Concerts For Kids 2015
Concerts For Kids Series Sponsors
The Mary & Dr. George L.
Demetros Charitable Trust
Additional Support Provided By:
Concerts for Kids is a collaborative project of the Akron Symphony Orchestra
and the Akron Symphony Guild along with Magical Theatre Company.
Special thanks to
Barb White, Akron-Summit County Public Library
Akron Symphony Staff who contributed to the resource packet:
Levi Hammer, Fran Goldman, Orzella Matherson and Sharon Smith
Welcome
Welcome to the Akron Symphony’s Concerts for Kids.
You will find that a trip to the Symphony is a lot of fun. You will hear
sounds, a story, instruments, and actors.
The packet has information about the music, the performers, and what you
can expect to see, hear and learn at the concert. There are also activities
and a list of books that you can find at the library to learn more.
After the concert, we hope that you will share how you feel about the
concert with us.
We hope you enjoy the concert and maybe we will see you again at the
Symphony!
Program Goals
The program will address the following standards-based arts learning experience from the Head
Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework:
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT / RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE
Attends to language during conversations, songs, stories or other learning experiences
CREATIVE ARTS EXPRESSION / MUSIC
The use of voice and instruments to create sounds
Participates in music activities, such as listening, singing or performing
DRAMA – The portrayal of events, characters or stories through activity and using props and
language
APPROACHES TO LEARNING – PERSISTANCE & ATTTENTIVENESS
The ability to begin and finish activities with persistence and attention
ENGAGEMENT IN ENGLISH LITERACY ACTIVITIES
Understanding and responding to books, storytelling and songs presented in English
Preparing for the Concert Experience
Before the concert …
Read and look at books, magazines, or programs about orchestras
Look for musicians and musical instruments
Listen to recordings of music and listen for different instrument sounds
Pretend you are the music director or one of the musicians
Do some of the activities in this guide before the concert
Get your items ready to bring to the concert
Be sure to bring them with you!
For the concert …
Be sure to arrive early enough to get ready for the music
Sit on the floor with your group of other kids, parents, or teachers
Look for the musicians and their instruments
Listen as they get ready for the concert
During the concert …
Enjoy the music!
Be ready to join in if the maestro wants you to do something
Until then stay seated so others behind you can see, too
Things to listen for …
Instruments playing loud, soft, slow, or fast
Hear how different the instruments sound
Familiar melodies or sounds
Things to look for …
Watch the musicians as they play
Watch the way the conductor moves and directs
Look for what the musicians may do with their instruments
Look for how they make their instruments make different sounds
Clap for the orchestra so they’ll know that you liked it!
After the concert …
Tell your friends, parents and teachers about the concert
Listen to recordings of the music over and over again
Ask your parents or teachers to help you send a message to the musicians
Plan to attend another Akron Symphony concert!
Program
AKRON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
CHRISTOPHER WILKINS, MUSIC DIRECTOR
CONCERTS FOR KIDS
LEVI HAMMER, CONDUCTOR
MAGICAL THEATRE COMPANY
May 5 -First Congregational Church, Hudson
May 6 - First Congregational Church, Hudson
May 7 - Valley Christian Academy, Aurora
May 8 - The Natatorium, Cuyahoga Falls
May 11 - The House of the Lord, Akron
May 12 - Green YMCA, Uniontown
May 13 - Barberton YMCA, Barberton
May 14 - St. Thomas Banquet Hall, Fairlawn
Le Tombeau de Couperin
1. Prelude - The Crow and the Pitcher
2. Forlane - The Ant and the Grasshopper
3. Menuet - The Lion and the Mouse
4. Rigaudon - The Tortoise and the Hare
Maurice Ravel
About Aesop
Aesop is believed to have been an ancient Greek story teller. No
one knows for sure if he really existed or where he was born. He
may have been born over 2,000 years ago, around 620 BC. and
may have been an African from Ethiopia. None of his original
stories have survived in writing. Hundreds of the fables have
been revised and translated through the centuries, with material
added from many other cultures. Beginning in 1959, American
children were introduced to the fables through a cartoon called
Aesop and Son that appeared on the series Rocky and His
Friends.
Many African animals
including camels,
elephants and apes, are
found in Aesop’s Fables.
About the Ancient Greeks
Ancient Greece is the period of Greek History from about 1100
BC to 146 BC. Ancient Greece is considered to be the culture
that provided the foundation of Western Civilization due to its
influence on language, politics, education, philosophy, science
and the arts. The architecture of the Ancient Greeks is best
known for temples and open air theatres, now mostly ruins. The
ancient Greeks invented athletic contests and the Olympics.
Famous Ancient Greeks include the playwright Sophocles, the
poet Homer, philosophers Plato and Aristotle and the mathematician Archimedes.
The Parthenon is the former temple on the Acropolis, an
ancient fortress high above the city of Athens in Greece.
Portrait of Aesop by Diego
Velázquez painted in
1640.
The Fables
The Tortoise and the Hare
A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow.
"Do you ever get anywhere?" he asked with a mocking laugh.
"Yes," replied the Tortoise, "and I get there sooner than you think. I'll run you a race and prove it."
The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the thing he
agreed. So the Fox, who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the runners off.
The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the Tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it was for him
to try a race with a Hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the Tortoise should catch up.
The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare
was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up, the Tortoise was near
the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest, but he could not overtake the Tortoise in time.
The Lion and the Mouse
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him
unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose. Roused from his nap,
the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally
let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net.
Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly
found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it
until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a
Lion."
The Ants and the Grasshopper
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the
grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came
up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world
were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before
I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
The Crow and the Pitcher
In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher
with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the
Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst.
Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one.
With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.
About Fables
A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson.
The Elements of a Fable
Character - may be people or animals
Problem - a decision must be made
Events - what happens in the story?
Solution - how is the problem solved?
Moral or lesson - what lesson is learned?
Outline the Fable
The Tortoise and the Hare
Characters
Tortoise
Hare
Problem
Event
Is slow and
The race
steady better than
fast and not
steady?
Solution
The tortoise wins
Lesson
Slow and steady
wins the race
The Lion and the Mouse
Characters
Problem
Event
Solution
Lesson
The Ant and the Grasshopper
Characters
Problem
Event
Solution
Lesson
The Crow and the Pitcher
Characters
Problem
Event
Solution
Lesson
About the Composer
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was a French composer of piano
music, chamber music, vocal music and music for orchestra. He is best
known for Boléro written in 1928.
Ravel was born in Ciboure, France, near the Spanish border. The
family moved to Paris while he was just an infant. He began piano
lessons at the age of six and studied composition. While he was
talented at the piano he preferred composing. He attended the famous
Paris Conservatory but left in 1903 without graduating.
Ravel joined with a group of young artists, poets and musicians,
meeting Debussy, Stravinsky and Falla. He continued to compose and
travel until World War I, when he served as a truck driver at the front.
After the war he wrote his famous piece La Valse. In 1921, he retired
to the French countryside to write music. In 1928, Ravel toured the
US, giving successful concerts in New York City and Boston. He also
visited New Orleans and met George Gershwin. Ravel became very
enthusiastic about American jazz, and used jazz elements in his two
piano concertos.
Maurice Ravel
Ravel’s house from
1921 - 1937
In 1932, Ravel suffered a serious head injury in a taxi accident. In
1937, he underwent brain surgery, slipped into a coma and died at the
age of 62.
Le Tombeau de Couperin
François Couperin
1668-1733
Ravel composed Le Tombeau de Couperin as a suite for solo piano in
the years 1914-1917. Each section is dedicated to the memory of a
friend who died during World War I. Ravel orchestrated four of the
sections in 1919.
“Tombeau” refers to a piece written in memory of someone but Ravel
did not write this piece in memory of Couperin. Rather, he wrote it in
the musical style of Couperin - the style of a French Baroque keyboard
suite. Couperin was a composer who wrote keyboard and harpsichord
music.
The movements are Prelude, Forlane, Menuet and Rigaudon.
Harpsichord
A Listening Guide
The music to Le Tombeau de Couperin
The piece is orchestrated for 2 flutes (one also plays piccolo), 2 oboes (one also plays English
Horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, trumpet, harp and strings. The woodwinds and especially the oboe and clarinet have many solos. Listen for the color of these woodwind instruments as they are featured against the lush strings.
1. Prelude - in memory of First Lieutenant Jacques Charlot (a musician)
The tempo (speed) marking is “Vif” which means lively. First we hear delicate quick notes
exchanged between the oboe and clarinet. The strings enter and it builds, gradually getting
louder and louder until the oboe and clarinet return. The mood changes as the trumpet enters.
Listen for the harp near the end. Close your eyes as you listen - what does this music make
you think of?
2. Forlane - in memory of First Lieutenant Gabriel Deluc (a painter)
The tempo marking is Allegretto or moderately fast. The forlane is an Italian folk dance.
Listen as the same skipping rhythmic figure is repeated again and again.
(It sounds like “hop-pit-y -hop.”)
Listen for the oboe and the English Horn. In what way do they sound different?
3. Menuet - in memory of Jean Dreyfus (a friend at whose house Ravel stayed)
The menuet was a popular social dance with graceful short steps. It was danced by two people
or as a group dance, in a moderately fast tempo. The movement begins with an oboe solo
accompanied by plucked (pizzicato) strings and harp. The dynamic marking
is pp for pianissimo, meaning very soft. Next you will hear a flute solo,
before the melody returns to the oboe. In the middle section, listen for the
muted horn and trumpet played softly. This section represents a musette
which is a small bagpipe. Then the opening section with the oboe solo
returns and the movement ends softly.
4. Rigaudon - in memory of Pierre and Pascal Gaudin (2 brothers who were childhood
friends of Ravel). The tempo marked for this movement is “assez vif” meaning very lively. The
Rigaudon is a lively French folk dance for couples. It opens with the trumpet and strings but
again the woodwinds are featured. Listen for the oboe solo with pizzicato strings.
About the Conductor
LEVI HAMMER is associate conductor of the Akron
Symphony and music director of the Akron Youth
Symphony. This season he will appear as symphonic and
operatic conductor, concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber
musician and art song collaborator.
As associate conductor of Central City Opera, he recently
led performances of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and
Ned Rorem’s Our Town. As a recipient of the Ansbacher
Conducting Fellowship, Mr. Hammer spent six weeks
shadowing the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg
Festival.
He served as the Zander Conducting Fellow at the Boston
Philharmonic. Mr. Hammer has assisted George Manahan
at the Aspen Music Festival, and is a regular cover
conductor at the Atlanta Symphony.
In Houston he served as assistant conductor at Rice University Opera, and was also music
director of Hammer Music, a series of thematically programmed concerts.
Mr. Hammer has recently performed as a piano soloist in works of Mozart, Ravel and
Gershwin with the Akron Symphony, played with the New World Symphony and Mercury
Baroque, and has performed Aaron Copland’s complete piano music on several occasions.
Mr. Hammer studied conducting, piano, composition and languages at the University
Mozarteum Salzburg, Rice University and Arizona State University. His mentors include
conductors Dennis Russell Davies, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Christopher Wilkins and
pianist Brian Connelly.
An Interview with the Conductor
Q. - When did you begin to study music?
A. - I started piano lessons when I was 6 years old, and I sang in church choirs from that time as well.
Q. - What instruments did you learn to play?
A. - I studied piano and trumpet seriously, but I also dabbled with the oboe, trombone, violin and viola, and
always sang in choirs.
Q. - What first interested you in becoming a conductor?
A. - I admired everything about the great American conductor, composer, pianist and educator Leonard
Bernstein. So much so that I had many dreams of meeting him, so I feel that I actually know Lenny. I guess I
just felt a calling to be a musical leader, and conducting was a natural direction to take.
Q. - What types of music do you enjoy?
A. - I enjoy just about every kind of music out there, and my tastes are constantly changing. But I find that the
older I get, the deeper in love I am with the genius of Mozart.
Q. - What would you be if not a musician?
A. - I have absolutely no idea! I cannot imagine a life without music, but I suppose if I couldn't be a musician,
I'd search for another way of experiencing beauty and helping other people experience it too. But for me,
nothing comes nearly as close to that as music!
Q. - What do you enjoy most about your job?
A. - I love it when everything "clicks" between a group of musicians (the larger the group, the better!) everyone feeling and expressing the music together. Eyes shine in a unique way, so that if I were deaf I could
still recognize good music making from the way people look when making it!
Q. - How do you prepare for a concert?
A. - Study...study...study...practice...practice...practice.
Q. - What activities do you enjoy in your free time?
A. - Eating good food! I'll eat anything and everything, and love learning to cook a new dish.
Q. - Do you have any pets? Any interesting factoids?
A. -Someday when I have time to take care of one, I want a dog! Factoid: I love learning languages.
Animal Traits
We often think of certain traits or even some human characteristics as applying to animals. For
example - rabbit - fast, turtle- slow, lion - strong.
What traits would you match with these animals?
Dog
Cat
Cow
Pig
Horse
Name some other animals and what trait you would match with them.
Pitcher and Water
Half fill a pitcher with water. One at a time, add pebbles or marbles until the pitcher is full. How
many pebbles did it take to fill the pitcher?
Empty the pitcher and half-fill it again. This time add one piece of popped popcorn to the pitcher
one piece at a time. How many pieces of popcorn does it take to fill the pitcher? What happens
to the popcorn?
Favor Chain
Cut out strips of different colored construction paper. Slide one through the other and tape or
glue them at the ends to create links in a chain. On each link write a favor that you have done for
someone or a favor that someone has done for you. Continue to add a link for each favor.
Work and Planning
Was there a time when you wanted to play but someone told you that you had to work (or study)
instead? Draw a picture of this experience in the box below.
Discussion
What is your favorite chore? What is your least favorite chore? Would you rather get your least
favorite chores done first or do you put them off until later?
How fast can a hare run? Faster than a person? Faster than a car?
Are there any advantages to being small? Have you ever felt too small to help out?
1.Cut out the tortoise and the hare shapes on the next page.
2.Use your cut-outs as patterns to create the shapes on cardboard, card stock or heavy felt material. You may use colored
felt (for example, green for the tortoise, white or brown for
the hare) or use a crayon or marker to color the shapes.
3.Use glue to attach popsicle sticks to the bottoms of the
tortoise and hare.
4.Reenact the story with your tortoise and hare puppets. Bring
your puppets with you to the concert.
Egg Carton Ant
Materials:
glue
Cardboard egg carton
4 pipe cleaners
Scissors
pencil
Yellow, brown, red or black paint
2 Cheerios or Fruit Loops
Paint brush
black marker
Instructions:
Cut a strip of 3 cups from the egg carton.
Paint the cups and let dry.
Use the pencil to poke 2 holes on top of the first cup.
From inside the cup, poke a pipe cleaner through each hole to make the antennae. Use the pencil
to poke holes on each side of the 3 cups and put pipe cleaner through the holes to make the legs.
There should be 6 legs.
Glue the Cheerios or Fruit Loops onto the head to make the eyes.
Draw a mouth with the black marker.
About Magical Theatre Company
Magical Theatre Company is a professional theatre
for young audiences and families. For more than 40
years they have brought the magic of theatre to
thousands of children, presenting performances at their
home, the soon-to-be restored Park theatre in downtown Barberton, as well as on the road. Last season
MTC served over 50,000 people in 23 Northeast Ohio
counties.
For more information about Magical Theatre Company,
visit www.magicaltheatre.org.
Current and recent collaborators are Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron Public Schools,
Akron Symphony Orchestra, Barberton City Schools, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley
National Park, and Project Rise. Magical Theatre Company has been accepted into the
OAC’s Presenting/ Touring Program, and is a member of the Ohio Art Presenters Network,
and the Akron Area Arts Alliance. Programs offered by Magical Theatre Company include
Public performances, Student Matinees, Workshops and Residencies, Summer Camps and
Teacher-Student Study Guides.
Upcoming performances and camps include:
Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type May 1 - 9, 2015
based on the book by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
The cows on Farmer Brown’s farm have had enough! Underappreciated, they request electric blankets for the drafty barn. And so
begins this delightful and hilarious musical about cows and hens and
ducks going on strike. A modern classic of children's literature and
also a Caldecott Honor winner!
Most enjoyed by families ages 4 and up
Reserve online at www.magicaltheatre.org or call (330) 848-3708
Acting Out(side) June 14 - 19, 2015 at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
An overnight theatre camp focusing on acting and stage combat. Using the national park as a stage,
campers will perform scenes from books, play, movies, and TV shows that take place outdoors. This is a roving performance, with the audience walking through the woods and meadows of
the park, stumbling onto performances in a natural setting.
For students grades 4 - 10
For more information go to www.conservancyforcvnp.org or call (330) 657-2796
Magical Theatre Company
K.I.D. Camp July 6 - 17, 2015
A two-week musical theatre day camp that has sold out for 18 consecutive years. In the morning
campers rotate between an hour of singing, dancing, and acting. The afternoon is spent rehearsing an original show in which kids utilize the skills they've developed in the morning, culminating
in a performance for families.
For kids ages 7 - 17
For more information go to www.magicaltheatre.org or call (330) 848-3708
Dennis O’Connell, Co-Producing Director
Dennis O'Connell began his career in the Theatre as a professional actor while still in elementary
school. Before graduating from college (University of Akron, B.A.) he became the Director of
Drama at Walsh Jesuit High School for three years. He then spent six years as a free-lance stage
actor and director, working in 16 states and Canada.
Mr. O'Connell began directing professional productions in 1989 and also entered arts
administration at the numerous theatres where he was acting and directing. They include:
Gateway Playhouse (FL), Starlight Productions (FL), Nebraska Theatre Caravan (NE), White Hart
Inn (CT), Petrucci's Main Street Theatre (MD), Fort Salem Theatre (NY) and Naples Dinner
Theatre (FL).
He has had the pleasure of directing Connie Britton, Fred Carmichael, and Melina Kanakaredes;
and has acted with Jami Gertz, Doug McKeon, Kelly Preston, and Carrie Ann Spellman. He has
also worked with internationally known playwrights Fred Carmichael and the late Aurand Harris.
Mr. O'Connell was named Co-Producing Director of Magical Theatre Company in 1992-93.
Professional affiliations include: Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, Ohio Citizens for the Arts, SAG
-AFTRA. He is Past President of the Akron Area Arts Alliance and currently serves on the Board
of the Summit County Regional Arts District.
INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA
STRINGS
The String Family is made up of the violin, viola,
cello and bass. The sound of the string instruments is
made when the player moves the bow over the
strings or plucks the strings (called pizzicato.) The
basic difference between the members of this family
is the size of the instrument, the larger the instrument,
the lower the sound.
VIOLIN
VIOLA
CELLO
DOUBLE BASS
WOODWINDS
The Woodwind Family consists of flutes, oboes, clarinets and
bassoons. Other members include the piccolo, English Horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon and saxophone. Clarinets and saxophones have a
single reed and mouthpiece while oboes and bassoons have a double
reed and no mouthpiece.
FLUTE
CLARINET
BASS CLARINET
OBOE
ENGLISH HORN
BASSOON
BRASS
The Brass Family - Brass instruments have a
cup-shaped mouthpiece. The player vibrates his
lips into the mouthpiece to produce the sound. The
modern orchestra brass section includes horns,
trumpets, trombones and tuba.
TRUMPET
HORN
TROMBONE
TUBA
PERCUSSION
The Percussion Family is made up of instruments that make a sound by shaking or
striking one object with another. The timpani is the most important percussion instrument in the
orchestra. There are many instruments in this family, including drums, cymbals, gongs and mallet
instruments such as xylophone and marimba.
Timpani
Resources
Aesop’s Fables
A Selected List of Multi-Media Resources
The following resources have been recommended by the Akron-Summit County Public Library to enhance
the concert experience for your child or class.
Aesop’s Fables (Collections)
Fowler, Susi Gregg. Arctic’s Aesop’s Fables: Twelve Retold Tales. Sasquatch. 2013.
Hartman, Bob. Mr. Aesop’s Story Shop. Lion’s Children’s. 2010.
Naidoo, Beverley. Aesop’s Fables. (African setting). Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. 2011.
Rosen, Michael. Aesop’s Fables. Tradewind. 2013.
Testa, Fulvio. Aesop’s Forgotten Fables. Anderson Press. 2013.
Wormell, Christopher. Mice, Morals, and Monkey Business: Lively Lessons From Aesop’s Fables. Running Press. 2005.
The Tortoise and the Hare
Percy, Graham. Tortoise and the Hare. Child’s World. 2009.
Pinkney, Jerry. The Tortoise and the Hare. Little, Brown. 2013.
The Lion and the Mouse
Orgel, Doris. The Lion and the Mouse and Other Aesop Fables. Dorling Kindersley. 2000.
Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse. Little, Brown. 2009.
White, Mark. The Lion and the Mouse: A Retelling of Aesop’s Fable. Picture Window. 2004.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
Emberley, Rebecca. The Ant and the Grasshopper. Roaring Brook Press. 2012.
Poole, Amy Lowry. The Ant and the Grasshopper. Holiday House. 2000.
Resources, cont.
The Crow and the Pitcher
Blair, Eric. The Crow and the Pitcher: A Retelling of Aesop’s Fable. Picture Window. 2004.
Brown, Stephanie Gwyn. Professor’s Aesop’s The Crow and the Pitcher. Tricycle. 2003.
All About Aesop’s Animals
Tortoises:
Miller, Chuck. Tortoises. Raintree Steck-Vaughn. 2002.
Morgan, Sally. Tortoises and Turtles. QEB. 2006.
Hares:
Rockwood, Leigh. Tell Me The Difference Between A Rabbit And A Hare. PowerKids Press. 2013.
Swanson, Diane. Rabbits and Hares. Gareth Stevens. 2002.
Lions:
Bodden, Valerie. Lions. Creative Education. 2010.
Joubert, Beverly. Face To Face With Lions. National Geographic. 2008.
Mice:
Fyleman, Rose. Mice. (Illustrated by Lois Ehlert) Beach Lane Books. 2012.
Schuetz, Kari. Mice. Bellwether Media. 2014.
Ants:
Baer, Jasper. Itty Bitty Ants. Gareth Stevens. 2014
Schuh, Mari. Ants. Jump! 2014.
Grasshoppers:
Bodden, Valerie. Grasshoppers. Creative Education. 2014.
Resources, cont.
Crows:
Keenan, Sheila. As The Crow Flies. Feiwel and Friends. 2012.
Roza, Greg. A Murder of Crows. Gareth Stevens. 2013.
All About the Orchestra and Music-Making
Costanza, Stephen. Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra. Holt. 2012.
Deetlefs, Renee. Song of Six Birds. Dutton. 2000.
Hennesy, Scott. Cat’s Baton is Gone: A Musical Cat-tastrophe. Hyperion. 2013.
Lithgow, John. Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo. (Book w/ Audio) Simon. 2013.
Manders, John. Really Awful Musicians. Clarion. 2011.
Martin, Amy. Symphony City. McSweeney’s & McMullens. 2011.
Millman, Isaac. Moses Goes to a Concert. Farrar. 1998.
Seeger, Pete. Deaf Musicians. Putnam. 2006.
Turner, Barbara J. Out and About the Orchestra. Picture Window. 2003.
Winter, Jeanette. Kali’s Song. Schwartz & Wade. 2012.
Wright, Johanna. The Orchestra Pit. Roaring Brook Press. 2014.
Le Tombeau de Couperin on CD
Ravel, Maurice. Orchestral Works. 2. Orchestre National de Lyon. Naxos. 2013.
Ravel, Maurice. Complete Orchestral Works. London Symphony Orchestra. Deustche Grammaphon.
2002.
Ravel, Maurice. Miroirs. Yukie Nagai. Bis. 1984.
Resources, cont.
Websites About Music and the Orchestra
Make sure to get your parents’ approval and help with these fun and interactive websites!
http://www.nyphilkids.org
This site sponsored by the New York Philharmonic has activities that include walking through an interactive instrument storage room, creating your own music, making your own instrument from everyday
household items, and playing an instrument matching game!
http://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/ypgto/index.aspx
The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall has created an interactive game. Join Violet as she embarks on
an instrument safari, guided by her Uncle Ollie, collecting all the instruments of the orchestra to the accompaniment of Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.
http://www.dsokids.com
Learn about composers, musical instruments, and music theory through fun online games at the Dallas
Symphony Orchestra’s website.
http://www.sfskids.org
Visit the San Francisco Symphony’s kids section to hear clips of each instrument in the orchestra. You can
also create your own music in the Music Lab.
Hear the pieces played on this year’s Concerts for Kids program!
Follow this link to the playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkt8T38aaMw
Feedback—Parents and Teachers
Please email responses to [email protected]
or mail to Akron Symphony, 92 N. Main St. Akron, OH 44308
What age(s) are your children? _______
Do you think the program was appropriate for your child’s age level?
If no, please explain:
Did you receive adequate logistical information prior to the concert?
Was the information given during the concert effective?
How was the music?
Was the Resource Packet useful? Did you make use of the materials prior to the concert?
What could we have done better?
Any other comments?
Feedback—Students
Use the space below to draw a picture of your favorite part of the concert.