2014 3rd Grade Teacher's Guide

A TEACHER’S GUIDEFor the 3rd Grade Arts Trek Concerts

2014 - 2015 SEASON

“Music & Fantasy”

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1 • A TEACHER’S GUIDE

A Letter for Students from the Maestro

Program Page

Before the Concert

Composers & Musical Selections

Instruments of the Orchestra

Orchestra Stage Layout

Meet the Conductor

Meet the Concertmaster

Symphony Musicians

About Five Flags Theater

Concert Etiquette

Another Letter from the Maestro

Web Explorations

Classroom Activities

After the Concert

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3RD GRADE ARTS TREK • 2

A Letter for Students

Dear Friends,Hi! My name is William. Did you know that you and your class are going to Five Flags Theater in downtown Dubuque to see a concert on Thursday, October 16th? It’s a concert with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and it’s going to be loads of fun!

How many of you know what an orchestra is? Yep, it’s a group of musicians who play their musical instruments and make beautiful music come alive. An orchestra is different from a band because it has a lot more musicians and it has a bunch of string instruments—we’ll tell you more about them later.

The orchestra musicians play together as a team, and like any team, they have a coach—that’s me. I’m the conductor. My job is to inspire them and help them to play their best. It’s a fun job!

At the concert you will hear music that brings out different feelings. You will also hear music that paints pictures of places or things in your imagination. Many of the musical pieces will be familiar to you from movies, TV, and video games. As you listen carefully to them at the concert, you can use your imagination to see images and to create make believe stories.

In addition, we will introduce all the instruments of the orchestra to you. We hope you will want to play an instrument yourself! And, as added inspiration, we will show you what it’s like for a young person to play an instrument…by featuring Charles Craig, a student musician who plays clarinet. Charles won first place in our annual music competition for young people, so he gets to play a special solo for you at this concert. It will be fun!

Like many of you, when I saw my first orchestra concert I was in grade school and I didn’t play an instrument yet, but I was a little curious about it. Then I started playing music, and I loved it!

Playing an instrument helped me make new friends, travel, and it even helped me to get better grades in school and go to a great college. Now making music is what I do for a living, and it brings me great joy.

Some of you may already play an instrument or do a lot of singing. Great! For others, maybe after you see our concert, you will want to sing or play an instrument—that would be wonderful! I believe everyone is a musician, everyone has some musical talent—even you! Who knows? Maybe some day you’ll play in the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra! I hope so.

See you at the concert!

Dr. William Intriligator


Dubuque Symphony OrchestraDr. William Intriligator, Music Director & Conductor

3rd Grade Arts Trek ConcertsThursday, October 16, 20149:30 a.m. 10:40 a.m. 12:20 p.m. 1:30 p.m.

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The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges Mark and Cheryl Falb for sponsoring the Arts Trek Concerts.

“Music & Fantasy”

1. Williams, Star Wars: Main Title

2. Reuter, The Old Man in the Mountain

3. Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, mvt 1 (excerpt)

4. Stamitz, Clarinet Concerto, mvt 1 (excerpt)

Charles Craig, clarinet

5. Higdon, Machine

6. Williams, Harry Potter: Hedwig’s Theme

7. Elfman, Spider Man


PREPARE A LITTLE EACH DAY

We suggest you begin talking about the Arts Trek trip well before the concert. This way, you can build momentum by preparing a little each day. Focus the students’ attention on what to expect at the symphony concert, both visually and aurally.

Discuss the questions in the box on the right in small groups and compare answers in a large group. Keep running lists on the blackboard and invite the students to add to them each day.

Examples:

We Will Hear:Instruments, Maestro Intriligator, tuning of the orchestra, etc.

We Will See:Violins, the conductor, a stage, drums, etc.

You may want to post pictures of instruments or an orchestra with the concert date, time and place.

VISUAL EXPECTATIONS

Familiarize your students with the stage and setup of a symphony orchestra. What will their view be like – main floor, box seats, or balcony? Please see your reservation confirmation for your seating location.

1. What musical instruments will you hear?

2. How would you describe the style of music you will hear?

3. Will the music be happy, exciting, strange, loud, etc.?

4. Who is symphonic/classical music for? (Answer: Everyone!)

5. Who listens to it? Why?

6. How do the musicians stay together as an orchestra while they perform?

7. What will the conductor do?

8. Which instruments will be the busiest?

9. What should the students do while the musicians are performing?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. How many musicians will be on stage?

2. How will the musicians be dressed?

3. What will the Five Flags Theater look like?

4. How is the orchestra arranged?

WHAT WILL WE SEE?

Before the Concert


AURAL EXPECTATIONS

Listen to the recordings of the concert program (provided upon request). This is one of the most important things you can do to prepare your students for the concert. Becoming familiar with the sound of the music will enhance the concert experience for your students. See the “What Will We Hear?” box to get started!

1. Can you pick out any individual instruments? (examples: flute, trumpet, violins?)

2. What do the sounds remind you of?

3. How would you describe the music?

4. How does the music make you feel?

5. How would you conduct this music?

6. How would you dance to it?

WHAT WILL WE HEAR?

Before the Concert

LISTENING

Talk to your students about silence and sound in the environment around you. This will encourage their sensitivity to subtle sounds and listening skills to music.

Tell your students that on the count of three everyone should be absolutely silent and as still as possible. Explain to them that during this time they are to listen for any sound and that they will need to identify what they hear. Then, BE QUIET and LISTEN. After a minute or so, break the silence and ask if anyone heard anything interesting (other than giggling, of course!).

You might be amazed at how many sounds your students will pick up, and they may be impressed at how many sounds they had not heard before. Likely examples include wind, trees rustling, distant airplanes, people walking and talking, fans, clocks, fluorescent lights buzzing, etc.

Then suggest to your students that, just as they’ve been quiet and attentive and have heard many different types of sounds, there are other times and places when it is important to stop and listen very carefully. Can they name some of these times and places and why? Why is it important to stop, be silent and listen carefully during their experience in Five Flags Theater?

If they listen carefully, they will be able to hear the different instruments of the orchestra as they play alone or together. By listening quietly, they will give other audience members the chance to hear instruments alone and in combination as well.

Before the Concert


EXPRESSION

Create an environment in which your students feel comfortable expressing the emotions they feel when listening to music.

For instance, you can ask students to keep a pictorial or written journal recording how they feel throughout the day. Encourage them to draw, color, collage, write and be creative in their journals.

Music is emotional, so ask them to write or draw how they feel when they hear different music. Let the students know that the music is not going to make everyone feel exactly the same way and that this is okay. Remind them that there are no right or wrong answers. Each person is unique and each person’s response to a piece of music can be unique, too. In fact, they may change the way they feel when they hear the same piece of music from one day to another.

After your students have attended the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra concert, have them continue to be expressive in their journals.

1. What was the trip like to Five Flags Theater?

2. What were the three most exciting things that happened during the day?

3. What was your favorite instrument? Why?

4. Did you laugh at anything that happened on the trip?

5. Did anything in the concert frighten you?

6. How did the music make you feel?

7. What mood were you in while listening to the music? Did your mood change depending on what was happening in the music?

QUESTIONS FOR JOURNALING

Music is not going to make everyone feel exactly the same way and that is okay.


Composers & Musical SelectionsComposers of great symphonic music have often dreamed of exotic places and wild adventures, putting those dreams into their music in different ways. A composer uses his or her imagination to dream up fantasies and also to figure out how to put them into music. After the composer has created a work of musical art to express their dreams, the performers and listeners can use their imaginations to understand and interpret what they hear. Your class will be asked to use their imaginations at the 3rd Grade Arts Trek concerts, as the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and Maestro William Intriligator present a concert of fun and wild music.

A few of the selections should be familiar to your students, as we are featuring music from the Star Wars and Spiderman films. Some of the other pieces may not be as familiar, but they are equally exciting and conjure up images of wizards, machines, and mountains! We also have a very special guest soloist who will be playing a concerto with the orchestra—he is just starting college! We hope that seeing a young person on stage will encourage your students to try out an instrument in the near future.

The educational goals of the 3rd Grade Arts Trek concerts are: 1. Building listening skills2. Creating familiarity with great symphonic music3. Understanding concert etiquette4. Introducing and learning about the instruments and instrumental families of the orchestra5. Encouraging the students to play an instrument and to picture themselves playing in the DSO 6. Realizing that music can spark our imaginations, make us visualize places and actions in our minds, and cause us to sense many different feelings, all without any words or pictures

JOHN WILLIAMS, STAR WARS SUITE: MAIN TITLE

John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of movies, including music for Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Home Alone and the first three Harry Potter films. His most famous score is from the Star Wars saga.

A film score (also sometimes called background music or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a movie. The score plays at various times throughout a movie and is often used to create moods, foreshadow upcoming events, and provide theme music for characters. Scores can be comprised of any number

of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues. Cues are sections of music which are timed to begin and end at specific points during a film.

Williams’ compositional style is best known for its use of leitmotif. A leitmotif is a phrase or melody that signifies a character, place, mood, idea, relationship or other specific part of the film. In the movie Star Wars, the Main Title is easily the film’s most recognizable melody. It’s called “Star Wars: Main Title” because it’s played during the opening title credits of the film. The music is associated with Luke Skywalker (the main character), heroism, and adventure.

As you listen to this piece, notice how exciting the music sounds! The opening fanfare is high and loud. A fanfare is usually a short piece of music, played by trumpets and percussion, used to draw your attention to something important. Beneath the fanfare, the low brass sounds angular and jagged, creating musical tension and making us think of something dark and sinister (maybe Darth Vader?). After the main melody is introduced, the music takes us a through a series of new tunes and textures, introducing bits of music that will be associated with other characters or scenes later in the movie.

String demonstrations

ROCKY J. REUTER, THE OLD MAN IN THE MOUNTAIN

Rocky Reuter was born in Dubuque in 1956, and grew up in Platteville, WI. As a child, Reuter often visited his grandparents, who lived in Burton, WI. His grandmother was the Burton Town Hall keeper, and allowed Reuter to play on the hall’s pump organ and piano for hours on end. He started playing the trombone in 5th grade, and began experimenting with composition in 8th grade.

Reuter’s compositions are extremely eclectic, and he has composed for numerous types of instrumental and choral ensembles. He has even writen music for electronic instruments, like a synthesizer or computer!

The Old Man in the Mountain was inspired by a rock formation that once protruded from a mountain in New Hampshire (see photo above). This formation resembled the face of a weathered mountain man, and has served as the state emblem of New Hampshire since 1945. You will be hearing the opening section of the piece, which depicts the early morning light as it touches the mountainside and the fog that surrounds it. The fog is represented by rich harmonies, and is cleared away to reveal the old man watching over the countryside. Harmony refers to the combination of notes played at the same time. If “melody” is the tune, then “harmony” is what is played behind or around the melody, supporting it and giving the music texture or mood. When you listen to this piece, what kind of mood or emotion do you feel? Can you see the mountain man looking out over the countryside?

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, SYMPHONY NO. 5, MVT. 1

Beethoven was born in Germany in 1770 and was brought up in an unhappy home. His father forced him to practice the piano quite often and would even punish him for making mistakes! His father only wanted Beethoven to become a famous child prodigy like Mozart. Once Beethoven reached the age of 12, he was earning enough money through is organ playing and compositions that he was actually supporting his family. Beethoven never established a permanent home, moving into at least 39 different apartments – and he always brought his pianos to wherever he moved!

Around the age of 3o, Beethoven began to lose his hearing. After he went completely deaf, he still continued to compose music. Because he was unable to hear the music, he thought of a way to physically feel the music instead – he removed the legs of his pianos so the keys and strings of the piano would lay flat on the floor and he would pound on the keys so hard just so that he could feel the vibrations of the music on the floor. What a truly dedicated musician! Beethoven died at the age of 56 after years of being ill. Over ten thousand people attended his funeral procession, and he is still known as one of the greatest musical geniuses who ever lived!



Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony strongly symbolizes his struggle for victory in a grand move from chaos to lightness. The first movement of the symphony, is dominated by one of the best-known motives in music – the famous four note rhythm of short-short-short-long. If you remember, a “leitmotif” represents a character, place or idea. A motive is more general, being a short melodic or rhythmic idea that is heard several times throughout the piece in an identical, or maybe even in an altered, form. This highly dramatic piece is very powerful – what type of a story do you think it is telling?

Woodwind demonstrations

JOHANN STAMITZ, CLARINET CONCERTO, MVT. 1

Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz (born June of 1717) was a Czech composer and violinist. He received early musical instruction from his father, who was an organist and schoolmaster. Stamitz is widely considered to be the father of the Mannheim School of composers, a group of innovative 18th-century composers who wrote music for the Mannheim Orchestra (Germany). A notable composition technique used by these composers is the “Mannheim Crescendo”, a gradual full-orchestra crescendo (increase in loudness) that was a surprising new device at the time. Stamitz began as a violinist with the Mannheim Orchestra, and went on to lead the group to new heights of expressiveness and precision. Two of Stamitz’s sons, Carl and Anton, were also important composers.

The Clarinet Concert, composed between 1750-1755, is one of the earliest concertos written for the clarinet. A concerto is the name generally given to a composition designed to showcase the skill of a soloist, or group of soloists, often accompanied by an orchestra. This concerto is no exception; it shows off the technique of the soloist with many fast notes, and requires the soloist to play notes in every register of the clarinet--a very virtuosic piece! A virtuoso is a musician with masterful ability, technique, or personal style. If you could play a concerto on any instrument, which instrument would you choose?

Our featured soloist on the piece is Charles Craig. A soloist is a musician who gets to be featured by playing part of a musical work all by themself. Charles won first place in the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra’s 2014 Concerto Competition and won the opportunity to play with the DSO at 3rd Grade Arts Trek!

A LETTER FROM CHARLES CRAIG: SOLOIST, CLARINET

Dear Dubuque Third Graders,

My name is Charles Craig, and I am a clarinet player from Maquoketa, Iowa. I am a freshman at Luther College, studying Clarinet Performance. I hope to eventually receive my doctorate in the clarinet and perform with a large orchestra, teach private lessons, and play in other musical ensembles such as bands, musicals, and jazz groups. I’m very excited to be able to perform the first movement of the Johann Stamitz Clarinet Concerto in B-flat for you.

I first took an interest in the clarinet after my parents took me to see a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony when I was nine years old. It was at that time that I knew I wanted to become a musician. The clarinet interested me because it could be played in so many different styles: in the orchestra, in jazz, and many other settings. The clarinet also has an incredible range of playable notes, from the very dark low register, to the bright high register.


I chose to play the Stamitz Concert for Clarinet because it is an elegant, enjoyable and melodic piece that shows the clarinet at its most beautiful. I was first introduced to it by my teacher, who had played it for a college recital. It is one of the earliest pieces written for the clarinet, even before Mozart, who also wrote a very famous clarinet concerto.

I take lessons here in Dubuque, and my teacher has taught me so much about the clarinet and its music. I also played in the Dubuque Symphony Youth Orchestra, which is an amazing experience open to anyone who wants to audition. It is such a privilege to be able to play for you; you are at the age where you have a great desire to learn and are enthusiastic about trying new things. It will be a pleasure to perform for you!

Brass demonstrations

JENNIFER HIGDON, MACHINE

Jennifer Higdon (born December 31, 1962) is an American composer and Professor of Composition Studies at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA. She started late in music, teaching herself to play flute at the age of 15. She began formal musical studies at 18, and started composing at the age of 21. Higdon has had her music performed by orchestras all over the world, and even won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto in 2010. Another of her works, blue cathedral, is one of the most-performed contemporary orchestra works, and has been performed more than 500 times since its premiere in 2000!

Machine was originally written as an encore piece in tribute to composers like Mozart and Tchaikovsky, who, she says, “seemed to be able to write so many notes and so much music that it seems like they were machines!” An encore is a repeated or additional performance at the end of a concert, as called for by the audience. When an orchestra or a soloist has played so well that they must hear more, they will call “Encore! Encore!” to ask the musician(s) to play another piece.

Higdon uses many accents and short, motor-like rhythms to emulate the feeling of a machine. An “accent” is an emphasis placed on a particular note. In this piece the accents create a feeling of sharpness and power, and make the piece that much more exciting! Listen closely and imagine: what kind of machine do you see while listening to this piece?

Percussion demonstrations

JOHN WILLIAMS, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE: HEDWIG’S THEME

“Hedwig’s Theme” is a leitmotif composed by John Williams for the Harry Potter film series. As you may recall from our description of Star Wars: Main Title, a leitmotif is a phrase or melody that signifies a character, place, mood, idea, relationship or other specific part of a story or movie. Hedwig’s Theme is considered the main theme of the film series and was first featured in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

In the Harry Potter books and movies, Hedwig is Harry’s magical pet Snowy Owl. As the melody for Hedwig’s theme is first introduced, it sounds like a whimsical music box and seems to signify


Harry’s childlike innocence. Suddenly the strings come in and take flight, with wild swooping and soaring. You can imagine Hedwig flying high above and soaring right along with the music! The piece takes twists and turns along the way, with dramatic dynamic and tempo changes. Dynamics in music refers to how loud or soft instruments play, and tempo refers to how fast the beat moves. As you listen to the piece, hear how the dynamics and tempo change the mood of the music, alternating between light and airy and dark and foreboding.

DANNY ELFMAN, MUSIC FROM SPIDERMAN

The 2002 Spiderman score was composed by Daniel Robert “Danny” Elfman (born May 29, 1953). He is an American composer best known for scoring music for television and film. In addition to the Spiderman score, his most famous works are The Simpsons main title theme as well as the film score for the 1989 Batman movie. Since his film scoring debut in 1980 for the movie Forbidden Zone, Elfman has been nominated for four Academy Awards, has won a Grammy Award for Batman and an Emmy Award for his Desperate Housewives main theme.

Danny Elfman’s recent compositions include music for the Cirque Du Soleil Show, IRIS, as well as the scores for 2012’s Dark Shadows and Men in Black III, and 2013’s Oz: The Great and Powerful.


All musical instruments can be sorted into four groups called “families.” They are: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion. Except for singing, all music-making is created by members of these groups. The symphony orchestra uses a variety of instruments from all of the families to create beautiful music.

THE STRING FAMILY

Violin Viola Cello Bass

The string section has the most musicians in an orchestra. Why? Because a single string instrument cannot make as much sound as those in the other families. It takes many strings to produce a rich sound that will balance the volume of the woodwinds, brass, and percussion. The orchestra has four main types of string instruments: violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. They are all similar in shape and general design, but they are much different in size and sound.

All instruments in the string family have strings. The different types and sizes of strings are what make the instruments sound so different. They are all played with a bow – a long stick with horsehair stretched across it – which is drawn across the strings. This is called “bowing”. Musicians can also pluck the strings with their fingers, kind of like playing a guitar.



THE WOODWIND FAMILY

Woodwind instruments use air to make musical sounds. Their family name is “Woodwind”, but that doesn’t mean they’re all made of wood. They can be made out of other materials such as metal, plastic, bones, or ivory.

The different shapes, sizes, and materials of the instruments are what help create distinctly different sounds in the woodwind family. Some of the woodwinds in the orchestra include the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.

Many woodwinds, such as the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, use what are called reeds in order to produce sound. Reeds are typically made from cane (a woody plant) and are used on the mouthpiece of the instrument. The oboe, clarinet, and bassoon are played by setting the lips directly onto the reed, dampening it slightly with saliva, and creating sound from the vibration of the player’s breath passing through the reed and into the instrument. A variety of keys on the body of the woodwinds helps create the different notes, or pitches, that are played.

Flutes do not use reeds to make sound. Instead, they require the musician to blow a steady stream of air across a hole in the mouthpiece. Again, the different keys or holes across the body of the flute help create the many different notes you hear the flutist play!

Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon



THE BRASS FAMILY

Trumpet French Horn Trombone Tuba

Some members of the brass family that you will see and hear in the orchestra include the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and the tuba. Most of the instruments in the brass family are actually made of brass – hence their family name!

All brass players create sound by blowing air into the mouthpiece of the instrument and “buzzing” their lips together. The buzzing action of the lips works like the reeds of the woodwind instruments to create vibrations for sound. Brass musicians typically use keys and valves to control the pitch of their instrument.

One brass instrument is very different from the rest because it has no keys or valves to press to change from note to note. That instrument is the trombone. Instead of pressing valves to change pitches, the trombone uses a slide that it moves into different positions. The slide is a long “arm” that the musician moves back and forth and stops at different positions to create each pitch.

The members of the brass family are very loud, so the orchestra usually has only one or two players on each instrument. In order to keep a beautifully balanced orchestra, we don’t need as many brass players as we do strings.


THE PERCUSSION FAMILY

The percussion family includes many different types of instruments. Basically, anything that can be played by being hit, shaken, or scraped is included in the percussion family. Sounds are usually made by striking the instruments with a stick, mallet, or beater. Percussion players are usually very versatile and have been trained to play many different instruments, sometimes all at the same time!

Percussion instruments can range from a simple bass drum (with only a few possible pitches) to the piano which has 88 keys and three pedals that the pianist uses simultaneously! Other instruments that are struck to produce sound include the timpani, xylophone, cymbals, triangle, snare drum, bass drum, woodblocks, gong, and chimes.

Even though there are many instruments in the percussion section, there aren’t as many people back there playing them. In some orchestras, there are only two or three musicians to handle all of the percussion instruments, which is why they often have to play more than one at one time!

Xylophone Triangle Snare Drum

CymbalsTimpani



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The orchestra is situated on the stage to allow the best possible sound to reach the audience. Here are some questions and answers for you…

Q: Where are the brass and percussion instruments? A: In the back, farthest from the audience

Q: Why do you think they are seated way in the back? A: Because they are the loudest instruments and their sound will carry over all the others in front of them. If they were in front, they might sound too loud to the audience.

Q: Why do you think the conductor’s podium is placed where it is?A: So all the musicians can see him or her clearly.

Q: Why are there so many violins compared to other instruments?A: Each violin doesn’t make as much sound as each ‘cello because violins are smaller than cellos. That’s why there are fewer cellos than violins—so the sound will be balanced.

The picture above is misleading: there are usually many fewer cellos and basses than violins, but they do take up a big part of the stage since the instruments are bigger.

STAGE LAYOUT

William Intriligator was named Music Director and Conductor of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra (DSO) in July 2000. In the past 15 years with the DSO, Maestro Intriligator has helped the orchestra perform for more people, perform different types of music, and perform at an increasingly higher level. In 2013, he won the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society’s Elisha Darlin Award in recognition of his impact on the cultural landscape of Dubuque, and, that same year, he led the DSO in a nationally syndicated PBS special, “The Power of Music” featuring 12-year old musical prodigy Ethan Bortnick.

Born in July 1970 in California, Intriligator grew up in Santa Monica where he sang in a youth choir and played clarinet, then switched to oboe. He got “serious” about music playing the oboe, and he worked hard at it. He played in many orchestras, won competitions, gave recitals, and was a soloist with orchestras.

Intriligator attended Princeton University, where he graduated with highest honors in music. During that time he began studying conducting, composition, music history, music theory, violin, and piano, and was awarded a prize for being the most outstanding musician in his class. He then studied music in Europe for a year and returned to the U.S. to earn his masters and doctoral degrees in conducting at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Intriligator also serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra in Wyoming. Previously, he served as Apprentice Conductor and Staff Conductor to the Minnesota Orchestra and as Music Director of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in Minneapolis before coming to Dubuque. He has also conducted many professional orchestras including those in Honolulu, Houston, Richmond, Savannah, St. Paul, and Tulsa.

Some of you may wonder about his baton—that is the long stick he uses when he conducts. The baton allows the musicians—even those at the very back of the stage—to see just how the conductor wants the music to sound. Maestro Intriligator’s baton is customized to fit his hand perfectly and to balance itself beautifully. It is 15-and-a-half inches long, with a graphite shaft that is painted white. The handle is shaped into a narrow teardrop and is made from lignum vitae, one of the hardest types of wood in the world.

Maestro Intriligator believes that music is one of life’s greatest blessings. He believes that, in our own ways, we are all musicians and music-lovers. He also believes in the amazing power of a great orchestra concert. His own mission is to create great concert performances for more and more people, and, by doing so, to inspire others, to bring people together, and to make the world a better place. He really looks forward to hosting and conducting these Arts Trek concerts every year. Each year, he reminds the DSO musicians that these Arts Trek concerts are the most important concerts they play all year, since many of you are hearing an orchestra for the first time and they will want to inspire you to play an instrument yourself.

Maestro Intriligator lives in Dubuque with his wife Lisa, their four sons Schuyler (10), Gabriel (9), Ethan (7), and Cameron (7), and their two cats. Besides making music and spending time with his family, he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, playing tennis, reading, and going to the movies.

MEET THE CONDUCTOR: WILLIAM INTRILIGATOR



The “Concertmaster” is the first-chair, lead violinist in a symphony orchestra. This is a special position of leadership and respect. If the conductor of the orchestra is like the “coach,” then the concertmaster is very much like the “captain” of the team. That person makes important musical decisions, leads the tuning of the orchestra, coordinates with the leaders of the other instrument sections (called “principals”), and is a spokesperson for the musicians. The concertmaster makes a special entrance at the beginning of each concert. The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster is Caroline Curtis.

Caroline has played with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra for almost 40 years. She began playing with the orchestra while still a student attending DePaul University and has been Principal 2nd Violin, Associate Concertmaster, and now Concertmaster. In March 2007, she was a featured soloist on the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra Classics Series, performing Saint-Saens’ Violin Concerto No. 3.

Caroline’s credentials are quite extensive. She taught orchestra in the public schools for 7 years and guest conducted for many orchestra festivals. She then went back to performing on violin, which she truly loves. “I love to play for people and connect with them through my music. I believe it’s my calling in life.”

Caroline is what one might call a versatile violinist. Besides the DSO, she played for 15 years with the Northwest Indiana Symphony and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. She recently performed as Concertmaster with the Polish American Orchestra, The Joffrey Ballet, Downers Grove Choral Society and Opera Piccola, all in Chicago. She has also played with the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, and has been a regular member of the Ken Arlen Orchestra for many years. This is one of the top wedding/society/corporate bands in the city of Chicago. For the past 7 years they have performed at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas on New Years Eve. She is also part of a violin rock show called the “Sirens”. They have performed at many high-end functions throughout the United States and Canada. They recently performed the National Anthem at a Chicago Bulls Game, which was televised nationally.

On another side, she has played with many famous entertainers, including Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Led Zepplin (Page-Plant Tour), Moody Blues, Kansas, Dennis DeYoung, Johnny Mathis, Garth Brooks, Andrea Bocelli (with an Oprah Winfrey performance and taping), and Bob Hope. She was also on a TV program performing with Lyle Lovett and Randy Newman. In April of 2003 she was flown to Hawaii to perform with Charlotte Church.

Playing for a live showing of “The Lord of the Rings” video with the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra and performing video game music from “Final Fantasy” and “Zelda” were unusual but fun experiences, she says. “I love playing all types of music, from Bach to Rock”.

Caroline resides with her husband, Paul, in Berwyn, Illinois. They have two children, daughter Sabrina (recently married) and son Alex, soon to be married.

MEET THE CONCERTMASTER: CAROLINE CURTIS


Symphony Musicians

All of the musicians in the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra are normal people, like you and me. They have families, hobbies, favorite foods, etc., but they are also professional musicians. What does it mean to be a professional musician?

Each musician has had years of training, practice, and school degrees to play their instrument. But even then, they must all audition to be part of the symphony. The competition and high standards can be fierce.

Each of the musicians is paid to perform with the symphony. Many of the musicians perform with other regional orchestras, as well.

The musicians must buy their concert clothing. Fancy black dresses or tuxedos are their special “team uniforms” for the orchestra. The players all have their own personal warm up routines and eating regimen before rehearsals and concerts too.

Musicians (and audiences!) must be sure their cell phones are turned off and kept backstage in order not to disturb the concert or rehearsal.

To work as a great team and to be truly professional, musicians have to put their personal concerns aside and focus only on their task of making music.

For example, they may not be feeling well, but the rest of the orchestra is counting on them to be there to perform. Or they may be seated next to another musician who made them angry; but, once they are on stage, they are all part of the team and must put aside that anger and focus on the music. They all have to work together to make the music sound beautiful.

• What preparations are the students making that musicians will also be making before the concert?

• Why is it important for the musicians to be on time?

• Why is it important for the conductor and musicians to warm up before their performance?

• Why is it important for the musicians to be very responsible and take care of their instruments just like the students must take care of their school supplies?

What is the role of the conductor? What similarities does a teacher of a classroom have to the conductors of an orchestra? Did you know that “maestro” means “teacher” in Italian? Great conductors teach the musicians, in a sense, and are often called maestro as a way of showing respect.


Five Flags Theater

Five Flags Theater is situated on a historic site that has been used for public entertainment in Dubuque since 1840. Built as the Majestic in 1910, the theater was designed by the famous theater designers Rapp & Rapp, and modeled after the Moulin Rouge and Olympia Music Halls in Paris, France.

The coming of film, around 1929, replaced live theater and changed the Majestic name to the Orpheum movie theater. In 1969, with new developments on the west side of Dubuque and the downtown seeing fewer and fewer patrons, the theater was slated for demolition. Luckily, it “dodged the wrecking ball” in the eleventh hour, spared by a group of Dubuquers who believed the theater was an irreplaceable treasure. It was placed on the National Register of

Historic Places in 1972 and became the seed for the development of Five Flags Civic Center, a city block dedicated to entertainment in Dubuque.

Still standing strong at 4th and Main Streets in downtown, the Five Flags Theater shares the block with her modern-day grandson, Five Flags Arena. The 103 year old Five Flags Theater has undergone changes in its long history and recently special care was taken to preserve it, returning it to its original paint colors and such, with the expertise of the area’s premier restoration professionals. The theater is home to the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.

Left: Entrance to Five Flags

Theater located along Main St.

Right: View from on the Five Flags

Theater stage.

Bottom: View of audience from a side box seat.


Concert Etiquette

Imagine you are at a Dubuque Symphony Orchestra concert. You are in a fancy concert hall. When you arrive, the stage has many musicians on it, each playing their instrument to prepare for the concert. They are “warming up,” just like athletes before a game or competition.

This can be fun to watch. Notice how they aren’t playing as a group; rather, each player is playing their own warm up alone. Some of them practice a difficult part, others play a special warm-up exercise, and some just play a favorite piece of music. Sometimes they chat with other players near them. Then the lights go down in the audience. This signals the concert is about to begin.

Q: What should you do at this time?A: Take your seat and sit quietly.

Next, the Concertmaster walks onstage carrying her violin.

Q: What is the appropriate thing to do?A: Applaud, and then sit quietly.

The Concertmaster bows to recognize your applause. Then she turns to the oboist and asks him or her to play the note “A” for the entire orchestra to tune.

Q: What do you do during this?A: Sit quietly so the musicians can focus and hear the tuning.

The Concertmaster takes her seat. The entire orchestra sits quietly, waiting for the entrance of the conductor. Then Maestro Intriligator enters the stage.


Etiquette, continued...

Q: What do you do?A: Applaud.

He asks the orchestra to stand in response to your applause and he bows as well. Then Maestro Intriligator raises his baton to signal the orchestra to play. Now the music begins!

Q: What do you do?A: Listen quietly and attentively. Watch the musicians and the conductor. Imagine.

The music has been playing for several minutes and a friend wants to tell you something or joke with you.

Q: What do you do?A: Motion him/her to stop and not to talk, then continue listening.

Attending a concert is similar to going to the movies: once it’s started, there should be no talking.

The music has stopped, but Maestro Intriligator’s arms are still in the air. He is pausing between sections of the piece.

Q: What do you do?A: Wait quietly

The music has stopped; the conductor turns to the audience.

Q: What do you do? A: Applaud enthusiastically!

The conductor will bow to you again. There will likely be another musical selection after this, and when it starts, you can listen quietly again.The concert has ended. The whole orchestra stands up again.

Q: What do you do? A: Applaud for all the musicians. If you really, truly liked the music and the way it was played, you may, at this time, yell “bravo!” (Italian word meaning “great job!”) or “encore!” (French word meaning “play it again!”).

Now sit quietly and wait for exiting instructions from your teacher or from the symphony staff.

Thank you for coming and being a great audience!!


2nd Letter for Students

Hi, again! By now, you probably know a lot about the concert you are going to see on October 16th. That’s great! You probably already learned about concert etiquette—that’s a fancy word that means how to act and what to do. Let me explain a bit about concert etiquette…

The musicians in the orchestra and I depend on you for our success. We are very aware of the audience, and we can hear any sounds you might make. An audience shows its appreciation with careful, quiet listening and watching during the performance—and by applauding once the performance has ended. Your attention and applause inspire us to perform better and make us happy.

We encourage you to listen and watch attentively to this live concert. Although you may not take photographs or make a recording of this performance, we recommend using your eyes, ears, and heart to make a memory of this event.

As you listen to the concert, let your imagination take you wherever it wants to go. Let your mind make pictures inspired by the music. If you see a particular instrument and it looks and sounds interesting, imagine what it would be like to play the instrument. Try to hear just that one instrument for a while. If something that the players do catches your attention, see if you can hear what it does to the sound.

We want you to really enjoy the music, and we hope that you get swept away by it. However, we ask that you refrain from talking, singing, humming, or foot-tapping during the performance. I hope you can understand why: you see, with hundreds of people in the audience, if a lot of people did those things, there would be chaos in the concert hall. The noise and distraction would disturb the musicians performing as well as disturb the other students listening.

Also, please remember that no drink, food, or gum is allowed in the auditorium. And finally, since leaving the auditorium during a performance is also disruptive, please use the restroom prior to the performance or prior to leaving your school.

Thanks, you guys! With your help, it’s going to be a great concert for us all!

See you there,

Dr. William Intriligator

(To be read to students once they have learned about the program and about concert etiquette)


Web Explorations

The following websites provide students with opportunities to explore the instruments of the orchestra as well as basic music concepts. The sites include demonstrations of the instruments of the orchestra, information about composers and even composition building features.

These sites have been featured because they are designed specifically for use by kids and are ideal for classroom explorations. As with any web exploration, it is preferable for the teacher to preview the websites. Due to the interactive components of these sites, they are best viewed with a high-speed internet connection.

DSO KIDS: www.dsokids.comThe Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s magical doorway to a world of musical fun and learning for students, parents and teachers.

The New York Philharmonic Kidzone: www.nyphilkids.org

SFS KIDS: www.sfskids.com The San Francisco Kids Symphony website.

YouTube: www.youtube.comYouTube is another great resource for listening to music online. Almost all pieces of classical music are now on YouTube. However, the specific YouTube sites for the pieces you may be searching for may have comments that are not censored and could contain comments unsuitable for children. Please explore each site beforehand.

WEB

SITE

S



In preparation for your classroom’s live symphony experience, the following ideas for classroom activities may help boost the level of excitement for your students. Feel free to modify and adapt the activities to best suit the needs of your class.

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this activity is to engage the students’ minds to identify the mystery composer! The students will need to think of descriptive yes or no questions that may help them identify who they are trying to unveil. Of course, they will need to be more creative than, “Is it Beethoven?” in regards to the questions they ask. Instead, they should ask questions such as, “Did they lose their hearing?” or “Are they still living?” to help guide them.

MATERIALS NEEDED:• Images of the composers recently discussed that are related to the Arts Trek performance on flashcards: Williams, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Ibert, Tomasi, and Badelt.

ACTIVITYHave a student pick a composer out of the stack of flashcards. Ask that student to show you who they picked so you can help guide the other students if necessary. The rest of the class asks up to twenty yes or no questions – one at a time of course! The questions must be yes or no based which will help hint at who the student is thinking of. The student who correctly identifies the composer the other student is thinking of gets to choose a new composer and the game starts again!

Activity #1

TWENTY QUESTIONS



OBJECTIVE:This classroom activity will display information the students are already aware of as well as point out what they still need to improve upon. This will help guide areas the teacher may need to focus on with the students. After they attend the Arts Trek performance, they will be able to see what they learned from the classroom activities through the concert and spot their progress.

MATERIALS NEEDED:• Large poster paper or side/spare blackboard with proper writing utensils. • The chart should have three columns – one marked “Know”, the next “Want to Know, and the last “Learned”.

ACTIVITY• Fill out the first to columns (“Know” and “Want to Know”) prior to the Arts Trek concert

and possibly before some of your other classroom activities involving the orchestra.

• “Know” – Includes information the students already know about the orchestra, instruments, the type of music the symphony plays/will play, Maestro Intriligator, or the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.

• “Want to know” – Includes questions the students want to learn answers to. The answers may come to them during your other classroom activities, but most certainly after they attend the Arts Trek performance. Keeping these posted will keep the students intrigued and motivated for the upcoming concert.

• “Learned” – Includes the answers or other information the students learned from the classroom activities and the Arts Trek performance. They will hopefully be able to answer the questions listed in the “Want to know” column along with other information they weren’t expecting to learn.

• Review the chart throughout your other lessons leading up to the performance and review the entire chart after the performance.

Activity #2

KWL CHART



OBJECTIVE:Creating a story as a class involves major creativity, teamwork, attentive listening, and participation from everyone. Together they will create a unique story about a piece of music. Feel free to share their story with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra – we would love to hear what they came up with!

MATERIALS NEEDED:• Recording(s) of the Arts Trek program music.• CD Player

ACTIVITY• Ask the students to listen carefully to the music you are about

to play. Do not tell the students the title of the piece or any other information about it.

• Have the students sit in a large circle.

• As the students listen to the selected piece of music, they will think of a creative story line to complete a story.

• The teacher may begin to set them off on a good start. “Once upon a time…” and go from there!

• Each student thereafter will have a chance to tell a brief segment of their story that the music portrays. Once they feel they contributed enough to the story, have them “finish” by saying, “and then…” so the next student knows when to begin.

• Continue around the circle until the music ends, or maybe even when their story reaches a good conclusion.

Activity #3

STORY CIRCLE



OBJECTIVE:Students will interact with each other as they listen to hear their card called in a unique way.

MATERIALS NEEDED:• Flashcards which say “I have …” at the top, and below it identifies a new card by asking,

“Who has the … ?”

• Be creative when creating your own set of cards. Be sure to use terms, instruments, and people you have recently discussed in class.

• Example Cards:

ACTIVITY• Whoever has the card saying, “I have the first card” begins by reading the lower question –

“Who has the first violinist?”

• By listening closely, the students will be able to complete the chain!

Activity #4

“I HAVE”

I have the first card.

Who has the first violinist?

I have Concertmaster.

Who has the family of instruments that includes the viola?

I have Strings.

Who has the name of the conductor of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra?

I have William Intriligator.

Who has the name of the family that includes the timpani?

I have Percussion.

Who has the name of the stick the conductor uses?

I have Baton.

Who wants to play again!?



OBJECTIVE:The students will use their imagination as they listen carefully to the selected music. While listening to the music, the students will be creative in drawing their interpretation of the music and what they believe the music illustrates.

MATERIALS NEEDED:• Recording(s) of the Arts Trek program music.• CD Player• Paper for the students• Crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc. for the students

ACTIVITY• Ask the students to listen to the music that you are about

to play. Do not tell the students the title of the piece or any other information about the music they are about to hear.

• Encourage the students to draw the images that come to mind while they hear the music. There is no right or wrong answer.

• At the conclusion of the activity, display the artwork created by the students around the classroom.

• Facilitate a gallery walk. Allow each student to talk about the picture they completed!

Activity #5

MUSIC & IMAGINATION

The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra would love to display the artwork created by students attending this year’s Arks Trek concert. Please mail student artwork to the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra or bring to the DSO office.


After the Concert

FOLLOW UP

The classroom teacher has the best opportunity for immediate follow-up on the concert experience. The follow-up is just as important as the trip itself and the preparation.

Some Ideas:

1. Ask Students• What did you expect from the concert?

And were your expectations met? • What surprised you?• What did you notice about the concert hall?• What happened first? Next?• What did the concertmaster do? • What did the conductor do during the

performance? • What did you hear during the concert? • Which instruments were the busiest?• What was your favorite instrument? • How did you feel during the concert? Why?• Which music was happy? Most exciting?

Strangest? Loudest? Scariest?• What was your favorite part of the concert?

Why?

2. Review the things you did prior to the concert.

3. Play the music again on a recording. Ask your students what is different about listening to a recording versus a live orchestra.

4. Write a thank you note to Mark and Cheryl Falb for their generous sponsorship of the Arts Trek concerts. (The DSO will gladly forward these notes to the Falb family, so you can mail them to the DSO address below).

5. Write the DSO staff, conductor, or musicians—we would love to have letters and samples of your students’ work resulting from their Arts Trek experience. Please send these, along with any suggestions or feedback, to:

Dubuque Symphony Orchestra2728 Asbury Road, Suite 900Dubuque, IA 52001

6. If you enjoyed the concert, consider writing a letter to the editor of the Telegraph Herald about it. Email letters to [email protected] or mail to:

Telegraph Herald P.O. Box 688Dubuque, IA 52004-0688

Dubuque Symphony Orchestra2728 Asbury Rd, Suite 900

Dubuque, Iowa 52001

(5633) 557-1677www.DubuqueSymphony.org

2014 3rd Grade Teacher's Guide

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Transcript of 2014 3rd Grade Teacher's Guide