uncle sam’s symphony - knoxville symphony orchestra · pdf fileuncle sam’s...
TRANSCRIPT
Fall 2017 Teacher’s Guide Knoxville Civic Auditorium: October 24, 25, 26, 2017
Niswonger Performing Arts Center: November 1, 2017
Aram Demirjian, Music Director
Uncle Sam’s Symphony
What is a Composer?
A composer is a person that writes music. He or she can write music for groups as large as a
symphony orchestra, or as small as a single instrument. Many times in orchestral works the
composer tells a story. All of the different instruments of the orchestra are the actors in the story.
A composer can write a song based on many different things, such as a dream, a place, a person,
or a poem. Sometimes they even create a song by mixing many different songs. A composer has
the ability to hear a tune in his head and write it down as notes for instruments.
This ear symbol will give students something to listen for in select pieces.
Table of Contents
The following program notes were written for the students.
The Star Spangled Banner John Stafford Smith American Salute Morton Gould “Polonaise” from Eugene Onegin Pytor Tchaikovsky Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Plink, Plank, Plunk Leroy Anderson “Dance of the Reed Pipes” from The Nutcracker Pytor Tchaikovsky/arr. Warren Clark Fanfare for the Common Man Aaron Copland Clapping Music Steve Reich Hungarian Dance No. 5 Johannes Brahms -or- Thunder and Lightning Polka Johann Strauss, Jr. -or- Waltz #2 from Suite for Variety Orchestra Dmitri Shostakovich The Stars and Stripes Forever John Philip Sousa
Uncle Sam’s Symphony
Lessons marked with this symbol should be completed before the concert—your students will be asked to participate with the KSO!
Program Notes: Our Composers and their Music 2, 4 - 8 Music: Star Spangled Banner 3 The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra 9 Branches of Government/Structure of an Orchestra 10 - 11 What Is a Conductor/Aram Demirjian 12 The Strings 13 The Woodwinds 15 The Brass 17 The Percussion 19 Lessons & Activities Be an informed voter! 21 Hungarian Dance 22 Thunder and Lightning Polka 23 Waltz No. 2 from Suite for Variety Orchestra 24 Writing Challenge 25 Listening Maps 25 - 28 Additional Activities/Resources and Core Standards 29 Student Program Template 30 Concert Behavior/Acknowledgements 32
Watch for these flags to give you interesting facts or vocabulary words.
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Star Spangled Banner
John Stafford Smith
(1750-1836)
The flag that flew above Fort McHenry was made by Mary Pickersgill. It was 30 feet high by 42 feet wide. Her workshop was not big enough to work on the flag and so with the help of her 13 year-old daughter Caroline, she sewed the giant flag in a brewery, where there was enough space. Although there were 18 states in the United States in 1813, Mrs. Pickersgill and Caroline sewed 15 stripes and 15 stars on the flag. Each white star was two feet across! (The official American flag with 13 stripes representing the 13 colonies and one star for each state wasn’t established until 1818.)
The Star-Spangled Banner had competition for the title of National Anthem. In the 1920’s many people wanted “America the Beautiful” to be the National Anthem.
Francis Scott Key wrote silly poems too: “Look for the hen with yellow legs, For she’s the hen that lays these eggs.” He wrote this little rhyme on an egg!
Visit http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner for more fun facts about the Star-Spangled Banner
Musicologist—an expert in the history and culture of music.
In September of 1814, the British navy was
preparing to attack Baltimore. An American
lawyer, Francis Scott Key and John Skinner,
both of whom were in charge of prisoner
exchanges, sailed up to the British fleet in
Baltimore’s harbor. The British had captured
their friend, Dr. William Beanes and they
were requesting his release. The British
agreed to release the doctor, but they
required that the three Americans stay on a
British ship until the attack ended. The three Americans watched
as the British navy fired on Fort McHenry for 25 hours. The
Americans were worried that their troops had been defeated as
darkness fell. Finally at dawn, on September 14, 1814, Mr. Key
looked through his telescope and saw the American flag waving
proudly over Fort McHenry. He was inspired to write a poem and
his work was published under the name “The Defense of Fort
McHenry.” These words were set to the tune of a popular British
song “To Anacreon in Heaven,” which was
composed around 1770 by John Stafford
Smith. Smith was a British composer,
organist and musicologist. His father was a
church organist and Smith, like his father,
worked as a church singer and organist. The
Star Spangled Banner began to be popular
during the Civil War, but was not officially
adopted as the national anthem until
March 3, 1931.
Uncle Sam is a popular symbol that
represents the United States Government.
This nickname for the United States is
linked to Samuel Wilson, a meatpacker from
Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of
beef to the United States Army during the
War of 1812. Wilson stamped the barrels
with U.S. for the United States, but soldiers
began joking that the food was from Uncle
Sam.
The most famous image of Uncle Sam
was created by artist James Montgomery
Flagg. In this version, Uncle Sam wears a
tall top hat and blue jacket and is point-
ing straight ahead at the viewer. This im-
age became popular during World War I
as it was used on a U.S. Army recruiting
poster.
Music: The Star Spangled Banner
O say can you see,
by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd
at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watch'd
were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare,
the bomb bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
and the home of the brave?
Please Prepare your students to sing
along with the KSO! Your students will have the opportunity to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at the beginning of the concert as the KSO plays. As the drum-roll plays, please have your students stand and sing.
Gould received the Pulitzer Prize, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
American Salute
Morton Gould
(1913—1996)
Morton Gould was an American composer, conductor and pianist. He was
born in the New York City borough of Queens. At age four, he showed
musical talent, playing the piano by ear, and two years later wrote his
first piece, “Just Six,” a waltz for piano. He played piano for theatre,
movies and dance studios and was on the staff of Radio City Music Hall.
He wrote many pieces for band, conducted many orchestras in America,
Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan and Australia and made over 100
recordings.
Gould liked to include unique elements in his pieces. He wrote two
pieces for the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony one which included a rapping
narrator and another featured a singing fire department. Tapdance
Concerto, written in 1952, featured a tap dancer as the soloist with the
orchestra. Gould’s most popular work is
“American Salute” which was written in 1943.
It was written for a national radio broadcast
during World War II. Gould composed the
piece in less than 24 hours. It is based on the popular
Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.”
You may recognize this tune as “The Ants Go Marching.” The original
lyrics or words for “When Johnny
Comes Marching Home were written
during the American Civil War by
Patrick Gilmore. He wrote the words
for his sister Annie as she waited for
the safe return of her fiancé, Union
Light Artillery Captain John O’Rourke
who was fighting in the war.
Tchaikovsky grew up in Russia in a very large
family. His father was a mining engineer and he
had a sister and twin brothers. His brother,
Modest, became a writer and wrote a biography
about Pyotr’s life. Tchaikovsky was a very smart
child and by the age of six he could read in
Russian, French and German. The music of
Beethoven had a great effect on Tchaikovsky and
like Beethoven, he learned to play the piano.
Tchaikovsky also studied the flute and the organ. He loved to travel
and worked as a music critic for two Moscow newspapers. He is
known for writing music with a Russian sound and is most famous for
his music for ballet: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.
A polonaise is a dance from Poland in 3/4 time. It
is one o f the five historic national dances of
Poland and began as a peasant dance. Tchaikovsky
wrote this polonaise to begin the third act of his
opera “Eugene Onegin.” There are two ballroom
scenes in “Eugene Onegin,” the first is set in a country house and the
second, the polonaise, in a grand house in St. Petersburg during an
extravagant ball. In the country they dance a waltz (another dance in
3/4) and in the city the fancier polonaise.
Waltz—A dance in triple time, which became the most popular ballroom dance of the 1800s. In a waltz the 1st beat has a heavier stress than beats 2 and 3. Listen for the three beat pattern in the music...1..2..3, 1..2..3. Try to pat your legs on beat one and snap your fingers on 2 and 3. Now imagine dancers in beautiful ball gowns moving across the floor to this rhythm.
“Polonaise” from Eugene Onegin
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(1840-1893)
Opera—An opera is like a play except all or most of the words the characters speak are set to music. These songs (arias, recitatives, choruses, duets, trios, etc.) are accompanied by the orchestra. Like a play there is scenery, choreography (dancing, staging) and the characters usually have elaborate costumes.
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“Dance of the Reed Pipes” is a movement from The Nutcracker, a
ballet based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s popular Christmas story “The
Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” The ballet was originally performed
on Dec. 5, 1892 in St. Petersburg. The story begins with children
opening their much anticipated Christmas presents. The main
character, Clara, is a young girl who is given a nutcracker by her
godfather, Mr. Drosselmeyer, a magical clock-maker and creator of
mechanical toys. When Mr. Drosselmeyer worked at the Palace, he
invented a trap that killed half of the mouse population. In revenge,
they cast a spell over his nephew which turned him into an ugly
Nutcracker doll. The spell could only be broken if the Nutcracker
slays the Mouse King. The nutcracker breaks as Clara’s brother
attempts to crack a nut in its mouth. Clara becomes upset and the
drawing room is invaded by an army of mice. After a great battle, the
Mouse King is slain and the Nutcracker is transformed back to his
human form. Drosselmeyer sends his nephew and Clara on a magic
journey through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets where
the Sugar Plum Fairy puts on wonderful entertainment in the young
couple’s honor.
Tchaikovsky writes music to help us hear this imaginary realm with
short pieces that sound like they might play from a music box. Dance
of the Reed Pipes is also known as “Dance of the Merlitons,” “Dance
of the Flutes” or “Marzipan.”
The piece begins with a gentle plucking in the strings followed
by the main melody played by the flute. Listen for an English
horn solo and for the piece to end with a flute solo.
You might recognize “Dance of the Reed Pipes” from the 1940 Disney Classic Fantasia.
Dance of the Reed Flutes from The Nutcracker
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Mozart was a musical genius who began playing the keyboard at the
age of three and was already composing short piano pieces at the age
of five. He could write notes to compose music before he could write
words. Later he composed symphonies at the age of nine and entire
operas at age twelve. He wrote all types of music, but is most famous
for his symphonies, concertos, operas, and requiem.
Mozart never went to school, but his father taught him. He learned
several different languages (English, French, Latin, and Italian) and
studied geography, science, history and his favorite—math! He spent
his childhood touring Europe, constantly playing for members of the
royalty. Mozart composed close to six hundred pieces, about two
hundred hours of music—how many days would it take you to listen to
all of Mozart’s music if you played it non-stop?
At the concert you will hear Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. The German title
means “a little serenade,” although it is often called “A Little Night
Music” in English. The piece not published until 1827, long after
Mozart’s death, but today has become the most popular of all of
Mozart’s musical works.
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
Mozart is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records for completing three symphonies in six weeks.
Symphony—A musical piece written for a symphony orchestra. It is usually divided into four movements or parts. Concerto—A piece written for a solo performer and an orchestra. Requiem—A musical piece originally written for a Roman Catholic Mass to commemorate those who have died. Today Requiems are performed on concerts as well.
Leroy Anderson was an American composer,
arranger, and conductor. He studied piano, organ
and double bass. He was born on June 28, 1908
and lived in Massachusetts. His parents were
Swedish immigrants. His father was a postal clerk
and played the mandolin and his mother played
the organ for a local church. Leroy grew up with a
brother, Russ, and when they were older the pair
got a job playing music on cruise ships. In high
school he conducted the Cambridge High School Orchestra and
orchestrated the school song. He went to college at Harvard, where he
played the trombone in the band, and after graduating conducted the
Harvard University Band.
Anderson became famous as the
arranger for the Boston Pops
Orchestra and his work in the
recording industry earned him a
star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame.
Plink, Plank, Plunk! was written in 1951. Leroy Anderson said about the
piece: “Although I started my career as an organist, later on I played
mainly bass in orchestras. For everyone writing orchestras pieces, playing a
string instrument is an excellent experience...As a bass player I got first
hand knowledge...of a string orchestra and became particularly interested
in the use of the Pizzicato, which is very often neglected by composers. As
an example of how one can use the Pizzicato I wrote a little piece with the
title “Plink, Plank, Plunk!” The string players have to lay down their bows
and from the beginning to the end of the piece, pluck the strings
of their instruments.” Near the end, the music sounds as though
it might fade away, but Anderson pulls a prank and closes with a
yelp—or maybe a hiccup?
Plink, Plank, Plunk
Leroy Anderson
(1908-1975)
Arranger: A person who takes an existing piece of music written by another composer and rewrites that music so that it still sounds like the original, but has a different orchestration or added musical material.
Orchestration: The specific set of instruments for which a piece of music is written
Aaron Copland was born in 1900 in New York City.
His parents were immigrants from Russia. The
family lived above their Brooklyn department store
and Aaron often helped to run the business. Aaron
had four siblings and he was very close to his
sister, Laurine. She introduced him to ragtime and
opera and taught him the basics of playing the
piano. By the age of seven Aaron could make up tunes on
the piano and he began to write short pieces at the age of twelve.
Aaron Copland wrote many different kinds of music including:
ballets, orchestral music, choral music and movie scores. He
composed at the piano and often recycled music from earlier pieces
that he had written. Many of his pieces explore subjects based on
American lifestyles.
Copland is best known for his Ballets: “Billy the Kid,” “Rodeo,” and
“Appalachian Spring”; and for his orchestral works: “Fanfare for the
Common Man” and “Lincoln Portrait”. Copland was a very well known
composer during his lifetime and won many awards including the
Pulitzer Prize, Academy Awards for his film scores, a Presidential
Medal of Freedom, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Medal of the Arts and
a Congressional Gold Medal.
Fanfare for the Common Man was written in 1942 for the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and uses only brass
and percussion. Listen for the trumpets, French horns, trom-
bones and tuba to play the theme that alternates with the
timpani and cymbals. The CSO had 18 fanfares composed to
commemorate World War II. Copland chose the name of his fanfare
to honor every person who worked for victory, including those who
weren’t on the battlefield. Visit www.pbs.org/sleighride to read a letter to Leroy Anderson from a frustrated young violist and to hear Anderson sing The Waltzing Cat.
Www.leroyanderson.com has more information about the composer and pictures.
Fanfare for the Common Man
Aaron Copland
(1900—1990)
Caricature by cartoonist Al Hirschfeld
Ragtime-A kind of music that uses a syncopated rhythm. Jazz music grew out of ragtime.
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Steve Reich was called “our greatest living composer” by the New York
Times. He was born in New York and grew-up there and in California. His
mother wrote lyrics or words for Broadway shows. He took piano lessons
as a child and later studied drums in order to be able to play Jazz. He
attend Cornell University, the Juilliard School of Music and Mills College.
After school Mr. Reich studied African drumming at the Institute for
African Studies at the University of Ghana and traditional forms of
chanting in New York and Jerusalem. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in
Music and also won two Grammy awards.
Clapping music is a piece of minimal music written for two performers
and performed entirely by clapping. Mr. Reich was on tour in Europe and
went to hear flamenco music performed by a pair of musicians who
Mr. Reich said were terrible guitarists and singers. However, when
they started clapping loudly,
Reich and his ensemble, who
were mainly percussionists,
joined in and he had the idea for Clapping
Music. Reich said that he wanted to “create a
piece of music that needed no instruments
beyond the human body.”
The piece is divided into two rhythmic
patterns. Listen for the first pattern to remain
the same throughout. The second pattern
shifts every 8 to 12 measures.
Clapping Music
Steve Reich
(born 1936)
Minimal music—music that is created with limited materials (notes, rhythms, few words of text, limited instruments, etc.)
Clapping Music was used in the 2012 hit “On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons http://www.stevereich.com/multimedia/clappingMedProg.html
Reich performing clapping music in 2006.
John Philip Sousa was born in Washington D.C.
He had seven siblings and his father, Antonio
played trombone in the U.S. Marine band. He
grew up around military band music. Sousa
began studying music at the age of six and
learned to sing, play violin, piano, flute,
cornet, baritone, trombone and alto horn. At
the age of 13 he tried to run away and join a circus band and his
father enlisted him in the Marines. After serving in the Marines, he
worked on Broadway for a short time and then returned to
Washington D.C. to conduct “The President’s Own,” Marine Band.
He served under presidents Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland, Arthur and
Harrison. He composed 136 marches in his lifetime and is known
as the “March King.” Some of his famous marches include:
“Semper Fidelis” (Official March of the United States Marine Corps),
“The Liberty Bell,” and “The Washington Post.” He also wrote 10
operas, three novels and developed his own instrument the
sousaphone, a large brass instrument similar to the tuba.
Written in 1896, The Stars and Stripes forever is the national
march of the USA, although it was not given this title until 1987.
Sousa composed the march on
Christmas Day. Listen for the
famous Piccolo part—
you may even see the
KSO piccolo players
stand to play this
featured part.
The Stars and Stripes Forever
John Philip Sousa
(1854-1932)
PART I
PART
Sousa has a World War II Liberty Ship named in his honor, was commemorated on a 1940s postage stamp and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Lyrics for this piece include “Three cheers for the red, white and blue and “Be kind to your web-footed friends.” These humorous words were sung at the end of a popular 1960s television show.
Thunder and Lightning Polka
Johann Strauss, Jr.
(1825—1899)
Waltz #2 from Suite
from Variety Orchestra
Dmitri Shostakovich
(1906—1975) Johannes Brahms was born in
the German city of
Hamburg. His father was a
musician who played
several instruments, but
didn’t earn much money. So
when Johannes was young,
he studied piano, music theory and
composition, and also played the piano at inns
and dance halls to help support his family.
As an adult, Brahms introduced many
forgotten works of Bach, Handel and Mozart.
For a long time, he did not want to write a
symphony, because he was afraid his work
would not be as good as Beethoven's before
him. Brahms did go on to write four successful
symphonies. The only type of music he did not
write was opera. You may know one of his most
famous pieces, the “Lullaby.” He is known for
favoring warm sounds in music created by the
French horn, viola, and clarinet. Brahms became
so famous, he is now known as one of the 3 B's
of classical music; Bach, Beethoven, and
Brahms.
Brahms was inspired by Hungarian Gypsy folk
music he heard early in his career while touring
in Hungary. In this traditional Hungarian dance
called the csárdás (chär-dash) you’ll hear the
fire and temperament of Hungarian music.
Hungarian Dance No. 5
Johannes Brahms
(1833—1897)
Johann Strauss grew up in Austria listening
to orchestral music. His father was a
composer and conductor who had his own
orchestra and they often rehearsed in the
family’s apartment. Strauss’s father, however
did not want his sons to become musicians
and so Strauss studied the violin in secret
growing up. Strauss and his brothers all
joined their father in the music field and
became especially well-known for composing
polkas, waltzes, and other dance music.
Strauss wrote 170 waltzes which led to his
nickname, “The Waltz King!” Strauss was
always composing and he often wrote on the
backs of papers or on napkins.
Thunder and Lightning Polka was originally
titled Shooting
Stars Polka and
was written in
1868. The polka
was originally a
Czech dance.
Listen for timpani
rolls and cymbal
crashes to
represent the
sounds of thunder
and lightning.
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Rus-
sian pianist and composer who
wrote 15 symphonies, three
operas, ballets and film music.
He was born in St.
Petersburg, Russia and was
second of three children. His
family began to realize his
musical talent after he began piano lessons with his
mother at the age of Nine. His first major musical
achievement was his First Symphony which
premiered in 1926 when he was 19 years old and
was written as a graduation piece.
In 1917, the Russian Revolution had taken place
the new leadership of Russia, under the direction of
Joseph Stalin, had its own ideas about what
appropriate music should sound like. It banned any
sort of innovative works. Afraid that he would be
put in prion, Shostakovich composed “safe” music,
but became bitter wanting the freedom to write
music as he wished. Shostakovich was obsessed
with cleanliness, synchronized the clocks in his
apartment and regularly sent cards to himself to
test how well the postal service was working!
Besides Music, Shostakovich loved sports and he
was a qualified soccer referee.
Use the lesson plans on page 21 - make sure your students listen to and vote on these pieces before the concert. As the Judicial Branch of the concert they will have the opportunity to select which of these three pieces the orchestra plays! 8
THE KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Today’s symphony orchestra varies in size from city to city, but usually has about 100 players. Orchestras are different from bands because they include string instruments. The string section is the largest section of players in the orchestra, with about 60 people. The woodwind section is made up of approximately twelve or more players, and the brass section typically has ten players. Finally, the percussion section ranges in numbers, depending on the amount of percussion parts used in a piece. The seating chart below shows how you will see the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra seated when you come to the Young People’s Concert. The players are seated in a semicircle facing the conductor. Look at the following pages for more information on each section of the orchestra.
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Leads the Orchestra
Makes the Music
Determines the
meaning of the
music
What is a Conductor?
The conductor of an orchestra is the leader. They must know a great deal about music, the
great composers, and their works. Also, conductors must have the personality and skill to direct
many players at once and to turn them into a team. Often conductors hold a baton that they use to
mark the beats of the music for the orchestra to follow. Conductors may sometimes play more
than one instrument, but they do not need to play every instrument. Instead, they understand how
each instrument works and the special qualities of each instrument. Most importantly, the
conductor learns each piece of music well enough to guide all the players in an exciting
performance.
Meet the KSO’s new Music Director, Aram Demirjian! Maestro Demirjian moved to Knoxville from Kansas City where he was the
Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. He was born into a
musical family in Lexington, Massachusetts where he learned to play the
cello and sing. Aram was seven years old when his mother first taught
him how to conduct a 4/4 pattern, and he always enjoyed being the
line-leader in elementary school. His desire to be a conductor began as
he played cello in his high school orchestra. The first orchestra he ever
conducted was the Lexington High School Orchestra, on his 18th
birthday, one week before he graduated from high school. He attended Harvard University,
where he first studied government, but switched to music after two seasons conducting the
Harvard Bach Society Orchestra. He then attended the New England Conservatory in Boston.
Aram loves sports especially football, baseball and basketball! His favorite teams are the New
England Patriots, Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics.
baton - A wooden stick, approximately 1 ft. in length, that the conductor uses to communicate with the orchestra. The baton helps the musicians see the conductor’s motions so that they can play better together.
Aram Demirjian
Please help make this a good performance by showing how to be a good audience. Be quiet as the lights dim and the concert begins. Clap when the concertmaster enters at the beginning of the concert. Clap again when the conductor enters at the beginning of the concert. Clap to welcome any soloists during the concert. During the performance watch the conductor. When the conductor puts his hands down and turns to face the audience the piece is completed. At the end of a piece, clap to let the musicians know you like what you hear.
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra P.O. Box 360
Knoxville, TN 37901
Job Description: Audience
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THE STRINGS Principal Harpist Cindy Hicks has been with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for fifteen years. During the summer, she travels with her harp to the Bear Valley Music Festival in California, and plays for the Assisi Music Festival in Assisi, Italy. In 1994, Cindy was one of only two US citizens to compete in the International Harp Contest in Israel held in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Concertmaster William Shaub is brand new to the KSO this season! He began playing his violin with orchestras at the age of 12! William is originally from Canton, Ohio and attended the Juilliard School and then Rice University. Over the past 10 years, he organized series of benefit concerts for the United Nations’ Adopt-a-Minefield Campaign, which provided 40 prosthetic limbs for landmine victims in Iraq and Afghanistan. His violin is more than 150 years old and was made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in 1865.
THE STRINGS WHAT: Wooden, hollow-bodied instruments strung with metal strings across a bridge. WHERE: Find this family in the front of the orchestra and along the sides. HOW: Sound is produced by a vibrating string that is bowed with a bow made of horse tail hair. The air then resonates in the hollow body. Other playing techniques include pizzicato (plucking the strings), collegno (playing with the wooden part of the bow), and double- stopping (bowing two strings at once). WHY: Composers use these instruments for their singing quality and depth of sound. HOW MANY: There are four sizes of stringed instruments: violin, viola, cello and bass. A total of forty- four are used in full orchestra. The string family is the largest family in the orchestra, accounting for over half of the total number of musicians on stage. The string instruments all have carved, hollow, wooden bodies with four strings running from top to bottom. The instruments have basically the same shape but vary in size, from the smaller violins and violas, which are played by being held firmly under the chin and either bowed or plucked, to the larger cellos and basses, which stand on the floor, supported by a long rod called an end pin. The cello is always played in a seated position, while the bass is so large that a musician must stand or sit on a very high stool in order to play it. These stringed instruments developed from an older instrument called the viol, which had six strings. The violin as we know it today was developed by master-craftsmen in 16th-century Italy.
There is one more member of the string family: the harp. It is found at the end of the violin section, and its forty-seven strings are plucked, not bowed.
How they work:
The bodies of the stringed instruments, which are hollow inside allow sound to vibrate within them are made of different kinds of wood. The part of the instrument that vibrates to make sound is the strings, which are made of nylon or steel.
The stringed instruments are played most often by drawing a bow across them, the handle of the bow is made of wood and the strings of the bow are actually horsehair from horses’ tails! Sometimes the musicians will use their fingers to pluck the strings.
The smaller instruments, the violin and viola, make higher pitched sounds, while the larger cello and double bass produce low rich sounds. 14
THE WOODWINDS Jill Bartine has played Second Flute with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra since 2000. She studied flute performance at Northwestern University, where she studied with flute players from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Jill has taught flute at Carson-Newman University and Maryville College, and also teaches middle and high school flute students. As second flute, Jill also sometimes plays piccolo with the KSO. The piccolo has a very important role in Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, as the instrument that begins the fugue. When not playing or teaching music, Jill is busy pursuing her other passion, yoga. She became a certified
instructor in 2011, and currently teaches classes several times a week. Jill’s free time is spent with her husband Mac and twin boys, Owen and Noah.
One of the newer members of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is Aaron Apaza, who plays Principal Bassoon. Aaron grew up in South Dakota but has lived in several cities in the United States to study or perform as a professional musician. Before coming to Knoxville he was a member of several other symphony orchestras. The bassoon that Aaron plays is the same bassoon used in the Sesame Street band for years, played by Wally Kane (h p://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Wally_Kane). If
you've ever heard bassoon on Sesame Street, it's Aaron’s instrument!
THE WOODWINDS WHAT: Wooden or metal tubes with holes in the tubing, to be covered or uncovered by the fingers to change the pitch.
WHERE: Find this family in the middle of the orchestra.
HOW: Sound is made by blowing across an open hole (flute, piccolo) or against a reed (clarinet, oboe, bassoon). This causes the column of air in the instrument to vibrate, and the musician can change the pitch by covering or uncovering certain holes on the body of the instrument. WHY: Composers use this family for color and sparkle. Each woodwind has a unique and distinct timbre.
HOW MANY: There are four main members: flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon. Eight to twelve of these are used in a full symphony. However, other wind instruments like the piccolo or English horn may be added for additional colors. The woodwind family sits together in the middle of the orchestra, behind the violins and violas. The name “woodwind” originated because the instruments were once made of wood and are played using wind (by blowing). The flute is now made of silver or sometimes gold. The flute has a cousin, very short and small, called the piccolo. This instrument plays the highest notes in the orchestra. The clarinet is long and black. It is descended from an instrument called the chalumeau. The oboe is black in color, and has a wider opening at the end called the bell. The oboe is an ancient instrument, once called the hautboy, in French. The oboe’s big brother is the English horn. The largest instrument of the woodwind family is the bassoon, a very long wooden tube that has been folded in half, so you can see the bell from the audience.
How they work:
The instruments in the Woodwind family used to be made of wood, which gives them their name. Today, they are made of wood, metal, plastic or some combination. They are all narrow cylinders or pipes with holes and a mouthpiece at the top. You play them by blowing air through the mouthpiece (the “wind” in woodwind) and opening or closing the holes with your fingers to change the pitch. The mouthpieces for some woodwinds, including the clarinet, oboe and bassoon, use a thin piece of wood called a reed, which vibrates when you blow across it. The clarinet uses a single reed made of one piece of wood, while the oboe and bassoon use a double reed made of two pieces joined together. The smaller woodwinds play higher pitches while the longer and larger instruments play the lower pitches.
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THE BRASS Sande MacMorran plays Principal Tuba with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. He was a founding
member of the Army Brass Quintet while serving with the United States Army Band in Washington, D.C. from 1971—1974. Sande recently retired from teaching tuba and euphonium at the University of Tennessee. He is also Music Director Emeritus of the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra and serves as the Music Director of the Appalachian Ballet.
Phillip Chase Hawkins plays Principal Trumpet with the KSO. He also regularly teaches and plays with ensembles in Kentucky, but he has performed in concert halls all over the world. Chase plays many styles of music besides classical: bluegrass, jazz, salsa, funk, soul and other popular music. Chase started playing the trumpet at age 10, but before working on music pieces, he spent over a month making sounds on the mouthpiece because it was weird and made funny sounds, like a horse. These sounds are actually his favorite thing about the trumpet along with using mutes (like a plunger placed in the end of the trumpet bell) and other objects to change the sound.
THE BRASS WHAT: Long brass tubes that are curled around, ending in bells.
WHERE: Find this family in the back of the orchestra.
HOW: Sound is made by buzzing the lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece. The valves are used to change the length of the tubing and alter the pitch. The musician can also control the pitch using lip pressure.
WHY: Composers use the brass family for big themes and brilliant passages.
HOW MANY: There are four main members of this family: trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba. Eleven to fourteen brass instruments will be found in the orchestra.
The brass family usually sits across the back of the orchestra. The French horn is a very long brass tube wrapped around in a circle several times. If you unwound a horn’s tubing, it would be twenty-two feet long! The trumpet is the smallest member of the family and therefore plays the highest pitches. The trombone is an ancient instrument that has not changed much since the early times. Part of the trombone’s tube, called a slide, is movable, sliding in and out to change the pitch. The last and largest member of the brass family is the tuba. The tuba was first used in a symphony orchestra by Richard Wager.
How they work:
How do you think the brass family got its name? If you think it’s because the instruments are made of brass—you’re right! This family of instruments can play louder than any other in the orchestra and can be heard from far away. Early brass instruments were made of wood, tusks, animal horns or shells, but today’s modern instruments are made entirely of brass. They are very long pipes that widen at their ends into a bell-like shape. The pipes have been curved and twisted into different shapes to make them easier to hold and play. Like the woodwind family, brass players use their breath to produce sound, but instead of blowing into a reed, they vibrate their own lips by buzzing them against a metal cup-shaped mouthpiece. The mouthpiece amplifies the buzzing lips, which creates the sound. Brass players change pitch by pressing different valves which open and close different parts of the pipe and by buzzing their lips harder/faster or softer/slower. To change pitch on the trombone you push or pull the slide into one of seven different positions.
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THE PERCUSSION
Bob Adamcik has played with the KSO for over 25 seasons. He is Co-Principal Percussionist and Principal Timpanist for the KSO. Bob is originally from Texas and played with many symphonies there before coming to Tennessee. Bob enjoys playing racquetball, canoeing, hiking and spending time with his two children and his wife Barbara, who plays the French Horn.
THE PERCUSSION WHAT: Various instruments of wood or metal that are usually struck with mallets.
WHERE: Find this family in the back of the orchestra, mostly on the left side.
HOW: Sound made by striking the instruments.
WHY: Composers use percussion instruments to give style and flair to a piece. This family provides the most noticeable rhythm to a piece.
HOW MANY: There are many instruments in this family. In orchestras, one musician is assigned to play the timpani, and then two to four additional musicians cover the remaining instruments. The percussion family of the orchestra is found on the far left side of the orchestra. Most of the percussion instruments are struck with mallets or sticks. One group of instruments in this family is the drums. Timpani, the pitched drums, stand alone and have one designated player. Other drums are the bass drum, the field drum, the snare drum, and even the drum set. You can hear other percussion sounds created by cymbals, triangles, wood blocks, tambourines, sleigh bells and many others. Sometimes a composer uses tuned percus-sion instruments such as xylophones (tuned metal bars) and the glockenspiel (very high-pitched metal bars). The piano is also a member of the percussion family because its strings are struck with felt-covered hammers.
How they work:
The percussion family is the largest in the orchestra. Percussion instruments include any instrument that makes a sound when it is struck, shaken or scraped. Some percussion instruments are tuned and can sound different notes (xylophone, timpani or piano) and some are untuned with no definite pitch (bass drum, cymbals or castanets). Percussion instruments are important because they help keep the rhythm and create sounds that add excitement and color. Unlike most of the other players in the orchestra, a percussionist will usually play many different instruments in one piece of music. They also use different kinds of mallets, sticks or brushes to change the sound when playing an instrument.
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Objective: Students will participate in three listening activities to prepare for their voting experience for the concert.
Materials Needed: Teacher’s Guide CD (Tracks 9-11) Listening Maps (included in this guide pgs. 22-24) Drum, Cymbals, Orff Instruments or Bells
Opening: Discuss the theme of the concert, “Uncle Sam’s Symphony.” Discuss the three branches of the U.S. Government and the roles of individuals within those branches (pg. 10). Explain that “Uncle Sam’s Symphony” will compare the branches of government to the structure of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (executive: president = conductor, vice-president = concertmaster; legislative branch: house and senate = families of instruments; judicial branch: supreme court = audience) (pg. 11) You may choose to have students discuss various institutions and organizations that have similar structures (i.e. school districts, sports
teams, etc.) Ask students how we choose our country’s leaders (voting), and explain that they will be given the opportunity to vote for one of the pieces
that will be played at the concert. To become informed voters they will participate in three listening activities to familiarize themselves with the music.
Procedures: 1. Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms (pg. 22) Learn the movements to show the form of the music.
2. Thunder and Lightning Polka by J. Strauss, Jr. (pg. 23) Have students listen to the entire piece and lead them to discover the form (8-beat Intro, A B C w/repeat D C A B Coda, there are short interludes, so listen for the melody that goes with what you see on the listening map for each section!). After listening, note the order of the sections in the yellow box that says “Form” on the flipchart or on the board. Then add the instruments and movements and perform along with the music!
3. Waltz No. 2 from Suite for Variety Orchestra by Shostakovich (pg. 24) Using the listening map as a guide, perform a different steady beat movement for each section of the music. The music is in 3, but just perform the movements on the downbeats. (Example: Pat for A, Snap for B, Tap Shoulders for C) The teacher may wish to point to the beats on the listening map.
Closing: Vote! Remind students to vote for the music they liked most, not just the activity they thought was the most fun. Context is more important than outward appearance! Discuss the different ways in which people vote (ActivExpressions, paper ballots, show of hands, applause, etc). Since this lesson may take more than one class time to complete, you may wish to replay the musical selections and vote in a subsequent lesson.
Ask students to vote on their favorite. Submit your class vote online no later than Wednesday, October 18, 2017, 5:00 PM.
http://www.knoxvillesymphony.com/education-community/young-peoples-concerts/
LESSON PLAN: BE AN INFORMED VOTER BY: TRACY WARD
The following pages are available in clean copy for projection and as an Flip chart/ActivBoard link on the KSO website: www.knoxvillesymphony.com/education-community/young-peoples-concerts/
WRITING CHALLENGE: MY NEW LAW Objective: Students will create a new law and write a speech persuading others to vote for their law.
Materials Needed: Pen or Pencil and Paper
Opening: Discuss basic laws of the U.S.A. citing examples. Why are laws important? How are laws created? What is the process of implementing
new laws? Review the elements of persuasive writing and persuasive speech.
Procedures: As individuals or in small groups have students brainstorm ideas for a new law. Have each student choose a law that is important to them and brainstorm the following questions: Who would this law help? Would it hurt anyone? What would happen if this became a law? What would change if this became a law? Ask students to write a speech persuading others to vote for their law. Each
speech should include the following elements: An introduction clearly stating the position Supportive reasoning reinforcing the position Conclusion summarizing the position Have students deliver their speeches to the class. Following each speech, have the class vote on whether or not the law should
pass. Discuss reasons why the law did or did not pass.
Submit: Teachers are encouraged to enter students’ speeches. The KSO will feature one speech at each performance of Uncle Sam’s Symphony! Speeches may be scanned
and emailed by Friday, October 6, 5:00 PM to:
Please include the following with your submission: School Name: Student Name: Grade Level of Student: (Teachers are encouraged to pre-screen entries prior to sending them to the KSO!)
The “American Salute” is a composition in which the form is a clear-cut theme and variations. The theme was taken from the familiar Civil War tune, “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” For the listening map on the following page, the introduction begins in the lower left hand corner of the map with an attention-getting fan-fare. The actual theme is first played by ...the bassoon ...by the English horn ...by the lower strings, clarinet and trumpet. Variation I...the flutes, piccolo, and clarinet play the theme in a happy, moving triplet (tempo-wise) variation of the theme. Variation II...the brass play the theme, making frequent use of syncopation. Variation III...the trumpet plays a good example of melodic augmentation (where the melodic line has been stretched out and elongated). Thereafter, the melody resumes to its original tempo with full instrumentation and crescendos to the Finale. Source: Bowmar Orchestral Library, 078, (Music, U.S.A.), Series II
LISTENING MAPS: AMERICAN SALUTE
More Activities for Teachers
1. Following the concert have your students write a letter to their congressman explaining why the arts are important to them. Students can give details on their trip to the KSO concert and/or
talk about their favorite arts subject in school. This is especially important with the proposed budget cuts to the NEA in 2018. If you do not know your school’s legislative district, visit: https://votesmart.org/
2. Visit http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner for activities on the Star Spangled Banner and the shelling of Fort McHenry. Subjects included in this multi-disciplinary unit include music, creative writing, math, and science. This site also includes a fun fact list and information about the National Museum of American History.
3. Movement Activity by Susan Ramsay: Emphasize 3/4 meter with the following bean bag activity—A. To practice 3/4 meter, pass bean bags in a circle using the words “grab, touch, pass.” Grab the bean bag with one hand on beat 1 (start on “say,” not “oh”), touch to the right knee on beat 2, and place in front of the person to the right on beat 3. A Repeat the movement in the first A section. B Turn and face a partner. Partners toss their bean bags to each other in the places where there is usually a cymbal crash (at the end of each short phrase). C Working alone, touch the bag to the floor, toss and catch in one hand, and then the other. “Touch, catch, catch.” Shake the bean bags on the fermatas.
4. Explore Fanfare for the Common Man with this lesson plan from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: http://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/media/2092/v2big-bad-brass-bashsmall.pdf—It features Fanfare for the Common Man by Copland and two versions by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. This lesson plan also gives suggestions to adapt this piece for Dance/PE or Social Studies Curriculum.
5. Visit https://www.classicsforkids.com/activitysheets/July2016.pdf for an activity sheet about Aaron Copland and Fanfare for the Common Man.
6. https://mistytolle.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ny-phil-lesson.pdf This lesson from the New York Philharmonic explores musical inspiration and asks students to write their own fanfare inspired by a hero.
7. https://www.keepingscore.org/sites/default/files/lessonplans/KSEd_Landscape_in_Music_and_Art_Greenwood.pdf This lesson plan from the San Francisco Symphony explores Landscape in Music and Art through Copland’s music.
8. Visit https://www.classicsforkids.com/activitysheets/July2015.pdf for an activity sheet on John Philip Sousa.
9. Visit https://www.classicsforkids.com/activitysheets/December2015.pdf for a Listening map for “Dance of the Reed Pipes.”
Resources for Teachers
Core Standards addressed by the concert and/or the activities in this Teacher’s Guide:
Create 3.GM.Cr1.A
3.GM.R1.A 3.GM.R1.B 3.GM.R1.C 3.GM.R2.A 3.GM.R3.A
4.GM.R1.A 4.GM.R1.B 4.GM.R1.C 4.GM.R2.A 4.GM.R3.A
5.GM.R1.A 5.GM.R1.B 5.GM.R1.C 5.GM.R2.A 5.GM.R3.A
Respond
3.GM.Cn1.A 3.GM.Cn2.A Connect
Perform 3.GM.P3.A 3.GM.P3.B 3.GM.P3.C 3.GM.P3.D
4.GM.P3.A 4.GM.P3.B 4.GM.P3.C 4.GM.P3.D
5.GM.P3.A 5.GM.P3.B 5.GM.P3.C 5.GM.P3.D
4.GM.Cn1.A 4.GM.Cn2.A
5.GM.Cn1.A 5.GM.Cn2.A
Activities from Music Textbooks Star Spangled Banner—Share the Music Gr. 4, 298; Gr. 5, 322 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik—Share the Music Gr. 3, 385E (CD9:18) Fanfare for the Common Man—Share the Music, Gr. 5, 135 (CD3:9)
Additional Resources Available:
www.knoxvillesymphony.com
Online Voting! Link to this guide as a PDF Link to the Lesson Plan as an ActivBoard flipchart Information for Knox County Risk Assessment Complete Vocabulary and Glossary The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Personnel List Brief History of the KSO 26
Uncle Sam’s Symphony
The Knoxviille Symphony Orchestra Aram Demirjian, Music Director
presents
Sheena McCall Young People’s Concerts
Knoxville Civic Auditorium: October 24, 25 & 26, 2017
Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville: November 1, 2017
For their generous support of our Young People’s Concerts, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges:
SHEENA McCALL
NISWONGER FOUNDATION
ROTARY CLUB OF KNOXVILLE
Akima Club
Enrichment Federal Credit Union
Knoxville Symphony League
Tennessee Arts Commission
Special thanks to our Partners in Education:
Sara Cummings, Professional Development Specialist, Choral Music, Knox County Schools
Tracy Ward, Sequoyah Elementary School, for some of the activities and lesson plans in this Teacher’s Guide
KSO Education Advisory Council
Uncle Sam’s Symphony
Aram Demirjian conducting
The Star Spangled Banner John Stafford Smith
American Salute Morton Gould
“Polonaise” Pytor Tchaikovsky from Eugene Onegin
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Plink, Plank, Plunk Leroy Anderson
“Dance of the Reed Pipes” Pytor Tchaikovsky from The Nutcracker arr. Warren Clark
Fanfare for the Common Man Aaron Copland
Clapping Music Steve Reich
The Stars and Stripes Forevers John Philip Sousa
Hungarian Dance No. 5 Johannes Brahms …or…
Thunder and Lightning Polka Johann Strauss II …or…
Waltz No. 2 Dmitri Shostakovich from Suite for Variety Orchestra
SPONSORS:
SHEENA MCCALL
NISWONGER FOUNDATION
ROTARY CLUB OF KNOXVILLE
AKIMA CLUB ENRICHMENT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Knoxville Symphony League Knox County
City of Knoxville Tennessee Arts Commission
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION: Knox County Schools’ Board of Education
Tracy Ward, Sequoyah Elementary, Teacher’s Guide
Andy Adzima, Inskip Elementary, Education Advisory Council
Erin Archer, Tate’s School of Discovery Sheree Beeler, Shannondale Elementary, Education Advisory Council
Liz Britt, Webb School of Knoxville, Education Advisory Council Sarah Cummings, Knox County Elementary Professional Development, Advisory Council
Allison Hendrix, Northshore Elementary, Education Advisory Council Kristin Luttrell, Gibbs Elementary, Education Advisory Council
Lee Ann Parker, Bearden Elementary, Education Advisory Council
Connect with us! 865-291-3310
www.knoxvillesymphony.com @knoxsymphony
Concert Behavior
The musicians who are performing
for you would like to have your help
in making this a wonderful concert.
It is important to remember that the
orchestra is in the same room with
you, not in a movie or on TV. If you
talk or make other noises, they can
hear you. If you get up and leave in
the middle of the performance, they
can see you. These things could
make the musicians take their
minds off their music and they may
not be able to perform at their best.
These things can also be distracting
to those around you.