T h e Los A L A m os N AT i o N A L B A N k PoPejoy Schooltime SerieS T e Ac h i N g g u i d e D c EE Tm H SR A RA C

The AnimATed STAge Show

Beethoven’sWig

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 PresenTed by richard PerlmuTTer

Grad

es: K

- 5 Dreamcatchers Teaching Guides align with

the Common Core State Standards and New Mexico State Learning Standards.

Beethoven’s Wig — The Animated Stage Show Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 2

Four-time Grammy nominated musical act Beethoven’s Wig revives classical music

by setting witty lyrics to masterpieces by Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, and others. Star

Richard Perlmutter not only writes all the lyrics in the show, but also performs them

while playing the piano, guitar, and mandolin.

Beethoven’s Wig —The Animated Stage Show features a cast of cartoon characters

projected on a big screen who sing and amuse the audience. These colorful

characters include an opera singing frog, a cello playing robot, and a dinosaur diva.

The cartoons sing, play, and dance along to every tune, while an animated Beethoven

leads the lively orchestra. With audience participation encouraged, these fun and

fresh songs are an appealing, accessible way to introduce students to classical music.

The practice of setting lyrics to classical melodies is almost as old as classical music

itself. And it also has a long tradition in popular music. Songs performed by Elvis

Presley, the Beatles, Billy Joel, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Janet Jackson have

elements borrowed from classical melodies.

Before the Internet and television were invented, radio was the most popular form

of entertainment. Between the years 1928 and 1942, audiences tuned in to a popular

radio show called “The Music Appreciation Hour.” The show was hosted by the

conductor of one of the most well known orchestras in America, Water Damrosch.

Damrosch added words to famous classical melodies in order to help his audiences

recognize and remember the songs. The show was so popular that teachers played

it in classrooms across America and more than seven million students followed along

with workbooks. In the spirit of Damrosch’s radio hour, Beethoven’s Wig is the first

collection of recorded albums that set lyrics to classical music. The show not only

introduces children to musical masterpieces but also provides information about the

composers, and their historical periods.

IntroductIon

To play the wrong notes is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable.”

—LuDWIG vAn BEETHovEn ‘‘Standards Addressed By Attending the Performance

New mexico content

standards: Fine Arts/Theatre & Music/

Standard 3

Beethoven’s Wig — The Animated Stage Show Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 3

Vocabularyanimation—bringing something to life on screen using drawings or other forms of illustration

big wig—a very important person

composer—a person who writes music

diva—a female singer who is the star of the show, usually in an opera

lullaby—a piece of music that is very quiet, peaceful, and helps “lull” someone to sleep

lyrics—the words of a song

melody—the order of notes in a piece of music

symphony—a long piece of music that usually has three or more sections, called movements

orchestra—a group of performers who play a variety of musical instruments

prodigy—a child who demonstrates a great gift at something at a very early age

virtuoso—someone who is a very skillful performer

Fun Facts for Students The names of Beethoven’s Wig songs associated with each fact are in parenthesis.

in his “1812 overture” (“Tchaikovsky’s Cannonball”) the composer Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky wanted to make a big bang by firing cannons during the piece. In the uS, it has become a tradition to perform the piece during 4th of July celebrations!

“Fur elise” means “For elise” in german (“Just For Elise”). Ludwig van Beethoven did not, in fact, write the song for a woman called Elise. Forty years after he died, the piece was discovered in the trunk of a woman named Therese. Beethoven’s handwriting was so bad that the person who first discovered the composition thought he had written Elise, not Therese.

Ladies who danced the “Can Can” to Jacques offenbach’s famous piece (“Can You Can Can?”) kicked their legs high in the air and did splits and cartwheels.

The term “ragtime” (“Piano Stuck

In The Door”) was used to describe the music of Scott Joplin because it is syncopated, meaning that the accents are off the beat. When people first heard it they thought it was being played in a “ragged manner” or “ragged time.”

The “moonlight Sonata” (“Beep Beep Beep”) was not the title that Beethoven gave this famous piano piece. The composition was given that name by a music critic who said the piece reminded him of moonlight over a lake.

Some people say that Joseph Haydn composed his “Surprise Symphony” (“Haydn’s Great Surprise”) because he was upset that people were falling asleep in the concert hall. The loud burst is meant to wake them up!

The most famous lullaby in the world is simply called by the composer’s name, “Brahms’ Lullaby” (“I Can’t Sleep”). Johannes Brahams named the piece in his native German, “Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, Gute nacht,” which means “Good Evening, Good night.” It is also sometimes called “The Cradle Song.”

The famous piano tune “Chopsticks” (“My Little Chicken”) was written by Euphema Allen when she was sixteen-years old. The composition was first

published under the male pseudonym of Arthur de Lulli. The song was originally called “The Celebrated Chop Waltz” because Allen said when you play it, you should chop down on the keys.

There are some opera singers who can actually shatter glass with their loud high-pitched voices (“Sing verdi very Loud”).

no one knows the exact date of Beethoven’s birth! He was baptized on December 17th, 1770 making it likely that he was born the day before.

Beethoven kept a daily diary of his life in vienna, giving us insight into his personality and his life.

Beethoven started to go deaf around the age of 25. He was worried about how this would affect his composing, but it didn’t seem to stop the genius!

Composer Johann Sebastian Bach had 20 children with wife Maria Barbara Bach.

Composer wolfgang Amadeus mozart composed 30 symphonies by the age of 18.

The film Amadeus, about Mozart’s life and career, won 40 awards including Best Picture in 1984.

Beethoven’s Wig — The Animated Stage Show Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 4

the Big threeJohannes Sebastian Bach (1685—1750) is considered by many to be the greatest composer who ever lived. He wrote a tremendous amount of music that influenced almost every composer who followed him. Bach was not only the most famous musician of his time, but he was a member of an extended group of over 50 musicians and composers that were active for over 200 years. He once explained the secret to his success, saying, “I work hard.”

wolfgang Amadeus mozart (1756—1791) was one of the greatest child prodigies in history. Mozart started playing the piano at 3 years old and composed his first piece at 4. His father, Leopold, introduced the world of music to his son, and became his first teacher. By the age of 6, Mozart and his father toured Europe to show off his remarkable talent. Mozart performed numerous concerts for European nobility, including a few kings and queens.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827) wrote nine groundbreaking symphonies that are considered to be among the greatest achievements in art. Interestingly, Beethoven wrote some of his best music when he was deaf. He began to lose his hearing in his twenties and by the time he composed his famous Ninth Symphony, he was completely deaf. When he conducted the first performance of his ninth symphony, he kept on waving his arms because he could not hear that the musicians had stopped playing.

the Instruments The melodies of “Beethoven’s Wig,” and “Can You Can Can?” are originally written for entire orchestras. Instruments in an orchestra are divided into four groups:

strings, which include the violin, viola, cello, and the double bass

woodwinds, which include the clarinet, flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, and the English horn

brass, which include the French horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba

percussion, which include tympani, drums, cymbals, triangle, and gongs

During the concert, Richard Perlmutter plays several instruments including the piano, the guitar, and the mandolin.

The Piano is one of the most versatile instruments because its 88 keys make 88 different notes – more than almost any other instrument. The piano can produce many notes at the same time making it possible to play chords and harmonies. More than that, pianos can be played either loudly or softly and hold notes for different lengths of time. The many different ways to play the piano make it a great instrument for both solos and accompaniment.

guitars are everywhere and there are many different types. Electric guitars are common in rock ’n roll, and acoustic guitars are often used in folk and pop music. Many popular genres such as jazz, blues, bluegrass, and even classical music, include a part for the guitar. Bach wrote several pieces that are popular among classical guitar players today. originally, Bach wrote the compositions for the lute, a small instrument with 15—24 strings. Guitar players have adapted these compositions for the modern guitar. Guitars generally have six strings, although bass and tenor guitars have four.

The mandolin is a stringed instrument played in many genres of music. It looks a little like a small guitar with eight strings. It is probably best known for the clear twang it makes in bluegrass music, although there are many classical music pieces that feature the mandolin, including a couple written by Beethoven.

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Beethoven’s Wig — The Animated Stage Show Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 5

objectives

materials • a recording of Beethoven’s Wig songs – all songs and lyrics can be found on the Beethoven’s Wig website and on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify.

• paper

• a pencil

Procedure • Listen to several songs on the Beethoven’s Wig soundtrack. We recommend: “Wow What A Wed-ding Cake,” “I Can’t Sleep,” “Just For Elise,” “Kings and Queens of England,” “Haydn’s Great Surprise,” “Harmony,” “My Little Chicken,” and “Poor uncle Joe.”

• Then write your own lyrics to the song. Students do not have to write

lyrics for the whole song, but can

choose one section or even just one

rhyming couplet.

• Example 1: use the first two lines

of “Poor uncle Joe”

Music is fun when you keep a steady beat

Here’s how it’s done, tap your toes and stamp your feet

• Example 2: use “Bull In A China

Shop”

I saw a cowboy riding on a cow

Wow what a cow she took a bow

extensions/modifications

Assessment

using a piece from Beethoven’s Wig, students will write their own lyrics to a masterpiece of classical music.

Students will:• create original lyrics to a classical piece.

• Students find out something about a composer or a particular piece of music and write lyrics that reflect what they have learned.

• Different songs have different rhyming structures (AABB, ABAB, etc.). Listen to some Beethoven’s Wig songs, (Start with “Wow What A Wedding Cake” and “Sing verdi very Loud”) and see if students can figure the rhyming structure in each of these songs. now have students listen to some popular songs and try to identify their structure. See if they can identify different kinds of rhyme schemes like AABB, ABAB, etc.

• Assess how students are able to rhyme

• See if students can hear and identify a rhyming scheme

• See if students can determine where to place rhyming words in a song

• Asssess the quality of participation

Beethoven’s co-Writerlesson 1Grades 3 - 5

Nmccss L.2, L.3, L.5, L.6,

W.1, W.10, RL.3

New mexico content

standards: Fine Arts/Music/

Standard 2 & 3

Beethoven’s Wig — The Animated Stage Show Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 6

Grades 3 - 5 Nmccss

SL.1, SL.4, SL.6

New mexico content

standards: Fine Arts/Music & Art/

Standard 2 & 3

objectives

materials • a laptop or another way of showing videos from YouTube

• videos from Disney, Warner Brothers, or other well-known cartoons. “Fantasia,” “Peanuts,” and “Bugs Bunny with Beethoven” are excellent sources for this lesson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdRZl9g_5tw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYm84n-2Sas&list=PLVmav6yodoopiS6dimBfeiZ2ir_ZF8nYy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuQBjuySvyw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmnlxYkZKaU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYk7Pei5kuY&list=PLA9B4Ad17257F95e8

Procedure • Have the students review the music from the show.

• Encourage thoughts and conver-sation about the music.

• Does any of the music seem familiar? Where could they have heard it?

• Play several videos of cartoons

that encompass Classical music.

• Discuss:

a) Did they like the piece? Why or why not?

b) Does the music selected add to the storyline? How?

c)Is there another piece they

would have chosen? What is it? Why? Play it with the video sound turned off. Discuss.

d) Have the children find more pieces they enjoy and recog-nize. Commercials are excel-lent sources for short, familiar music all genres.

extensions

Assessment/modifications

Students will:

• recall what they heard in the show.

• listen to music written by Beethoven and find them in cartoons.

• discuss why these pieces may have been chosen and how they move the story line forward.

• become aware of the many ways music is used in their lives.

• older students can make a flipbook, video or short film and set a classical score to their work.

• Listen to another classical composition and ask students what they imagine could be happening in a cartoon or movie.

• Quality of participation

classical Music in cartoonslesson 2

Beethoven’s Wig — The Animated Stage Show Teaching guide Dreamcatchers 7

Questions to Engage & connectAfter seeing the show, ask

your students to answer these questions:

how did the cartoon characters and Richard talk

to each other?

why do composers choose certain instruments

for their music?

would songs sound different with other

instruments?

would songs feel different with other instruments?

Maybe more sad, or more cheerful? name a “happy”

and “sad” instrument. Why?

what were your favorite songs from Beethoven’s

Wig, and what did you like about them?

what is your favorite genre of music? Are there similarities in this genre to classical music? To other

genres of music?

have you ever tried to write a song? Poetry is a great

place to start.

Bonus Explorations Lessons & Activities

Listen to a song on Beethoven’s Wig, or any other song you like. Can you name the instruments playing? Can you tell how many people are singing? How are the songs different with a full orchestra or with a band? Is it one voice or a chorus? Which do you prefer and why?

Be An opera Star!

Choose one of the opera songs from Beethoven’s Wig. Three good ones are: “Bull in a China Shop,” “Sing verdi very Loud,” and “Midnight Snack.” Learn the song, and have the class sing along with the recording. Then sing the song without the recording, once you’ve mastered the opera! Ask the class if there are words in the song that they don’t know, and define them together. Compare these lyrics to the original (translated) Italian versions of these songs. Discuss how the meanings of the songs are different. opera singers had to act while singing. Have your class split up into groups of three or four and act out one of the operas from Beethoven’s Wig, and perform it for the class!

Rhyme Time

In the Beethoven’s Wig song, “Just for Elise” many different words rhyme with “Elise”—almost every line in the song ends with one. Choose a word and see how many rhymes you can make with it. Hint: words that end in vowel sounds usually have lots of rhyming partners.

Find more than seven words that rhyme, and try to use the melody of “Fur Elise” to make up your own lyrics!

Composer Conversation (requires student research)

visit classicfm.com for a list of the ten most famous composers. Watch the “Fast and Friendly Guide” video on each composer’s page, and explore the “15 Facts about…” section. Have each student pick a composer, and his time period. They should consider some or all of the following questions:

What was going on in this time period? Were there scientific discoveries? Was theater popular? What sports were played? Who was involved at this time period?

Where did the composer live? Was it a populated place? What was the landscape like?

What were this composer’s interests aside from music? Did he cook? Did he enjoy time with his family and friends?

After the students are familiar with their

composer, have them select another person that lived during the same time and same place as their composer. He or she could have done anything (an artist, scientist, writer).

Have the students create an imaginary conversation between their composer, and this person. They can draw a scenario from the conversation on drawing paper, and share it with the class!

resourcesBooks

Richard Perlmutter. Beethoven’s Wig. Rounder Books Publishing. 2005.

Richard Perlmutter. Beethoven’s Wig Songbook Piano/Vocal Edition. Alfred Music Publishing. 2012.

websites

Beethoven’s wig A website of all the music and lyrics from the show.

San Francisco Symphony Kids A website to learn more about classical music through fun and games.

Classics for Kids Discover the lives and interests of some of the greatest composers of all time, along with news on classical music.

Videos

Beethoven’s wig on the show’s YouTube channel, you can watch live performances of Richard and the Cartoon orchestra.

About the PerformerRichard Perlmutter used to toy with the idea of applying lyrics to the classical masterpieces. After completing his first album, Sing Along Symphonies, he decided to expand his vision to the musical Beethoven’s Wig and then into four more family-friendly albums. Richard has inspired and excited millions of children about “serious music” and he has received over 50 national Awards for his work. For more on Richard Perlmutter, visit his website.

SchooltimeSER IES

POPEJOY••••••••••••

About the Schooltime SeriesThe Los Alamos national Bank Popejoy Schooltime Series brings you national and international touring companies and performers you can’t see anywhere else in or around Albuquerque. Each touring company is selected with youth and family audiences in mind, and our repertoire reflects the cultural diversity of our global community. The Schooltime Series includes new plays, familiar stories, literary works, biographies, mythologies, folk tales, music, dance, and puppetry. These professional performing artists create educational experiences designed to encourage literacy, creativity, communication, and imagination.

Send an email with your name and email address to schooltime@popejoypresents.com requesting to be added to the mailing and monthly newsletter list. visit us at schooltimeseries.com and facebook.com/schooltimeseries.

Popejoy HallPopejoy Hall is new Mexico’s premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. our mission is to provide access to the performing arts for all new Mexicans.

EtiquetteThe inside of a theatre is called a “house” and to get along, have fun, and enjoy the shows, there are rules to follow. Schooltime provides a wonderful opportunity to learn how good behavior in a live theater is different from watching television at home. For guidelines to practice with your class and chaperones go to schooltimeseries.com/house-policies.

House PoliciesPlease visit our website for detailed information about house Policies. This includes our guidelines on safety, special needs, food and drink, backpacks, cell phones, photography, recordings, and more.

credits Dreamcatchers are Teaching Guides produced by the Education Department of Popejoy Hall, Albuquerque, new Mexico. Selected Dreamcatchers Teaching Guide materials provided by Richard Perlmutter, Classic Fm, and other resources noted within this guide.

the university of new MexicoThe Los Alamos national Bank Popejoy Schooltime Series is a program of The university of new Mexico.

the Schooltime Series is a proud member of

the lANB Popejoy Schooltime Series is supported in part by

awards from:

The Eugene and Marion Castiglia Popejoy Children’s

Schooltime Endowment

The Popejoy Schooltime Education Endowment