Summer 2019 Pre-Program Packet

We’ve really had an amazing time with you all during the 2018-2019 Tiny Tots season and we’re sad to see it come to an end (though we’re crazy excited for everything happening during the 2019-2020 season). We’re looking forward to playing some of our favorite music (and your favorites too – thank you for voting) from this past year with you at our Summer Tiny Tots concerts.

Check out this packet for an overview of the program you’ll experience and some fun activities to do at home before or after the concert. Some helpful hints on how to get the most out of the packet: · ·

· ·

The title of each piece links to a YouTube video of that music. For most of these pieces, we will be performing just a small section, not the full piece as linked.

At the Concert: this section will tell you a bit more about the piece of music. It may inspire you to dig further into its history or include facts you may want to share with your child(ren) as you listen to the piece. It will also tell you how the music will be used at Tiny Tots and what activities children will be prompted to do to help them relate to the music.

At Home: this section includes activities to bring the music or theme alive at home. Listen to the music as you complete some of the activities to make it a fully immersive experience.

Note: Check out the “At Home” section for Beethoven Symphony no. 5. Have your child(ren) bring their own “DIY” conducting baton to help conduct the orchestra during this piece.

We’re looking forward to celebrating summer with you!

Musically,

Sara Hare Program Manager

Livery Stable Blues – Ray Lopez (1889–1979) At the Concert: This piece was made famous by the “Original Dixieland Jass Band” in 1917 and was part of the first jazz record ever recorded! Get ready to join the brass quintet on the farm – listen to the trumpet squawk like a chicken and neigh like a horse while the trombone moos like a cow in response.

At Home: Make your own silly clucking rooster at home with this tutorial. Then have some fun listening to animal sounds from around the world!

Symphony no. 4 Movement 4 - Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) At the Concert: Tchaikovsky is said to have dedicated this symphony to his patroness and good friend, a woman named Nadezhda von Meck. The 4th movement is meant to spark joy with its bright melodies and fast-moving notes. This music sounds like the excitement of a sunny summer morning – kids will jump up in excitement as the orchestra plays.

At Home: Do you have a little one at home that jumps out of bed at the first rays of sun? Set up this contact paper and tissue paper activity to keep them entertained when the early morning sun shines through their windows as you catch some more zzz’s.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star At the Concert: Twinkle, Twinkle is a popular English lullaby based on a poem titled The Star written in the 1800s, sung to the tune of an old French melody. There are actually 5 verses to this song, though only the first one is widely known. Time to get silly with this song! You’ll get to sing this song with tiny voices, then with big voices, and then one last time however you choose.

At Home: Check out this blog post with fun star activities. These activities will help kids work on their pre-writing motor skills.

Piano Concerto – Joseph Haydn At the Concert: Haydn is known as “the father of the symphony,” though he really excelled at every type of music. He wrote 107 symphonies, 62 piano piano sonatas, 26 operas, and so much more! A student soloist will join us for this piece. At the 9:30 concert you’ll hear Concerto in C Major Movement 1 and at the 10:45 you’ll hear Concerto in D Major Movement 3.

At Home: If your child is inspired by the student soloist at the concert, it may be time to look into taking music lessons. Check out our blog post to read about some key signs of instrument learning readiness.

Carnival Overture – Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) At the Concert: Carnival Overture is part of a trilogy of pieces composed by Dvorak all about “nature, life, and love.” Carnival overture is from the “life” section of this trilogy. It is meant to invoke the lively atmosphere of a carnival setting: barking dogs, shouting vendors, a bustling crowd, and more. Play pretend and run in place along with this fun music that sounds like playing outside on a summer day.

At Home: Looking for some fun outdoor activities for your curious toddler? Check out this great list of 20 summer activities. Bonus points if you listen to Carnival Overture while having fun with some of these activities!

The Waltzing Cat -Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) At the Concert: Leroy Anderson wrote a lot of fun programmatic music for orchestra – program music is music that paints a picture or tells a story. Imagine a bunch of furry kittens waltzing around at a fancy party at this piece and listen to them meow.

We’ll all practice our meowing. Watch the conductor throughout the piece and he’ll show you when it’s your turn to meow along with the orchestra.

At Home: Leroy Anderson was an American composer whose music is not only well-known, but can also be fun and silly! Check out this short playlist of some of his most off the wall hits, including one kids will surely love for orchestra and typewriter.

But first, you may have to explain what a typewriter is to your child…

The Four Seasons Spring – Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) At the Concert: Listen to the birds chirping and fluttering about the violin section as a thunder storm approaches. Kids will dance in the breeze like happy flowers before dancers from Kim Robards Dance join us.

At Home: At the concerts, kids will pretend to grow from tiny seeds into big blooming flowers. Help your little one learn about the parts of a flower with this hands-on exploration before they come to the concert and pretend to be one themselves.

Blue Danube Waltz – Johann Strauss (1804-1849) At the Concert: Strauss is known as “The Waltz King” and this piece helped to solidify that nickname. It is so popular it has become and unofficial anthem of Austria. It was written to celebrate the River Danube that flows through Vienna. This music sounds like swinging back and forth on the playground.

At Home: The River Danube is the second longest river in Europe and it flows through 10 countries (more than any other river in the world). You can make a river in your own backyard with nothing but some tin foil! Watch how the water flows or pools, race homemade boats, experiment to see what objects float and which sink in the water – the fun is endless!

Jurassic Park – John Williams (1932- ) At the Concert: John Williams wrote this main theme to portray the “awesome beauty” of dinosaurs in nature. Listen to the soaring strings and the majestic brass. Pretend to go on a walk or a hike through the mountains – imagine all of the beautiful things that you would see around you.

At Home: Nature is full of tiny treasures that little kids love to bring home with them. Next time you go on a walk or hike with your little one, make this sticky bracelet for them to attach all their little mementos to. When you get home, play the Jurassic Park theme (or another nature-focused piece like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons of Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite) and talk about what you found.

Thunder - Imagine Dragons At the Concert: In every Tiny Tots performance, we try to include a modern pop piece or famous movie music to show kids that orchestra music is all around them – that orchestra music is relevant and exciting and already a part of their lives.

Thunder features bass-drum sounding beats throughout the chorus that correspond with lyrics about thunder and lightning. Children will get to stomp along with the bass drum’s thunder-beats during this piece.

At Home: Fill up your house with the sounds of thunder and rain. First, brainstorm with your kids: What household items could you use to sound like thunder? What could make the sound of rain? Do you have anything that could look like lightening? Then, close your blinds and shut off the lights and create your own indoor thunderstorm! Get some expert tips on creating your own indoor storm here.

Symphony no. 5 Movement 1 – Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) At the Concert: This movement is one of the best-known pieces of classical music ever created. It took Beethoven 4 years to write this symphony. The 4 notes this piece is famous for are known as a motif: a short fragment of music repeated many times in different ways. Time for a “conduct-along!” Kids will get on their feet and help conduct the orchestra.

At Home: Have your child(ren) bring a “conducting baton” to the concert with them to help us conduct this piece. Some things that work as great pretend batons are twigs, chopsticks, drum sticks, or fairy wands. You can watch Leonard Bernstein conduct one of his famous pieces of music to see the style of one of America’s greatest conductors and composers. And for laughs, watch him “conduct” this piece. Other great conductors to check out on YouTube are Gustavo Dudamel, JoAnn Falletta, and Marin Alsop.

You Are My Sunshine At the Concert: You Are My Sunshine was originally a country music song, recorded in 1939. However, it has been covered and rerecorded so many times that it’s lost most of its ties to country music. Kids will get to dance and sing along with the orchestra during this piece. Check out the next page for our new lyrics.

At Home: Listen to the song and have your little one(s) create one of these fun sunshiney crafts.

FOR SCHOOLS

@InsideOrchestra