curriculum - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

CURRICULUM
GUIDE
LETTER TO EDUCATORS
Welcome to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Sound Discoveries Young People’s Concerts!
For over 90 years, tri-state area teachers and students have joined the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to
experience great music and explore basic musical concepts through Young People’s Concerts. We believe
access to the arts is important for every student, and that the skills developed through the study of music
are easily related to other subject areas and to life experiences.
We are pleased to share this Curriculum Guide, which aims to promote an appreciation of the orchestra
and develop and 21st Century Skills through music. Carefully designed with music and content area
teachers in mind, these materials and lessons have been developed with the help of our Advisory
Committee for Education (ACE) made up of area educators and Cincinnati Pops Conductor John Morris
Russell (JMR). We also encourage you to access our web site www.cincinnatisymphony.org to find
more information and resources for your classroom, your students, and parents.
You are an important part of the CSO’s Sound Discoveries: Music for Life education initiative! Music
for Life not only continues the CSO’s tradition of offering special Young People’s Concerts but also
provides opportunities for CSO musicians and conductors to visit area students in their school
classrooms.
If you have any questions about any of the CSO’s education programs, please email, call, or check our
website for additional details. Finally, please don’t hesitate to let us know how we’re doing! We will send a
short evaluation survey link after each semester of concerts, but please feel free to send your comments to
us throughout the year so we can make our concerts and events the best they can be to serve you.
Thank you for sharing the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with your students and thank you for the job
you do each day to share knowledge and the love of learning with the young people in our community.
We look forward to seeing you and your class in Music Hall this season!
Sincerely,
Logan Kelly
Community Learning Manager
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GUIDE to the CURRICULUM GUIDE
We know that your time is limited and valuable! We hope these materials provide a flexible but
comprehensive resource that can be tailored to suit the needs of your students. In the following pages
you’ll find:
 Information for teachers and chaperones
 Printable texts, worksheets and/or resources for students
 Standards-based lesson plans
We believe music and the concert experience can enhance learning across the curriculum. These colorcoded content area lesson plans and extensions are provided with the idea that classroom teachers can
work along with arts specialists to make connections between music and other subjects, thus providing a
more integrated teaching/learning experience for children. The plans are intended to suggest activities we
believe most teachers will be comfortable presenting, utilizing the concert music as a catalyst for the
activity. If you are the music specialist, you may want to share these plans with an interested classroom
colleague.
Music
Math
Dance & Movement
Language Arts
Visual Art
Social Studies
Science
Please visit our website (www.cincinnatisymphony.org) to access the listening tracks and additional
resources. A link on the program page will take you to a password protected page where you can
download specific tracks for each concert. You can also choose to download a .zip file which contains all
the pieces for a particular concert. All audio files are in .mp3 format and may be played through iTunes or
other media players or burned to a CD. You should have received a password with your order confirmation
or in a follow-up email.
If you need any help accessing the audio files or have other questions about the resources available to you,
please contact: Logan Kelly, Community Learning Manager
513-744-3347 / [email protected]
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CONTENTS
5 Concert Program
6 Introduction: NAME THAT TONALITY!
7 Music On The Concert
8 Mahler’s Symphony No. 1
About the Music
LESSON: “Titan” Symphony
10 Brahms’ Hungarian Dance
& Variations on a Theme by Haydn
About the Music
LESSON: Hungarian Dance No. 5
LISTENING MAP: Hungarian Dance No. 5
LESSON: Haydn Variations
15 LESSON: Name That Tonality
16 Your Trip to Music Hall
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Meet the Conductor
Cincinnati’s Music Hall
LESSON: Concert Etiquette
Post-Concert Activities
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March 1, 2016 at 10:30am
April 5 2016 at 10:30am
KEITARO HARADA conductor
Antonin Dvorák
(1841-1904)
Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, No. 8, in G minor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade in G Major), K. 525
Ludwig Van Beethoven
(1770-1827)
Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
II. Allegretto
Traditional Songs
arr. Russell
Frère Jacques
Gustav Mahler
(1860-1911)
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Titan
III. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen
Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
orch. Parlow
Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor
Edvard Grieg
(1843-1907)
orch. Sitt
Norwegian Dances, Op. 35
II. Allegretto tranquillo grazioso
Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn, Op. 56a
Allegro
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INTRODUCTION: TONALITY
The theme for this concert is “Name that Tonality!” The emphasis will be on the tonality of each piece of music.
TONALITY: a sophisticated word and an even harder word to explain. You can't tap your foot to tonality, like
with rhythm. Knowing how a violin works or what instruments are in the woodwind family doesn't help us with
this musical phenomenon. At this concert you will hear how seven composers treat tonality. However, all were
written within a fairly limited time span of about 100 years dating from the late 1700's to the end of the 19th
century. To our 21st century ears, all these compositions sound very "tonal" and are based on similar rules regarding tonality.
What techniques does an artist use when she creates? If she is a painter, she might need to know how to make a
three dimensional object into a two dimensional painting. She will need to understand perspective and how paint
colors complement or work against each other, for instance. A sculptor needs to understand how to manipulate
various materials to create the image in their head.
How about composers? Their task is quite different. They are not concerned with filling up space, but rather with
filling up time, time that will hold an audience's attention. To do this effectively, a thorough knowledge of how
sounds work and how they are put together is critical.
But tonality is at the heart of music. It's about relationships. We can all relate to relationships. It's how a series
of tones that we call a scale are put together. It's about how outside or foreign sounds slip in, how we change
relationships and even form new relationships.
We can't see tonality; we can't touch tonality. But we hear tonality. We sense the familiar and can sometimes
even predict the next note without hearing it, because of tonality. All the pieces of music on this concert are
composed in traditional tonality. We will explore the effect tonality has on ourselves as we listen.
When we talk about tones in music, we are talking about the particular highness or lowness of a pitch in relation
to one main pitch, called the tonic or keynote. The tonic holds as much importance as the head of any number of
structures within our culture.
In music, all the other notes in the scale relate to the tonic. A scale is a series of tones arranged in consecutive
order, ascending or descending. The word "scale" comes from the Italian word for "ladder." Makes sense, doesn't it? A scale is made up of a combination of half and whole steps. These scales were originally called modes.
Scales can be built on any of the twelve available tones which means we can have 24 different scales, or keys - 12
major and 12 minor, although some of the keys are far more common than others. Every other tones importance
in a scale is based on the relationship to the keynote. This sense of relatedness in the notes of a scale is its tonality.
The two major tonalities, scales, or modes in our Western culture are the major and the minor system. A really
general view of major and minor tonalities is that the major is the "happy" sound and the minor is the "sad"
sound. After you listen to all the pieces on this concert have your class determine whether this theory holds water for them!
This preferred use of major and minor tonality began in the West (European tradition) around 1600 and was accepted practice until this century when composers began to explore outside these tonalities. An important point
to think about is that some sounds that are very pleasant to us, might have been considered at one time very dissonant and possibly forbidden to use!
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MUSIC ON THE CONCERT
Antonin Dvorák (1841-1904) - Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, No. 8, in G minor
Dvořák was born on September 8, 1841 in the village of Nelahozeves in Czechoslovakia (formerly Bohemia)
in 1841. He was a talented viola player, but chose to concentrate on composition. Johannes Brahms was a
friend of Dvořák’s. Like Brahms, Dvořák also wrote a series of dances. Typical of other composers during
this time, Dvořák was proud of his homeland and, in various ways, reflected his heritage through his music.
This is called nationalism. Dvořák used actual folk songs and dances from his homeland as well as original
melodies composed in the style of the traditional music of his country. The original four-hand piano version, published in August 1878, made a small fortune for Simrock; Dvořák was paid only 300 marks.
Through their publication, however, Dvořák gained international celebrity status, and ultimately the financial rewards that he deserved. Slavonic Dance No. 8 is cast in the form of a furiant, a fast Czech rhythmic
pattern that Dvořák is fond of and creates a syncopated feel, an emphasis on the weak beat. The music
changes feeling, alternating between excitement and relaxation. This delightful dance really captures the
sights and sounds of Czechoslovakia! Keeping with the theme of this concert, you will hear distinct sections that switch from a major to a minor sound. This shifting tonality is one of Dvořák’s “musical thumbprints.”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) - Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, a tiny independent city-state at the base of the Alps in
western Austria. His father Leopold was a well-known violinist, teacher and author. Although he was
young when he died, Mozart managed to write hundreds of pieces, some of the most beautiful music in
the world. A serenade is an instrumental piece composed of several shorter pieces. The word comes from
“sera” meaning evening. This work, nicknamed “A Little Night Music” features the strings. It is one of
Mozart’s most popular works and one of classical music’s top favorites. It is cheerful and light. You will
hear shifting tonality from major to minor in the middle section, called the development.
Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
Beethoven was born at a time of great change in Europe. Scientific discoveries, quests for equality among
the social classes, affected the works of artists, writers and musicians. Beethoven lived in the heart of this
tremendous time. He was not just carried along by what was happening around him, but actually helped
to bring about some of these changes. The word symphony comes from the Greek word meaning
“sounding together.” Symphonies bring together all the families of instruments in large impressive ways.
Beethoven’s 7th symphony was written in 1814, when he was almost totally deaf. Beethoven was not able
to hear the soft passages and when he conducted at its premiere, he ended several bars ahead of the orchestra. Although not his most well-known work, the music reflects some very original thinking. The second movement is known for it’s somber feeling written in a minor tonality.
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) - Norwegian Dances, Op. 35
The first Norwegian composer to win worldwide reputation, Edvard Grieg lived from 1843-1907. His
music overflows with the distinctive melodic patterns and rhythms of the dances and songs from his
homeland. Grieg composed his set of four Norwegian Dances in 1881. Like those heard in this concert by
Brahms and Dvorak, they also were written for piano duet. The dance you will hear is based on a
“hailing.” A strenuous solo dance for men, the hailing features one man in the middle of the room holding a man’s hat on a long pole. Several men in turn try to kick the hat off the pole. The beginning is
rather relaxed, in a cheerful major key. The middle section is more dramatic and faster. Perhaps this is
where the kicking takes place! Note how the tonality switches to minor. By now, you probably can hear
how dramatic music becomes by a switch in tonality. It is a very effective tool for composers.
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MUSIC ON THE CONCERT
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Titan
Gustav Mahler was born in Bohemia, in 1860 and died in 1918.
Mahler wrote several extensive and complex works for orchestra,
but his love of nature is heard in much of his music. In addition to
composing, Mahler also was a famous conductor during his lifetime. This Symphony is also referred to as a symphonic poem in
two parts, which seems more picturesque.
Early reviewers were upset by this movement of the Symphony,
because of its “brooding despair, brazen derision and shrill laughter.” A wild version of the folk song “Frere Jacques” played in a
minor key by the double bass accompanied by the oboe begins the
movement. This is followed by an outlandish funeral march accompanied by muffled typani. A band of town musicians not unlike
a Klezmer group marches to an “oom-pah” rhythm.
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LESSON PLAN:
“TITAN” SYMPHONY
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S):
Students will perform the tune of “Frere Jacques” in both major and minor on classroom intruments.
STANDARDS:
NATIONAL MUSIC STANDARDS
Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Enduring Understanding: Performers’ interest in and knowledge of musical works, understanding of their own technical skill,
and the context for a performance influence the selection of repertoire.
MU:Pr4.2.4a Demonstrate understanding of the structure and the elements of music (such as rhythm , pitch , and form ) in
music selected for performance.
Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
Enduring Understanding: Musicians judge performance based on criteria that vary across time, place, and cultures.
MU:Pr6.1.4a Perform music, alone or with others, with expression and technical accuracy, and appropriate interpretation.
Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work
Enduring Understanding: Response to music is informed by analyzing context (social, cultural, and historical) and how creators
and performers manipulate the elements of music.
MU:Re7.2.4)a Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of the elements of
music, and context (such as social and cultural).
MATERIALS:
Sound Discovery CD, classroom instruments
PLAN:
1.
Students will be asked to listen to the recording of the Mahler Symphony. They should listen to the melody
and try to identify it. Hopefully, someone will notice that it sounds like "Frere Jacques," only in minor. If the
students fail to recognize it, the teacher should hum or sing it in major so that the children can identify it.
2.
Once the tune is established, the teacher should emphasize that the Mahler recording is a minor tonality,
while the traditional tune is major.
3.
If Orff instruments are present, set up two of them, one in DM (Replace the F natural with the F# and the C
natural with the C#, if you have it. If not, it may be necessary to leave the C# out of the melody.). Set the
second one up in dm (keep the F natural, and change the B to a Bb). Play the melody on both instruments. If
Orff instruments are not available, show the children on the piano that the flat third (black key) creates that
minor tonality.
4.
Allow the children to play the piece in both major and minor. They can perform it as a round as well.
5.
If there is time, have half of the students play the major version, while the other half of the children play the
minor version. This can be done together or as a canon with staggered entrances. This will allow them to hear
the extreme dissonance of the minor second. Allow them to explore this sound and discuss it.
ASSESSMENT:
Students will be observed for proper instrument technique and accurate playing of both the major and minor
versions of the melody.
EXTENSION:
Create contrasting movements that complement the major and minor versions of the piece.
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MUSIC ON THE CONCERT
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor
Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn, Op. 56a
The son of a double bass player, Johannes Brahms knew what is
was like to grow up without a lot of luxuries. When he was 10
years old, Brahms played piano in dance halls in order to earn extra
money for his family.
Like Beethoven before him, Johannes Brahms believed in the importance of structure in music. He was considered a great architect
of music. Brahms wrote 21 Hungarian Dances, in 1869 and in 1880,
all for piano duet. However, in the orchestral versions, the music
really comes to life. The effects – the sudden stops, the rapid louds
and softs, and the rhythmic accents found in these gypsy-like melodies are all heightened by the colors in the orchestra.
In this 5th dance, note how the music, heard in a minor key, appears
to change tonality in the contrasting second section. It is more a
contrast of energy between the two sections.
In 1873, between the two sets of Hungarian Dances, Brahms
crafted a series of variations on an old them, possibly as exercises
for the four symphonies he had yet to compose. This composition
marks his first work for large orchestra without soloist.
The theme and variation form is a popular form that has been for
many years, not only in classical music, but also in folk and jazz music. This work is the first theme and variations for orchestra. The
original theme, heard immediately, is simple and uncluttered, a perfect theme to create variations. As expected, the tune originated
with Franz Josef Haydn, which he created from an old folk tune.
The variations employ changes in rhythm, tempo, melody, tonality,
length and harmony. See the lesson plan for a synopsis.
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LESSON PLAN:
HUNGARIAN DANCE NO. 5
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S):
Students will become familiar with the form of the Hungarian Dance No. 5 through the use of a listening map and
dance.
STANDARDS:
NATIONAL MUSIC STANDARDS
Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work
Enduring Understanding: Response to music is informed by analyzing context (social, cultural, and historical) and how creators
and performers manipulate the elements of music.
MU:Re7.2.2a Describe how specific music concepts are used to support a specific purpose in music.
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding
Enduring Understanding: Understanding connections to varied contexts and daily life enhances musicians’ creating, performing,
and responding.
MU:Re9.1.4a Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established criteria, and explain appropriateness to the
context
MATERIALS:
Sound Discovery CD, Listening Map
PLAN:
1.
Have students listen to recording of Hungarian Dance #5. Ask them what they heard? (fast/slow, same/
different, loud/soft)
2.
Look at the listening map with the students. Identify the difference in the flowers. Point out to the students
that there is a difference in the 8 and 6 sections as well as the words slow and fast.
3.
Play the first section of the piece that represents the flowers that have 8s. Repeat as needed with the
students pointing to the flowers in sequence.
4.
Continue this procedure for each section for the rest of the piece.
5.
Listen to entire work using listening map.
MOVEMENT:
1.
Form a circle with one child holding a small bouquet of flowers.
2.
As with the listening map, students will count to 8 (or 6). The student with the flowers has 8 counts (or 6) to
walk to another student and present them with the bouquet. Make sure the flowers are not presented before
the indicated counts.
3.
As flowers are presented, students trade places and the new student continues as above until the piece is
finished.
4.
Make sure the students are aware of the slow and fast and adjust their movement accordingly.
ASSESSMENT:
Students are able to follow the Hungarian Dance No. 5 using a listening map and/or through dance.
11
12
LESSON PLAN:
HAYDN VARIATIONS
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S):
Students will discuss the elements of each variation and will describe them using movement.
STANDARDS:
NATIONAL MUSIC STANDARDS
Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Enduring Understanding: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians’ work emerge from a variety of
sources.
MU:Cr1.1.4b Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms, melodies, and simple accompaniment patterns) within related tonalities
(such as major and minor) and meters.
Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Enduring Understanding: Analyzing creators’ context and how they manipulate elements of music provides insight into their
intent and informs performance
MU:Pr4.2.2) a Demonstrate knowledge of music concepts (such as tonality and meter) in music from a variety of cultures
selected for performance.
Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
Enduring Understanding: The personal evaluation of musical work(s) and performance(s) is informed by analysis, interpretation,
and established criteria
(MU:Re9.1.3)a Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established criteria , and describe appropriateness to the
context .
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding
Enduring Understanding: Understanding connections to varied contexts and daily life enhances musicians’ creating, performing,
and responding.
MU:Re9.1.4a Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established criteria, and explain appropriateness to the
context.
MATERIALS:
Sound Discovery CD
PLAN:
1.
Begin the class with movement. Start by allowing the children to move freely around the room to a simple
drum beat. Tell them to simply walk, taking a step on each beat of the drum.
2.
Next, ask the children to change their walk just a little bit. Perhaps they will perform a small hop every fourth
beat, change levels, or add an arm movement. They may do anything they want, but cannot change the simple
walk too drastically.
3.
Next, ask the children to choreograph a second variation of their simple walk.
4.
Do this as many times as is practical and/or necessary and then refer back to each of their variations. Call out
"Theme (simple walk)" then "variation 1 (2, or 3, etc.)" as a review.
5.
After the movement activity has ended and the children are seated, have a class discussion about what a
theme and variations is. Have students think of other things that are variations. Science classifications are
good considerations; animal breeds, plants, planets, etc. Ask the children what stays the same? What changes?
13
LESSON PLAN:
HAYDN VARIATIONS (cont.)
6.
In this piece, there are certain elements of the melody which stay the same throughout the piece. What
changes in each variation? Students should be directed to listen for major and minor tonalities.
Synopsis of the theme and each variation:
Main theme: stately; moderate tempo; a series of repeated sections; very measured
and steady. Plucked strings accompany the melody played by the winds
Variation 1: fairly rapid; theme varied in strings; major key; stronger sense of rhythm,
yet also very flowing
Variation 2; fairly rapid; theme varied in winds and strings; in a minor key; contrasts of
loud and soft passages
Variation 3: calmer; back to original major key; lots of movement but no surprises
Variation 4: calmer; in minor key; slightly slower and darker
Variation 5: scherzo; light and cheerful, busy, crisp and fast, in a major key
Variation 6: very compact; rapid repeated notes; accented; march-like, bold, majestic
and brassy
Variation 7: a gracious delicate, gentle and flowing melody; very calming
Variation 8: a fast presto that gradually gets more active and restless building up a lot
of energy
Finale: a rather majestic ending that uses a repeated figure; it begins very luxurious
and grows in intensity, much contrast in volume with several different lines occurring.
7.
After discussing all the variations, have students develop movements for each variation in small groups.
Develop a “main theme” movement and then slight change that for each of the variations.
ASSESSMENT:
Students are able to discuss the elements of each variation and will describe them using movement.
14
LESSON PLAN:
NAME THAT TONALITY
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S):
Students will discuss the elements of each variation and will describe them using movement.
STANDARDS:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.D Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.
PRE-CONCERT:
Students will listen (preferably 1st listening) to one or more of the pieces and write responses to the pieces while
they listen. Prior to listening, the teacher will explain that when we listen to music, we imagine many things.
Some imagine a story, some see images, others see colors or experience feelings and emotions. Students will be
asked to write whatever they think, feel or see in their mind while listening to the music. Students will be asked
to use as many descriptive words (adjectives) and they can to describe what they hear. This may take more than
one listening. Students may be asked to share what they’ve written about each piece individually.
POST-CONCERT:
Students will be asked to write a friendly letter (or formal letter) in response to the concert. Students will be
asked to write to someone specifically in order to thank them for the experience and give several reasons why
they liked the experience and what they specifically enjoyed. Students may use their pre-concert writing to assist
them in giving good reasons why they liked the concert.
15
YOUR TRIP TO MUSIC HALL
16
THE CINCINNATI SYMPHONY
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra represents the evolution of 200 years of musical tradition in the
Queen City. The fifth oldest symphony orchestra in the U.S. and the oldest orchestra in Ohio, the CSO
has played a leading role in the cultural life of Greater Cincinnati and the Midwest since its founding in
1895.
There are 90 musicians in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The artists of the Cincinnati Symphony &
Pops Orchestras are world-class, inspirational performers who have come from around the globe to live
and work as members of the Greater Cincinnati community. As individuals they are artists, teachers, collaborators, friends and neighbors. We invite you to meet and get to know these extraordinary people!
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MEET THE CONDUCTOR
Conductor Keitaro Harada continues to be recognized at the highest levels for his artistic abilities and passion for musical excellence. As a recipient of The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2014 and 2015), Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview (2013), the Seiji
Ozawa Conducting Fellowship at
Tanglewood Music Festival, a student of Lorin Maazel at Castleton Festival and Fabio Luisi at
Pacific Music Festival, Harada’s credentials are exemplary.
Newly appointed Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, Harada
begins his new post in the fall of 2015. As the Associate Conductor of the Arizona Opera, he will
lead their production of La fille du régiment in spring of 2015 and of Carmen in 2016. Harada is
also Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony.
A native of Tokyo, Japan, he is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Mercer University.
He completed his formal training at University of Arizona with Thomas Cockrell and Charles
Bontrager.
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CINCINNATI’S MUSIC HALL
The Cincinnati Music Hall, an elegant century-old building, stands majestically at the corner of 14th and Elm - just
a short walk from the city’s center. In January, 1975, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S.
Department of the Interior.
Music Hall was designed originally for a unique and dual purpose - to house musical activities in a center area and
industrial exhibitions in its side wings. It has played host to a wide number of activities. These have ranged from
traditional symphony concerts and theatrical performances to the Democratic National Convention of 1880, the
Cincinnati Industrial Expositions, home shows, air shows, automobile shows, basketball games, tennis matches,
wrestling matches, in short, Cincinnati’s “Convention Center” until the present Convention Center was built in
1967. Music Hall is best known, however, for its central portion, the elegant, spacious and acoustically acclaimed
3,417 seat Springer Auditorium where Cincinnati’s Symphony Orchestra, May Festival, Opera, and Ballet Companies and other productions hold performances.
Music Hall owes its existence to two prominent Cincinnatians who loved their city and its music - Reuben
Springer and J. Ralph Corbett. It was Springer, an early Cincinnati millionaire, who recognized the need to house
great musical events and industrial exhibits properly. Singer proposed that the citizens of Cincinnati put up half
the funds to build this new Music Hall and Exhibition Center, and he would put up the other half. About 600 contributors raised $125,000, including an important contribution of $3000 by the city’s school children who had
been collecting pennies for the project. This was matched by $125,000 from Springer and was enough to start the
new building.
In the domed center of the ceiling of the auditorium, an oil painting by Arthur Thomas depicts an Allegory of the
Arts. This was part of the original decoration. Suspended from the center of the dome is a dramatic chandelier of
brass and thousands of hand-cut crystals, seemingly light and airy but actually weighing two tons.
Throughout the years, the rare acoustics for which Music Hall is world famous have been preserved intact. Truly,
Music Hall can aptly be called “The Queen of the Queen City.”
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LESSON PLAN:
CONCERT ETIQUETTE
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S):
Students will demonstrate appropriate concert behavior during performances.
STANDARDS:
NATIONAL MUSIC STANDARDS
CONNECTING
Connect #11: Relate musical ideas and works with varied context to deepen understanding..
MU.:Pr6.1.6b Demonstrate performance decorum (such as stage presence, attire, and behavior) and audience etiquette
appropriate for venue and purpose..
PLAN:
1.
2.
3.
Allow the children to choose a piece that they would like to perform for the rest of the class and/or
another audience. They can perform in groups or individually and should have the freedom to choose
anything they want. This can be something that have worked on in class, or have rehearsed elsewhere, but
it should be "performance ready."
Give the children a short period of time to polish their piece.
After all groups are prepared, review the Rules of Concert Etiquette :
 Refrain from talking or whispering during the performance. The first and greatest rule! The musicians are working hard on stage to perform well for you - you’ll want to be able to hear them.
 No singing or tapping fingers or feet - unless the conductor tells you to! Like talking during the
performance, other body movements can make a lot of noise. There will be parts of the performance where we ask you to move and sing. Please save extra movements and sounds for those moments!
 Applaud at the end of each piece. This lets the musicians know you enjoyed the music! Watch the
conductor - he will lower his arms and face the audience when the Orchestra has finished playing.
 Do not leave the performance space during the music. If needed, wait for a break in the concert to
visit the restroom.
 Follow the rules of the concert hall. Food, gum, beverages, cameras, mp3 players and other electronic devices are not allowed in Springer Auditorium
 Be on your best behavior. Remember that you are representing your school and teachers at Music
Hall!
4.
5.
6.
7.
Discuss the rules with the students.
Find a "formal" setting, with chairs, for the kids to perform. The school auditorium, cafeteria, or other
public space is a good option for this, but the children need to be able to sit in chairs. This is so that when
they attend a concert at Music Hall, they are familiar with the expectations.
Remind the children to follow the Ten Rules of Concert Etiquette guidelines that were discussed in class
while they watch their classmates perform.
The same expectations are in place for the children at Music Hall for the YPC concerts, so review the
etiquette rules with the children prior to arriving at the venue.
ASSESSMENT:
Students will be observed for appropriate behavior during school and CSO concerts.
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AFTER THE CONCERT
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
These ideas and activities are designed to utilize specific intelligences as defined by Howard Gardner in his ground-breaking
work. They are flexible and can be used for either of the concert experiences and the music found on the CD from each of
the concerts. Several of the lessons in this guide already utilize the multiple intelligences; this simply offers a specific approach.
LANGUAGE ARTS/VERBAL/LINGUISTIC LEARNING:
The following are suggested writing activities that can complement any of the Sound Discoveries programs while providing
valuable writing opportunities for your students.
 Create a class thank you letter to the orchestra. After the performance, brainstorm and write down all the things
the students liked about the concert. Organize them into categories such as sounds, people, compositions. Compose
a letter that includes all the responses. Students can add pictures of some of their favorite things.
 You are a newspaper reporter and you are reviewing one of the pieces of music as if you were at the premiere and
hearing it for the very first time.
 Write a friendly letter to the Conductor. Let him know what your favorite piece was, what excited you and a request for something you’d like to hear for your next visit.
 Describe a piece of music that you liked. Recreate it in your mind and then write down the description of the music
so that another person who listens to the music could understand what you heard.
LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL (using numbers, patterns)
Many modern composers create number patterns using a matrix or strictly random as a way to organize sounds. Find a pattern such as telephone numbers or birthdates to use as a base to organize body percussion sounds. Each number can represent the number of sounds that are made or a sound can be assigned to each number.
KINESTHETIC: (using bodily movement)
Students choose movements from everyday life to create movement patterns to perform with music from the concert. Arrange it any way you wish including classifying the movements.
INTERPERSONAL: (group work; communications)
Using patterns from the above activity, organize them in various ways so that more than one pattern is happening at a time.
It can be in duets, trios or large group.
INTRAPERSONAL: (self-awareness; reflection; higher level thinking)
Using a selection from the concert CD, reflect on the feelings that this music generates. Write your words on paper/index
cards and/or cut words and pictures from magazines. Organize them into a collage representing what the music says to you.
VISUAL-SPATIAL: (using images and space to understand)
Invent a musical instrument that reflects the 21 st century. Think of the technological advances of the last few years and reflect those in your instrument. Draw and name your instrument.
NATURALISTIC INTELLIGENCE: (nature; nurturing; relating to one’s natural surrounding)
Often composers are inspired by nature. It may be weather, geographical areas, or animals. Ask students to answer the following:
 What instrument in the orchestra would you use to describe a butterfly?
 How would music sound like that would describe a desert?
 If music is supposed to represent snow, what would it be like?
Naturalistic learners obviously learn best by actual interactive learning experiences outside with nature, and classifying and
organizing sounds in nature. Ask students to go on a “sound” scavenger hunt. Each student lists the sounds they hear outside
and around their home. They then organize the sounds by human, man-made or natural.
MUSICAL:
Choose an instrument from the orchestra and using the internet and suggested resource books, research its history. Find
parallel instruments in other cultures that are similar to it.
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The Corbett Educational Endowment
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the extraordinary support of Mrs. J. Ralph Corbett and The Corbett Foundation.
Andrew Jergens Foundation
The YOT Full Circle Foundation
Ronald McDonald House Charities
The Dental Care Plus Group
THE
CINCINNATI
The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund
Musical recordings under license from Naxos of America, Inc. www.Naxos.com (P) 2007 HNH International Ltd.
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