Pre-K Schooltime Supplementary Materials

Pre-K Schooltime Supplementary Materials 2019-2020 SEASON

SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY:

Pre-K/Kindergarten Schooltime

“DRAGON NIGHT” Andrés Franco, Conductor November 26, 2019 • 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. • Heinz Hall

Stravinsky

Suite No.2 for Small Orchestra

Stravinsky

“Dance and Variations” from The Firebird

Williams

“Flight to Neverland” from Hook

Prokofiev

“The Montagues and the Capulets” from Romeo and Juliet, Opus 64

Marston

Dragon Night

Hermann

Old Timers Waltz Medley No. 2

Chopin

Prelude from Les Sylphides

Dvořák

Carnival Overture, Opus 92 Program subject to change

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MEET THE CONDUCTOR Starting his fifth season as Music Director of the Signature Symphony and his first season as Resident Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Andrés Franco continues to delight audiences with his imaginative programming and energetic style.

A frequent guest conductor in the U.S., Europe, and South America, Mr. Franco has appeared with the symphonies of Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Eugene, Elgin, Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Mississippi, Omaha, Springfield, and St. Louis; the philharmonic orchestras of Boise and Oklahoma City; and the Chicago Sinfonietta. Worldwide, he has conducted the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León/Spain, the Orquesta Sinaloa de las Artes/Mexico, the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, as well as the Bogotá Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, Medellin Philharmonic, and EAFIT Symphony Orchestra in Colombia. He has also appeared at the Cabrillo, Grant Park, OK Mozart, Oregon Bach, Round Top, and Texas Music festivals.

Andrés Franco formerly served as resident conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and as Leonard Slatkin’s assistant conductor during the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Born into a musical family, Mr. Franco began piano studies with his father, Jorge Franco. An accomplished pianist, he studied with Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Jose Feghali, and attended piano workshops with Rudolph Buchbinder in Switzerland, and Lev Naumov in France. He studied conducting with Marin Alsop, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Kurt Masur, Gustav Meier, Helmut Rilling, Gerard Schwarz, and Leonard Slatkin.

Andrés Franco holds a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, as well as master of music degrees in piano performance and conducting from Texas Christian University.

He is married to Victoria Luperi, associate principal clarinetist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

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MEET THE NARRATOR/AUTHOR J. R. Krause’s career as a storyteller spans three decades. His picture books have been featured in The Boston Globe, BookPage, Kirkus, the Picturebooking podcast, and the SCBWI Bulletin. His most recent picture book Dragon Night is an Indie Next selection, an Amazon Best of 2019 So Far, and one of 10 Books You Should Read In 2019 by the Southern California Booksellers Association. He is also the illustrator and co-author of Poco Loco! and Happy Birthday, Poco Loco!, both written with Maria Chua.

J. R. Krause grew up in the woodsy town of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, he moved to Los Angeles to work in animation and make children’s books. In addition to children’s books, he has worked on many television shows including The Simpsons, where he has over 500 television credits. Other credits include; The Simpsons Movie, Futurama and King of The Hill.

J. R. is honored that Dragon Night has been selected for this Schooltime Concert. He listened to lots of music while creating the art for Dragon Night including; Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, Requiem by Mozart, and Misa Criolla by Mercedes Sosa, each many times over.

He lives in Southern California with his family. To learn more, visit jrkrause.com. Find him on Twitter @jrkrausebooks and Instagram @j.r.krause.

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HEINZ HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts was built in 1927, and it opened on September 6 of that year as the Loew’s Penn Theatre. The Penn Theatre was a movie theater, as well as a venue for numerous vaudeville and stage shows. It closed in 1964, and it remained vacant until 1970, when renovations began to turn the Penn Theatre into Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts.

Heinz Hall has several notable features. Among them is the famous 40-foot window in the Grand Lobby that looks out onto Sixth Street. Also in the Grand Lobby are two chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, both of which are 15 feet by 8.5 feet. These chandeliers need to be lowered by pulleys when they are cleaned or when light bulbs are replaced.

The auditorium of Heinz Hall seats 2,702 people. The theater is divided into three main seating divisions: the Orchestra level (or main floor), the Grand Tier, and the Balcony—which is subdivided into the Dress Circle, Family Circle, and Gallery. The stage of Heinz Hall has a unique feature: a moving floor. The front portion of the stage, called the apron, is on a hydraulic lift that can be lowered to create an Orchestra Pit, where musicians sit for an opera or Broadway show. The carpeting of Heinz Hall has a specially-made design of a triangle pattern, which represents the three rivers of Pittsburgh.

When the original carpet was placed in Heinz Hall in 1971, an equal amount of the carpet was placed into storage. In 1995, when the carpeting in Heinz Hall needed to be replaced, the “spare” carpeting was brought out of storage and used to replace the worn carpeting.

Heinz Hall is one of the premier performance facilities in the world. Its value is estimated at more than $30 million.

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BEFORE THE CONCERT Essential Preparation • Before attending the concert, read Dragon Night by J. R. Krause • •

to familiarize students with the characters and the plot.

Help students become familiar with the instrument families of the orchestra and the sounds they make.

Review what it will be like to visit the orchestra and demonstrate proper concert etiquette.

MUSIC Where and How People Listen to Music

Have a conversation with students to think about where and how people listen to music, starting with these guided questions: • Who has been to a concert before? What type of concert was it?

• How else do people listen to music? Do you listen to music in the car? At home? On a radio?

On a phone?

• Share videos/recordings of other types of concerts or music ensembles, like jazz bands, marching bands, choirs, and rock bands. How many different types of music have students heard?

• How might you act differently at these other types of performances compared to when you watch the orchestra?

PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.1.3.A Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities; 9.1.3.I Identify arts events that take place in schools and in communities; 9.1.3.J Know and use traditional and contemporary technologies for producing, performing and exhibiting works in the arts or the works of others; 9.4.3.C Recognize that the environment of the observer influences individual aesthetic responses to works in the arts

Purposes of Music

While listening to the concert, the music will help to express the emotions and mood of the story.

This is one example of a purpose for music. Another would be a lullaby meant to calm the listener.

There are many purposes, such as a way to teach, a way to celebrate, or even a way to have fun.

Introduce students to different examples of songs that have purposes, like the birthday song or the alphabet song. Use the following questions to guide a conversation: • Are there some examples that have more than one purpose?

• Does everyone always share the same idea about a piece of music?

PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.4.3.A Know how to respond to a philosophical statement about works in the arts and humanities

Imagination and Storytelling

The orchestra will use different pieces of music to tell the story of Dragon Night. Help introduce students to musical storytelling through these activities: • Music can inspire certain colors and images. As a class, listen to a wide variety of music (consider using the Suggested Listening section for examples) and prompt students to use color to respond to what they hear. Ask students why they chose certain colors for certain music and compare what other students selected.

• Music can make us think of different times of day. Ask students to identify music that sounds Page 6 • PittsburghSymphony.org/Community

•

like evening, night, or day. Edvard Grieg’s “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt Suite is an excellent example of music that evokes morning time.

Work together to create a soundtrack to the story of Dragon Night or another book your students are reading by assigning instruments to certain characters, settings, or events. For example, select an instrument that sounds like night time, or music that represents the dragon flying. Make a map of these creative choices and have students follow along with the book.

PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.1.3.E Demonstrate the ability to define objects, express emotions, illustrate an action or relate an experience through the creation of works in the arts; 9.4.3.B Know how to communicate an informed individual opinion about the meaning of works in the arts; 9.4.3.D Recognize that choices made by artists regarding subject matter and themes communicate ideas through works in the arts and humanities

Dragon Night

Draw a picture of what happens in the story:

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VISUAL ARTS Situational Art

Encourage students to think about how a situation changes a scene or piece of visual art.

Have students fold a large piece of paper in half. On one side, prompt students to draw a favorite place from their memory. On the other side, ask students to draw how this place would appear in a different circumstance, such as at night, in the rain, with snow, or without people.

• Have students pick their favorite illustration from Dragon Night. Ask them to represent the same scene if it took place during the day.

PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.4.3.B Know how to communicate an informed individual opinion about the meaning of works in the arts; 9.4.3.D Recognize that choices made by artists regarding subject matter and themes communicate ideas through works in the arts and humanities

Visual Thinking Strategy

Night is a central theme of Dragon Night. Use visual thinking strategy to prompt students to respond to works of art that feature the night, such as Van Gogh’s painting Starry Night. Guide students through thinking about the artwork by asking: • What do you think is going on in this picture?

• What do you see that makes you say that?

• When do you think this scene is taking place?

• Where do you think this scene is taking place?

• What more can we find in this picture?

PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.4.3.B Know how to communicate an informed individual opinion about the meaning of works in the arts; 9.4.3.D Recognize that choices made by artists regarding subject matter and themes communicate ideas through works in the arts and humanities

LANGUAGE ARTS Reading Comprehension • Read Dragon Night as a class and have students retell the story.

• Brainstorm other things that students like about the night and things that may frighten them.

Playing with Homophones

At the beginning of the Dragon Night, Georgie and the dragon believe they both are afraid of the night, or is it the knight? Teach students about homophones and create a list of common words that are homophones. Consider using the following video to help teach your students about homophones: Homophone Monkey: A Fun Song About Homophones https://youtu.be/GJUqJyX5NSA

Written Response • Have students write or illustrate a letter to Georgie telling him about something that frightens them.

• Georgie rewrites the story to help the dragon; have students rewrite the ending to their favorite story or stories that they think could have a better ending.

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Further Reading Suggestions

Read other books about children learning to deal with their fears: • The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone & Michael Smollin • Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell • Curious George Goes to the Hospital by Margret & H.A. Rey • The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers by Stan & Jan Berenstain

MATH Graphing

Survey your class on their fears. Are they scared of the night, like Georgie?

Or are they scared of something else entirely? Make a graph based on the results.

• Make a bar graph that shows the different ways people listen to music.

SCIENCE Exploring Day & Night • Explore day and night with your class. Consider using the following video: •

Day and Night - Video for kids: https://youtu.be/Wr-CRKsTYGs Make a chart of things that can happen and things that can be seen in the daytime and at night.

SOCIAL STUDIES Mythical Creatures

Dragons are mythical creatures, meaning that their existence cannot be proved and that they can be found in folktales and other stories. Explore myths from different cultures with your students. What creatures are part of those stories? Are they real or imaginary? Use a map of globe to locate the country or part of the world where each myth originates. Are there any creatures that appear in myths from more than one place?

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GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR EXPLORING A PIECE OF MUSIC

Adapted from Lincoln Center Education’s Model of Imaginative Learning Entering the World of the Work of Art: A Guide for Designing an Instructional Unit, 2012. Visit www.lcinstitute.org for more information

Describe – questions that elicit pure noticing What do you notice?

What do you hear?

How would you describe…?

Analyze – questions that ask students to analyze various aspects of the work • What do you hear that is…

- similar?

- different?

- a pattern?

• What patterns or relationships can you identify in the music?

• How are the individual parts of the music put together?

• What connections do you make…

- to your life?

- to the world?

- to things you have read?

- to what you are studying in school?

• What questions do you have?

Interpret – questions that ask students to find their own meaning in the music after considering their responses to the prior descriptions and analyses (ask students to provide evidence for their analyses and interpretations) • What do you think is going on in this piece of music?

• What is it about?

• What ideas was the composer trying to convey in this music?

• What does it mean? What does it mean to you?

• Does it represent something? If yes, what?

• Does the music evoke any emotions?

• What does the music express?

• If this music was a metaphor for something, what might it be?

Additional Questions for Reflection • What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear this music?

• If you were to give this piece of music a new title, what would you call it?

• What is surprising about this piece of music?

• Does this piece of music remind you of anything you’ve heard before?

• Do you relate to this work on a personal level? Explain.

• What do you think the overall mood of the music is?

• Does the title of the piece help you to understand the music?

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SUGGESTED LISTENING EXAMPLES Prelude and Allegro (Sextet), McKay

The String Family

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Mozart

(small ensemble of strings) Four Seasons, Vivaldi (strings only) “Waltz of the Flowers,” The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky (harp) “Gigue,” Suite for Strings, Corelli “Sarabande,” Suite for Strings, Corelli “Pastoral Symphony,” Messiah, Handel Adagio for Strings, Barber Serenade in C for Strings, Op. 48, Tchaikovsky

The Woodwind Family

Divertimento in B-flat, Haydn Summer Music for Woodwind Quintet,

Op. 31, Barber Quintet in E-flat, Beethoven Suite for Woodwind Quintet, Cowell Arabesque No. 2, Debussy “Gavotte,” Suite in B for Winds, Op. 4, Strauss “Schnelle Viertel,” Klein Kammermusik, Hindemith Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin

(beginning: clarinet solo) “Chinese Dance” and “Dance of Mirlitons,”

The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky (beginning:

piccolo, flutes, bassoons) “Violin Concerto,” Movement II, Brahms

(beginning: oboe)

The Brass Family

“Fanfare,” La Peri, Dukas “Prelude to Act III,” Lohengrin, Wagner

The Brass Family (cont.)

Fanfare for Forces of Latin American Allies, Cowell Fanfare for the Common Man, Copland “Trumpet Tune,” Purcell Canzon Duodecimi Toni, G. Gabrieli “Viennese Musical Clock,”

Háry János Suite, Kodály “La Forza Del Destina,” Opera, Verdi

(opening: trombone) “Light Cavalry,” Suppe Overture

(beginning: trumpet) “Nocturne,” A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

Mendelssohn (horn) “Spanish Dance,” The Nutcracker,

Tchaikovsky (beginning: trumpet) “Scherza Capriccioso,” Op. 66,

Dvořák (beginning: horn)

The Percussion Family

Symphony No. 9, Beethoven

(beginning of Scherzo: timpani solo) Overture to Candide, Bernstein 1812 Overture, Tchaikovsky “Radetzky March,” J. Strauss, Jr.

(beginning: snare drum and bass drum) “Hoedown,” Copland Ionisation, Varese Toccata for Percussion Instruments, Chavez October Mountain, Hovhaness Night Music for Percussion, Starer Háry János Suite, Kodály

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HELPFUL SITES & APPS TO INTRODUCE THE ORCHESTRA Online Resources San Francisco Symphony Kids

Interactive site that includes an orchestra seating chart, instrument photos and descriptions, and sound demonstrations http://www.sfskids.org/classic/templates/instorchframe.asp?pageid=3

Philharmonia Orchestra

Includes videos of orchestra members describing and performing on their instruments, in-depth written descriptions of instruments, instrument ranges, and fun facts http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/explore/instruments

Oregon Symphony

Straightforward descriptions and photos of the instruments http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments/strings.aspx

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids

A wide selection of videos featuring musicians playing a range of instruments https://www.mydso.com/dso-kids/learn-and-listen

MOBILE APPS The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (iPad / free)

Full recording of Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra with animations, games, quizzes, performance videos, and photos

Meet the Orchestra (iPad / $2.99)

Animated characters introduce the orchestra and instruments; quizzes that increase in difficulty

My First Orchestra App (iPad / $3.99)

Full album of orchestral repertoire, animated characters demonstrate instruments, narration, quizzes, and conducting examples

The Orchestra (iPad / $9.99)

In-depth app including videos, synchronized score reading, beat mapping, musician interviews, and program notes about the included repertoire

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AFTER THE CONCERT Reflection

Have a conversation with students about their favorite parts of the experience. Encourage students to share any questions they may have and help them to find the answers.

Prompt students to write a narrative piece about the experience of hearing the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Include sensory language to help the reader understand their experience.

Have students complete the LEARN section of the KWL chart.

Using their KWL chart, have students identify something they learned about a specific musician, world music tradition, or piece of music they heard at the concert. Have them write a letter to the PSO musician that presented that culture telling them what they learned.

Musical Extension

The Summer Olympics are returning this summer in Tokyo, Japan. Have students use what they’ve learned about music and culture to program an Opening Ceremony for the country of their choice.

What music would be important to feature? What musicians would they have perform? What instruments should be included? Watch clips of past ceremonies for inspiration. Ask students to explain their choices.

PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.1.5.E Know and demonstrate how arts can communicate experiences, stories or emotions through the production of works in the arts; 9.2.5.G Relate works in the arts to geographic regions; 9.4.5.D Explain choices made regarding media, technique, form, subject matter and themes that communicate the artist’s philosophy within a work in the arts and humanities

Split students into groups and have them create a concert program representing their own cultures.

Share these programs with the class, and ask students to share the reasoning for their selections.

PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities 9.1.5.E Know and demonstrate how arts can communicate experiences, stories or emotions through the production of works in the arts; 9.4.5.D Explain choices made regarding media, technique, form, subject matter and themes that communicate the artist’s philosophy within a work in the arts and humanities

Allow students to listen to other orchestral pieces by the composers from the concert and to additional music from the countries that were discussed during the performance.

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Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts 600 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-392-4900 Learning and Community Engagement Department pittsburghsymphony.org/community education_outreach@pittsburghsymphony.org