Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Teacher Resource Booklet
Teaching ideas designed around repertoire from the Education Concert
THE AMAZING TALE OF GIBSON
Story by Jenny Compton
Prepared by
Sharee Bahr, Carolyn Cross and Dianne O’Toole
©2016 Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Pty
CONTENTS
Page
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra 1
The Amazing Tale of Gibson 2
Teaching Ideas 4
A What’s an Orchestra 4
B Emotion in Music 6
C Texture in Music 12
D Patterns from the Program 26
E Cross-Curricular Possibilities 30
1
TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Marko Letonja Chief Conductor and Artistic Director
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has been at the forefront of concert life in Tasmania for more than six
decades. Established in 1948 and declared a Tasmanian Icon in 1998, the TSO gives nearly 80 concerts
annually including seasons in Hobart and Launceston, and appearances in Tasmanian regional centres.
Additionally, the TSO collaborates with other Tasmanian arts organisations, including highly successful
projects with the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).
Resident in Hobart’s purpose-built Federation Concert Hall, the TSO has a full complement of 47
musicians. Marko Letonja is the orchestra’s Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. For works that require
choral forces, the TSO is joined by the TSO Chorus. With approximately 80 CDs in its catalogue, including
21 titles in the Australian Composer Series on ABC Classics and 14 in the Romantic Piano Concerto Series on
the British label Hyperion, the TSO is known and heard nationally and internationally. In December 2016-
January 2017 the TSO gave a highly successful tour of China, performing nine concerts in seven cities,
including Shanghai and Nanjing.
2
The Amazing Tale of Gibson This concert traces the story of an amazing violin, one that survived theft and neglect before finding glory in
the hands of one of the world’s most famous violinists.
A LITTLE OF THE HISTORY BEHIND THE STORY OF “THE AMAZING TALE OF
GIBSON”
The narration that you will hear during the performance of The Amazing Tale of Gibson was
written by Jenny Compton and is loosely based on the history of the Gibson ex-Huberman
Stradivarius.
The following links provide more information:
Orchestra of Exiles http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1906443/ - This is a documentary about
Huberman who owned the Gibson Stradivarius and Jenny makes reference to Huberman playing
for Brahms when Huberman was a boy and also the famous night when the Gibson Stradivarius
was stolen. The Gibson Stradivarius is now owned by Joshua Bell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Stradivarius - a concise history of the Gibson ex-Huberman
Stradivarius
https://rhapsodyinwords.com/2015/08/24/the-astonishing-300-year-history-of-the-gibson-ex-
huberman-stradivarius/ - this is an in-depth look at the 300 year history of the Gibson ex-
Huberman Stradivarius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5aLHuk0PUU Joshua Bell the renowned concert violinist has
owned his pride and joy, a Stradivarius violin for over a decade, it is over 300 years old.
The story of the theft, return, and subsequent acquisition by Bell is told in the 2013 documentary
The Return of the Violin, directed by Haim Hecht. Bell's first recording made with the Gibson ex
Huberman was Romance of the Violin (for Sony Classical Records) in 2003.
A FURTHER LINK TO JOSHUA BELL AND HIS VIOLIN … SO WHAT’S GIBSON DOING
NOW?
In a 2007, violinist Joshua Bell went busking in an experiment to see if the public would recognise
one of the finest talents in the classical world. It did not work out like that.
http://www.classicfm.com/artists/joshua-bell/guides/busking-subway/#f3SIwmaVeQdq5xPV.97
In September, 2013 The Man With the Violin by Kathy Stinson illustrated by Dušan Petričić from
Annick Press was published. It tells the story of the Washington Press’s experiment where they
asked Joshua Bell to play in the subway incognito. This link provides https://vimeo.com/65555503
information about the book.
CONCERT REPERTOIRE
Please note:
a) Most of these pieces are either extracts or abridged versions, omitting repeats, to keep the
durations in the 2.00 – 3.00 minutes range.
3
b) Most are readily available on YouTube and/or iTunes/Spotify. The YouTube clip links have been
included in this resource booklet.
Composer/ Title Country Year Written Duration
HUANG Saibei Dance from Saibei Suite No 2, Op 21
China
1975
4’00
TRAD ARR. SHAWCROSS Ai Hai Yo
Australia 2015 1’00
CORELLI Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op 6, No 8 Christmas Concerto
Italy
1690
2'00
II Allegro; III Adagio
VIVALDI Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8 No 2 in G Minor L’estate (Summer)
Italy 1723 3'00
III Presto
BACH Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 Germany 1717 –1723 1'15
II Largo
MOZART Serenade No 13 in G Major, KV 525 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Austria 1787 3'00
IV Rondo
BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 61 Germany 1806 3'00
I Allegro ma non troppo
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No 4 in A Major, Op 90 Italian Germany 1833 2'30
I Allegro vivace
SAINT- SAËNS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op 28
France
1863
3'30
LALO Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op 21 France 1874 2'20
I Allegro non troppo
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 Russia 1878 4'20
I Allegro moderato; III Finale: Allegro vivacissimo
BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 27 Germany 1878 2'00
II Adagio
BRUCH Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor, Op 26 Germany 1866 0'30
I Vorspiel: Allegro moderato; II Adagio
HOLST St. Paul’s Suite Op 29, No 2 England 1912 1'45
III Intermezzo
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op 64 Germany 1838 - 1844 2'00
III Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace
4
TEACHING IDEAS
A WHAT’S AN ORCHESTRA?
Having the opportunity to listen to and see an orchestra playing is an incredibly special and memorable
event for children.
While it is really important for the students to be familiar with all or at least some of the pieces the TSO
will play it is equally important for them to have an understanding of what an orchestra is. Please take the
time to familiarise your students with the four sections of the orchestra and the instruments in them. Look
at a clip of an orchestra playing a familiar piece, use the colouring page, watch the YouTube clip ‘George
meets the Orchestra’ or look at the many interactive on-line websites.
1 Listening to an orchestra
Play a piece that the students are familiar with being performed by an orchestra. Playing the
students a piece that they are familiar with allows them to connect immediately with the music
and they are very excited because they know the piece and it can conjure up images in their mind
and stir up memories. Once this connection has been created you can move on and focus on the
sections of the Orchestra and the instruments in them. A good starting point would be Pirates of
the Caribbean.
Here is a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zTc2hD2npA to a performance by the
Auckland Symphony Orchestra.
2 Colouring page
Ask the students to colour in the 4 sections of the orchestra using the colours that the players
will be wearing in the concert:
Woodwind = dark blue Brass = green
Percussion = light blue Strings = red
Use this link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/475692779367242089/ OR http://www.myriad-
online.com/cgi-bin/workshop/YaBB.pl?board=request;action=display;num=1305290627 for a free
orchestra layout chart.
3 George meets the orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Jc4sP0BEE
George is going to meet an orchestra for the first time! He wants to learn an instrument – but
which one?
Follow George as he chats with players of the Sydney Youth Orchestra and learns all about the
four families of the orchestra – strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. A perfect introduction to
orchestral music for Prep – Grade 2 students.
5
4 Instruments of the orchestra
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/374799720679211009
Instruments of an Orchestra – Roger Gunn. Thinglink – each image has a clip linked to it to
enable the viewer to see and hear each of the instruments from the orchestra playing. Find out
about the conductor’s role as well.
There are many interactive online websites. For example:
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra:
http://www.sfskids.org/classic/templates/instorchframe.asp?pageid=3
Philharmonia Orchestra: http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/explore/instruments
MSO Learn app: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/mso-learn/id441422027?mt=8
Composition Lab: http://www.compositionlab.co.uk
5 Create your own “Stand-up Symphony”
http://colorinmypiano.com/2012/09/20/instruments-of-the-orchestra-study-free-orchestra-stage-pieces/
There are 20 cut out figures for students to colour in and cut out and put in place on a stage plan.
It’s a hands on way of reviewing the instruments as well as learning where the orchestra members
sit.
6 A monster collection of links from Katie Wardrobe
Katie Wardrobe is a music technology trainer and consultant with a passion for helping music
teachers. This link will take you to an amazing collection of free resources online that she has
collated to help introduce or expand upon the topic of Instruments of the Orchestra.
http://www.midnightmusic.com.au/2014/12/instruments-of-the-orchestra-a-monster-collection-of-
links-for-music-teachers/
7 The violin
The featured instrument in this program is the violin. Use the following links to introduce the
violin to your classes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgaQFLUdUL0 Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay from the Philharmonia
Orchestra (London U.K.) introduces his instrument, the violin. (8.39 minutes)
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/374799720679211009 click on the Violin link from Roger Gunn’s
Orchestra thinglink page
http://coloringcafe.com/coloring-pages/violin/ a free, downloadable violin colouring page
Using the parts of the violin picture from Get-Tuned.com ask the students to label the parts of the
violin on the colouring page above http://www.get-tuned.com/violin.php
Go to Wikipedia for more information on the violin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin
6
B EMOTION IN MUSIC
As a means of introducing the concept of emotion in music you could use the following interactive website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/4_11/music/mm/mood01.shtml Musical Mysteries was
designed to help support the Northern Ireland Music Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2 (7-11 year olds).
The resource helps pupils to explore basic musical concepts in sound, rhythm and mood. The students
need to help Robbie and Curly solve some musical mysteries. The link above takes you directly to the page
that focuses on mood.
What is it about music that makes us feel happy or sad, or makes us want to dance?
Students need to be able to identify the way the music makes them feel. Page nine of this document has an
excellent list of positive/negative mood words https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mood-Guess-
My-Mood-FREEBIE-668428 . There is also a list below **
Ask students to draw how the music makes them feel by drawing different facial expressions on the blank
faces http://www.getcoloringpages.com/blank-face-coloring-page
How do I feel right now? https://skinnurse.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/how-do-i-feel-right-now-faces-
visuals/ this link will take you to several Feeling or Emotion Charts that are free printable visuals.
Apart from identifying how the music makes us feel students also need to be able to identify the elements
that are used by composers when they compose a piece of music that lead us to feel that way.
Listening glyphs are worksheets that ask students to colour each object or portion of the picture based on
what they hear. These glyphs are an excellent way for students to identify musical elements. They are a way
to share information about a piece of music in a pictorial way that students can easily interpret. Some of
the concepts covered: loud/soft, fast/slow, steady beat/no steady beat, lullaby, march, smooth/separated,
mood and more. The listening glyphs are available from
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Listening-Glyphs-for-Listening-to-and-Analyzing-Music-
597898 $4 - The Bulletin Board Lady – Tracey King. Included in the kit are 7 glyphs: butterfly,
penguin, house, Christmas tree, snowman, pizza and gingerbread man.
Ask your students to imagine that they are a composer. Ask them the following questions:
“If you wanted to create a piece of music that sounds happy and exciting, describe the music that
you would write”
“How would this music change if you wanted your music to sound sad?”
Lead the discussion to talk about musical elements of instrumentation, tempo and dynamics.
1 ELEMENTS OF MUSIC
Mood/Expression: This is how the music affects you emotionally. For example: an upbeat tune may make
you joyful, while a slow violin song may make you feel lonely, cold, and depressed.
Use adjectives which describe how the mood of the music sounds to you. What do you hear in the music
that suggests this mood? Does the mood ever change? Describe the changes.
** Use adjectives (descriptive words) to describe the music. Here are some examples: dark, cold,
mysterious, joyous, loud, soft, morbid, sad, swift, bubbly, gurgling, light, buoyant, heavy, dragging, bouncy,
smooth, choppy, sensitive, weak, strong, bright, excited, warm, colourful, cheerful, dramatic, exciting,
exhilarated, passionate, sensational, soaring, dreamy, scared, triumphant, tragic, yearning, agitated, angry,
restless, tense, depressing, gloomy, melancholy, mournful, solemn, dreamy, sentimental, tranquil, forlorn.
7
Tempo: Refers to the speed of the beat (i.e. fast/slow). Does it ever change? Is it steady? Does it get faster
or slower? When does it change? We use mainly Italian terms to indicate tempo:
Adagio = slow
Andante = moderately slow tempo
Moderato = moderately
Allegro = fast
Presto = very fast
Accelerando = getting faster
Rallentando = getting slower
Dynamics: Refers to the level of volume at which the music is played (i.e. loud/soft). Do they change? We
use mainly Italian terms to indicate dynamics:
pp = pianissimo = very soft
p = piano = soft
mp = mezzo piano = moderately soft
mf = mezzo forte = moderately loud
f = forte = loud
ff = fortissimo = very loud
crescendo = gets gradually louder
decrescendo = gets soft gradually
Pitch: Relates to the notes used (high, medium, low) and what sequence they are used in.
Melody (tune): a melody is the part of the song you might hum to yourself as you remember the song.
This is the horizontal aspect of pitch.
When pitches are put together they make melodies. What is the shape of the melody? Melody can be
described as monotone, ascending, descending, wavy contour, jagged. What instrument/s are playing the
melody?
Harmony (accompaniment): The vertical aspect of pitch: what is being played with the melody.
Tonality: a melody (and its supporting harmony) is based on a particular scale (e.g. major, minor, blues,
chromatic)
Rhythm: the pattern of long and short sounds or silences.
What time signature is being used? (Meter 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 3/2), Does the piece use patterns? Repetition?
An ostinato? A drone? Listen for repetitive patterns.
Tone Colour/Timbre: Refers to the individual sound of an instrument or voice. What instruments/
voices do you hear? Each instrument has a different tone colour. Is the sound pleasant? Is it harsh? Is it
mellow? Is it dark?
Texture: Texture refers to the layers of sound and how the layers relate to each other. Is the sound thick
(lots of instruments) or thin (few instruments)
Instrumentation: In what combination are the instruments being used? What is the type of ensemble you
can hear?
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2 VIVALDI Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8
No 2 in G Minor L’estate (Summer)
III Presto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJTfG1MmMwQ
Summer is played during the story when Gibson’s brother Daniel is bought by someone and taken away on
horseback. Gibson is feeling horrified as he watches his brother being taken away by the stranger on the
back of a galloping horse.
Share the narrative from the concert and ask students to listen to the recording of Vivaldi Le
quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8 No 2 in G minor - "Summer" 3rd Movt, and fill in the table
below:
Describe your feelings when you listen AND think about how Gibson
must have felt.
What does the music do to help you feel that way?
Name the musical elements Vivaldi used
Example : unsettled - anxious it’s fast Tempo
Younger students might like to draw a picture of the stranger on horseback taking away Gibson’s
brother, they need to draw Gibson in the picture so we can see his face.
Ask them to write three things about the music that made them feel that way / draw what they
drew.
Use a listening glyph to help students focus on the musical elements used.
3 SAINT- SAËNS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op 28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWwi0iR65E 0.00 – 3.39
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso is played during the story when Gibson was really enjoying himself and life
was wonderful. Gibson played music all day and all night. It was so much fun. This piece made Gibson feel
like he was a superstar ballet dancer and very handsome!
Listen to the recording of Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op 28 and
draw a picture that shows how Gibson was feeling.
How did you decide what Gibson was feeling?
What was it in the music that made you decide that is what Gibson was feeling?
Using a blank face template, draw in the features of your face to show how the music is making you
feel. Discuss what is happening in the music to make you feel this way.
9
Provide a face feelings guide to assist students, available from “how do I feel right now”. These can be
found at this link https://kk107.k12.sd.us/new_page_2.htm or there are several at this link
https://skinnurse.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/how-do-i-feel-right-now-faces-visuals/
Templates for blank faces are available from: http://www.getcoloringpages.com/blank-face-coloring-page.
After listening to the Saint-Saëns, fill in the table below:
Describe your feelings when you listen AND think about how Gibson
must have felt.
What does the music do to help you feel that way?
Name the musical elements Saint-Saëns used
Students could compare their responses to the Vivaldi and the Saint-Saens and create a list of
musical elements used in both and discuss the differences between the two pieces. How were the
elements used differently in the pieces?
4 HOLST St Paul’s Suite Op 29, No 2
III Intermezzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XazbSPIYNIw 0.00 – 1.44
Gibson was stolen from Bronislaw and put inside a hard and bumpy case. He felt sad and lonely. He didn’t
understand what was happening; he didn’t make beautiful music with the nasty man and this made Gibson
even sadder. He would lie in the case and wonder what his friends were doing. He was all alone, with no
idea if he would ever see the people he loved again.
Listen to the recording of HOLST’s St. Paul’s Suite Op. 29, No. 2 III Intermezzo without explaining
the narrative that goes with it in the concert. Use the link above for a recording 0.00 – 1.44.
a) What do you imagine is happening in the music? How does the music help you imagine those
things? (The use of solo violin for the melody, accompanied by pizzicato strings - thin texture, tonality,
tempo, rhythms establish a melancholy and sadness)
b) How does the music make you feel? Compile a list from the students and discuss what musical
elements made them feel that way.
c) Draw a picture of what you think the music is creating. Give your picture a title.
d) Let the students share their artwork, with the title, and discuss what they heard in the music that
led them to draw this.
Once students have completed this work reveal to them the narrative from the story and see how
their ideas match.
Play the following excerpt below from the Intermezzo at the tempo that it should be – (Andante
con moto) and then try playing it at a moderate tempo (Moderato) and then a fast tempo (Allegro)
and a very fast tempo (Presto)
10
Does changing the tempo of the excerpt change its mood? How does it make you feel when it’s
faster?
Using a blank face template draw in the features of your face to show how the music is making you
feel. Discuss how the music is making you feel this way.
Provide a face feelings guide to assist students, available from “how do I feel right now”. These can be
found at this link https://kk107.k12.sd.us/new_page_2.htm or there are several at this link
https://skinnurse.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/how-do-i-feel-right-now-faces-visuals/
Templates for blank faces are available from: http://www.getcoloringpages.com/blank-face-coloring-page.
To lead to further understanding of the impact that the elements can have on a piece, ask students
to manipulate Frere Jacques by changing the tonality.
Sing and play through the piece.
Discuss how changing this element can completely change the mood.
Major:
Minor:
Students could also experiment with playing Frere Jacques with different instruments and discuss the
effect that this has.
11
5 MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op 64
III Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K67o86CS5uo 20.40 – 22.31
Gibson has been saved, he has a new gorgeous velvet lined case, he’s been cleaned up and he’s finally feeling
loved again. He feels like his old self again. He is ecstatic.
Play a recording of the selection of the piece that will be used in the concert using the link above
starting from 20.40 and finishing at 22.31, and ask the students move to the music in a manner
which shows the mood of the music.
a) Ask them why they chose to move that way
b) What features of the music made them respond in that way?
c) Ask them to move in a way that does not reflect the mood/style of the music
d) Discuss why this is not appropriate
Use a listening glyph to help students focus on the musical elements used.
How does the music make you feel and what are the musical elements that are used?
12
C TEXTURE IN MUSIC
Texture in music refers to how the music is organised – how the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements
interact; it is often referred to as ‘thick’ or ‘thin’. A good illustration to share with students is that of a
sandwich: a sandwich with only one filling represents a ‘thin’ texture ie minimal different musical sounds (eg
unison singing/playing); a sandwich with multiple fillings represents a ‘thick’ texture ie many different musical
sounds happening at one time, woven together. For the purposes of this concert program we will be
focusing on three different examples of musical texture:
A) Melody/accompaniment
B) Solo/group
C) Duet (two equal parts)
In the table below you will see how each piece from the concert repertoire may be classified in relation to
these examples of musical texture.
CORELLI Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op 6, No 8 Christmas Concerto
II Allegro; III Adagio
C
VIVALDI Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) Op 8, No 2 in G Minor L’estate (Summer) III Presto
A
BACH Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 II Largo
C
MOZART Serenade No 13 in G Major, KV 525 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik IV Rondo
A
BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 61 I Allegro ma non troppo
A
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No 4 in A Major, Op 90 Italian I Allegro vivace
A
SAINT- SAËNS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op 28 A
LALO Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op 21 I Allegro non troppo
B (+A)*
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 I Allegro moderato
A**
BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 27 II Adagio
A
BRUCH Violin Concerto No 1 in G Minor, Op 26 I Vorspiel: Allegro moderato; II Adagio
II A
I B (+A)*
HOLST St Paul’s Suite Op 29, No 2 III Intermezzo
A
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op 64 III Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace
A
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 III Finale: Allegro vivacissimo
A-B-A
(+A)* = very minimal accompaniment.
A** = lots of ‘solo’ passages but these are more like cadenzas than a change to solo/group texture, a
feature of a few other pieces also.
13
Throughout this section, TP refers to tuned percussion and UP refers to untuned percussion.
A MELODY/ACCOMPANIMENT
1. Pudding on the Hill: sing (melody) and play TP (accompaniment)
‘Pudding on the Hill’ (from Marimba Music for Little Kids by Jon Madin):
Listen to recording and sing along
Join in by clapping the ostinato
Sing descending scale pattern
Show how (descending) ostinato and (ascending) scale are notated – discuss pitch
direction also
Sing along while following notation
Learn to play ostinato and scale on TP
Sing melody while playing accompaniment on TP
2. ‘Holidays’ composition: created melody accompanied by bordun and UP ostinati
Create simple rhyme to a set theme eg ‘Holidays’ using basic rhythms made up of note values such
as ta, ti-ti and za – an example of one I have done with my students to commence the year is below:
Read rhythms together
Clap rhythms together
Add words
Play the rhyme on UP
Transfer to TP on limited notes eg C and G
Discuss key concepts – scale, pentatonic, improvisation
Try improvising a melody with notes of the C Pentatonic scale using the rhythm of
the rhyme
Share some and reflect/evaluate
Discuss ways to improve
Notate melody
Add accompaniment parts – bordun using C and G + UP parts (students create UP
ostinati by taking snippets from the rhyme)
Notate bordun and ostinati – see below for an example
Prepare for performance
14
3. Popcorn – sing (melody) and play UP (accompaniment)
‘Popcorn’ (from Great Southern Songbook 2001):
Listen and learn words to sing along
Add UP accompaniment as below
Learn the ‘Popcorn Line Dance’ and add to the song
Work in groups to sing melody/dance and play the UP ostinati
Swap roles
UP ostinati:
4. Good Morning Rainbow – sing (melody) and add movements + TP bordun
(accompaniment)
‘Good Morning Rainbow’ (used with permission):
Sing whole song for students
Teach phrase by phrase
Add hand movements to reflect pitch – solfa if possible
Split class in half to sing half phrase (ie one bar) each in call and response style then
swap roles
Add actions to complement the text
Add basic pentatonic accompaniment using a pedal (tonic) then bordun (tonic +
dominant) then some melodic ostinati: see examples below
Allow time for melodic improvisation using D Pentatonic scale
Combine all elements with sung melody and TP accompaniment
15
5. Coconuts – sing and play (melody) and add UP ostinati (accompaniment)
‘Coconuts’ (from Terrific Tunes for Novice Performers by Glen Hughes and Frank Wakewood):
Discuss non-conventional pitch notation and devise a simple score for the above
song
Learn to sing the song – check for vocal pitch accuracy and follow the created
score
Add UP ostinati as below
Label and learn to play melody on TP instruments
Rehearse all together – sing/play melody, accompanied by these UP ostinati (these
could also be transferred to TP eg the drums ostinato could become a bass part –
C, C, G)
6. The White Flower – melody + accompaniment, both played on TP
‘The White Flower’ (from Marimba Music for Little Kids by Jon Madin):
Listen to recording and discuss mood (minor tonality)
Look at notation and label notes of melody
Discuss how phrases differ re pitch of phrase endings
Learn to play melody on TP
Which note is not used? (Remove ‘G’ bars)
Add bass part
Combine two parts
Add some UP
Rehearse in two groups – melody (TP) and accompaniment (Bass – TP + UP)
16
7. Porog Ata e – sing (melody) and play TP Bass/UP ostinati (accompaniment)
‘Porog Ata e’ (from Children’s Songs of the Torres Strait Islands transcribed by Frank York):
Learn to sing the song
Add appropriate movements
Add instrumental accompaniment – Bass part + UP ostinati (see below for
suggestions)
8. Movement pathways – movement (melody) and TP/UP (accompaniment)
Students work in groups of three to explore movement pathways where one student is responsible for
movement and the other two accompany this movement, one using TP and the other, UP:
Map out a route across/through the space – for example, using train station names:
choose three stations to include in your movement piece
Student responsible for movement must choose three different ways of moving
from station to station
Demonstrate this for others in the group
Based on this demo others then make a choice regarding an appropriate
instrument (one person UP, one person TP) to accompany the movement ie to
represent the movement in sound
Rehearse together
Swap roles (and change the movement and sound patterns according to what the
new ‘leader’ chooses – all improvised)
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9. Wind Song – Choral speaking poem (melody) with UP and vocal sound effects
(accompaniment)
‘Wind Song’ by Lillian Moore (from Vocal-Ease Module 1: From speaking to singing):
When the wind blows
the quiet things speak.
Some whisper, some clang,
Some creak.
Grasses swish
Treetops sigh.
Flags slap
and snap at the sky.
Wires on poles
whistle and hum.
Ashcans roll.
Windows drum.
When the wind goes –
suddenly
then,
the quiet things
are quiet again.
Read poem together
Discuss sound words found in the poem eg whisper, clang, creak, swish
Add vocal sound effects to all of these words
Add any extra atmospheric sounds which are appropriate to the context
Transfer some of the sounds to UP and perform along with vocal sounds as an
accompaniment to the poem
10. Improvisation – Improvise (melody) with TP ostinati (accompaniment)
Work with students to create three ostinati on TP which can be used as the accompaniment to an
improvised pentatonic melody (in time signature of choice – examples below in simple triple time):
Bordun to become a Bass part (‘X’ in example below = cross-stick tap)
Two other melodic ostinati – see examples below
Remove bars (fourth and seventh) to make improvising using the pentatonic scale
easier for students to manage
Split class – half accompanying, half improvising and then swap roles
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B SOLO/GROUP
1. Join in the Fun
‘Join in the Fun’ (from Join in the Fun by Sharee Bahr):
Teach all parts beginning with Bass and layering other parts in
Once all parts have entered play tutti twice then feature ‘solos’ by individual parts
one at a time (eight bars) in between repetitions of the piece played tutti
2. UP Rhythmic Rondo
A rondo form activity for students to experience solo vs group:
Learn each of the five parts below
Divide the class into five groups – each group to play one of the parts
Allow time for students to create their own rhythm piece using given instruments
featuring from one to all of their group members, playing in unison or two parts
Hear these and provide feedback
Assemble into a rondo form piece
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3. Y.M.C.A dance project
Students work in groups to create a dance to the music of the song ‘Y.M.C.A’ by The Village
People:
Work as a whole class and learn actions to the Chorus of ‘Y.M.C.A’
Try with the music
For the verses teacher lead some movements then ask for student volunteers to
lead the class
Show students a set of movement cards and go through each one with the class (eg
clap your hands, stamp your feet, step to the right, bob up and down). Explain that
each movement needs to last for eight beats
Spread the cards out in the centre of the circle so that everyone can see all of
them
Choose one student to select four cards and assemble them into the order of
his/her choice. Try this sequence in time with the music and repeat with another
student and another four cards to create a dance to go with the verse of the song
Divide class into groups with the task of creating their own dance sequence using
original ideas or ideas from the cards – eight ideas to last for eight beats each
Students rehearse and try to memorize their sequence in order to perform with
the music
Share group work with the class then assemble into a performance: Group 1 (solo),
Chorus (whole class), Group 2 (solo) etc
4. Balafon
‘Balafon’ (from Hot Marimba by Walt Hampton):
Learn all three parts of the song
Combine and rehearse together
Assemble into performance order: layered beginning (Bass begins), then tutti, solo
(last group to enter), tutti, solo (second group to enter), etc
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5. Solo’s Here for Everyone
‘Solo’s Here for Everyone’ (from Music for Children vol. 1: Pentatonic by C. Orff and G. Keetman,
adapted by Margaret Murray):
Learn to sing the song
Give four pitches to students and let them ‘find’ the melody
Share and play altogether
Add bordun accompaniment – C and G
Combine parts
Create ‘B’ section with improvisation
Assemble into Rondo form: ‘A’ section = song tutti (“Now the first one’s turn has
come”), ‘B’ section = improvised solo (with one person to continue playing
bordun), ‘A’ (“Now the second one’s turn has come”), ‘C’ section = a second
improvised solo and so on
6. Charlie Over the Ocean
‘Charlie Over the Ocean’ (from 150 American Folksongs to Sing, Read and Play ed. Peter Erdei):
All learn the song by echoing teacher ie class sings lyrics in brackets
Check the last phrase for pitch accuracy
Add the game – one student to be soloist, class echoes each phrase (solo, group,
solo, group, etc); whilst singing, the ‘leader’ walks around the outside of the circle
and on the last phrase taps someone on the shoulder who then has to chase
him/her ‘home’ (once around the circle) and that person has the next turn
Students ‘out’ or caught sit down but still participate
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7. Cool Cats
‘Cool Cats’ (from Pukeko Stomp by Janet Channon and Wendy Jensen – Kids Music Company):
Teach the first half of the song by having students echo phrase by phrase
Demonstrate movements for first half of song using pegs to represent feet
Students imitate using fingers
Clarify movements with students and then try with music, standing in a circle
Teach second half of song words and movements together, phrase by phrase
Demonstrate role of ‘leader’ in centre of circle and then ask for a volunteer to take
on this role: Devise a simple movement/body percussion pattern for class to copy
and demonstrate this during the phrase: “So copy carefully, you can do it”; class
then copies during the next phrase: “It’s lots of fun you’ll see, when you do it”
Form groups of six and sing with CD (plays six times so all have a chance to be
leader); movement sequence = group, solo, group (once through the song)
8. Improvisation
An exercise to help students become familiar with improvising, build confidence and allow time for
them to collect ideas from their peers:
Clap some four-beat phrases for students to echo
Ask for some volunteers to have a turn at leading the group in this way
Choose one rhythm to be our ‘theme’ clap and teach this to students
Sitting in a circle, have each student improvise a four-beat pattern in between tutti
repetitions of the theme, going around the circle so all have a turn; teacher keeps
the beat going quietly during the improvisations
9. Singing Sockie
‘Singing Sockie from Salzburg’ from Margaret McGowan-Jackson, 2008, OSASA State Conference:
Introduce Sockie – never whispers, speaks, etc – only sings
Sockie teaches his ‘Sockie Song’ and then leads lots of echoing using a variety of
sung phrases and vocal sounds
Sockie then tells the class he is lonely and needs some friends to sing with who, like
him, only sing; teacher gives out socks to all students and once all have a sock on
their hand they join in the song, the echoing and also some ‘conversation singing’
Students work with a partner, having a play at singing conversations
Game: students sit in a circle and individual students sing odd-numbered bars with
the class singing even-numbered bars (solo, group, solo, group, etc)
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C DUET: 2 EQUAL PARTS
1. Partner songs
Partner songs work really well when introducing two-part songs. Some great examples are:
Shoo Fly/Get That Fly (from Sing! 2006)
Ten Green Bottles/Green Glass (from Sing! 1998)
2. Rhythmic Rondo
‘Rhythmic Rondo’ (from Music for Children vol. 1: Pentatonic by C. Orff and G. Keetman, adapted
by Margaret Murray):
Use speech to teach the rhythms – two parts separately (words source unknown)
Work in two groups and put two parts together
Add body percussion to words and include dynamics
Try without words
Transfer to UP
Give opportunity for improvisation and use this to create a ‘B’ section
Turn the TV off and go to bed now
Turn the TV off and go to bed now
Turn it off
Go to bed
Turn the TV off and go to bed now
Oh no I won’t
Oh no I won’t
Every time I want to watch a
program that I really like, it’s “No!”
Oh no I won’t
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3. Score-reading
Use a simple two-part rhythmic piece for students to experience score-reading:
All read Part 1
Add body percussion
All read Part 2
Add body percussion
Work in two groups – reading rhythms + body percussion
Transfer body percussion to UP
4. Monday’s Child
‘Monday’s Child’ (from Marimba Music for Little Kids by Jon Madin):
Listen to song and join in with ostinato after hearing this a few times – tap knees
for TP, clap for stick taps
Listen out for bass pattern and discuss pitch direction
Learn to play both ostinato and bass pattern (remove bars between notes of
ostinato to make it easier for young students)
All play bass, all ostinato then split class and try both parts together as a duet
5. Evolving Shapes
Movement activity for students working in pairs:
Students experiment with curvy and pointy shapes that they can make with their
bodies
Work in pairs to make a statue together with one student making a pointy shape,
the other a curved shape
Continue working to come up with a total of four different statues
Share with the class – holding each statue for several seconds before moving to the
next statue (half at a time: half audience, half performers)
Students work together again to devise a smooth pathway to flow from shape to
shape so that each ‘statue’ seems to evolve
Share with the class again
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6. Thursday Song
‘Thursday Song’ (from Treasures from the Orff Attic by Konnie Saliba):
Teach song by imitation
Add clapping pattern in pairs (‘L’ (left), ‘R’ (right) and ‘both’ refer to which hands to
use when clapping with a partner):
Explain purpose of the rest at the end of the song: to jump 180 degrees and meet
your new partner
Add another similar jump at the end of bar four (halfway) – then there will be two
people to sing and clap with each time through the song
7. The Mouse and the Elephant
‘The Mouse and the Elephant’ (from Children’s Folk Dances 1997 compiled by Andre Van de Plas):
Listen to the music and ask students what they notice about it
Discuss the two very different types of music and how these types differ – pitch,
character, etc
Discuss instrumentation
Listen again for students to identify section in the middle where both types of
music are playing at the same time – a duet of opposites
Students to work in pairs to create their own piece of music portraying opposites,
using one TP instrument and one UP instrument
8. Movement + UP
Students work in pairs to create a representation of an Australian animal:
Brainstorm a list of Australian animals and/or have some pictures available
Students work in pairs to create their own representation of one of these animals,
one using movement, the other an UP instrument
Plan a pathway for the animal and rehearse the movement and corresponding
sound together
Share with the class (half audience, half performers)
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9. Brothers
‘Brothers’ (from Ragtime and Blue by Elena Kats-Chernin):
Listen to the music and have students identify the two instruments used to portray
the two brothers
Discuss what was the same and different about the ‘brothers’
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D PATTERNS FROM THE PROGRAM
Many of the pieces in the program have melodies with a singable range, and/or repetitive rhythms or motifs
which may be useful for class work.
The examples here have been given words or vocables, as that usually helps children to learn to play or sing
them.
It is, of course, each teacher’s decision about whether an example should be identified as part of the
concert program before children attend, or indeed when (or if) any work will be undertaken. Students do
enjoy finding something familiar in concerts, but it’s just as valid to use the concert as a starting point.
Every teacher will have plenty of ideas about how to make use of these examples: singing, playing, creating,
moving, listening – exactly what you’d do with any stimulus material. As a starting point, the first example is
the A tune in a Rondo, and can be used in your classroom in the same way, with students groups / pairs /
individuals creating other material to come between repetitions of this theme. The Lalo extract offers an
opportunity to build understanding of some musical vocabulary (unison, harmony, scale). The Saint-Saens
3-part rhythm could become an exercise in interlocking patterns and working with syncopation.
1 MOZART Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in G major, KV 525, IV, Rondo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsztV6HFGuA
2 BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D major, Op 61, 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD_CaKUqsgE
This melody is played by oboe, clarinet and bassoon
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3 MENDELSSOHN Symphony No 4 in A major, Op 90, Italian, I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HX_jF1_Tgc
4 SAINT-SAENS Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op 28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEWwi0iR65E
The top line is the rhythm of the solo violin. You could try it first without syncopation, by removing the
ties. The vocables in brackets are those that need to become internalised (“in your head”) in order for the syncopated rhythm to be accurate.
It’s obviously easiest to get it together by establishing Line 3 first, then Line 2, so you have a solid repeated
pattern over which to try the more testing one; or to use as the accompaniment for improvisation.
5 LALO Symphonie Espagnole, Op 21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-C5ujRHpZw
This melody is played by the bassoon.
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This 2-bar rhythm pattern is the basis of the whole movement.
There are lots of variations to the base pattern, including all those shown here. You can mix and match as
you see fit, and of course they don’t have to be 2-bar patterns.
6 TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D major, Op 35, I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTE08SS8fNk
This melody has been transposed from D major to make it easier to sing and play. In the original key, the
low A pushes the range of younger children (and needs a C# for playing purposes).
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7 BRAHMS Violin Concerto, II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QelR9_EIMgs
This duet is played by oboe and bassoon.
8 HOLST St Paul’s Suite Op 29 No 2, III Intermezzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XazbSPIYNIw
This ostinato rhythm is used extensively.
The very simple melodic version is played by the low strings, also as an ostinato. The scale used in the piece is included as a basis for improvisation work.
Here is a treble clef version:
Scale:
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E CROSS-CURRICULAR POSSIBILITIES
Literacy
Speaking and thinking
There are many opportunities for discussion and reflection throughout the teaching ideas.
Vocabulary building
Activities in Section B Emotion in Music offer opportunities for the development of students’
vocabulary of adjectives and synonyms.
Musical vocabulary will be developed through many of the teaching ideas.
Thematic work related to Empathy
The attribution of human characteristics to an inanimate object is a well-established strategy for helping
students to become articulate about their feelings and those of others. The story of Gibson is an example
of this, and references many emotions and life experiences such as fear, loneliness, pleasure, resilience,
friendship, sadness and joy.