Junior/Intermediate Level Student Concert Study Guide
Science @ the Symphony
Ontario Science Centre, concert partner
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Student Concerts
are generously supported by Mrs. Gert Wharton and an
anonymous donor.
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges Sarah Greenfield for
preparing the lesson plans for the Junior/Intermediate Student Concert Study Guide.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1) Concert Overview & RepertoirePage
3
2) Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Page 4 - 11
3) Unit Overview & Lesson Plans
Page 12 - 23
4) Lesson Plan Answer KeyPage 24 - 30
5) Artist BiographiesPage 32 - 34
6) Musical Terms GlossaryPage 35 - 36
7) Instruments in the Orchestra
Page 37 - 45
8) Orchestra Seating ChartPage 46
9) Musicians of the TSOPage 47
10) Concert PreparationPage 48
11) Evaluation Forms (teacher and student)
Page 49 - 50
The TSO has created a free podcast to help you prepare your students for the
Science @ the Symphony Student Concerts. This podcast includes excerpts from pieces
featured on the programme, as well as information about the instruments featured in each
selection. It is intended for use either in the classroom, or to be assigned as homework.
To download the TSO Junior/Intermediate Student Concert podcast please visit
www.tso.ca/studentconcerts, and follow the links on the top bar to Junior/Intermediate.
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra wishes to thank its generous sponsors:
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR
OFFICIAL AIRLINE
SEASON PATRON
The Renette and David Berman
Family Foundation
Science @ the Symphony
Junior/Intermediate Level: Suitable for students in grades 4-8
Evan Mitchell conductor
Amir Safavi, violin
Ontario Science Centre, concert partner
Heidi Breier, host
Sean Lee Ying, host
Donna Francis, host and researcher
Science: Fiction or Fact? The TSO and the Ontario Science Centre present an
intriguing exploration of sound, technology, space, and mind-blowing science
experiments! All budding scientists are encouraged to bring their curious minds and
be prepared to be a part of this interactive concert experience.
Programme to include excerpts from*:
Jonathan Newman
Blow it Up, Start Again
Evan Mitchell
Awesome Orchestra
FucikEntrance of the Gladiators
John Williams
Excerpt from Theme from Jurassic Park
Vivaldi Mvt. 1 from “Winter”, No. 4 from The Four Seasons for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 8
Ryan TrewExcerpt from Starlike
HolstExcerpt from “Jupiter” from The Planets
Liz Gilpatrick, arr. Mitch Clarke The Water Song (RECORDER/SING-ALONG)
J. StraussThunder and Lightning Polka, Op. 324
StravinskyExcerpt from Finale from The Firebird
*Programme subject to change
3
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Jonathan Newman
Life: b. 1972
Nationality: American
Piece to Study: Blow It Up, Start Again
Biography
Jonathan Newman studied composition and conducting at
Boston University’s School for the Arts and The Juilliard
School. A recipient of the Charles Ives Scholarship, Newman
has studied with notable composers such as John Corgiliano,
David Del Tredici and and Lucas Foss. He is a founding member of the composer consortium BCM International which
consists of four composers (including Eric Whitacre!) dedicated to enriching repertoire with exciting new works that
are not limited by traditional approaches. Many of his works
are scored for wind ensemble and incorporate many diverse
styles of pop, blues, jazz, folk and funk into his compositions. For more information check out Jonathan Newman’s
website here: http://jonathannewman.com/biography.php
Listen on Jonathan’s website!
http://jonathannewman.com/music.php?id=044
About Blow It Up, Start Again
This piece was originally commissioned in 2011 by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. Described
as “riotously funky” by the Chicago Tribune, Blow It Up, Start Again highlights the unique capabilities
of string instruments with glissandos, octave leaps, staccatos, tremolos and sustained chords. This piece
is a musical depiction of the infamous Gunpowder Plot as suggested by Mr. Newman’s single program
note - “If the system isn’t working anymore, then do what Guy Fawkes tried and go anarchist: Blow it
all up, and start again.”
Did you know?
The Gunpowder Plot: A failed conspiracy
in 1605 to blow up the English Parliament
and return it to Catholic rule.
Gunpowder Plot conspirator Guy Fawkes (1570 - 1606)
attempts to plant gunpowder in the cellar.
4
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Antonio Vivaldi
Life: 1831-1881
Nationality: Italian
Piece to Study: Mvt. 1 from “Winter” from The Four Seasons for Violin and Orchestra
Biography
Antonio Vivaldi was a Venetian priest, virtuoso violinist and Baroque composer. Ordained as a priest in 1703, Vivaldi was nicknamed “The Red Priest” because of his wild red hair. Vivaldi suffered
from a respiratory illness (believed to be asthma or angina) which
greatly influenced his personal and professional life. Often unable to
perform mass due to his condition, he soon left the church to pursue
a musical career as a performer, conductor and composer. He began
teaching at the Ospedale della Pietà, an institution where orphans
received instruction in trades and music. He composed most of his
major works in this position over three decades. An innovator of
form and pattern, Vivaldi is most well known for his Baroque concertos and his operas Argippo and Bajazet.
About Mvt. 1 from “Winter” from The
Four Seasons for Violin and Orchestra
The Four Seasons was inspired by a set of four sonnets, which many historians believe Vivaldi wrote himself, that describe a typical scene from each season. Vivaldi uses different techniques in the violins to create vivid images which come directly from the sonnets. If you listen carefully to “Winter”, you will hear
the violins portraying icy rain using pizzicato notes from the high strings and the smooth surface of ice
portrayed by a solo cello playing one note sustained. For this reason, The Four Seasons is often referred
to as “programmatic music”, music which is clearly connected to a story, person or idea.
The 1st movement is inspired by the four lines below.
To shiver, frozen, amid icy snow
in the bitter blast of a horrible wind;
to run, constantly stamping one’s feet;
and to feel one’s teeth chatter on account of the excessive cold;
Watch & Listen on Youtube!
Did you know?
Best known for his violin
concertos, Vivaldi composed
over 400 of them! After his
death, many of his works
were lost but musicians and
scholars revived Vivaldi’s music in the early 20th century.
Julie Fischer, violinist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1qNOfdMyGA
5
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Ryan Trew
Life: Born 1979
Nationality: Canadian
Piece to Study: Starlike
Biography
A native of Barrie Ontario, Ryan Trew is a composer, percussionist and music theory pedagog. His compositions
focus on rhythmic, harmonic and timbral relationships, and
incorporate elements from popular and classical music. Ryan
received his Bachelor of Music in Composition and Theory
from Wilfred Laurier University, his Master’s degree from the
University of Toronto and a Doctoral degree from the University of British Columbia. Ryan has studied with notable
Canadian composers such as Christos Hatzis, Peter Hatch,
Glenn Buhr and Dorothy Chang. Ryan’s work has been commissioned and performed by numerous orchestras in Canada
including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Prince George
Symphony Orchestra, the National Academy Orchestra, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Listen on Ryan’s website!
https://ryantrew.wordpress.com/sound-media/
About Starlike
Lush and ethereal, Starlike was commissioned
by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as part
of the 2010 Olympic Commissioning Project.
Inspired by the stars and universes beyond,
Starlike is a meditation on the “twinkling
points of light” in the sky that serve as a source
of inspiration and explanation of the human
experience.
For more information, check out Ryan Trew’s
website: https://ryantrew.wordpress.com/
Image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows infant stars
“hatching” in the head of the hunter constellation, Orion.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ Laboratorio de Astrofísica
Espacial y Física Fundamental
6
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Julius Fucík
ˇ
Life: 1872-1916
Nationality: Czech
Piece to Study: Entrance of the Gladiators
Biography
Julius Fucík was a prolific Czech composer and conductor of military
bands. Often known as the “Bohemian Sousa”, he composed over 300
marches, polkas and waltzes (“Sousa” is a reference to John Philip Sousa,
nicknamed “The March King”, who was one of the most popular and
prolific American march composers). After successfully conducting a
number of military bands, Fucík later moved to Berlin in order ot start
his own band and music publishing company. Today his marches are still
performed in the Czech Republic; however his most well known work is
his piece Entrance of the Gladiators.
About Entrance of the Gladiators
The piece was first titled Grande Marche Chromatique because of
the heavy use of chromatic scales, but was later changed because of
Fucík’s interest in the Roman Empire. Composed in 1897 for orchestra it was originally conceived as a light symphonic march. However
in 1910, it was arranged for band under the title Thunder and Blazes
and became immensely popular in North America as a screamer
march (see definition below). Today the piece is mainly known by
this wind band connection and is played at frantic speeds.
Chromolithograph by Gibson & Co.,
Cincinnati, Ohio, copyrighted 1874
Watch & Listen on Youtube!
Teatro Massimo Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5vo6Vbzpmo
Fun Fact:
You can hear this piece in the film
Madagascar! It might remind you of
a circus.
Did you know?
A screamer march is a descriptive name for a circus march, in
particular, an upbeat march intended to stir up the audience
during the show.
7
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Gustav Holst
Life: Born 1874-1934
Nationality: English
Piece to Study: “Jupiter” from The Planets
Biography
Gustav Holst was a renowned 20th century classical composer. He is most
well known for his piece The Planets and his association with the English
folk song revival. Born into a musical family, he played violin and piano,
and began composing when he was 12 years old. Holst began playing the
trombone when the neuritis in his right hand made playing the keyboard
too difficult, and he thrived as an orchestral musician. He then decided
to study composition at the Royal College of Music in London where he
met his life-long friend who became a major influence on his music, fellow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Initially, Holst made his living
as a freelance musician but soon turned to teaching in order to better financially support his family. Considered a gifted and supportive teacher,
Holst worked as the music master at St. Paul’s Girls School (a position he
held till his death!) and as the Director of Music at Morley College. Holst
composed in a variety of genres and drew inspiration from a wide range of
sources such as English folk-song, the Apocrypha, Sanskrit literatures and
works from writers such as John Keats and Walt Whitman.
Watch & Listen on Youtube!
Berlin Philharmonic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwNwG1V2KF8
Did you know?
Due to his teaching commitments,
Holst composed only on weekends,
school holidays and in the summer.
About “Jupiter” from The Planets
Taking inspiration from astrology, Holst composed his most well-known work The Planets between 1914
and 1916. The suite is comprised of seven movements and depicts the astrological characters of the seven
planets in our solar system (Earth was excluded and Pluto had yet to be discovered!).The influence of
Stravinsky and Schoenberg is very prominent in The Planets. Although Holst had criticized the stranger aspects of modern music earlier in his career, the new music of Stravinsky and Schoenberg influenced Holst’s
work on The Planets. From its premiere to the present day, the suite has been enduringly popular, widely
performed, and the subject of numerous recordings. “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity” is perhaps one of the
most well-known and popular of all the movements. Written in the traditional English folk dance style, it
conveys an overall feeling of joy and exhilaration. In between the opening and closing driving dance sections, rests a glorious ballad middle section that has inspired many patriotic hymns in England.
8
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Igor Stravinsky
Life:
1882-1971
Nationality: Russian
Piece to Study: Finale from The Firebird
Biography
Igor Stravinsky was raised in St. Petersburg by his father, a bass singer,
and his mother, a talented pianist. Encouraged to follow another career
path, Stravinsky enrolled in law school and began taking private composition lessons with Rimsky-Korsakov. Stravinsky ultimately decided
to pursue a career as a composer. In 1909, Stravinsky was introduced
to Sergi Diaghilev, the founder of Ballet Russes, who invited him to
orchestrate some piano works by Chopin for the ballet Les Sylphides.
His early commissions of the ballets The Firebird (1910), Petrouchka
(1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913) established his place as a leading
composer of the early twentieth century. Stravinsky employed many
harmonic effects such as dissonance and multiple tonalities, along with
innovative uses of rhythmic motifs with changing meters and shifts in
accents. Stravinsky has a large body of work with than 100 compositions including symphonies, operas, concertos, sonatas and ballets.
About Finale from The Firebird
Sergey Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes took Parisian audiences by storm with its début season in 1909. For the
next year’s production, Diaghilev envisioned a lavishly mounted new ballet, its plot adapted from Russian
fairy tales. Diaghilev offered the virtually unknown, 27-year-old Stravinsky a tentative commission for
The Firebird. The première on June 25, 1910 achieved
a glittering triumph, launching him into the front rank
of contemporary composers. Stravinsky arranged three
orchestral suites from the full score of The Firebird.
Listen For:
• The melody introduced by the solo horn after
the climax - listen as the melody is taken on by
instruments throughout the orchestra.
• Listen and feel for the syncopations and accents
which help create an atmosphere of excitement
and uncertainty. Reconstruction of the choreography and design from the world
premiere of The Firebird. Showen at Salzburg’s Whitson Festival in
2013 by Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre.
Watch & Listen on Youtube!
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WsqK1mCGeY
9
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
John Williams
Life: Born 1932
Nationality: American
Piece to Study: Theme from Jurassic Park
Biography
John Williams is one of the most successful composers of music for both
film and the concert stage of the modern day. Raised in New York City,
he moved with his family to Los Angeles to attend UCLA and study
composition privately with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Williams later
moved back to New York City to attend the Julliard School. While in
New York, he worked as a jazz pianist and a studio musician before ultimately starting to compose for television and film. He’s created some
of the most unforgettable film scores of all time including Jaws, ET, Star
Wars, Superman, Jurassic Park, the first three Harry Potter Films, and
Indiana Jones.
He has received five Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, seven BAFTAs and 21 Grammys. From 1980 to 1993, Williams served as conductor
of the Boston Pops Orchestra and now holds the title of Laureate Conductor. In addition to film scores,
Williams has composed numerous works for the concert stage, among them two symphonies, and concertos commissioned by several of the world’s leading orchestras.
Did you know?
John Williams doesn’t own a computer and composes using pencil and paper!
About Theme from Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction film directed by Steven
Spielberg based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael
Crichton. The film tells the story of a billionaire philanthropist
and a small team of genetic scientists who create a wildlife park
full of cloned dinosaurs. This film was the 12th project that John
Williams worked on with Steven Spielberg. A box office hit with
ground-breaking special effects, Jurassic Park grossed over $900
million worldwide in its original run. Theme from Jurassic Park
is a majestic, contemplative piece. There are two main recurring themes which help convey the sense
of awe and wonder. The main melody is based largely on a simple three-note motive. The relatively
slow tempo paired with the use of dotted rhythms helps create a sense of magnificence and wonder.
Watch & Listen on Youtube!
Boston Pops Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEZh88vz8b8
10
Composer Biographies and Programme Notes
Johann Strauss, Jr.
Life: 1825-1889
Nationality: Austrian
Piece to Study: Thunder and Lightning Polka
Biography
One of the most famous and successful composers of Viennese dance music in the 19th century, Johann
Strauss Jr. was known as “The Waltz King”. The Strauss family held the musical dynasty in Vienna and
while his composer father didn’t want him to go into music (he
wanted him to be a banker!), Johann Jr. was determined to follow
his passion. He was the big dance music star of his day (much like a
pop star of today), and successfully developed popular dances like
the waltz, polka, and quadrille to the point that they were just as
commonly heard in the concert hall as they were on the dance floor.
The Blue Danube, Tales from the Vienna Woods, Die Fledermaus
and The Gypsy Baron are just a few of his more than 250 works.
About Thunder and Lightning Polka
A fast polka in 2/4 time, this piece was written in 1868 for Johann Strauss Orchestra’s European tour. It is a variant of the traditional polka dance called the schnell (fast) polka and is sometimes
referred to as explosion polka. The structure of the piece is standard dance form an ABA with a short coda. Strauss uses timpani
rolls and cymbal crashes to depict the sound of thunder and lightning. Unlike other musical depictions of thunderstorms, however,
this piece is an upbeat and celebratory dance. This exciting, fastpaced piece is a wonderful example of the way that music can paint pictures of the world around us.
Watch & Listen on Youtube!
Vienna Philharmonic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15p4k88uvJI
Did you know?
Johann Strauss, Jr. came from a very musical family?
His father and younger brothers were also composers!
11
Unit Overview and Lesson Plans
Lesson 1 - Build, Learn and Make Music!
Lesson Objectives
Possible Connections to: “The
Ontario Curriculum
Grades 1-8: Science
& Technology”
Concert
Connections
Materials
Build
Minds On
Action
a) To build an instrument, a Shoe Box Harp, to investigate the concepts of vibration,
frequency, and pitch.
b) To use the scientific method of inquiry to investigate and solve a problem.
c) To perform using the instrument to showcase understanding of the concepts.
Gr. 4 - Light and Sound
2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 2.7, 3.5, 3.4, 3.5, 3.8
Song 1 - Blow it up and Start Again - Jonathan Newman
The piece highlights the unique capabilities of the string instruments. The Harp is a
member of the String Family and has 47 strings that are plucked rather than bowed
like most String Family instruments. (See pg. 21-23 for further information on the
String Family)
Handout (Lesson 1: Investigating Pitch and Vibration)
Shoe Box, pencil, scissors, 6 rubber bands of the same type
Students will work in partners to read and comprehend the instructions before
building their harps.
Use: Lesson 1- PART 1: BUILD and PLAY IT!
Teachers may find it useful to show the class the video:
YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Iug6cMAq8
Students will work in partners to investigate the lesson’s question:
How does the pitch change if we change the frequency of the
elastic bands’ vibration?
Use: Lesson 1- PART 2: Observing and analyzing the notes of our harp
Students will now take the knowledge they have learned throughout the investigation and become composers and performers.
Use: Lesson 1 PART 3- Creating music with frequency and pitch
To inspire the student composers, teachers may:
a) Have students try to play a song they have heard many times before like Mary
had a little Lamb. This requires three notes on their harps.
b) Show a classical harp being played (YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pRlpeUsFdsY
c) Encourage two groups to work together so that they can create more complex
melodies with two harps working together.
12
Unit Overview and Lesson Plans
Investigating Pitch and Vibration
Main Ideas for this investigation
Vibration:
• Describes the movement of the elastic band moving back and forth
• Faster vibrations have a faster frequency of moving back and forth
• Slower vibrations have a slower frequency of moving back and forth
Frequency:
• The number of back and forth movements every second
• How slowly or quickly the elastic band vibrates back and forth
Pitch:
• Created by the frequency of the back and forth motion of the elastic band
• Makes a sound heard as a high note or a low note in our ear
Figure 1: Vibration
a) Pluck a string
b) Watch it VIBRATE!
Figure 2: Frequency
a) High frequency
b) Low frequency
- String is moving back and forth quickly - String is moving back and forth more slowly
- It becomes blurry to our eyes!
- Our eyes can see it move!
13
Unit Overview and Lesson Plans
Part 1: BUILD and PLAY IT!
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Iug6cMAq8)
Question:
How does the pitch of the note change if we change the frequency of the elastic bands’ vibration?
Instructions:
Answer the question of the investigation gradually by completing the question below. Read carefully and answer as you try.
Materials:
Shoe box, pencil, scissors, 6 rubber bands of the same type, ruler.
Figure 1: Shoebox harp
Step 1: Building the body of the harp
a) Place your shoebox so that the longest side faces you and look at the top. Find the centre of the box,
mark that spot and then use your pencil to punch a hole in the box.
b) Draw a medium sized oval around that hole. Use your scissors to cut the hole out. Start at the hole
you punched and follow the oval line you drew. Use Figure 1 to help.
Step 2: Place your ‘strings’ onto your harp
a) Stretch your 6 elastic bands around the box. Be careful! Elastic bands can snap if stretched too far
and you will want to keep them away from your eyes.
b) Adjust your strings by sliding the elastic bands so they are spaced evenly out across the hole. Use
Figure 1 to help.
Step 3: Tuning your harp
a) On the far side of the hole, lift each elastic band and place the numbers 1-6 under each. You’ve now
labeled your six strings. These will create the six notes of your harp!
b) On the closest side of the harp, create the ‘bridge’ of your harp by sliding your pencil under the
elastic bands. The tip should be at number 1 and the eraser at number 6.
c) Now place the pencil on a diagonal by pushing the tip up so it is closest to the hole and sliding the
eraser end away. Your harp should look similar to Figure 1.
Step 4: Play your harp by gently plucking the elastic bands!
Hint: The diagonal line of the bridge is IMPORTANT! Move the bridge until you have a variety of
notes. Check with your teacher before moving to Part 2.
14
Part 2: Observing and analyzing the notes of our harp
The QUESTION of this investigation is:
How does the pitch of the note change if we change the frequency of the elastic bands’ vibration?
A: Observing and analyzing Vibration and Frequency
Vibration: describes the movement of the elastic band back and forth.
Frequency: how slowly or quickly the elastic band vibrates back and forth.
1. Pluck each of the elastic bands one at a time. Observe, with your eyes, how quickly each band vibrates.
a) Which band moves the fastest? (circle your answer) 1
2
3
4
5
6
b) Which band moves the slowest? (circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
5
6
c) Compete two sentences below.
We observed that elastic band number _________ has the fastest vibration.
Therefore, we think that elastic band number __________ has the (highest/lowest) frequency.
B: Observing and analyzing Pitch & Musical Notes
Pitch: created by the frequency of the back and forth motion of the elastic band; how high or low a note
sounds to our ear.
2. Pluck each of the elastic bands one at a time. Observe, with your ears, the different pitch of each band.
a) Which band has the highest pitch? (circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
5
6
b) Which band has the lowest pitch? (circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
5
6
c) Which band has the pitch that falls in the middle?
1
2
3
4
5
6
d) Compete the following two sentence below using your own words.
We observe that elastic band number __________has the lowest pitch.
Therefore, we think that elastic band number ________ creates the (highest/lowest) pitch for our
instrument. 15
C: Making conclusions
Instructions:
Think carefully about what you’ve learned by analyzing the vibration, frequency and pitch of your
harp in parts A and B above.
Now answer the question of this investigation:
How does the pitch of the note change if we change the frequency of the elastic bands’ vibration?
3. Complete the sentences below to answer the question.
We know that...
If the elastic band vibrates quickly then the pitch of the musical note is ___________________.
(Describe the musical note)
We know that...
If the elastic band vibrates slowly then the pitch of the musical note is ____________________.
(Describe the musical note)
Part 3: Creating music with frequency and pitch
4. Create your own music by plucking your elastic bands in a pattern that creates a melody
pleasing to your ear.
a) Compose your own music by recording the order of the notes you pluck. Use the number of
each string to write out your composition.
b) Finally, perform your music by playing your composition to the class!
16
Lesson 2 - The Symphony of Nature’s Ecosystems
Lesson Objectives
a) To build an understanding of biodiversity of ecosystems through
comparison between the sounds of the symphony and ecosystems.
b) To use sound and music to:
- Review key terms of the ecosystem. (ex: individual, population, community)
- Develop an understanding of foodchains, foodwebs, ecosystems and biodiversity.
- Showcase the impact of disease and humans on different ecosystems.
c) To use the scientific method of inquiry to investigate and solve a problem.
c) To develop students’ observation skills of listening and appreciating sound
and music.
Possible Connections Gr. 4 Habitats & Communities
to: “The Ontario Cur- Gr. 6 Biodiversity
riculum Grades 1-8: Gr. 7 Interactions in the Environment
Science & Technology” Gr. 8 Systems in Action
Concert
Connections
1. Julius Fucik’s Entrance of the Gladiators
- Two different performances of the same piece creates a comparison to an
ecosystem’s biodiversity.
2. Igor Stravinsky’s Finale from The Firebird.
- A melody played by the solo horn is picked up by each Family of the orchestra. This example allows for a comparison of the impact of human interference through an ecosystem.
Materials
1. Handout (Lesson 2: The Symphony of Nature’s Ecosystems)
2. Entrance of the Gladiators by Julius Fucik
a) Performed by the Teatro Massimo Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5vo6Vbzpmo
b) Performed by only the Brass Family – BrassWorks Quintet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HINZMdisR94
3. Grassland Soundtrack
c) YouTube: Sounds of the Grasslands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6rHzFVU19Q
4. Finale of The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky as performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WsqK1mCGeY
5. Recording Device (iPhone or iPad) if available
See: Teacher’s Notes for further explanation and suggested answers.
Observe
1. Students will draw similarities between a musical system (an orchestra) and
an ecosystem.
Use: Handout- Part 1: Introducing the Systems
2. Students will use an excerpt from the orchestral version of Fucik’s Entrance
of the Gladiators, and then listen to the brass quintet version of the same
piece to hear what occurs when a system is changed.
Use: Handout- Part 2: Changing the System-Looking at Biodiversity-Part A
3. Students will then listen to the nature sounds tracks and make different
observations of abiotic, biotic, producers, consumers etc...
Use: Handout- Part 2: Changing the System
17
Minds On
Action
Students will then:
a) Draw comparisons between the two versions of the same piece to introduce the concept of diversity.
b) Make connections between diversity and biodiversity.
Use: Handout- Part 2: Changing the System-Part A
c)Sort the observed sounds into levels of the food chain.
d) Discuss the biodiversity of the forest ecosystem.
Use: Handout- Part 2: Changing the System-Part B
e) Think about the diversity of a farmer’s field and the impact of pesticides
or herbicides on biodiversity.
Use: Handout - Part 3: Changing the System- How do Humans impact an
ecosystem?
Extension
Listen to the final two minutes of Stravinsky’s Finale from The Firebird as
performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WsqK1mCGeY
The solo horn starts a melody and then it spreads throughout the orchestra.
Discuss the following question:
How is the movement of the melody through the orchestra similar to the
impact of humans on ecosystems and their biodiversity?
Students can be challenged to create their own Nature’s Symphony by:
a) Using their voices to create a biodiverse ecosystem of their choice.
b) Using recording devices to record sounds from their community.
c) Use pre-recorded sound effects to make a biodiverse ecosystem.
18
The Symphony of Nature’s Ecosystems
Part 1: Introducing the Systems
a) Focus on SYMPHONY
The origin of the word symphony is ‘syn-’ meaning together and ‘-phone’ – meaning voice or sound. A symphony is a large orchestra where sounds come together.
The symphony is made up of individual instruments (refer to pg. 21-29 for more
information) played by talented musicians. Similarly designed instruments make
up the orchestra’s different Families of instruments. The families working together
to create a whole can also be described as a musical system.
b) Focus on ECO-SYSTEM
The word ecosystem derives from the Greek oikos, meaning “home,” and systema,
or “system.”An ecosystem can be defined as: different populations living together
and interacting with the abiotic factors of the environment.
c) Focus on comparing the SYSTEMS
If we compare the two systems - they both have many parts working together to
create a whole.
Table 1: CREATING A COMMUNITY
Levels of Organization
1 - One
2 - A group of
A Symphony
An instrument (ex. trumpet)
An Instrument Family
A group of similarly designed
instruments (ex. The Brass
Family)
3- A group of groups existing The SYMPHONY
together
(ex. brass family, strings family, woodwind family etc...)
4- Groups living together with The SYMPHONY with its
other impacting factors
conductor
An Ecosystem
An individual (ex. a deer)
A population
A group of similar individuals
(ex. A herd of deer)
A forest community (ex. deers,
wolves, trees, etc...)
The Community affected by
abiotic factors
= ECO-SYSTEM
19
Part 2: Changing the System - Looking at biodiversity
Diversity: a descriptor word suggesting a great deal of variety
A) SYMPHONY DIVERSITY
Observe the complex sounds of a musical system by listening to a short excerpt of
Julius Fucik’s Entrance of the Gladiators as performed by the Teatro Massimo Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5vo6Vbzpmo
It may be familiar from the movie Madagascar 3 where the character Marty wears his
rainbow afro wig! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ3A7P3k8mI
a) Describe the musical system you just listened to.
b) An orchestra is a diverse musical system. What did you hear to support this suggestion
of diversity?
Make a prediction - What do you think will happen to the sound of this excerpt from
Entrance of the Gladiators if one or more of the musical families are removed?
20
Listen again - This time, Entrance of the Gladiators is performed by the BrassWorksQuintet. It is a performance using only the Brass Family - https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=HINZMdisR94
Analyze and Discuss - Work with a partner and answer the following question. How were
the two different performances of the Entrance of the Gladiators similar and different?
Think carefully - Create three connections between the diversity heard in the two musical
system performances and the concept of biodiversity in an ecosystem
B) ECOSYSTEM BIODIVERSITY
Observe the complex sounds of an ecological system by listening carefully to a 3 minute
performance of a forest ecosystem. Carefully record what you hear in the chart below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYgU9mvSiZg
Observation Table 1: The Sounds of the Grasslands
Abiotic Sounds
Biotic Sounds
21
Work with a partner to analyze your observations. First, talk with your partner and share
your observations. Add to your Table 1 observations.
Analyze your sounds
Beside each sound identified in Table 1 put the name of the thing that made it.
ex: quack = duck
Continue your analysis by working with a partner to sort the biotic sounds into the different levels of a grassland food chain. Use Table 2 to help.
Table 2: Analyzing your ecosystem sound observations
Levels of the food chain
Examples
Producers
Primary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Discuss in small groups or partners. Record your answers in the space provided below.
• Were there any parts of the food chain missing in the recording you heard?
• Do you think the ecosystem could continue to function if all the levels (or parts of the
system) were not present in the food chain? Why or why not?
• How could you increase the biodiversity of the ecosystem you just listened to?
Record your discussion ideas below:
22
Part 3: Changing the System – How do Humans impact an ecosystem?
Humans are often responsible for changes that occur in ecosystems. Sometimes the
changes are made on purpose and sometimes by mistake.
One example is how we change ecosystems to grow our food. We change very
biodiverse forests and grasslands into very simple ecosystems by clearing them to
create fields for farming. We want the ecosystem to grow only what we dictate.
For example: large crops of wheat, corn, soy or food for our animals like hay.
In small groups or partners, answer the following questions.
Why do you think a farmer’s field of wheat is considered to be low biodiversity
ecosystem?
In our need to grow as much food as possible - we further change the farmer’s field
ecosystem by using pesticides or herbicides to kill things that threaten our crops.
Grasshoppers eat wheat. Farmer’s may spray pesticide to remove them from their
fields. Look closely at Figure 2. If the grasshoppers were killed, what would happen to the following (circle your answers):
i) Number of mice?
increase or decrease
WHY?
ii) Amount of frogs and
snakes?
increase or decrease
WHY?
ii) Number of owls?
increase or decrease
WHY?
wheat
clover
dandelion
Figure 2: A Possible Farmer’s field
23
Lesson Plan Answer Keys for Teachers
Part 1: BUILD and PLAY IT!
Teacher’s note:
• The bridge (or pencil) creates the variation in the elastic bands’ tension (our manipulated variable).
• By pushing the tip of the pencil closest to the hole in the box, elastic band 1 is stretched most tightly
over the harp’s hole. As a result, Band 6 is stretched the least tightly over the hole.
• The steeper the angle of the pencil, the more variation in the tension of the elastic bands’ stretch.
• Discuss with students the need pluck each band in the same style. This controls another variable,
and the students are more likely to get similar and correct observation of their vibration and frequency.
How does it work? Energy and Anatomy
• The energy from the student’s pluck is eventually the same energy that our brain registers as sound.
The student’s energy starts out as mechanical energy. When they pluck the elastic band, the energy is
transferred into the kinetic energy in the movement or vibration of the elastic band.
• As the kinetic energy vibrates through the elastic band, a very small sound is created. This is because
it only causes a small amount of air to vibrate.
• The rest of the kinetic energy is transferred to the bridge (pencil) and then to the cardboard of the
box itself. The inside of the box acts as a sound chamber and amplifies the sound. The energy is now
transferred into sound energy which travels as waves to our ear. Some of the sound waves reach our
external ear where it is collected, and then focused as it travels down the ear canal to our ear drum
(tympanic membrane).
• The ear drum now vibrates at the same frequency as the elastic band. The sound energy is now back
in mechanical energy form.
• The eardrum vibrates the small bones of the middle ear, called the ossicles (hammer, anvil and stirrup), which tap on the oval window of the inner ear’s cochlea. The inner ear is filled with fluid and
holds the sensors that generate nerve impulses which travel through a nerve to the brain’s hearing
centre. As the fluid moves against these sensors, they trigger an electric signal to our brains. Mechanical energy is transferred to electrical energy.
• Our brain processes this electrical signals and interprets them as the sound or the pitch that was
played.
Enrichment: Have students remove the bridge and note how the vibration, frequency and pitch of the
strings change. Have them hypothesize about how the bridge does its job.
24
Lesson Plan Answer Keys for Teachers
Part 2: Observing and analyzing the notes of our harp
A: Observing and analyzing Vibration and Frequency
Vibration: describes the movement of the elastic band back and forth.
Frequency: how slowly or quickly the elastic band vibrates back and forth.
1. Pluck each of the elastic bands one at a time. Observe, with your eyes, how quickly each band vibrates.
a) Which band moves the fastest? (circle your answer) 1
2
3
4
5
6
b) Which band moves the slowest? (circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
5
6
c) Compete two sentences below.
We observed that elastic band number 1 or 2 has the fastest vibration.
Therefore, we think that elastic band number 1 or 2 has the (highest/lowest) frequency.
B: Observing and analyzing Pitch & Musical Notes
Pitch: created by the frequency of the back and forth motion of the elastic band; how high or low a note
sounds to our ear
2. Pluck each of the elastic bands one at a time. Observe, with your ears, the different pitch of each band.
a) Which band has the highest pitch? (circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
5
6
b) Which band has the lowest pitch? (circle your answer)
1
2
3
4
5
6
c) Which band has the pitch that falls in the middle?
1
2
3
4
5
6
d) Compete the following two sentence below using your own words.
We observe that elastic band number 5 or 6 has the lowest pitch.
Therefore, we think that elastic band number 5 or 6 creates the (highest/lowest) pitch for our
instrument. 25
Lesson Plan Answer Keys for Teachers
C: Making conclusions
3. Complete the sentences below to answer the question.
We know that...
If the elastic band vibrates quickly then the pitch of the musical note is HIGH.
We know that...
If the elastic band vibrates slowly then the pitch of the musical note is LOW or DEEP.
Part 3: Creating music with frequency and pitch
4. Create your own music by plucking your elastic bands in a pattern that creates a melody pleasing to
your ear.
a) Compose your own music by recording the order of the notes you pluck. Use the number of each
string to write out your composition.
b) Finally, perform your music by playing your composition to the class!
Teacher’s Note: An example of a composition could be Mary had a little lamb
Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.
23 4 3 22 2,
33 3,
21 1, Mary had a little lamb, her fleece was white as snow.
23 4 3 22 2,
2 3
3 2
3 4
26
Lesson Plan Answer Keys for Teachers
The Symphony of Nature’s Ecosystems
Part 2: Changing the System - Looking at biodiversity
A) SYMPHONY DIVERSITY
a) Describe the musical system you just listened to. Teacher’s Note: Some answers may include:
rich sounding, complex, many different parts, fast, repetitive melody, circus-like, exciting.
b) An orchestra is a diverse musical system. What did you hear to support this suggestion of
diversity? Teacher’s Note: Many instruments of different types or musical families were heard.
A wide variety of sounds were heard.
Make a prediction - What do you think will happen to the sound of this excerpt from Entrance of
the Gladiators if one or more of the musical families are removed? Teacher’s Note: Some answers
may include: flat, limited, lacking in variety, boring, quiet, less exciting.
Analyze and Discuss - Work with a partner and answer the following question. How were the
two different performances of the Entrance of the Gladiators similar and different? Teacher’s
Note: Some answers may include: The performances sound similar because of the melody. The
differences were the quintet performance was not as complex; more repetitive as different families did not enter to repeat the melody Although the system was less complex it still had different
parts working together (5 different types of brass instruments) to create the whole.
Think carefully - Create three connections between the diversity heard in the two musical system
performances and the concept of biodiversity in an ecosystem. Teacher’s Note: It may be helpful
to review the definition of biodiversity with the students first. Definition of: biodiversity refers to
the variety of life present in an ecosystem.
Some answers may include: 1. The performance by the orchestra is like a hugely biodiverse ecosystem with lots of variety
within each level of the food chain. The organisms are connected in a large food web - Ex: A
natural forest.
2. The quintet performance is like a simple ecosystem that functions but lacks in variety; there
would be limited variety in each level of the food chain and the food web would not be complex Ex: farmer’s field.
3. The more biodiverse the ecosystem the more complex the system will be. This is similar to how
the complete orchestra’s performance sounded more complex .
4. It would not likely be noticed if one member of the orchestra was ill, as there are enough musicians that one instruments voice would not be noticed in the performance. This is similar to a biodiverse ecosystem where the loss of one population would not be enough to stop the ecosystem.
However, if a member of the quintet was ill, only 4 players would remain. This would definitely
cause the performance to suffer. Similarly, if one population is lost in an ecosystem lacking in
diversity the whole system suffers.
27
Lesson Plan Answer Keys for Teachers
B) ECOSYSTEM BIODIVERSITY
Observe the complex sounds of an ecological system by listening carefully to a three
minute performance of a forest ecosystem. Carefully record what you hear in the chart
below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYgU9mvSiZg
Observation Table 1: The Sounds of the Grasslands
Abiotic Sounds
Biotic Sounds
whooshing = wind or water fall
whooshing = movement of leaves by wind
chirp = song birds
buzzing or whining = mosquito or insect like a bee
Work with a partner to analyze your observations. First, talk with your partner and
share your observations. Add to your Table 1 observations.
Analyze your sounds
Beside each sound identified in Table 1 put the name of the thing that made it.
ex: quack = duck
Continue your analysis by working with a partner to sort the biotic sounds into the
different levels of a grassland food chain. Use Table 2 to help.
Table 2: Analyzing your ecosystem sound observations
Levels of the food chain
Producers
Primary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Examples
trees
song birds
bee because they eat the nectar of the flower
mosquitoes because they eat the blood of the primary
consumer
28
Lesson Plan Answer Keys for Teachers
Discuss in small groups or partners. Record your answers in the space provided below
and on the next page.
• Were there any parts of the food chain were missing in the recording you heard?
• Do you think the ecosystem could continue to function IF all the levels (or parts of the
system) were not present in the food chain? Why or why not?
• How could you increase the biodiversity of the ecosystem you just listened to?
Record your discussion ideas below:
Teacher’s Note - Some answers may include:
• Students may not connect the whooshing sound to wind moving leaves. However, we
cannot hear the wind unless it causes something to vibrate and create a frequency and
sound wave that our ears and brain can interpret. So a good argument can be made that
it is the leaves moving.
• Unlike a musical system, an ecosystem cannot function without all levels of the biotic
system present. The food chain represents this system. Any missing piece breaks the
chain and it collapses. Ex: If the producers (ex: trees) were not present, the primary producers would starve and die off. This then causes the secondary consumers to starve and
die. This pattern continues through each level of the system.
• Increase the biodiversity by introducing a greater number of organisms at each level
of the biotic system (or food chain). Many organisms may be present but could not be
heard in the sound recording.
Ex: Bushes, trees and grass for producers
song birds, squirrels, deers and rabbits for primary consumers
owls, fox and coyotes for secondary consumers
• A greater variety of organisms at each level of the food chain creates a food web which
is a more complex and adds diversity to the overall system.
Part 3: Changing the System - How do Humans impact an ecosystem?
In small groups or partners, answer the following questions.
1. Why do you think a farmer’s field of wheat is considered to be low biodiversity ecosystem?
Teacher’s Note: Diversity means variety. A field with only one type of producer present
has very little variety. One type of producer (wheat) limits the primary consumers that
are attracted to the farmer’s field. This causes another level of biodiversity to be reduced.
The food web would be very simple and fragile. If the producer was not healthy, the rest
of the web would suffer.
29
Lesson Plan Answer Keys for Teachers
In our need to grow as much food as possible - we further change the farmer’s field ecosystem by using of pesticides or herbicides to kill things that threaten our crops.
b) Grasshoppers eat wheat. Farmer’s may spray pesticide to remove them from their
fields. Look closely at Figure 2. If the grasshoppers were killed, what would happen to the
(circle your answers):
i) Number of mice?
increase or decrease
Teacher’s Note: The mice would no
longer have to share their food with
the grasshopper so their population
would increase due to more food
present.
ii) Amount of frogs and snakes?
increase or decrease
wheat
clover
dandelion
Teacher’s Note: Frogs eat grasshoppers.
Without them their food supply decreases
Figure 2: A Possible Farmer’s field
and their population size decreases. Snakes
eat frogs so if the frog population decreases
so does the snake population.
iii) Number of owls?
increase or decrease
Teacher’s Note: The change in the owl population size is hard to see. The owls will lack
a food source due to the snake population decrease but they will have more food due to
the increase in the mouse population. However, the mice populations will benefit from
the lack of snakes. More mice again means more food for the owls.
Extension:
Teacher’s Note: If the horn melody is made to represent the “human impact” then as the
melody is repeated by each of the orchestra’s different families it suggests that human
impact is felt throughout the system and across its diversity.
30
31
Biographies
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Formed in 1922, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) celebrates over nine decades of great
music-making in the 2015/2016 season. Consisting of over 90 musicians, the TSO is one of the largest
musical ensembles in Canada, and one of the top orchestras in the world. Led by TSO Music
Director Peter Oundjian and other internationally renowned guest conductors, the TSO plays a broad
range of music, performing with guest artists from all over the world. Besides performing many different
concert series each year in Roy Thomson Hall, the TSO offers a
variety of education programmes, which take place in schools as
well as in the concert hall. Reaching over 60,000 young people
annually, the TSO has one of the largest education programmes
for a performing arts organization in all of North America.
In addition to Student Concerts (curriculum-based full orchestra
concerts), other major programmes include the Toronto
Symphony Youth Orchestra and Young People’s Concerts (a family
concert series featuring dancers, actors and story-telling in a
symphonic setting).
Ontario Science Centre, concert partner
Heidi Breier, host
Sean Lee Ying, host
Donna Francis, host and researcher
The Ontario Science Centre delights, informs and challenges our communities, offering hands-on experiences and engagement with science of local, national and global relevance. The Science Centre has
welcomed more than 50 million visitors since it opened in 1969, implementing an interactive approach
adapted by science centres around the world. It is the public centre for innovative thinking and the
prime venue for public dialogue about science, technology and society. The Ontario Science Centre is an
agency of the Government of Ontario funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and
Sport. As a publicly assisted organization, the Science Centre relies on generous individuals, corporations
and foundations who share a commitment to science and education for additional operating support.
For more information about the Ontario Science Centre, please visit www.OntarioScienceCentre.ca.
32
Biographies
Evan Mitchell, conductor
Evan Mitchell is proving to be one of Canada’s most innovative and sought-after young conductors. Having recently
finished hugely successful residencies as Assistant Conductor
of the Vancouver and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestras, Mr. Mitchell has assumed the post of Music Director
with the Kingston Symphony Orchestra. He has garnered
significant critical success as well as consistent praise for his
approach, execution and musical results.
During his residencies, Mr. Mitchell conducted over 200
concerts, acted as a Canadian ambassador during an historic
two week tour of China, Korea and Macau, and served as an
official consultant to the Vancouver Olympic Committee and
Assistant Producer for the recording of the medal ceremony
national anthems. Over the course of his career, Mr. Mitchell
has brought the magic of orchestral music to over three hundred and fifty thousand students and
children, many of whom experienced this incredible music for the very first time.
In addition to his musical achievements, Mr. Mitchell has been profiled extensively for his commitment to concert initiatives. He has been personally responsible for the writing, recording and
production of behind-the-scenes concert video series, podcasts aimed at the layperson, and visual
enhancements during concerts in order to give a richer, more informed experience to concert-goers.
His videos have been widely featured abroad for both publicity and educational purposes, and his
initiative using smartphones as a “silent tour guide” during live concerts in real-time was hailed as
the best technological innovation in the symphony concert hall of 2014 by the CBC.
Recent career highlights include Principal Conductorship of the World Harp Congress in which Mr.
Mitchell conducted eight harp concerti with some of the world’s best harpists. He has also conducted
a hugely successful gala concert with violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn, owner of the Mendelssohn Stradivarius “Red Violin”. After this concert, Mr. Mitchell was offered Music Directorship of the Prince
George Symphony. His first season with the Kingston Symphony as Music Director was met with
consistently sold-out houses and universally positive critical reviews.
Mr. Mitchell made his conducting debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in the 2011/2012
season after a last-minute cancellation and has subsequently been re-engaged by the Toronto Symphony for several concert series.
33
Biographies
Amir Safavi, violin
Violinist Amir Safavi has performed across North America as
a soloist and chamber musician. Amir has received numerous
honours and awards including Columbia University’s Richard
and Brooke Kamin Rapaport Fellowship, the Robert E. Dolan
Prize which facilitated private studies with faculty of the Juilliard School, and the Royal Conservatory of Music’s ARCT
Gold Medal.
Amir has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the
Guelph Symphony, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, Scarborough
Philharmonic, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hart House, Toronto Sinfonietta, Columbia University Bach Society and Koffler Chamber Orchestra and has given solo performances at venues including Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall), Bruno Walter Auditorium (Lincoln
Center), Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, and Koerner Hall.
A passionate chamber musician, Amir has performed with Menahem Pressler, the Vienna Piano Trio
and the Daedalus Quartet and was a fellow of the Toronto Summer Music Festival. Amir’s collaborative performances have been praised as “an extraordinary demonstration of cross-generational togetherness” (National Post) and for “combining superb musicianship with great camaraderie” (Columbia
Spectator). Amir has coached with members of the Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets.
As concertmaster, Amir has led the Columbia University Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Academy Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with conductors and soloists such as
Stéphane Denève, Jaime Laredo, André Watts and Shalom Bard, and was praised for his “refined playing” (New York Times) as a principal player in the New York String Orchestra. In 2016, Amir will
serve as guest concertmaster of Orchestra Toronto.
A graduate of Columbia University and the Royal Conservatory of Music, Amir has studied with Victor Danchenko, Paul Kantor, Daniel Phillips, Catherine Cho and Jacques Israelievitch. Additionally,
he has worked with Pinchas Zukerman and Mauricio Fuks through studies at the NAC Young Artists
Program and the Toronto Summer Music Academy. Presently, Amir is a graduate student at the Institute of Medical Science (University of Toronto) where he conducts sarcoma research.
Amir is performing this concert on a 1782 Guadagnini on kind and generous loan from Gabrielle
Israelievitch.
34
Musical Terms Glossary
A cappella: music sung without instrumental accompaniment. In Italian, a cappella means “in the
style of the chapel.”
Accented Beats: these are the beats in a rhythm pattern that are stronger because they are emphasized
or stressed. Accented notes are indicated using a “>” symbol which goes above or below the note to
indicate that that note should be stressed or accented.
Amplify: to make a sound stronger or louder. The hollow body of an instrument amplifies its sound.
Arco: to play a stringed instrument using a bow.
Bar: another name for a measure
Bar line: a vertical line on a musical staff that divides the beats into small groups or bars.
Baton: a small stick used by the conductor to beat time. A stick helps to make the motion more easily
visible to the members of the orchestra.
Beat: a beat is a regular pulsation. It is a basic unit of length in musical time.
Clef: a sign at the beginning of the staff to fix the position of one note. The most common are the
treble and bass clefs.
Chord: a series of notes, usually three or more, that are sung or played together to create harmony.
Col legno: Italian for “hit with the wood”, this is a bowing technique where players strike the string
with the stick of the bow, rather than by drawing the hair of the bow across the strings.
Composer: a person who writes music.
Concertmaster: the leader of the first violin section who tunes the orchestra and works closely with
the conductor.
Conductor: leader of the orchestra who makes decisions about how the music will be played with
respect to tempo and dynamics, and keeps the musicians together during a performance.
Crescendo: gradually increasing in loudness.
Decrescendo: gradually decreasing in loudness
Double-stop: a technique on string instruments in which two notes are played simulaneously. Triple
stops and quadruple stops can also be played, in which three and four (respectively) notes are played
simultaneously.
Dynamics: the intensity, or loudness and softness, of music.
Embouchure: the way the mouth is held to play a woodwind or brass instrument.
Fingerboard: the strips of wood on a stringed instrument’s neck over which the strings are stretched
and fingered to change the pitch.
Harmony: the sound created when two or more notes are played at the same time.
Improvise: to make up music as you go, without using scores or musical notation that is written down.
Many jazz musicians incorporate improvisation into their performance.
Legato: notes played smoothly and in a connected manner, without any noticeable break or articulation
between them.
Lietmotif: a phrase or melodic cell that signifies a character, place, plot element, mood, idea, relationship
or other specific part of an opera of symphonic work.
Measure: the notes and rests between two bar lines.
35
Musical Terms Glossary
Melody: a sequence of musical notes that make up a tune.
Movement: a section of music which contains certain musical ideas, much like a chapter in a book.
Notes: representation of musical tones using written symbols.
Octave: the distance between one tone of a scale and the next higher or lower tone of the same pitch;
for example, middle C and C above middle C are an octave apart.
Pitch: the highness or lowness of a sound.
Pizzicato: to play a stringed instrument by plucking the strings with the fingers.
Pluck: to pull up or down on a string with your finger, thumb or a pick.
Podium: the raised platform in front of the orchestra on which the conductor stands.
Reed: a thin piece of cane or other material, attached to an instrument at one end and free to vibrate
at the other. Found on oboes, clarinets, saxophones and bassoons.
Resonator: the part of an instrument, usually the body, that amplifies the sound caused by vibrating
strings or air column.
Rests: a pause or interval of silence between two tones.
Rhythm: patterns of sound and silence in a piece of music.
Scale: music arranged in ascending or descending pitches. The C major scale consists of the notes
c,d,e,f,g,a,b,c.
Score: music in written form with all the parts set down in relation to each other.
Sound Wave: when something vibrates, or moves quickly back and forth, it causes molecules in the air
to move, creating sounds that move in waves in your ear.
Spiccato: a bowing technique that uses a semi-off-the-string style to produce a light “bouncing” sound.
Watching the musicians it looks like the bow is bouncing up off the string the second it makes contact.
Spiccato is usually performed at the balance portion of the bow. The balance portion of the bow
refers to the area of the bow where weight is distributed evenly on both sides, allowing for maximum
control.
Staff: five parallel horizontal lines, on which notes are written in the spaces, on the lines, or above and
below the staff using ledger lines.
Strum: to play long strokes across all the strings of a string instrument, one after another very quickly
using your thumb, fingers or a pick.
Symphony Orchestra: a large group of musicians, led by a conductor, who perform together on string,
woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.
Tempo: the speed at which a piece of music is played.
Time Signature: appears at the beginning of the staff. The lower figure shows the kind of notes taken as
the unit of measure, while the upper figure shows the number of these notes that can fit in a measure.
Tone: the tone is the quality of musical sound, such as rich, mellow, harsh, brilliant, etc.
Tremolo: a rapidly repeated note.
Unison: two or more instruments sounding the same note.
Valves: the mechanisms on some brass instruments that make it possible for the musician to change
pitches and play all the notes of the scale.
36
Instruments in the Orchestra
Violin
Violin
The String Family
Viola
Viola
The String Family
1) The violin is the smallest member
of the string family and has the
highest voice.
1) The viola looks like a violin
but slightly larger and has a lower,
darker sound.
2) Like all stringed instruments, the
violin has 4 strings and is played
with a bow.
2) Violas sometimes play the melody,
but also play the inner voices.
3) Usually plays the melody in
orchestral pieces.
4) There are more violins in the
orchestra than any other instrument.
3) Stringed instruments — including
the viola — are usually played with
a bow. A bow is a slightly curved
piece of wood, which is strung
with either horsehair or synthetic
materials. Most professional
musicians will have bows made of
horsehair.
4) Rosin is rubbed on the horsehair
to help it vibrate and produce
sound; rosin is the sticky gum or sap
from a pine tree.
37
Cello
The String Family
1) The cello is like a very large violin
which must be held between the
musician’s knees while it is being
played, instead of being held under
the chin. A metal end peg protrudes
from the bottom of the instrument’s
body, sticking into the floor to help
keep the instrument steady.
2) Spelled “cello” but pronounced
“chello”.
3) The cello often plays the bass line
but can also play beautiful solos.
4) The most famous cellist in the
world is Yo-Yo Ma.
Double Bass
The String Family
1) The double bass is the largest
and lowest voice of all stringed
instruments.
2) This instrument is so big that a
player must stand or sit on a high
stool in order to play it.
3) Like the cello, the double bass
also has a metal spike (or end pin)
at the bottom, which allows it to
rest on the floor.
4) This instrument is often heard
in jazz groups. When playing jazz,
the bassist does not use a bow
but plucks the strings with his/her
fingers.
38
Harp
The String Family
1) The harp is one of the oldest of all
instruments, dating back to prehistoric
times, however, it has only been used in the
symphony orchestra for about 175 years.
2) The concert harp stands about two
metres tall and covers a range of over 6 ½
octaves.
3) The harp has 47 strings and seven
foot pedals. It is played by strumming or
plucking the strings with both hands, and
by pressing the pedals with your feet. The
pedals are used to add accidentals (sharps
and flats) so that the harp can play in
different keys.
4) The harp is usually considered part of
the String Family because the strings create
the sound. However, it is very different
from all other stringed instruments and
isn’t played with a bow, so it can be
classified in a separate category all on its
own.
39
Flute
The Woodwind Family
1) AThe flute is a high-pitched silver
woodwind instrument that is held
sideways and to the right of the
musician’s mouth.
2) The musician blows across a hole in
the flute, called the embouchure hole,
which is similar to blowing across the
top of a pop bottle.
3) The musician presses keys to open
and close the holes in the instrument,
which change the pitch.
4) The flute’s baby sister is the
piccolo. It is 30.5 cm long (half the
size of a flute) and the highestpitched of all instruments.
Oboe
The Woodwind Family
1) The oboe is the first instrument you
hear at an orchestral concert. It plays
a single note (an “A”), and all other
instruments tune their instruments to
the oboe’s pitch.
2) The musician blows through two
pieces of paper-thin cane, called a
double reed, which is attached to the
body of the instrument. The vibration
of the double reed helps to create the
sound.
3) Double reed instruments require a
lot of extra work since the musicians
must carve their own reeds with a sharp
knife. Reeds break or wear out, so this
is a constant process.
4) The English horn is related to the
oboe, but is slightly larger, uses a
slightly bigger reed, and has a deeper
sound.
40
Clarinet
Bassoon
The Woodwind Family
The Woodwind Family
1) The clarinet is a single reed
instrument; oboes and bassoons have
double reeds. The reed is attached to the
mouthpiece.
1) The bassoon is a woodwind
instrument that uses a double reed (like
the oboe). The musician blows through
two pieces of cane, which are attached
to the body of the instrument.
2) Clarinets are made of wood or
molded plastic, and have a smooth,
mellow tone.
3) Clarinets are frequently used in jazz
ensembles and marching bands, as well
as orchestras.
4) The saxophone is a close relative of
the clarinet because it also uses a single
reed, even though it’s made of brass and
looks quite different.
2)Reed instruments require a lot of
extra work since the musicians must
carve their own reeds with a sharp
knife. Reeds break or wear out, so this
is a constant process.
3) The bassoon is the largest
woodwind instrument except for the
contrabassoon, which has the lowest
voice in the orchestra. If you laid
the different sections end to end, the
bassoon would be 2 ½ metres long and
the contrabassoon would be 5 metres
long!
4) Most woodwind instruments
don’t require much use of the thumb,
however, the bassoon is unique in that
it has 13 keys which are only played by
the thumb.
41
French Horn
The Brass Family
1) The very first horns were made from
the horns of animals and were used to
send signals to people beyond calling
distance.
2)The hunting horn is the French
horn’s ancestor and was designed so
that the tubing wrapped around in a
circle, making it easier to carry over the
hunter’s shoulder.
3) Valves were added to the instrument
in the 1800s, allowing many more notes
to be played.
4) The musician uses the left hand to
press the valves, and inserts the right
hand into the bell of the instrument to
modify the sound.
Trumpet
The Brass Family
1) Thetrumpet is the highest pitched
member of the brass family.
2)Three valves were added to the
instrument in the 1800s, creating a
wider range of available notes.
3) As with all brass instruments, the
trumpeter produces sound by buzzing
his/her lips against the mouthpiece,
which is inserted into the instrument.
The musician changes the pressure
and shape of his/her lips to change the
sound and pitch.
4) The trumpet is frequently used in the
performance of jazz music.
42
Trombone
The Brass Family
Tuba
The Brass Family
1) The trombone was invented in the
1400s and formerly called a “sackbut.”
1) The tuba is the biggest and lowest
pitched instrument of the brass family.
2) This instrument was first heard in
orchestral repertoire when Beethoven
wrote a part for it in the finale of his
Fifth Symphony, in 1808.
2) Invented by a bandmaster in 1835,
the tuba is the youngest member of the
brass family!
3) Unlike the trumpet, French horn
and tuba, which all have valves, the
trombone uses a slide to change notes
or pitches.
4) When brass players blow into
their instruments, their warm breathe
condenses, forming drops of water
inside the instrument. This creates an
unclear sound, so the musician must
remove the water, either by taking the
instrument apart, or by draining the
condensation using a special water key
or “spit valve”. The water is not spit,
but condensation from the player’s
breath.
3) If you stretched the tuba out into one
long piece, it would measure about 5 ½
metres.
4) Related to the euphonium (a smaller,
high-pitched tuba) and the sousaphone
(an instrument invented by John Philip
Sousa, and used a lot in marching
bands).
43
Timpani
Xylophone
The Percussion Family
The Percussion Family
1) The timpani are sometimes called
“kettledrums”. These large, pitched
drums are used frequently in orchestral
music.
1) The xylophone is a pitched
percussion instrument consisting of
tuned wooden bars mounted on a frame
and struck with hard mallets.
2) Looks like a large copper bowl with
a skin or sheet of high-quality plastic
stretched tightly across the top.
2) The shorter the wooden bar, the
higher the pitch; the longer the bar, the
lower the pitch.
3) The pitch of each timpani depends
on the size of the bowl, as well as the
tension of the drum head; the tighter
the skin, the higher the note.
3) The xylophone produces a bright
“wooden” and dry sound, without
lasting resonance.
4) Timpani are tuned with a foot pedal
and can cover a range of about two
octaves.
4) Nobody knows where the xylophone
originated, but similar instruments were
known in West Africa and Indonesia,
dating back to the 1300s.
44
Cymbals & Triangle
Bass & Snare Drum
Cymbals
1) Cymbals are two slightly curved
brass plates, which are held with leather
straps. When hit together they produce
a resounding ring.
Bass Drum
1) The bass drum is the largest drum in
the orchestra and has a low, deep sound.
The Percussion Family
2) A single cymbal can also be suspended
from a stand and tapped with a
drumstick or brushed with a wire brush.
Triangle
1) A triangle is a piece of metal shaped like
a triangle and struck with a metal beater. It
produces a shimmering, tinkling sound.
2) The cymbals and triangle are
unpitched instruments, which means
they cannot produce specific notes or
tones.
The Percussion Family
2) Both the snare and bass drums were
originally used in the military before
they became members of the orchestra’s
percussion section.
Snare Drum
1) The snare drum has a metal or wood
frame with a drumhead on each end,
and strings of wire or gut stretched
across the bottom head.
2) The drum is played with two wooden
sticks. The snares are loosened for softer
notes and tightened for a crisper or
sharper tone.
45
13
46
TSO Musicians
STRINGS
VIOLINS
Jonathan Crow,
CONCERTMASTER
Mark Skazinetsky,
ASSOCIATE
CONCERTMASTER
Marc-André Savoie,
ASSISTANT
CONCERTMASTER
Etsuko Kimura,
ASSISTANT
CONCERTMASTER
Paul Meyer,
PRINCIPAL SECOND
VIOLINS
Wendy Rose,
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
SECOND VIOLINS
Eri Kosaka
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
SECOND VIOLINS
Ivan Alexander
Atis Bankas
Sydney Chun
Carol Lynn Fujino
Amanda Goodburn
Terry Holowach
Bridget Hunt
Amalia Joanou-Canzoneri
Mi Hyon Kim
Shane Kim
Leslie Dawn Knowles
Sergei Nikonov
Hyung-Sun Paik
Young-Dae Park
Semyon Pertsovsky
Peter Seminovs
Jennifer Thompson
Angelique Toews
James Wallenberg
Virginia Chen Wells
Arkady Yanivker
VIOLAS
Teng Li,
PRINCIPAL
Eric Nowlin,
ASSOCIATE
PRINCIPAL
Theresa Rudolph
ASSISTANT
PRINCIPAL
Daniel Blackman
Gary Labovitz
Diane Leung
Charmain Louis
Mary Carol Nugent
Christopher Redfield
Kent Teeple
OBOES
Sarah Jeffrey,
PRINCIPAL
Keith Atkinson,
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Cary Ebli
Sarah Lewis
CELLOS
Joseph Johnson,
PRINCIPAL
Emmanuelle Beaulieu
Bergeron
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Winona Zelenka,
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Igor Gefter
Marie Gélinas
Roberta Janzen
Britton Riley
Kirk Worthington
CLARINETS
Joaquin Valdepeñas,
PRINCIPAL
YaoGuang Zhai,
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Joseph Orlowski
BASS TROMBONE
Jeffrey Hall
E FLAT CLARINET
YaoGuang Zhai
PERCUSSION
DOUBLE BASSES
Jeffrey Beecher,
PRINCIPAL
Kristen Bruya,
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Theodore Chan
Timothy Dawson
Charles Elliott
David Longenecker
Paul Rogers
WOODWINDS
FLUTES
Nora Shulman,
PRINCIPAL
Julie Ranti,
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Leonie Wall
Camille Watts
PICCOLO
Camille Watts
ENGLISH HORN
Cary Ebli
BASS CLARINET
Amy Zoloto
BASSOONS
Michael Sweeney,
PRINCIPAL
Catherine Chen,
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Samuel Banks
Fraser Jackson
CONTRABASSOON
Fraser Jackson
BRASS
HORNS
Neil Deland,
PRINCIPAL
Christopher Gongos,
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Richard Cohen
Audrey Good
Gabriel Radford
TRUMPETS
Andrew McCandless,
PRINCIPAL
Steven Woomert,
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
James Gardiner
James Spragg
TROMBONES
Gordon Wolfe,
PRINCIPAL
Vanessa Fralick
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
TUBA
Mark Tetreault,
PRINCIPAL
TIMPANI
David Kent,
PRINCIPAL
Georgi Videnov
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
PERCUSSION
John Rudolph,
PRINCIPAL
Patricia Krueger
Georgi Videnov
KEYBOARD
Patricia Krueger,
PRINCIPAL
HARP
Heidi Van Hoesen Gorton,
PRINCIPAL
LIBRARIANS
Gary Corrin,
PRINCIPAL
Kim Gilmore
PERSONNEL
David Kent,
PERSONNELMANAGER
47
CONCERT PREPARATION
The Concert Experience
Attending a Student Concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is an exciting experience for
students of all grade levels. For some students this is their first experience listening to and seeing an
orchestra. In order for students to benefit from the concert, teachers should use this guide to prepare
for this special event. When students arrive knowing what to look and listen for, they become a
receptive audience and the trip will be an important learning experience.
•
•
•
•
•
Entering the Hall
Concerts begin promptly at the scheduled start time. It is recommended that your group arrive at
the auditorium at least 20 minutes before the start of the concert to allow sufficient time for seating,
washroom visits, etc. Groups arriving late must wait for a suitable break in the performance before
being admitted into the hall.
Food, drinks and gum are not allowed in the hall.
Please have your group turn off all cell phones when entering the hall.
The use of cameras, video cameras or recording devices is strictly prohibited.
Please remind your students that a restroom break should only be taken during the concert if
it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. People coming and going from the auditorium disrupts the
performance for the rest of the audience. Students should be encouraged to visit the restroom prior
to the start of the concert.
Seating Arrangements
• Ushers will meet your school group at the door and escort you to your seats.
• Students are to remain seated with their feet on the floor during the entire performance.
• Chaperones should be dispersed throughout the group and should actively supervise students
during the performance. It is suggested that there be one chaperone for every 20 students at the
Intermediate/Senior level.
•
•
•
•
•
Concert Details
The concert is one hour long.
To signal the beginning of the concert, the lights will dim. The concertmaster will appear onstage
and will signal the oboe player to sound an “A” so the orchestra can tune. The conductor then
appears onstage.
Applause is the only appropriate and recognized form of appreciation. Watch the conductor for an
indication of when to applaud.
At the end of the concert the conductor leaves the stage followed by the musicians.
Students should wait for their teachers to indicate that they are ready to leave the auditorium.
48
Student Concerts
Student Concert Evaluation Form (Student)
Date you attended:
__________________________________________
Name of school (optional):
__________________________________________
1. What was your favourite part of the concert and why?
2. What was your least favourite part of the concert and why?
3. Describe how you felt during one of the pieces on the programme. Why do you think you felt
that way?
4. Was there anything that surprised you during the concert?
5. If you were given the task of putting together a concert for the TSO, what two pieces would you
recommend and why?
Other comments ...
PLEASE RETURN TO:
STUDENT CONCERTS
(mail, or email)
TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
212 King Street West, 6th Floor
Toronto, M5H 1K5
EMAIL: [email protected]
Student Concerts
Student Concert Evaluation Form (Teacher)
Date you attended:
__________________________________________
Name of school (optional):
__________________________________________
1. Please circle the appropriate rating:
Audience Response
Educational Value
Conductor’s Rapport with
the Students
Teachers’ Study Guide
Excellent
Excellent
Very Good
Very Good
Good
Good
Fair
Fair
Poor
Poor
Excellent
Excellent
Very Good
Very Good
Good
Good
Fair
Fair
Poor
Poor
2. Was this the first time you brought a group to the TSO Student Concerts ? Yes
If not, how long have you been bringing students to the TSO Student Concerts ?
No
3. What did your students like most?
4. Did you use the Teachers’ Study Guide? you find most useful?
Yes
No
5. Did you use the podcast? No
If so, did you find it useful?
Yes
If so, which section did
6. Is there anything you’d like to share with the generous donors who support the TSO Student
Concerts?
Other comments ...
PLEASE RETURN TO:
STUDENT CONCERTS
(mail, or email)
TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
212 King Street West, 6th Floor
Toronto, M5H 1K5
EMAIL: [email protected]