Teacher Resources: Pre-concert Materials

Videos for the 2018-19 Upper Elementary Concerts

This year’s Upper Elementary Concert is structured around ABA form. This concert not only supports the music foundation TEKS around musical form and creative expression, but also reinforces classroom teachers with the concept of sequencing. The ABA form is particularly helpful to reinforce beginning, middle and end by identifying contrasting styles and sounds in music in a consistent form.

We encourage both music specialists and classroom teachers to utilize these videos to prepare students for the concert experience. The students will also recognize the musicians in this video when they see them on stage performing at the concert. The ideas below each video are optional and can be used as an extension.

Associate Conductor Robert Franz introduces the 2018-19 Upper Elementary Concert

Extension: After watching this video of Robert Franz introducing the concert you will be attending, take a few minutes to go over the student rules listed below under the “Day-Of Student Rules” tab so they know what to expect.

Introducing Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, mvt 3

Optional extension after playing this video for your students:

• Objective: The student will work as a group to come up with settings to go along with the contrasting sections within Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, mvt 3.
  1. Split the class up into groups of approximately four students. Similar to how Dave referred to the sequence of a day (home, school, home) in the video to relate to the form of this movement, have each group come up with their own setting (i.e. beach, mountains, carnival, parade, school, etc.) that they think would best complement the “A” and “B” sections in this movement. Using this recording of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, mvt 3, play the beginnings of each section as needed.
     A – beginning to 1:50;  B – 1:50 to 3:12;  A – 3:12 to the end
  2. Have each group write down why they chose each setting. What about the music reminded them of the setting?
  3. Have each group explain to the class the settings they picked and why they picked each.
  4. Extension – come up with a plot to go along with the movement. If the members of your group were together in each setting (in the ABA order), what might you experience together to flow with the entire movement. Another words, the group might experience something different when they come back to their “A” setting based on what happened in their “B” setting.
  5. Notes: please reinforce the idea of having no right or wrong answers. There is flexibility within the sequence of this activity. Students can act out the setting (or plot), draw/color, etc. Working in groups helps to support social and emotional learning goals.

Introducing Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, mvt 2

Optional extension after playing this video for your students:

• Objective: The student will identify character traits that relate to the different sections within Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, movement 2.
  1. Go around the classroom and talk about different personality traits of each of some of the students. Broad characteristics like soft-spoken, likes to move really quickly, sweet, likes to joke, rambunctious, organized, etc. This can also be done in teams of 2 or 3.
  2. Composers have a secret power: they can intend to portray certain things, ideas or people without an audience member even knowing. The audience also has the power of interpreting the music to mean, or to be about, certain things, people or ideas. Every audience member can have a different idea. Rainel talked about the composer Shostakovich’s intention for the A and B sections of his Symphony No. 5, movement 2. His intention was to describe the characteristics of a person. Based on the style, mood and sounds you hear in the different A and B sections, write down different personality or character traits you think each section describes.
  3. Play Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, movement 2. This piece is in ABAb form. The B section comes back for just a bit before ending. Play the different sections a few times for students to write down different characteristics and styles.
     A – beginning to 1:50;  B – 1:50-3:22;  A – 3:22 – 5:00;  b – 5:00 to end.
  4. Share personality/character traits in small groups or teams. If appropriate come up with a person who matches the personality types described.

A private concert for your classroom!

Lesson extension after playing this video for your students:

• Objective: The student will develop movements or gestures based on the style, mood and sounds within contrasting sections of music.
  1. As a class, come up with different gestures that tie to the different “A” and “B” sections of the music. Play this video again and do those movements along with Rainel and Dave playing.
     A – 1:13 to 2:29;  B – 2:29 to 3:15;  A – 3:15 to 3:46;  B – 3:46 to the end.
  2. Like Czardas (the piece played in this video), one of the pieces that will be performed at the concert describes the life in folk culture, describing people dancing, socializing and enjoying life. This piece, Les Toreadors from an opera called Carmen, is in ABA form. What movements/gestures can we come up with to describe the different styles and sounds of the A and B sections?
     A – beginning to 1:06; B – 1:06 to 1:57; A – 1:57 to the end.
  3. Play the recording of Les Toreador once again and add in the movements or gestures the class came up with, letting the class identify when the sections change to start doing different movements.