that describes the music (loud, soft, fast,
slow, instruments used, etc.) and one that describes what the students think is happening.
Play the music again.
4. In small groups, have students write a short poem that uses some of the words they listed
while listening to the piece.
Culminating Activity
Have each group share their poem with the rest of the class.
Extension Activity
Play other fanfares for the students. Examples that may easily be found on YouTube are:
 Mendelssohn’s Wedding March – play the first 9 seconds
 Olympic Fanfare by John Williams – play the first 25 seconds
 Procession of Nobles by Rimsky-Korsakov – play the first 30 seconds
Ask students to compare these fanfares with the one they will hear the DSO play. Are the instruments the same? Is the mood similar or different? Do they like one more than another?
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 a, b(1,5A,5C); 117.15 a, b(1,5A,5D, 6A, 6B); 117.18 a, b(5A,5E,6A,6B);
117.33 b, c(15A,5D,6A,6B)
English Language Arts 110.14 b(17,18B,19); 110.15 b(15,16B,17); 110.16 b(15,16B,17);
110.18 b(14,15B,16)
Brassy Brass
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Brassy Brass Activity 5
Antiphonal Music and Poetry
Teaching Objective
Students will develop an understanding that antiphonal is any composition meant to be performed with two equal groups in alternating performance.
Resources/Materials:
 Accompanying Youth Concert CD – Canzon Septimi Toni, No. 2 by Gabrieli, Track 2
 CD player
 YouTube example of two brass choirs performing Canzon Septimi Toni, No. 2 by Gabrieli
http://www.pickstaiger.org/video/canzoni-septimi-toni-no-2-giovanni-gabrieli
 Pencil and paper for each student/group of students
 Any YouTube example of performances of Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices and/or I am
Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman.
Vocabulary
Antiphonal – any composition meant to be performed with two equal groups in alternating performance.
Pre-Assessment
Ask students to think of things they know that interact in a back and forth fashion. Accept any
reasonable answer. Examples could include two people playing tennis, two teams playing
soccer, and two people having a conversation. List the examples on the board. Tell the students that something which occurs or responds in turns like this can be considered antiphonal.
Teaching Sequence
1. Play YouTube example of Canzon Septimi Toni, No. 2 by Gabrieli. (http://
www.pickstaiger.org/video/canzoni-septimi-toni-no-2-giovanni-gabrieli) Tell the students
that this performance for double brass choirs is performed by members of the Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. They will also hear this piece at the Youth Concert performed by members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Ask the students if they
can describe what makes the music antiphonal.
2. Play the music again this time using the accompanying Youth Concert CD so that there is
no visual. Challenge your students to brainstorm words and/or phrases which describe this
piece of music. Some questions to consider are: What does the music make them think
of? What instruments do they hear? How many groups of musician are playing? What
emotions are the students experiencing? If this music is a conversation, are all parts saying
the exact same thing, or are the voices arguing? As students respond, write their answers
on the board.
3. Tell the class that imagery is one ways poets use language to create pictures in the reader’s mind. Working with a partner, or in a small group, (Have 3rd graders work together with
you as a class group.) ask students to write a short poem (appropriate to their grade level
and previous experience) describing the music they have just heard. Use the words and
descriptions generated by the class. Don’t forget to create a title for the poem.
4. Tell the class that they will be performing their poetry in an antiphonal manner. Two excellent examples models for this style of poem are Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices and I
am Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices both written by Paul Fleischman.
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Brassy Brass
Brassy Brass Activity 5
Antiphonal Music and Poetry
Culminating Activity
3rd grade: Divide the class into two groups. Assign specific lines of the class generated poem to each group, with some lines assigned to both. Draw from the class additional
ways to make the poem more exciting by varying the volume of the speaking voice, varying
the speed of the words spoken, and/or varying the vocal inflections. Encourage experimentation by changing locations within the classroom (i.e. both groups standing next to each other or
having the groups of students stand across the room from each other. Perform the poem.
4th through 6th grade: Have each pair of students or each small group, arrange their
own poem antiphonally and perform it for the class. Encourage additional ways to make the
poem more exciting by varying the volume of the speaking voice, varying the speed of the
words spoken, and/or varying the vocal inflections. Encourage experimentation by changing
locations within the classroom (i.e. two students standing next to each other or having the
group split into two with one half standing across the room from the other half. Have each
group perform their poem for the class.
Evaluation
Did the students demonstrate the understanding that an antiphonal composition is one which
is meant to be performed with two equal groups in alternating performance?
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 a, b(1,5A,5C); 117.15 a, b(1,5A,5D, 6A, 6B); 117.18 a, b(5A,5E,6A,6B);
117.33 b, c(15A,5D,6A,6B)
English Language Arts 110.14 b(29,31); 110.15 b(27,28,29); 110.16 b(27,28,29);
110.18 b(26,27,28)
Brassy Brass
Page 19
Brassy Brass Activity 6
All the Buzz
Teaching Objective
Students will develop an understanding that the unique timbre of the brass family is determined by the size and shape of each instrument.
Vocabulary
Vibration– the rapid movement of an object up and down or back and forth
Timbre - the character or quality of a musical sound or voice, as distinct from its pitch and intensity
Buzzing– the sound that is produced by blowing air between closed lips, causing them to vibrate
Resources
 Sheet of poster board, or other large thick paper or cardboard
 Plastic bottles of various sizes
 Several suggested items for experimentation:
Small diameter PVC pipe (optional)
Lengths of rubber hose of various lengths (optional)
Funnels of various sizes (optional)
 Picture of the brass family of the orchestra (examples of brass instruments may be viewed
on www.DSOkids.com/listen/instrumentlist.apx) or page 15 of this guide.
Pre-Assessment
Ask students if any of them can describe how sound is produced. Establish with them that all
sounds are produced by vibration, which is rapid movement up and down or back and forth.
Show students a picture of the brass family (or brass instruments). Ask students if they can
name the brass instruments found in an orchestra (trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba).
Tell students that the youth concert they will soon see will feature this family of the orchestra.
As you display an instrument picture, play some examples of music from the accompanying
Youth Concert CD. Ask students to listen carefully for the sound of the brass instruments. Ask
if anyone knows how sound is produced on them.
Page 20
Brassy Brass
Brassy Brass Activity 6
All the Buzz
Teaching Sequence
1. In musical instruments, sound is created when the player causes the air in or around the
instrument to vibrate. Instruments are grouped into four families according to how the
player produces that vibration. Brass instruments are played by buzzing.
2. Buzzing is when a player blows air between their closed lips causing them to vibrate together. In brass instruments, sound is produced when the player buzzes his or her lips
into a mouthpiece on the instrument. This creates a sound that travels through the tubing
of the instrument, giving the instrument its unique timbre. The flared bell of the instrument
acts like a megaphone, amplifying the sound. As a demonstration, make a megaphone
out of a piece of poster board and talk into it. Notice that the megaphone concentrates the
sound in a particular direction, making it louder.
3. Make a mouthpiece by cutting the top off a plastic bottle. Be sure to leave enough of the
bottle so that it flares out, making a place into which you can buzz your lips-see illustration
below.
Culminating Activity
Create a brass instrument by inverting your new mouthpiece into the top of a larger bottle or
jug from which the bottom has been cut out. Experiment with the timbre of your instrument by
‘playing’ your mouthpiece into various sized jugs and containers and noting what kind of
sound is produced. Try playing your mouthpiece into a piece of garden hose with a funnel on
the end for a bell. Try different sized funnels and different lengths of hose. Allow students to
try. After a little experience they will be able to make predictions about how a given item will
affect the sound.
Evaluation
Did students develop an understanding that the unique timbre of the brass family is determined by the size and shape of each instrument?
Extension Activity
Tell students that the military uses a brass instrument called a bugle to signal troops and give
instructions like wake up, lights out, or “charge!” Using the brass instruments they made,
have students create bugle calls by composing small patterns of long, short, high and low
tones. Examples of instructions could be to line up, stand, sit down, etc.
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 a, b1(A-B); 117.15 a, b1(A,B); 117.18 a, b1(A,B); 117.33 b, c1(A,B)
Science 112.14 a(1,2,3,4A), b(6A); 112.15 a(1,2,3,4A), b6A; 112.16 a(1,2,3,4A), b(1B,6A);
112.18 a(1C), b(1B)
Brassy Brass
Page 21
Brassy Brass Activity 7
Meet the Composers Scavenger Hunt
Teaching Objective:
Students will become acquainted with two composers whose music they will hear during the
Dallas Symphony Youth Concert.
Resources/Materials:
 CD player
 Accompanying Youth Concert CD cued to Tracks 7 and 8
 Titles of the two compositions displayed on the chalkboard or another appropriate space.
 www.dsokids.com/listen/by-composer
 Several copies of biographical information of composers Chris Hazell and Paul Hindemith
posted in unusual places throughout the classroom; on cabinet doors, bookshelves, windows, teacher’s desk and chair, etc. The bios can also be found on page 8 of this guide.
 A Composer Scavenger Hunt Worksheet for each student, that can be found on page 23 of
this guide.
 A Composer Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet for the teacher, that can be found on page 24
of this guide.
 A sharpened pencil for each student
 Classroom computer
 The names Chris Hazell and Paul Hindemith on small pieces of paper placed in a container
to be drawn from prior to the Extension Activity
Vocabulary:
Scavenger Hunt—a ‘seek and find’ game in which individuals or teams try to locate and
record responses to a list of questions provided for them
Composer—one who creates music
Pre-Assessment:
As students enter the classroom, play the recording of “Borage” by Chris Hazell (Track 7)
and The 4th Movement from Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Paul Hindemith,
(Track 8). At the conclusion of Track 8, stop the music and tell the class what they have
heard. Begin a discussion of the type of music and how and why that music is a part of the
classroom instruction. Encourage students to give the names of several other composers.
Teaching Sequence:
1. Tell the students that today they will get to know the two composers whose compositions
they heard as they entered the classroom, and will hear again at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Concert. The composers are Chris Hazell and Paul Hindemith.
2. Ask the students to define composer. Tell the students they will find information about the
two composers as they participate in a classroom scavenger hunt.
3. Encourage volunteers to describe a scavenger hunt, then give specific instructions. Allow
for discussion so that students will understand the rules of this indoor, classroom activity.
Distribute a Composer Scavenger Hunt Worksheet and pencil to each student. Have them
read the worksheet so that they become familiar with the type of information they will seek.
Classroom computer(s) should be available as a resource. Students will enjoy working in
pairs as they search the room for clues to fill their worksheets.
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Brassy Brass
Brassy Brass Activity 7
Meet the Composers Scavenger Hunt
Culminating Activity:
At 15 minutes, STOP! Instruct the students to review and discuss data with their partners. As
you call on each pair to share their collective information, the Scavenge Hunt Answer Sheet
will help to validate their responses. Have the students check and score their own worksheets.
Review the responses together as a class inviting discussion regarding the answers given.
Extension Activity:
1. Divide the class into groups of four students. Have one student from each group pull a
composers name from the container.
2. Cue the computer to www.dsokids.con/listen/by-composer and find Chris Hazell and Paul
Hindemith. Direct the students’ attention to the titles of excerpts from the two compositions
they will hear again.
3. Play the first excerpt and pause for group discussion before playing it a second time.
4. Play the second excerpt and follow the same procedure.
5. After having listened carefully and reviewed biographical information, ask each group of
four students to share how they matched their composer with the excerpt.
Evaluation:
After having gathered factual data during the scavenger hunt and listened to one recording by
each composer Chris Hazell and Paul Hindemith, did at least 70% of the students demonstrate
sufficient knowledge of the two composers so that they correctly identified their music?
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 a(1), b(5); 117.15 a(1), b(5); 117.18 a(1), b(5); 117.33 a(1), b(5)
Social Studies 113.14 a(1,2,5), b(1,3,15); 113.15 a(2,3,5), b(21A); 113.16 a(1,2,5), b(21,22)
Brassy Brass
Page 23
A Composer Scavenger Hunt
Who are these guys anyway? You and your partner
are about to find out. There are composer biography
sheets all over the classroom. Identify the correct
composer by filling in his name in the space beside the
question.
Ready? Get Set! Go!
Name
Class
Date
Birthplace:
Which composer was born in England? _______________________________________________
Which composer lived in the United States of America? ___________________________________
Which composer lived 5 miles from the nearest restaurant? ____________________________
Which composer lived 40 miles north of London? ___________________________________
Which composer lived in Switzerland? _________________________________________________
Which composer was born in Germany? _______________________________________________
Which composer lived near a very old church? __________________________________________
Which composer lived near the Rhine River? ___________________________________________
Family Life:
Which composer liked stir fry chicken? ________________________________________________
Which composer was not married? ___________________________________________________
Which composer is still living? _______________________________________________________
Which composer ran away from home to become a musician? ______________________________
Which composer had 4 cats? ___________________________________________________
Which composer’s music was disliked by the Nazi Regime? _________________________________
Instrumental Background:
Which composer did not play an instrument? ___________________________________________
Which composer played at least 2 string instruments? __________________________________
Which composer wrote music for brass instruments? _____________________________________
Which composer was the head of the music department at Yale University? __________________
Which composer liked to write music about people and places? _____________________________
Which composer wrote music for every instrument in the orchestra? _________________________
Page 24
Brassy Brass
Composer Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet
Birthplace:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Which composer was born in England?
Which composer lived in the United States of America?
Which composer lived 5 miles from the nearest restaurant?
Which composer lived 40 miles north of London?
Which composer lived in Switzerland?
Which composer was born in Germany?
Which composer lived near a very old church?
Which composer lived near the Rhine River?
Chris Hazell
Paul Hindemith
Chris Hazell
Chris Hazell
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Chris Hazell
Paul Hindemith
Family Life:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Which composer liked stir fry chicken?
Chris Hazell
Which composer was not married?
Chris Hazell and Paul Hindemith
Which composer is still living?
Chris Hazell
Which composer ran away from home to become a musician?
Paul Hindemith
Which composer had 4 cats?
Chris Hazell
Which composer’s music was disliked by the Nazi Regime?
Paul Hindemith
Instrumental Background:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Which composer did not play an instrument?
Chris Hazell
Which composer played at least 2 string instruments?
Paul Hindemith
Which composer wrote music for brass instruments?
Chris Hazell and Paul Hindemith
Which composer headed the music department at Yale University?
Paul Hindemith
Which composer liked to write music about people and places?
Chris Hazell
Which composer wrote music for every instrument in the orchestra? Paul Hindemith
Brassy Brass
Page 25
Brassy Brass Post-Concert Activity 1
Correspondence
Teaching Objective
Students will practice written communication by writing a letter in correct format.
Resources/Materials
 Paper
 Pens or pencils
Pre-Assessment
Ask students to list the parts of a letter.
Teaching Sequence
Have students write a letter based on what they learned about brass instruments in an orchestra from
their Dallas Symphony Youth Concert field trip. Letters may be addressed to:
 Karina Canellakis, Conductor
 Individual brass players of the orchestra
 Principal brass players of the orchestra (see pp. 5-6 of the guide for this information!)
 The Dallas Symphony Orchestra Education Department
 Concert Sponsors (Since ticket prices cover a small cost of Youth Concerts, corporate and
individual sponsors are essential to maintain the Youth Concert programs. Letters addressed to
“Concert Sponsors” will be shared with the appropriate representative).
Possible topics could include:
“My favorite brass instrument of the orchestra”
“If I were a conductor”
“If I were a musician”
“If I were a composer”
“If I were a trumpet (or any other brass instrument)”
Letters can also address student’s reactions to the concert and if their expectations were met, the
sequencing of events that took place during the concert, and their overall impression of the experience.
Please send letters by mail to:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerts
2301 Flora Street, Ste. 300
Dallas, TX
75201
Fax: 214.953.1218
E-mail: [email protected]
Evaluation
Did students effectively write a letter using correct letter format?
Web Connection
Have students include a drawing with their correspondence to the DSO Education Department.
Suggested subjects include the interior or exterior of the Meyerson Symphony Center, the orchestra,
conductor, or brass instruments. Drawings will be shared with the staff, and may be selected for
placement on www.DSOkids.com.
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 a, b(1,5A,5C); 117.15 a, b(1,5A,5D,6A, 6B); 117.18 a, b(5A,5E,6A,6B);
117.33 b, c(1,5A,5D,6A,6B)
English Language Arts 110.14 b(17,18,20); 110.15 b(15,17,18); 110.16 b(15,17,18);
110.18 b(14,16,17)
Page 26
Brassy Brass
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Concert News
Featuring Reviews Written by Students
Student Review
Student:
Age:
School:
Grade:
Concert Attended:
Date:
Describe your concert experience. (What happened first, second, next, etc.)
Name one of the musical pieces you heard at the concert and describe it.
Choose two musical instruments you heard at the concert and compare their appearance and their
sound.
What did you enjoy the most and what did you enjoy the least at this concert?
Please have your teacher send your review to:
Jenny Fridge
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
2301 Flora St., Schlegel Administrative Suites
Dallas, TX 75201
Or Fax to: 214.953.1218
Or E-mail to: [email protected]
Brassy Brass
Page 27
Extensions for the Music Specialist
Gabrieli: Canzon Septimi Toni, No. 2
I. Changing meters: duple to triple/triple to duple
1.Sing and conduct folk songs which have contrasting duple/triple meter. Excellent examples of songs/speech pieces moving from duple to triple or vice versa can be found in the
Silver Burdett’s Making Music series, 2006.
Grade 3:
Grade 4:
Coffee Grows on White Oak Trees, pg. 168-169, CD6-8
A Rondo for Lunch, pg. 212, CD7-29
Al Quebrar la Pinata, pg. 432-433, CD 18-15
2. Have students create movement to accompany any of the above folk songs so that the
“feel” of each meter is experienced along with the “feel” of the metric change.
II. Antiphony
1. Online, view two brass choirs performing on stage at Northwestern University (http://
www.pickstaiger.org/video/canzoni-septimi-toni-no-2-giovanni-gabrieli).
2. Discuss instrumentation and historical period of music. Visual of period attire and period instrument in a performance of Canzon duodecimi toni, also by Gabrieli (http://
www.yotube.com/watch?v=nx47RD7NZ).
3. Choose a well-known song and perform it antiphonally. Divide the class in half, with half
the class on one side of the room and half on the other side of the room. Assign specific
phrases to be performed by the group as a whole, and specific phrases to be performed by
each group. Perform the song. The song can also be performed by recorder or Orff instrument ensembles divided into two groups.
4. Create an antiphonal music composition. Have the students brainstorm a thematic idea
on Orff instruments. This will be the main theme that all will play. The bass xylophones will
provide the bourdon. Create several individual melodies based on the same tone set as
the theme. Guide the students to create melodies that contain some of the melodic patterning of the main theme. Divide the class into two groups and position them in two different areas of the room. Perform the piece as follows:
A = Main theme performed by all
B = Melody performed by Group 1
C = Melody performed by Group 2
A = Main them performed by all
B = Melody performed by Group 1
C = Melody performed by Group 2
A = Main theme performed by all
TEKS Connections:
Music 117.12 a, b(1,2,4,5); 117.15 a, b(1,2,4,5A,5B,5D); 117.18 a, b(1,2,4, 5A,5B,5D);
117.33 b, c(1,2,4,5A,5D)
Art 117.11 b(2); 117.14 b(2); 117.17 b(2); 117.32 c(2)
Page 28
Brassy Brass
Extensions for the Music Specialist
Vivaldi Concerto in C Major for Two Trumpets
I.
Polyphony and Rhythm
1. The trumpets are used like a conversation in this piece. To demonstrate this technique,
use puppets to help students learn to listen and find where the trumpets begin and end.
2. Depending on the level of the students, this could be coordinated with a rhythm lesson.
Students will be identifying sixteenth notes, eighth notes, and quarter notes. Write the
rhythm of the opening section (shown below) on the board. As they listen to the concerto, have students notice when this rhythm reappears, and which instrument is playing it. Have students work with the puppets to show the “conversation” between the
trumpets (demonstrating polyphony).
3. Play a movement to music game in which students copycat a given rhythm. For younger students, have the teacher be the leader. For older students, a peer could be the
leader. Have a group of students act as the “monitor” who will determine if the copied
rhythms are accurate.
II. Terraced Dynamics
1. Discuss the fact that dynamics are the relative loudness and softness of musical tone.
Discuss that in the Baroque style, it was characteristic to used terraced dynamics,
which often defined the structure of the piece. A beginning step to identifying dynamics
in this piece is to have the students raise their hands when they hear the echo in the
music.
2. Have students create pictures on construction paper with original designs that are
evoked from listening to the music. Have the students draw on bold colors for loud sections and pastel colors for soft sections. On a subsequent listening, have the students
raise the correct picture when the dynamic represented is heard.
III. Aural Skills
1. Give each student a staff and ask them to notate sol, mi, do with quarter notes followed
by quarter rests. Play the Vivaldi concerto and help students identify the pitches when
they are played. Have the students point to the notes when they are heard.
2. On subsequent listenings, have the students use Kodaly hand signs to identify sol, mi,
do.
Music 117.12 a, b(1,2,3,4,5); 117.15 a, b(1,2,3,4,5A,5B,5D); 117.18 a, b(1,2,3,4, 5A,5B,5D);
117.33 b, c(2,4)
Brassy Brass
Page 29
Extensions for the Music Specialist
Dukas Fanfare to precede La Péri
I.
Rhythm and Articulation
1. Explain that fanfares are pieces of music that usually announce something special that
is about to happen. Musically, this is often accomplished through the use of certain
rhythms and articulations, particularly triplets and accented, staccato notes.
2. Play the recording of the Dukas Fanfare. Discuss the rhythms Dukas used, the instruments playing, and how long the notes are. (This will take several listenings.)
3. Alone or in a small group, have students make up 2-4 measure rhythm fanfares using
triplets (if appropriate) or notes that the students have learned. Give them paper and
pencils to notate them. Ask them to perform them either on rhythm instruments or
body percussion.
4. Discuss how these would sound on instruments. What instruments played the fanfare
in the Dukas? What instruments do they think would sound most like a fanfare?
5. Play the Dukas Fanfare. Discuss and identify the short (staccato) notes and the connected (legato) notes. Have the students talk about things that make short sounds:
popcorn popping, a popping balloon, the tap on a drum. Then have the students describe visuals or sounds that could be identified as connected (legato) notes: a kite flying in the sky, a ribbon swirling in the air, the ripple in the water after a stone is thrown.
Divide the students into two groups. Provide half of the students with cotton balls and
the other half of the students with two foot sections of ribbon. Play the Dukas again.
When staccato notes are heard, students with the cotton balls should drop their balls
on the floor. When the legato notes are heard, students with ribbons should swirl them
in the air.
II. Form: ABCA
1. With the students, discover the form of the piece. Listen several times, noting how the
rhythms and articulations help divide the piece into sections.
A—triplets
B—eighth notes, beginning with the horns, then the trumpets enter, bridge (chords)
C—legato
A
2. This activity could be expanded to include art work to show the form. Give each student three colored note cards (one for each section of the form). On a subsequent listening, have the students hold up the correctly colored card for each section of the
piece.
TEKS Connections
Music 117.12 a, b(1-4); 117.15 a, b(1-4); 117.18 a, b(1,3,4); 117.33 b, c(1-4)
Art 117.11 b(2A,2C); 117.14 b(2A,2B); 117.17 b(2A); 117.32 c(2A)
Page 30
Brassy Brass
Extensions for the Music Specialist
Schumann: Konzertstück in F for Four Horns, 3rd movement
I. Tempo Markings: Accelerando
1. As you listen to the 3rd movement of Konzertstück, try to count the number of beats per
minute. Use a metronome to check your answer.
2. Discuss the music terminology for various tempos from slow to fast, to very fast.
3. Using this terminology, have students move, dance, walk, run, etc. according to tempo.
directions.
4. Starting at a minute or so before the end of track 5 on the accompanying Youth Concert
CD, have students conduct the tempo change, with the goal of ending precisely on the last
beat of the recording.
II. Instruments: The Bell of the French Horn
1. “Why do French horn players put their hand in the bell?” Explore different answers to
this question by asking a French horn player you know to visit the classroom.
2. There are also resources online. One is the New York Philharmonic web site, Kidzone.
The “Instrument Storage” game on this site provides a good answer to this and other brass
instrument questions (http://nyphil.org/education/for-kids-and-teens/kidzone-onlinelearning/instrument-storage).
3. For detailed descriptions of French horn playing techniques, visit the StudioDSO web
site (http://studiodso.com/videomasterclasses/landing.aspx), and click on the Video Master
Class with Greg Hustis. This video is indexed to 12 different chapters that examine a wide
variety of playing tips and techniques for the French horn student.
TEKS Connections:
Music 117.12 a, b1(A,B); 117.15 a, b1(A,B); 117.18 a, b1(A,B); 117.33 b,c(1)
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Extensions for the Music Specialist
Dubensky: “Toccata” from Concerto Grosso for Three Trombones and Tuba
I.
Rhythm & Style: Syncopation
1. After establishing a solid foundation for the concept of a steady beat, define syncopation as merely a shifting of the accented notes from the strong beat to a weak beat.
2.
Write the following pattern on the board and ask the students to chant the rhythm.
Ta
ta
ta
ta
Ta
ta
ta
ta
3. Directly under this, write the following pattern, again asking the students to chant the
rhythm. Remind them that the quarter note still serves as the strong beat.
Ta
ti -
ti
ta
ta
Ta
ti -
ti
ta
ta
4. Directly under this, write the following pattern, once more asking the students to chant
the rhythm. Emphasize to the students that while the first eighth note is now on the
strong beat, and the quarter note is on the weak beat, it is the weak beat that gets the
accent.
Syn - co -
pa
Syn - co -
pa
Syn - co -
pa
Syn - co -
pa
5. Have students break into pairs and challenge each other on chanting these rhythms.
For older students, challenge them to write their own syncopated rhythms.
6. Listen to the Dubensky recording on track 6 of the accompanying Youth Concert CD.
Challenge students to identify the syncopated “jazzy” rhythms heard in the piece.
II. Form: Concerto Grosso
1. Explain that this piece is in the form of a concerto grosso. Unlike a solo concerto, a
concerto grosso is written for a group of solo instruments (in this case, three trombones
and a tuba) and orchestral accompaniment. Dubensky originally wrote the piece for three
trombone and tuba alone, but in the 1930s re-orchestrated it for three trombones and tuba
with orchestral accompaniment.
2. Teach all students a simple folk melody on Orff instruments. Divide the class so that a
group of four students will play the melody on the Orff instruments while the remaining students play root harmonies. Take turns, allowing different students to be the soloists.
3. Play the recording of the Dubensky “Toccata”, (track 6 on the accompanying Youth
Concert CD) and challenge students to identify the “solo” sections by raising their hands
when a solo passage is heard.
TEKS Connections:
Music 117.12 a, b1(A,B), 2, 3(A,B,C), 5(A); 117.15 a, b1(A,B), 2,3,4; 117.18 a, b(1,2,3,4,5A)
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Resources for Teachers
Books
Apel, Wili. Harvard Dictionary of Music. Harvard University Press, 1967.
Ardley, Neil. A Young Person’s Guide to Music, 1995.
Baines, Anthony. The Oxford Companion to Musical Instruments, 1992.
Barber, Nicola. The World of Music. Silver Burdett Press, 1995.
Blackwood, Alan. The Orchestra: An Introduction to the World of Classical Music. Milwood Press, 1993.
Hays, Ann. Meet the Orchestra. Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991.
Hoffer, Charles. Concise Introduction to Music Listening. Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1984.
Hoffer, Charles. The Understanding of Music. Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1981.
Kruckenberg, Sven. The Symphony Orchestra and its Instruments. Crescent Books, 1993.
Krull, Kathleen. Lives of Musicians. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1993.
Moss, Llyod. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin. Simon & Schuster, 1995.
Nye, Robert & Bergethon, B. Basic Music. Prentice Hall, Inc. 1983.
Van der Meer & Berkeley, Michael. The Music Pack. Alfred A. Knopf, Publisher, 1994.
Video
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s television series for children. Amazing Music, features Music
Director Emeritus Andrew Litton as your guide to “Emotions in Music”, “Pictures in Music”,
“Families of the Orchestra”, and “Jazz”. (See p. 47 for order form)
Classroom Materials
Sources for pictures of instruments, books, audio, and videotapes can be found at:
 DSO Symphony Store; call 214-871-4058 for information
 Friendship House; call 1-800-791-9876 for a free catalog
 Music Educator’s National Conference (MENC); call 1-800-828-0229 for a free catalog.
 Music in Motion; call 1-800-445-0649 for a free catalog.
Online
www.DSOkids.com
The Dallas Symphony’s website for teachers and students
www.playmusic.org
A children’s website from the American Symphony Orchestra League
www.nyphilkids.org
The New York Philharmonic’s website for teachers and students
www.artsalive.ca
An education website sponsored by the National Arts Centre in Canada
www.sfskids.org
The San Francisco Symphony’s educational website for children
www.youtube.com
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Arriving and Departing the Meyerson Symphony Center
Buses
 Arrivals: buses unload in the front of the Meyerson Symphony Center on westbound Flora Street.
 DO NOT UNLOAD YOUR BUS UNTIL YOU ARE GREETED BY A DSO STAFF MEMBER.
 After students disembark, buses should proceed to their designated parking area. All bus drivers will be
given directions on where to park. Please follow directions from Symphony personnel.
 Departures: Students are dismissed by school and directed to their buses. Please follow directions from
Symphony personnel.
 Bus drivers: PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BUSES DURING THE PERFORMANCE.
Cars and Vans
 Schools coming by cars and vans should park in the Hall Arts Center Parking Garage, which is
entered from Ross Avenue between Leonard and Pearl Streets. The parking fee for Youth Concert events
is $6.00. Both cash and credit cards are accepted; please note that when using a credit card, there is a
$1.00 service fee.
 When you arrive at the garage, take a ticket and proceed to levels 4 through 7. The Hall Arts Center Garage has an overhead clearance of 7 feet. On level 3 of the parking garage, there is a walk-through into the
lower level of the Symphony Center. After parking, take the Symphony Center elevators to the Lower
Lobby. Assemble your group in the Lower Lobby. A volunteer will guide you to the Main Lobby. Please
do not come upstairs until your entire group has assembled. An elevator is available for the physically
challenged.
A note to schools arriving in carpools: Please pr ovide all of your dr iver s with a map and clear instructions on where to park (Hall Arts Center Parking Garage). Following identical routes is recommended so that
your group arrives at the Meyerson at approximately the same time. Be sure all drivers and chaperones know
to meet in the Lower Lobby. Please do not come upstairs until your entire group has assembled.
Bus Directions to the Meyerson Symphony Center
From Southbound I-35E Stemmons, east on Woodall Rodgers Freeway (exit marked “to Houston, I-45 and
US-75”), exit at Griffin Street. Take Griffin Street to Ross and turn left. Take Ross to Routh Street and turn
left. Take Routh to Flora Street, turn left and pull up in front of the Meyerson to unload.
From Northbound I-35 Stemmons, east on Woodall Rodgers Freeway (exit marked “to Sherman I-45 and
US-75”), exit at Griffin Street. Take Griffin Street to Ross and turn left. Take Ross to Routh Street and turn
left. Take Routh to Flora Street, turn left and pull up in front of the Meyerson to unload.
From Central (US-75), I-30 or I-45, west on Woodall Rodgers (366), take the Pearl Street exit and stay in the
far left lane. U-turn onto Woodall Rodgers Access Road going east. Turn right on Routh, turn right on Flora
and pull up in front of the Meyerson to unload.
From downtown or East Dallas, north on Pearl Street, turn right onto Ross Avenue. Then turn left on Routh,
and left on Flora. Pull up in front of the Meyerson to unload.
From the Dallas North Tollway, south on the Tollway, after the main toll plaza, stay in the left lane and take
the Hines Blvd. exit on the left towards downtown. Continue to follow signs to downtown, Pearl Street and
the Arts District. Turn slightly left to access Pearl Street, then stay on Pearl to Ross Ave. Turn left on Ross to
Routh. Turn left on Routh, turn left on Flora and pull up in front of the Meyerson to unload.
Cars: Access the Hall Arts Center Garage from Ross Avenue, near the corner of Ross and Crockett.
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Meyerson Area Map
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About the Morton H. Meyerson Center
One of the world’s greatest concert halls, the Meyerson Symphony Center was made possible through
the efforts of the citizens of Dallas. Over ten years were spent in the planning and construction of the
Meyerson, which opened on September 6, 1989.
World-renowned architect and major arts supporter I.M. Pei was chosen to design the building, working
closely with acoustician Russell Johnson. Pei’s design combines basic geometric shapes, with a rectangle (the concert hall) set at an angle within a square (the outer walls). Segments of circles also enclose
the building.
In the concert hall, every detail was designed to make the sound or acoustics as perfect as possible for
orchestral music. For example, the heating and air conditioning system is located in a different building
so that no vibrations from the machinery can be felt in the concert hall. Acoustical features include:
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Double sets of doors at all entrances
Terrazzo and concrete floors
Mohair fabric on the seats
Walls covered with African cherrywood
Sound-absorbing curtains which can be drawn over the walls
A reverberation chamber with 72 acoustical doors used to “tune” the hall
The canopy over the stage, which can be raised and lowered to enhance the sound
Fun Facts about the Meyerson!
The Meyerson Symphony Center has:
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2,056 seats
30,000 sq. ft. of Italian travertine marble
22,000 limestone blocks from Indiana
35,130 cubic yards of concrete
918 panels of African cherrywood around the concert hall
216 panels of American cherrywood around the stage
62 acoustical curtains
4 canopies with a combined weight of 42 tons
72 concrete acoustical doors, each weighing up to 2.5 tons
50 bathrooms
An 85 foot high ceiling in the concert hall
A 40 foot hollow area under the stage to increase resonance
An organ with 4 keyboards, 61 keys, 32 pedals, 84 ranks, 65 stops and 4,535 pipes
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Symphony Y ES! Request Form
Symphony Y ES! is a perfect way to prepare your students for or follow up from a Youth Concert. Each ensemble will
come directly to your school, introduce their instruments to the class, perform an engaging variety of repertoire, and
interact directly with students.
Please fill out the following information to be considered for a Symphony Y ES! booking. You will be contacted by
the DSO Education Coordinator after reviewing your information. After scheduling the visit, you will be faxed or
mailed a Symphony Y ES! School Agreement Form. This form must be filled out completely and signed by the participating teacher and school principal. Failure to return the Symphony Y ES! School Agreement Form will result in a
cancellation. Fax, mail or e-mail the completed and signed agreement form with full payment to the information listed
below.
All teachers who schedule a Symphony Y ES! visit will receive one Music Fun Facts booklet to prepare their students
before their scheduled visit. Copies of the book may be made for classroom use.
Today’s Date: __________ School Name: _____________________
________________
___________
School Phone: ________________________________ School Fax: __________________
_________
Address: ____________________________________ City, State, Zip: ________________
_________
Contact Teacher Name: _________________________ Contact Teacher Phone: ______________
______
Contact Teacher E-mail Address: ______________________________________________________
__
Classroom Grade Levels (PreK-6): __________________
Please indicate your first and second choices of ensemble. Each ensemble costs $350:
_____Brass Quintet (grades 3-6, two performances per visit)
_____Percussion (grades 3 and 4, two performances per visit)
_____String Duo (grades PreK-3, two performances per visit)
_____String Trio (grades K-3, two or three performances per visit)
_____String Quintet (grades 4 and 5, two performances per visit)
_____Woodwind Quintet (grades 2-4, two performances per visit)
The ensembles usually perform on Friday mornings. Please indicated your first and second choices for a performance
month:
1. ______________________
Has a Symphony Y ES! ensemble visited
2. ______________________
your school in the past school year? ________
Comments:
Be sure to make a copy of this completed form for your records. This performance is NOT BOOKED until you receive and return the Symphony Y ES! School Agreement Form with FULL PAYMENT. You will be e-mailed a
copy of this request. Questions? Contact Jenny Fridge at 214.871.4006
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Amazing Music DVDs
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s A mazing Music concerts are the perfect introduction to the orchestra, featuring
fast-paced explorations led by Music Director Emeritus Andrew Litton. Litton, who was inspired to become a conductor by Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts, is a strong advocate for music education as well as a
charming host for the concerts.
Designed to be educational as well as entertaining, A mazing Music programs are a natural for the classroom, especially in the light of current research that validates music as an effective teaching tool. Therefore, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has developed Classroom Editions of A mazing Music for the educational market, supplementing
a special time-coded version of each video with a booklet containing lesson plans developed by educators. The
activities support in-school use of the programs with curriculum that integrates music with other classroom subjects. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s A mazing Music programs have been broadcast on A&E and PBS.
Order Form
Name
Address
City
State
Telephone (daytime)
Zip
(evening)
Please send me the following “Classroom Editions”
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Number of DVDs
Emotions in Music
Pictures in Music
Families of the Orchestra
Jazz
Total number of Classroom Editions
x $40.00=
Texas residents add 8.25% sales tax
x .0825
(Tax exempt? Please include a copy of your tax exempt certificate)
Shipping:
1-3 Classroom Editions
4+ Classroom Editions
`
+ $6.50=
+ $8.50=
Total:
$
□Enclosed is a check payable to Dallas Symphony Orchestra
-Or□Mastercard/Visa
Card Number:
Expiration Date:
□Discover
□American Express
Signature:
Mail form to: Dallas Symphony Orchestra c/o Jenny Fridge, 2301 Flora St., Suite 300, Dallas, TX 75201
or Fax to: 214.953.1218 (Attn: Jenny Fridge)
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