Young People`s Concert Series 2015/2016 Tales of Shakespeare

DISCOVERING MUSIC WITH YOUR STUDENTS
Young People’s Concert Series
2015/2016
Tales of Shakespeare
Teacher Guide
Presented in partnership with
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
CONCERT AT A GLANCE
MENDELSSOHN
Selections from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
SIBELIUS
Selections from The Tempest Suite No. 1, op. 109, no. 2
SIBELIUS
Selections from The Tempest Suite No. 2, 0p. 109, no. 3
WAGNER
Excerpt from Prelude to Act 1 from Lohengrin
February 23 & 24, 2016
David Robertson, Music Director
Steven Jarvi, Resident Conductor
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the Education Team…………………………………………….............................3
Conductor’s Corner………………………………….…………………………………………………… 4
Tales of Shakespeare Deconstructed …..………………………………….…………………..…..5
Concert Objectives…………………………..……………………………………………………………. 6
Learning Activities ………………………………………………………………………………...........7
Learning Activity Pages…………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Spotlight on the Composers……………………………………………………………………..……. 19
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LETTER FROM THE EDUCATION TEAM
Dear Educators:
On behalf of all of us at the St. Louis Symphony, it is a great pleasure to welcome
you to our 2015/2016 season of Young People’s Concerts. This season the STL
Symphony’s theme is Music Tells the Story. We are excited to continue our
partnership with the Saint Louis Zoo and welcome a new partnership with
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Together we have created concert experiences
that will engage student’s imaginations and allow us to explore the stories that
music can tell.
Music Educators are creating and shaping the future of classical music. The STL
Symphony Education Team is here to work alongside you, the educators. We are
here to support you in your efforts to inspire your students and your school
community through exposure and participation in one of the greatest cultural
creations, classical music. Thank you for taking advantage of the education
programs and resources we have made available for you and your students!
The STL Symphony Education Team is constantly striving to engage students in
classical music. The imagination is a powerful tool that can allow us to experience
the impossible and inspire us to create and explore beyond our reality. Classical
music is the vehicle to ignite our imaginations. As you prepare for the upcoming
concert experience we encourage you to actively listen to and engage your
students in classical music in your classroom.
In addition to Young People’s Concerts, the STL Symphony also offers an array of
in-school programs for area schools. Please visit stlsymphony.org/education to
learn more about the programs we have available. We appreciate the resources,
time and energy you invest to bring your students to Powell Hall. Thank you for
being a part of the STL Symphony family!
We look forward to seeing you and your students at Powell Hall!
Jessica Ingraham
Director of Education
& Youth Orchestra
Michael Gandlmayr
Education & Youth
Orchestra Programs
Manager
Laura Reinert
Education Programs
Coordinator
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Emily Robinson
Education Programs
Intern
DISCOVERING MUSIC WITH YOUR STUDENTS
CONDUCTOR’S CORNER
Welcome to another exciting season of Young People’s
Concerts with the St. Louis Symphony! We appreciate you and
your dedication to bringing your students meaningful and
engaging musical experiences. You are a valuable member of
our family at the STL Symphony.
There are many exciting things in store for you and your
students. It has been a pleasure to continue working with the
Saint Louis Zoo and we are excited to welcome a new partner,
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Together, we have been cocreating concerts that are interactive, meaningful and engaging for your students.
It is our goal to take students on a musical journey that sparks curiosity and
ignites imagination. We look forward to moments of healthy dialogue and
audience participation as well as the opportunity to discover and explore with
students the various musical genres and forms in classical music.
Thank you for your continued dedication and support in helping to fulfill the STL
Symphony mission of enriching people’s lives through the power of music.
We look forward to seeing you and your students at Powell Hall!
Steven Jarvi
STL Symphony Resident Conductor
& Music Director of the STL Symphony Youth Orchestra
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TALES OF SHAKESPEARE DECONSTRUCTED
Join the STL Symphony as we make Shakespeare come to life with a modern
twist! When a young girl named Marnie can’t sleep, she and her father turn to the
works of Shakespeare to weather the storm outside. Using selections from A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Marnie’s bedroom is
transformed into Shakespeare’s worlds in this original play, Found at Sea, by
Nancy Bell.
Students will become immersed in the music of Romantic composers Jean
Sibelius, Felix Mendelssohn and Richard Wagner. Along with Marnie and her
father, they will navigate one of Shakespeare’s most complex themes: the
enduring love of a family! Discover with your students how Music Tells the Story!
Composer
Sibelius
Mendelssohn
Mendelssohn
Sibelius
Sibelius
Mendelssohn
Sibelius
Sibelius
Mendelssohn
Wagner
Mendelssohn
Piece/Excerpt
The Storm from The Tempest Suite No. 1, op. 109, no. 2
Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 61
Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 61
Humoresque from The Tempest Suite No. 1, Op. 109, no. 2
Caliban’s Song from The Tempest Suite No. 1, Op. 109, no. 2
Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, op. 61
Intermezzo from The Tempest Suite No. 2, Op. 109, no. 3
Berceuse from The Tempest Suite No. 1, Op. 109, no. 2
Dance of Clowns from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Selections from Prelude to Act 1 from Lohengrin
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, op. 21
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YouTube
bit.ly/1KlAVVi
bit.ly/1PAqTRP
bit.ly/1RZFlHA
bit.ly/1QgvBJ8
bit.ly/1Qgvk9c
bit.ly/1Rv1ajv
bit.ly/1OzAJU7
bit.ly/23932CA
bit.ly/1RZFkUf
bit.ly/1NeL6dX
bit.ly/1MIo7tN
DISCOVERING MUSIC WITH YOUR STUDENTS
Concert Objectives
Students will:
1. Describe ways in which music can enhance a story
2. Connect music with different emotions
3. Connect the theme of the enduring love of a family from Shakespeare’s Pericles to
their own lives
Essential Questions
1. How does the music make me feel?
2. How does music relate to my real life experiences and my emotions (like being
scared during a thunderstorm…)?
3. How can dynamics change the mood of a piece?
Vocabulary
Dynamics
Piano
Forte
Mezzo Piano
Mezzo Forte
Crescendo
Decrescendo
Shakespeare
Emotions
The suggested learning activities that follow are purposely designed as broad
suggestions. This allows the teacher to adapt them for his/her students. It is our
hope that one of our ideas will work in your classroom or inspire you to create
your own learning activities. Please feel free to take what is appropriate for your
students, modify as needed or create your own!
The STL Symphony Education Team is always available to answer questions or
provide additional suggestions for learning activities. We hope you have fun
preparing your students for Tales of Shakespeare! We look forward to seeing you
and your students at Powell Hall!
Jessica Ingraham
Director of Education &
Youth Orchestra
(314) 286-4407
jessicai@stlsymphony.org
Michael Gandlmayr
Education & Youth Orchestra
Programs Manager
(314) 286-4119
michaelg@stlsymphony.org
Laura Reinert
Education Programs Coordinator
(314) 286-4488
laurar@stlsymphony.org
Looking for more ideas to use in your classroom? Visit our Pinterest Board at
bit.ly/1NeMRYD
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DISCOVERING MUSIC WITH YOUR STUDENTS
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Activity No. 1 – Exploring Dynamics
Materials:
 A device to play musical selections
 A piano card and a forte card for each student (pages 11-12)
Activity: Give each student a piano card and a forte card or designate a
movement for piano and another for forte. Ask students to listen to Dance of the
Clowns from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As they listen, students should hold
up the card or do the motion for the dynamic that best coincides with the piece as
they hear it. After the first listen, ask students to stand up and spread out around
the classroom. Play the piece again but this time ask students to dance to the
music. When the dynamic is piano they should tip toe and make very small
movements, when the dynamic is forte, they should make large exaggerated
movements. After the activity, ask the students how the music inspired their
movements.
Activity No. 2 – Create Your Own Rainstorm
Prior Knowledge: Students will need prior knowledge of dynamics (piano, mezzo
piano, mezzo forte, forte, crescendo and decrescendo) and performing on
instruments of your choice.
Materials:
 A device to play musical examples
 Cut out Rainstorm Dynamic Cards (page 13)
 Optional Wheel of Emotions (page 14)
 A way to display the cards in the front of the room
 Instruments the students will use to create a storm
Introduction: Listen to The Storm from The Tempest. Ask students the following
questions: What does the music make you think of? How does the music make
you feel? Use the Wheel of Emotions to aid students. Discuss how Sibelius wrote
this piece to symbolize a storm. Ask students the following questions: What
emotions do you feel during a storm? Did you feel this way while listening to the
music? If yes, what in the music made you feel this way?
Activity: Now it’s time to create your own classroom storm. As a class, map out
your storm [example: quietly at first (piano) then gradually getting louder
(crescendo) and building to the loudest part (forte) and then dying back down
again (decrescendo)]. Using the Rainstorm Dynamic Cards ask student
volunteers to pick the progression of the dynamics and display them in order for
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DISCOVERING MUSIC WITH YOUR STUDENTS
the class to see. Now that you have your dynamic progression, think about ways
to make the rain storm come to life, you might use rain sticks for rain or
recorders for wind, drums and clashing cymbals for thunder or flashing the
classroom lights for lightning. Assign each student an instrument and select a
student conductor to conduct or cue in each section and cut them off. The
conductor will also need to help show the dynamic progression of the storm in
his/her movements.
Post Activity: After the performance, ask students the following questions about
how their rainstorm performance made them feel: How did you feel during the
piano (mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte) part? How did you feel during the
crescendo (decrescendo)? Overall, how did our rainstorm composition make you
feel? You may repeat this activity a second time changing the dynamic
progression and the instruments used.
Extension: Visit our Pinterest page (bit.ly/1NeMRYD) for examples of storm
pictures. Have students select a picture and create their own storm soundscapes
to the picture.
Activity No. 3 – Emotions in Music
Materials:
 A device to play musical examples
 Depending on the option(s) you choose you may need to prepare the
following materials:
o A scarf for each student
o A set of Emotion Cards (page 15) for each student
o Optional Wheel of Emotions (page 14)
Introduction: Select an appropriate method to discuss emotions with your
students. Make a face to express the emotion and allow students to guess or use
the Wheel of Emotions if appropriate. Ask students to think about a time when
they felt happy, sad, surprised, scared, angry or silly.
Activity: For younger students, pass out scarves and ask the students to mimic
you as you show them a different movement for each emotion (example, hold
your scarf in front of your face as a smile or as a frown). If not using scarves, use
the Emotion Cards.
Play at least three of the following selections of music. For each piece ask the
students to pick one of the movements with their scarf or select the Emotion Card
that best describes how the music makes them feel.

Dance of the Clowns from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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




Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Storm from The Tempest Suite No. 1
Berceuse from The Tempest Suite No. 1
Humoresque from The Tempest Suite No. 1
After each selection is played ask students to look around the room and compare
their response with the responses from the other students. Discuss with students
about how we all respond differently to music.
Extension: After listening to selected pieces, have students draw or act out a
scene they feel the music portrays. Students should include a character(s) who
displays the emotion they choose.
Activity No. 4 – Enduring Love
Materials:
 A device to play musical examples
Activities: Introduce students to the key theme in Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince
of Tyre: the enduring love of a family. Ask students to think of a time where they
felt loved by their family or a time where the love of their family persevered
through a tough time. Depending on the age of the students:


Ask students to find a piece of music or a song they feel represents the
enduring love of a family. Hang the student’s selections on a bulletin
board in the classroom and listen to them throughout the semester.
Listen to Berceuse from The Tempest Suite No. 1 and have students write
a short story, a one act or a monologue inspired by the piece,
incorporating the theme of the enduring love of a family. For younger
students, have them draw a picture or series of pictures.
We would love to continue our partnership with you and your
students! The discovery of classical music is never ending.
Continue to explore how Music Tells the Story by participating in
one of our free In-School Education Programs such as Picture the
Music (grades K-6) stlsymphony.org/picture or Express the Music
(grades 7-12) stlsymphony.org/express.
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DISCOVERING MUSIC WITH YOUR STUDENTS
Activity No. 5 – Mood Music
Materials:
 A Mood Music Composition worksheet (page 18)
 Notation Cards (pages 16-17)
Activity: Divide students into groups of 4 or 5. Ask students to create a 4 beat
rhythmic pattern by cutting out the Notation Cards and placing them into the
Mood Music Composition worksheet. Once students have created their rhythm,
have them practice it using body percussion. Next give each group a set of pitched
and non-pitched instruments and assign each group an emotion. Students should
create a melody for their rhythm inspired by the emotion they have been
assigned. Discuss how dynamics, tempo and instrument timbre can affect the
sound of their composition. Once students have practiced their compositions,
have them perform for the class. Allow the students who are listening to guess the
emotion the performers are trying to convey.
Extension: As a class, write a story to go along with the Mood Music
Compositions. Narrate or act out the story and include each composition to
depict the emotions in the story.
Extension: Have students create 4 – 8 bar compositions in a similar fashion
representing the theme of the enduring love of a family. Have students
incorporate this theme into the reading of their one acts or monologues.
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Activity No. 1 – Exploring Dynamics
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
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Activity No. 1 – Exploring Dynamics
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
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Activity No. 2 – Rainstorm Dynamic Cards
p f
mf mp
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crescendo
decrescendo
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Wheel of Emotions
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Activity No. 3 – Emotion Cards
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Activity No. 5 – Notation Cards
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Activity No. 5 – Notation Cards
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Mood Music Composition
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE COMPOSERS
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
Jean Sibelius was born in Hämeenlinna, Finland into a
troubled life. His father passed away when we was very
young and he was left to be raised by his mothers and aunts.
It was his aunt who first gave him piano lessons - she would
whack him on the knuckles if he played a wrong note! A few
years later, his uncle would put the violin into his hands,
where Jean Sibelius found great success as a budding young
soloist. Ultimately, he chose to pursue composition. Sibelius
found much of his inspiration in nature, writing works
evocative of the Finnish landscape such as Finlandia. In
addition to his seven symphonies, Sibelius wrote a large
amount of incidental music (music based on or supporting
plays) such as The Tempest by William Shakespeare. He
passed away of old age in the Finnish countryside.
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, Germany to a
prominent and affluent family. His parents encouraged a
well-rounded education for all of their children - thus began
their musical studies at an early age. His older sister, Fanny,
also exhibited considerable musical talent, however, it was
not widely accepted for women to be professional musicians
at the time. Felix Mendelssohn was a prodigy. He began
composing at a very early age writing string symphonies. At
16, he wrote his first masterpiece - the String Octet in E-Flat
major. A year later he would compose the Overture to A
Midsummer Night’s Dream based on the play by William
Shakespeare. Mendelssohn wrote in many genres, such as chamber music,
symphonic music, and songs. He died at an early age from poor health.
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Richard Wagner (1813-1833)
Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany. His father
died just six months after his birth and he was raised by his
mother and her friend Carl Geyer, who he was raised to
believe was his father! He began his music education
young, but hated the standard approaches to lessons. He
preferred instead to play music by ear and improvise
(spontaneously create music). He quickly developed a love
for opera after seeing many of Mozart’s operas. This led
him to focus his composition career in the writing of
operas. In total, he wrote thirteen operas. Wagner
established himself as a giant of nineteenth century music, forging a new
compositional style that was more sensational and unrestrained than that of his
peers, such as Brahms. He developed a technique known as leit motif, which is
the explicit musical representation of characters. Wagner died of a heart attack
while on vacation in Venice.
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