Winter 2019 Tiny Tots Pre-Program Packet

WINTER 2019 PROGRAM PACKET

We are so looking forward to seeing you at Tiny Tots this winter. Winter 2019 Tiny Tots will feature music all about the four seasons – kids will get to stomp along like thunder with the big bass drum, grow and get taller like the rising sun during music that sounds like a summer sunrise, sing and dance along as the orchestra plays around you, and more!

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

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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.

About the Piece: 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 in Tiny Tots and what activities children will be prompted to do in order to better relate to the music.

At Home: this section includes activities to bring the music and 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” activity for Alpine Symphony. Children are invited to bring their sunshine crowns to Tiny Tots and wear them during portions of the concert.

We can’t wait to see you soon!

Musically,

Sara Hare Program Manager

Autumn from The Seasons – Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) About the Piece The Seasons is a ballet written by Russian composer Alexander Glazunov in 1899. Each section of this piece, modeled after each of the four seasons, is meant to sound like defining features of that season: snow, hail, wild song birds, and more. When the whole piece is performed fully, Autumn is the last section, though it will be the very first piece of our Tiny Tots concert this winter. Imagine looking all around the room at the beautiful colors of the fall trees before we perform this piece.

At Home Check out this tutorial for creating fall leaf suncatchers. Whether you keep them in standard leaf colors or throw in some surprising blue or purple cellophane, they’re sure to bring some beautiful colors to your winter-window view.

Let's Go Fly A Kite – Richard M. Sherman (1928- ) and Robert Sherman (1925-2012) About the Piece Let’s Go Fly A Kite is from Mary Poppins. The Sherman Brothers composed all the music for that movie as well as many other Disney movies. Though the Mary Poppins movie is based on a book, this scene where the family reconnects by flying a kite together isn’t in the original story – it was actually inspired by the Sherman Brother’s father and his love of kites. We’ll have singer Alton Williams join the orchestra for this piece.

At Home Make a cute indoor-approved kite at home. You don’t need any wind to make these kites fly – just tie on some string and run around with them trailing behind you.

The Four Seasons, Winter – Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) About the Piece Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is a group of four violin concerti based on accompanying sonnets about each season. These concerti were one of the earliest examples of program music, music that has some sort of narrative element (be it a story, a poem, an allegory, etc). Vivaldi specifically wrote sections of the Winter movement to sound like shivering in the cold and shiny, sharp icicles glistening in the sun. Children will pretend to throw snowballs and shiver along with this cold music.

At Home In preparation for the shivery-cold, snowball throwing music we’ll hear at Tiny Tots, check out these 7 indoor snowball activities you can have some fun with. And don’t worry – there’s no real snow required.

Skaters Waltz – Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915) About the Piece Emile Waldteufel was inspired by a skating rink on the outskirts of Paris when he wrote this piece in 1882. The very beginning of the piece is meant to sound like a poised skater, getting ready to take off in the cold wintry air. Shortly into the piece, the skater works up to full speed! This piece is a waltz because it has 3 beats per measure. The audience will be asked to sway back and forth, like ice skaters skating along with a waltz.

At Home The waltz is one of the most distinct styles of music. Waltzes always have three beats per measure, but they can be fast or slow, in a major key or a minor key, or any other number of variations. (Check out the "Minute Waltz" to hear a very fast waltz!) To start learning about waltzes, have your child(ren) count to three and then have them repeat it in a steady pattern – ONE-two-three-1-2-3-1-2-3… Next, add physical movements. For example, have them tap out a pattern on their bodies like head – belly – legs or ask them to stomp their feet. You can then use this playlist of waltzes to have them find the “1-2-3” beat pattern some of the music.

Symphony no. 4 – Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) About the Piece We’re doing an excerpt from the 3rd movement of Brahms Symphony no. 4. Most orchestral symphonies have 4 movements and follow this typical pattern: 1st movement is big and upbeat though not too fast, the 2nd movement is slow, the 3rd movement is often dance-like and has 3 beats per measure like a waltz, and the 4th movement tends to be rollicking and fast and furious. Even when this symphony was first premiered, it left a deep impact on all who heard it.

When we perform this piece at Tiny Tots, we’ll listen to how it sounds like the spring air is warming things up and melting the ice and snow.

At Home This piece in Tiny Tots will transition our program from music about winter to spring-themed music. Watch this music video about the changing of the seasons with your kid(s). Use it as a starting point to teach about the seasons, learn the words and sing along, or just have fun and dance.

Overture to William Tell, Storm – Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) About the Piece You might remember part of the story of William Tell – legend says he used a bow and arrow to shoot an apple off his son’s head. The overture to the opera about his life is is full of fun and famous excerpts. We’ll be playing the “storm” section. Listen to the orchestra depict raindrops getting heavier and heavier until the storm is directly above before it slowly retreats again. At the concert, kids will use their hands and their bodies to imitate the rainstorm.

At Home Bring the thunderstorms inside with these raincloud mobiles. Enhance your rainy journey with this playlist full of music that features storms.

The Four Seasons, Spring - Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) About the Piece Listen to the birds chirping and fluttering about the violin section as a thunder storm approaches. Fun fact: this movement was particularly enjoyed by Louis XV, King of France, and he would order it to be performed for him whenever he pleased. Kids will get to dance in the breeze like happy flowers before dancers from Kim Robards Dance join us.

At Home The groundhog says that spring is just around the corner, and that means it’s the perfect time to bring some colorful flowers into your life. Use your little one’s handprints to create these colorful flower cards. They’re a great way to personalize note cards for birthday thank you notes! And parents, something for you: check out this interesting video all about Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

Alpine Symphony – Richard Strauss (1864-1949) About the Piece Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony is another piece of program music – it depicts the experience of 11 hours from dawn till dusk climbing a mountain in the Alps. Each section of the piece has a specific title depicting a mountain-side event including “The Ascent,” “At the Waterfall,” and “Night.” We’ll be performing “Sunrise” from the very beginning of the piece. Kids will slowly go from a crouched to a standing position as they pretend to be the rising sun along with the music as it gets louder.

At Home – Bring this to the concert with you!

Before the concert, have your child(ren) make this paper sunshine crown and bring it along to Tiny Tots. During this piece, we’ll ask all the little ones to put them on as they pretend to be the rising sun along with the music. Follow the link for instructions and a free template download!

Thunder – Imagine Dragons About the Piece 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, by Imagine Dragons, is a pop song that reached number four on the Billboard’s Hot 100. It 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 This piece features the bass drum and shows kids they can also use their bodies as percussion instruments by stomping along with the drum beats. Have some fun brainstorming with your kiddo(s) all the ways they can use their body to make drumming noises: stomping, tapping their legs, making popping sounds with their mouths, and more! Once you’ve had some fun turning into a one-person-drum set, make your own DIY drums.

Carnival Overture – Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) About the Piece 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. At Tiny Tots, we’ll talk about how this piece sounds like running around outside and playing fun games with friends during the summer and kids will get to play pretend and run in place along with this fun music.

At Home Carnival Overture reminds us of the fun energy of running around outside on a warm day. But with the snowy weather we’ve had this winter, chances are your kiddos have been cooped up indoors more than usual. Check out this mega-list of 87 “energy-busting” indoor games and activities to keep your little ones entertained and keep the cabin-fever away.

You Are My Sunshine About the Piece 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. It has become a common children’s song, though when recorded for kids, singers typically only sing the first verse along with the chorus. We wrote a new verse that you'll be able to sing along with at the concert. Check out the lyrics below! Kids will get to dance and sing along with the orchestra during this piece.

At Home This YouTube video teaches the ASL signs for You Are My Sunshine. Learn the signs along with your kiddos!

You Are My Sunshine Lyrics You are my sunshine, my only sunshine You make me happy when skies are grey You'll never know dear how much I love you Please don't take my sunshine away The other night, dear, while I lay sleeping I dreamt I held a new trombone When I awoke, dear, it really was there So I played it around my home

FOR SCHOOLS