Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Learning Community Staff

Susan Merritt, Vice President/Learning Community Ayden Adler, Director for Learning Development

Melanie Darby, Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs

Mariel Reynolds, ASO Community Catalyst

Sponsors/Funders

ASO Young People’s Concerts are sponsored by:

Kathy Griffin Memorial Endowment

Additional Education Funding is provided by:

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

The Goizueta Foundation

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund

Edler G. Hawkins Foundation, Inc.

Fulton County Arts Council

Georgia Council for the Arts

MetLife Music for Life Initiative

Staples Foundation for Learning

Nordstrom

City of Atlanta, Office of Cultural Affairs

The UPS Foundation

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

The Green Foundation

The ASO Family Concerts

with support from Publix Super Markets Charities

October 28, 2007 A Fairy Tale Halloween Jere Flint, conductor Lee Harper & Dancers 1:30 & 3:30pm

February 17, 2008

Peter and the Wolf Jere Flint, conductor Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra 1:30 & 3:30pm

March 9, 2008 Once Upon a Tune Jere Flint, conductor Wendy Bennett, vocalist 1:30 & 3:30pm

May 18, 2008 Cinderella Jere Flint, conductor Enchantment Theatre Company 1:30 & 3:30pm

Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra

presented by GE Energy

Fall ConcertSunday November 11, 2007, 3 pm Jere Flint, conductor

Winter ConcertSunday March 16, 2008, 3pmJere Flint, conductor

Spring ConcertSunday May 11, 2008, 3pm Jere Flint, conductor

n n n n n n n nn n n n n nn nn

Mei-Ann Chen,conductor

a world of music

AtlantaSymphony Orchestra

Falla: Dance of the Miller’s Wife from The Three-Cornered Hat

Moncayo: Huapango

Sheng: Postcards

Traditional New Orleans Jazz: When the Saints Go Marching In

Copland: Hoedown from Rodeo

Johnson: Drums, a Symphonic Poem

20 07-20 0 8 Young Peop l e ’s Conce r t s

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Antarctica

Arctic Region

Australia

Central America

SouthAmerica

North America

Africa

AsiaEurope

MiddleEast

Caribbean

TO:

Our Friends

Your SchoolOur Hometown, USA 12345

FROM:

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Bon voyage! We hope that you and your students enjoy your trip around A World of Music.

This concert is designed to teach students about the music of their world. They will learn how music sounds different from country to country. They will also learn that there are many similarities. While each culture has its own ideas about music, many of those ideas have been shared and assimilated into the music of other cultures.

Composers everywhere have the same tools available to them – melody, rhythm, harmony, musical form and the varied sounds of instruments. The way they use those tools and the typical instruments of their country determine the characteristic sound of their music. A Chinese or Chinese American composer writing music that “sounds” Chinese might use chimes and flutes and base the melody on the pentatonic (five-note) scale. The Spanish composer (or a composer in Latin America influenced by Spanish music) might use guitars and emphasize Spanish (Mexican, Argentinian, etc.) dance rhythms. Early jazz musicians used the harmonies of European music and the “blues scale” with flatted 3rd and 7th pitches and syncopated rhythms of African music.

Through the music of this concert students will become familiar with composers from around the world. Some of those composers lived and wrote in the idiom of their own country. Some are Americans who have strong ties to other countries and cultures. No matter whether they are living or deceased, Chinese Americans, African Americans, or natives of other countries, their music brings the echoes of other places to our ears. Your students will also experience purely American music – New Orleans jazz and Copland’s wonderful musical vignettes of the American West.

What makes music sound American, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese or African? Take your students on this journey with us to find out. We look forward to seeing you at Symphony Hall!

Teacher’s Introduction Guide to Audience Behavior

Your students will learn many things by attending the Young People’s Concerts. Not the least of these is concert etiquette. Please review these guidelines thoroughly with your students. This knowledge of the expectations in a formal concert situation will increase their comfort in this new environment – and increase their enjoyment!

• Upon arriving inside the Galleria (lobby) of the Woodruff Arts Center, everyone is ex-pected to speak in a moderate tone of voice. It’s fine to talk, but no yelling, please.

• Upon entering Symphony Hall it’s time to whisper only. Ushers will be seating your class, and they need to be heard when they direct you to your seat. The orchestra will be warming up on the stage. The musicians need to be able to hear themselves, too.

• When the lights dim, all whispering should stop. The concertmaster is about to tune the orchestra and the conductor will be entering next.

• When the conductor enters the stage, everyone applauds. No whistling or stamping feet, please. Just polite applause is fine.

• Once the music begins, everyone should concentrate on the music. Between pieces of music, the conductor will speak. Listen carefully.

• Noisemakers to avoid (things you didn’t think about!):Velcro fasteners on wallets and pursesBeepers, cell phones and the alarm on your watchJingling jewelryAny kind of electronic toy

• Show your appreciation for the music at the end of each piece by applauding. Watch the conductor carefully to make sure the music has really ended. Sometimes it seems like the end, then the music starts again. The conductor usually puts her hands down by her sides when the piece is over.

• Avoid yelling on the way out of the hall or the Galleria. This is the moment when your teacher and the ushers need your attention most. Watch and listen!

You will find abundant connections between this ASO Young People’s Concert and the Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies. In addition to the resources listed in the teacher’s guide for each composition, the following Internet resources will be helpful.

Third Grade – Our Democratic Heritage

Although musicians and artists are not mentioned as Americans who expanded the rights and freedoms of their fellow Americans, it should be noted that the arts played a significant role in the struggle for democracy and freedom. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, music motivated and inspired those who led and those who followed. See the resources for 4th and 5th grade for Revolutionary War information. The following resources apply to the Civil Rights Movement.

While studying the contributions of Frederick Douglass to American rights and freedoms, explore www.wam.umd.edu/~gmills/music/ where you will find an abundance of information and music examples of the Civil Rights Movement – from slavery through the present. The communicative power of music was essential to the movement. The website www.collegenews.org/x2130.xml explores spirituals and protest songs that were so integral to the lives of those struggling for freedom. An especially good lesson plan can be found at www.menc.org/guides/mlk/mlk.html . Written by Atlanta music educators Mary Frances Early and Cynthia Terry, the lesson explores how music contributed to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Fourth and Fifth Grade – U.S. HistoryLead students in a study of the role of patriotic music in our history. david.national-anthems.net/us.htm explores the history of the National Anthem of the United States. At another site, www.national-anthems.net/, listen to the instrumental version of a variety of national anthems. What characteristics do they have in common? (Brass instruments,

percussion, most are marches – duple meter, march tempo.) Ask students why these commonalities exist. What effect does this kind of music have on the listener? Students could research the national anthems of Spain, Mexico, China and a number of African countries as they study each of the compositions in A World of Music.

Go to www.title3.org/Products/ldavislu2.doc for a lesson plan that examines how American history and American music are intertwined. Topics include information about the role of music in daily life, how music is affected by historical events and the influence of other cultures on American society. Explore the influence of other countries whose music we study in this lesson. Information on Black History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Hispanic Heritage Month can be found at: www.factmonster.com/homework/history-us.html.

Sixth and Seventh Grade – World History

Use Social Studies resources readily available through approved textbooks and the Georgia Department of Education standards and resources website at www.georgiastandards.org. The A World of Music concert and lesson content will help students “assess cultural expressions of art, music, and literature” of Spain, Mexico, China and Africa.

Eighth Grade - Georgia Studies

These websites are good sources for information on the music of Georgia, as well as composers and performers from Georgia. • www.societyofcomposers.org/data/member/searchmembers.html • www.cc.gatech.edu/news/news_item.2007-05-31.3122532939/file • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Georgia_(U.S._state)

An excellent primary resource for the teacher is found at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/collections/lomax/history.html. Extract examples of authentic performances of the folk music of Georgia and the American West to play for students.

Curriculum Connections

The teacher pages provide:• Furtherinterestingbackgroundonthemusicand/orcomposer• Strategiesforpresentingthestudentactivities• CorrelationwiththeGeorgia Quality Core Curriculum in Music• Resources,includingwebsites,booksandrecordingsforfurtherstudy

RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE OF INSTRUCTION

(Note: These materials were designed for use in many different instructional settings. Whether you are a 3rd grade classroom teacher, a middle school orchestra or general music teacher or a home-school instructor, the lessons are designed so that anyone can teach them. Adaptations may be necessary. The important thing is that students have an opportunity to explore all of the materials in preparation for the concert. Their enjoyment and yours will be greatly enhanced.)

1. Teacher preparation: Read all of the materials. Preview the 30-minute DVD.

2. Have students read the introduction in their booklet first.

3. View the DVD. You might show a section of the DVD (it’s clearly divided) each day over several days or you may play it all in one day. Follow each DVD section with the reading and activities in the student booklet. Each lesson should take no more than 15 minutes and (for grades 3-5) provide good transition time between other subjects. If you teach middle school music classes, an entire class might be devoted to the DVD and activities, or use the lessons as a beginning or closing activity for several classes. The recorded selections on the CD may be used after each section of the DVD. Several activities require additional opportunities to hear the entire composition. You might also use the CD for casual listening any time.

4. Please send the student booklet home for parents to see. It includes a note to parents regarding other concert opportunities for the whole family.

The teacher’s guide to A World of Music is organized around the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert your students will hear at Symphony Hall. For each music selection on the program, you will find a copy of the student materials for that piece, and, on the facing page, strategies for presenting the student material and extending the lesson. Each lesson is correlated with the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum in Music for grades 3-8.

We believe that music is essential to a complete education. We further believe that music is a necessary and equal part of the total school curriculum. We have produced these lessons with those beliefs as our guiding principle. We hope you will take full advantage of this guide and the other materials provided so that your students can in turn be knowledgeable and eager participants in the wider culture of their city and their world. Students will receive the maximum benefit from their concert experience if the abundant connections between music and the other parts of the curriculum are emphasized. The materials in this guide will help you to make those connections. We urge you to share these materials with all of your colleagues who teach the students attending the concert. Share the teaching and multiply the results! Additional copies of the Teacher’s Guide, DVD and CD are available by calling 404-733-4871. Or you may download the print materials from www.atlantasymphony.org/communityandeducation. Go to the Download Center.

We welcome your comments and questions. After using these materials and attending the concert, please take a moment to complete the evaluation form you will receive at Symphony Hall. Staff assistance with these materials is available by calling the ASO Learning Community at 404-733-4355.

LESSON OUTLINE

Each student lesson includes the following components:• Backgroundinformationaboutthemusic• Backgroundinformationaboutthecomposer• ActivitiestodoafterviewingasectionoftheDVDorhearingtheCD

How To Use This Guide

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Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)

“Dance of the Miller’s Wife” from The Three-Cornered Hat

Where in the World is Spain?

Spain is part of Europe. The African country of Morocco is just ten miles away, across the Strait of Gibraltar. Ships sail through the Strait of Gibraltar to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Who is Manuel de Falla?

Manuel de Falla (mahn-well day fiy´-yah) was born in Cádiz on the southern coast of Spain. He learned to play the piano as a little boy. He wrote music that sounds like the folk music of Spain. The people of Spain loved Manuel so much they even put a picture of him on their money. He wrote all kinds of music. One of his compositions was an opera for puppets.

What makes Spanish music Spanish?

Spain is known for its exciting Spanish dances. Manuel wrote “Dance of the Miller’s Wife” in the style of a fandango. The fandango is a very old Spanish dance. In Spanish music, you often hear the clicking of castanets and strum of guitars. The rhythm of Spanish music is very important. When we think of Spanish rhythms, we often are thinking about a fandango rhythm.

The Three-Cornered Hat

The Three-Cornered Hat is the name of a ballet. The ballet is based on a funny story about a silly town mayor (El Corregidor). He wears a huge three-cornered hat as part of his official uniform.

At the beginning of the ballet, we see a miller’s wife dancing the fandango.El Corregidor sees her and wants to dance with her.

de Falla

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The miller’s wife pretends to flirt by offering him some grapes. When he reaches for the grapes, she snatches them away. He falls down, and the miller and his wife make fun of El Corregidor.

Activity 1: Castanets are held in each hand and snapped together in a rhythm while you dance the fandango. In this piece, Manuel de Falla imitates the sound of castanets on the xylophone.

You will hear a rhythm pattern that sounds like the strumming of a Spanish guitar. The pattern is repeated over and over in the “Dance of the Miller’s Wife.” This “fandango” rhythm makes the piece sound Spanish. The rhythm pattern looks like this:

Listen to this piece while you follow the Listening Guide on the next page. Do you hear the castanets and the guitar rhythm?

Activity 2: Rhythm is the most important part of Spanish dances. The dancers move their feet to the rhythm. They click a rhythm on the castanets. The guitarist strums a rhythm. The people watching might clap another rhythm at the same time.

After you listen to Falla’s fandango rhythms, pretend you are in the ballet. Make up some rhythms that you might clap as you stand and watch the miller’s wife. Take turns with your friends being the clapping “soloist.”

1 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 2

More About Manuel de FallaFalla was one of Spain’s most important composers. His teacher, musicologist and composer Felipe Pedrell, interested Falla in native Spanish music. Falla did not quote Spanish folk melodies, but strived to capture the essence of Spain in his music. His nationalism was shared by his good friend, poet Frederico Garcia Lorca. They produced a festival of Spanish folk music together. Lorca’s tragic murder by Franco and Franco’s subsequent victory in the Spanish Civil War led Falla to leave Spain for Argentina, where he lived the rest of his life. In his early 30’s, Falla lived for a few years in Paris, where he met and was influenced by the Impressionist composers Debussy and Ravel.

More About The Three-Cornered Hat

While touring Spain with his Ballets Russes, The great impresario Serge Diaghilev and his choreographer Leonide Massine saw a production of a pantomime, El Corregidor y las Moniara (The Magistrate and the Miller’s Wife), with music composed by their host Manuel de Falla. Diaghilev immediately saw the potential for a ballet. He persuaded Falla to expand his music and score it for orchestra. The resulting 1919 London premier of El Sombrero de Tres Picos starred Massine as the miller and boasted sets designed by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. It was the last ballet danced by the Ballets Russe before Diaghilev’s death just two weeks later. Massine continued to dance the role into the 1950’s.

Activity 1: If possible, first demonstrate the strumming pattern written in the students’ page. Point out that it imitates the strumming of the Spanish guitar. Tell students that this rhythm pattern is the very first thing they will hear. Ask students to listen, following the Listening Guide, and to raise their hands when the strumming rhythm pattern stops. The pattern is not heard during the bassoon solos. It disappears entirely in Part B and returns in Part A when the flute trill resumes. On the next hearing, ask students to raise their hands when they hear the xylophone imitating castanets. Help students by counting the repetitions of sections aloud. Finally, ask them to listen and follow the Guide independently.

Activity 2 : After students have become familiar with the piece, encourage them to participate in the fandango just as onlookers at a party or performance would do by clapping their own rhythms along with the music.

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)

“Dance of the Miller’s Wife” from The Three-Cornered Hat

Note: Listening guide is in the back of the Teacher’s Book

Resources: www.manueldefalla.com Photographs, detailed biography and an interesting discussion of The Three-Cornered Hat

www.chesternovello.com From the menu, select “Listen,” type in Falla to listen to four of Manuel de Falla’s major works. Select “Composer” to read more about Falla.

About Manuel de Falla’s SpainSpain occupies the majority of the Iberian Peninsula between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Manuel de Falla (mahn-well day fiy´-yah) was born in a region of Spain called Andalusia. Andalusia is on the southern tip of Spain. Falla’s hometown of Cádiz is on the southwestern coast of Andalusia on the Atlantic Ocean.

The Moors of North Africa were the medieval Muslim inhabitants and rulers of the Iberian Peninsula. Even today, Spanish culture is highly influenced by its Moorish history. Moorish architecture abounds in Andalusia. Andalusian music is also full of Moorish characteristics.

About Spanish Dance Music Spanish dance styles, especially flamenco, of which the fandango is a type, are characterized by their strong rhythms. The compás (meter) can be duple or triple. One remnant of Moorish influence on Spain’s early music is the use of the Phrygian mode or “gypsy scale” - which is similar to the natural minor scale. Spanish folk dance is usually accompanied by the 6-string guitar. In Spanish classical music based on dance forms, you will hear the strings of the orchestra play a rhythmic ostinato imitating the guitar strumming patterns in folk dances. The music is also highly percussive, with the sound of castanets, hand-clapping and stamping of the feet.

Activity #1:Count to 6 over and over. Clap on 1 and 4. This divides 6 beats into two equal parts.

1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6 (6 divided by 3 = 2)(1 2 , 1 2 )

If you accent (clap) on 1, 3 and 5, it sounds like 3 sets of beats:

1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6 (6 divided by 2 = 3)(1 2 3 , 1 2 3 )

In Huapango, the accents change constantly from 2’s to 3’s. Clap the first pattern twice, then clap the second pattern twice. Then go back to the first pattern. The beat should stay steady all the time. This is what Moncayo does in his composition.

Activity #2:As you listen, follow the Listening Guide to keep track of all the things happening in Huapango. Read from left to right. Listen for each new instrument in turn. Which instruments start the music? Which instruments usually play the melody?

Where in the World is Mexico?Mexico is our neighbor. It is between the United States and Central America. Mexico and Central America form a bridge of land from the United States to South America.

Who is José Pablo Moncayo?José Pablo Moncayo played the piano and wrote music. He also conducted the Mexican National Symphony. José was born in 1912 in Guadalajara. Guadalajara is the capital city of the Mexican state Jalisco on the Pacific Ocean coast.

What makes Mexican music Mexican?Spain conquered Mexico in 1519. The Spanish ruled Mexico for over 300 years. They called Mexico “New Spain.”

Mexico has wonderful native folk music. It is similar to our American Indian music. The Spanish brought Spanish music to Mexico. Over time, native Mexican music mixed with Spanish music.

Mexican and Spanish music both have interesting rhythms. The Spanish guitar can be heard in both. They also share some of the same dance forms. Each dance has its own rhythm. Mexicans have some dances that are theirs alone. The huapango is one of them. Mariachi bands play the huapango. A mariachi band has violins, guitars and trumpets. Mariachi began in the state of Jalisco where José Pablo Moncayo was born.

HuapangoThe huapango (hwah-pahn’-goh) also comes from Jalisco. The word huapango means, “dancing on the platform.” The dancers use the platform like a drum. They stamp their feet like horses.

José Pablo Moncayo (1912-1958)

Huapango

Moncayo7-8

Resources: www.elmariachi.com Read about the mariachi traditionwww.sobrino.net/mer/materials.html More about the mariachi tradition

About José Pablo Moncayo’s MexicoJalisco, the sixth largest of Mexico’s thirty-one states, is on the west coast of Mexico bordering the Pacific Ocean. It has snow-topped mountains, plains areas, tropical jungles and resort beaches. A large percentage of Mexican-American immigrants come from Jalisco, and Jalisco is a favorite destination for American tourists. It is said to be the birth place of many things we consider typically “Mexican,” including mariachi music, the rodeo (charreadas) and the broad-brimmed sombrero hat. Guadalajara was founded by the Spanish in 1513. Because it came under attack many times from the Cazcanes Indians, the town of Guadalajara would be moved four times before arriving in 1542 at its present site.

About Mexican MusicThe native Aztecs already had a significant musical tradition before the Spaniards arrived. The sacred instruments and rhythms of the Aztecs are still heard today. Americans are probably more familiar with Mexican music from the Spanish Colonial era.

Mexico has distinct music from each state or region. Mexican regional sons (styles) reflect the unique preferences of each area. Mariachi is one of the most recognizable sons to American ears. With compositions such as Huapango, José Pablo Moncayo incorporated mariachi into symphonic music.

More About José Pablo MoncayoJosé Pablo Moncayo had a short career. He was only 46 at his death. He made his mark in Mexico and internationally with one of his first compositions, Huapango. Moncayo helped to establish a Mexican School of Composition along with his colleagues in the Group of Four. This nationalistic movement is still an important part of the Mexican classical music world.

Moncayo spent more of his time conducting than composing. He was director of the Mexican National Symphony for six years. He wrote an opera, a prize-winning ballet and many other smaller works. Moncayo was mentored by the American composer Aaron Copland. Copland heard his music on a trip to Mexico. In 1941, Moncayo attended Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts to work with Copland.

More About HuapangoHuapango captures the typical folk dance/mariachi sound of Mexico. The piece is rhythmically complex, with its shifting accents. At times, though, it just sounds like a relaxed group of musicians having a great time improvising. Underneath the free-for-all atmosphere of the music lies a brilliant use of the folk dance idiom to create a classic Mexican symphonic work.

Activity #1:Students will enjoy the music more if they can learn to clap the dominant rhythm pattern. Take time to practice this exercise. If students encounter problems, here’s a technique to help them feel comfortable with the shift in accent. Think about the rhythm in the “West Side Story” song “America.” It goes, “I like to be in A-mer-i-ca. O.K. by me in A-mer-i-ca.” The rhythm is a huapango rhythm: 123,123,12,12,12.

I like to be in A-mer--i----ca. O.K by me in A- mer--i---ca.1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2, 12, 12, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2, 12, 12

Activity #2:After viewing the DVD, play the recording of Huapango. Help students follow the listening guide in their books. The percussion instruments start the music. The brass instruments do the majority of the solo work, but Moncayo uses every instrumental tone color in the orchestra. The listening guide helps students follow by dividing the sections of the music by the prominent instruments in each section.

José Pablo Moncayo (1912-1958)

Huapango

Jalisco

Bright Sheng (b. 1955)

“From the Mountains” and “From the River Valley,” from Postcards

Where in the World is China?

China is in eastern Asia. Asia is the largest continent. China is the fourth largest country in the world. It is about the same size as the United States. China is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east.

China has beautiful mountains, rivers and plains. It also has a big desert – the Gobi Desert. More people live in China than in any other country. Over one billion people live in China.

China has one of the oldest civilizations. It has the oldest written language still used today. The four great inventions of ancient China are paper, the compass, gunpowder and printing.

Who is Bright Sheng?

Bright Sheng was born in 1955 in Shanghai, China. His mother taught him to play the piano when he was four years old. His Chinese name is Sheng Zong Liang. He chose the English name Bright because “Liang” means “bright lights” in Chinese. Bright Sheng came to the United States to study music in 1982. Bright Sheng now teaches music at the University of Michigan. He has won many prizes and honors for his beautiful music.

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Shanghai ShengWhen Bright was a child, China was an unhappy place because of the “Cultural Revolution.” During that time, schools were closed. Most educated people were made to go far away from their homes to work on farms. When Bright was 10 years old, soldiers came to his family’s home and took away the piano. When he was 15, he was sent far away from his home to play music for the government in a farm village. He could not study music until he was nearly a grown man. Bright Sheng learned many Chinese folk songs while he worked with the peasants. You can hear the sound of that Chinese folk music in Bright Sheng’s music for orchestra. He helps the orchestra imitate the sounds of Chinese folk instruments.

What makes Chinese music Chinese?

Melody and harmony are more important than rhythm in Chinese music. Most melodies are based on a 5-note scale called the pentatonic scale. That scale sounds very different from the scales of Western music. Chinese music uses flutes and string instruments such as the pipa. You will also hear chimes and bells in Chinese music. You can go to www.philmultic.com/pipa/ on the web to see and hear the pipa played.

Postcards

Bright Sheng wrote music called Postcards to help us hear and “see” his homeland and its beautiful folk music.

Activity: As you listen to “From the Mountains” or “From the River Valley,” imagine the scene that Bright Sheng has in mind. Make a picture of one of those scenes and share it with your class. Are these two pieces of music alike or different? Make a list of the ways they are alike or different. How does each one make you feel? Draw a face to show how you feel when you listen to each piece.

Resources:

www.enchantedlearning.com/asia/china/ China facts, lesson plans and student activities www.silkroadproject.org/teachers/index.html More information on Chinese instruments and the Silk Road Project

More about Bright Sheng’s China

Bright Sheng’s story of life in China during the Cultural Revolution is hard for Americans to imagine. Sheng’s parents were tortured, and his grandparents committed suicide when his grandfather was labeled as an “enemy of the state.” It is estimated that up to 750,000 Chinese lost their lives in this repressive and violent period of Chinese history. Bright Sheng spent a large part of his older childhood and early adulthood in Qinghai, a remote poverty-stricken village near the Tibetan border in western China. He lived alongside the peasants and was deprived of any formal education or music training. He says that his ability to make music is what enabled him to survive. The folk music and dance troupe he was assigned to played and sang propaganda music based on folk music, but with lyrics extolling Mao Zedong and the communist revolution. During those seven years, he collected folk music and taught himself on native instruments.

More about Bright Sheng

After the Cultural Revolution, Sheng earned an undergraduate degree in music composition from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He migrated to the United States, and earned an M.A. in composition and conducting from Queens College under Leonard Bernstein. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Columbia University. Bright Sheng holds a Distinguished University Professorship at Michigan State University. In 1999, President Bill Clinton commissioned Sheng to write a piece especially for a state dinner welcoming Chinese Premiere Zhou Rongji. In 2001, Sheng was named a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and received a $500,000 cash prize. He collaborates with Yo-Yo Ma in the “Silk Road Project” as Artistic Advisor. Sheng is one of several Chinese American composers writing cross-cultural music which honors both the Chinese culture and the American culture.

More about Postcards

Postcards was commissioned by two St. Paul Chamber Orchestra patrons for their wedding anniversary. They chose Sheng for the commission because his music reminded them of their trip to China. He wrote the piece in folk style as a group of four “postcards” from various places in China. Sheng says that he wrote it in a period when he felt homesick for his native land. Sheng describes in music the landscape of China. (The term for landscape in China is shan shui – mountains and water.) Both “From the Mountains” and “From the River Valley” are based on Chinese folk melodies. The first evokes the scenic mountains shrouded in mist. The second is lively, depicting a bustling scene in the city.

Strings and woodwinds are paired in the beginning of “Mountains,” alternating with French horn passages. The strings and woodwinds “bend” the pitches to sound like the string folk instruments of China. The violins state the nostalgic theme, echoed by the oboe. The flute and piccolo follow, joined by the brass instruments and building in intensity. In the middle, the piece almost comes to a standstill. The piercing voices of the piccolo and celeste (a keyboard instrument with metal bars instead of strings) continue along with the flute. The piece ends as strings bend the pitches again and the bass clarinet echoes the fading theme. From somewhere, crickets chirp. One can sense night falling.

“River” is highly rhythmic and percussive, with a Gershwin-esque “American in Shanghai” mood. You can almost hear the horns honking on the busy street. Percussion instruments have prominence in this movement, with strings plucked in the repeated beep-beep-beep rhythm. The glockenspiel evokes the sound of Chinese bells. The melody and harmony move in parallel motion, sounding almost stereotypically “Oriental.” At the end, after a second brief word from the timpani and trumpets, the music simply vanishes into thin air – the dream ending.

Activity: Because these pieces are tone poems and are highly descriptive, they lend themselves to interpretation in a variety of media – dance, painting, drama. Lead your class in visualizing the scenes and dramatizing the action. Each piece has its own mood. Talk about the feelings created by Sheng’s postcards from China. Ask students to write their own postcards, describing the Mountains and the “River” of humanity in the city.

Bright Sheng (b. 1955)

“From the Mountains” and “From the River Valley,” from Postcards

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“When the Saints Go Marching In”

“When the Saints Go Marching In” is the best-known Traditional New Orleans jazz piece. It’s about people marching into heaven. Sometimes it is played in funeral parades in New Orleans. On the way to the cemetery, the band plays slowly. On the way back home, the band plays fast.

People all over the world love to sing this song. Here are the words to the refrain:“Oh, when the saints go marching in,Oh, when the saints go marching in.Oh, Lord, I want to be in that number,When the saints go marching in.”

Where in the World is New Orleans?

New Orleans is on the southern coast of the United States. It is in the state of Louisiana. New

Orleans is a port city. It is located where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Spanish were the first explorers of the area. The Spanish and French people fought over Louisiana for a long time. The French finally sold it to the United States in 1803. Louisiana became a state

in 1812.

What is Traditional New Orleans Jazz?

Jazz was born in New Orleans. Many types of music came together in New Orleans. Spirituals, blues and ragtime were part of the mix. The first music called “jazz” was played by bands. Some people call that early jazz “Dixieland jazz.” Dixieland was a name for the southern United States.

Sometimes people called Dixieland jazz “hot” jazz. That’s because it is usually fast and has very interesting rhythms. The trumpet usually plays the melody. The clarinet and trombone decorate the melody. The banjo and piano keep the rhythm. Most of the time, the instruments all play together. It sounds like everyone is playing a solo at the same time!

Louis Armstrong was a trumpet player who grew up in New Orleans. He was one of the most famous Dixieland jazz players. The name of his band was the “Hot Five.”

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New Orleans

“When the Saints Go Marching In” is such a popular song in New Orleans, their football team is called the New Orleans Saints!

Louis Armstrong and his “Hot Five”.

Traditional New Orleans JazzTraditional New Orleans Jazz, “When the Saints Go Marching In”

What is Dixieland jazz?

Dixieland jazz was the first music to be called jazz (or “jass”, as it was sometimes spelled). Many jazz experts prefer to call it Traditional New Orleans Jazz or Early Jazz. Jazz is a mixture of musical elements found uniquely in New Orleans and the American South in the early 20th century. It was preceded by African American spirituals, blues and ragtime. African musical traits such as rhythmic syncopation and polyrhythms, “bending” pitch to express the meaning of words, call and response singing and collective improvisation were incorporated into early jazz. The “blues scale” (with its slight lowering of the 3rd and 7th pitches of the diatonic scale) was inherited from blues music already popular in New Orleans. Ragtime, a popular piano style and another precursor of jazz, developed from the brass band tunes of the day. Many African Americans in New Orleans learned music by playing in brass bands. The instruments of those bands naturally found their way into jazz. These elements, mixed with European harmonies and the musical structure of hymns, marches and dances resulted in an entirely new and uniquely American music. African Americans were the inventors and first performers of jazz. As African Americans migrated north to St. Louis and Chicago, the popularity of jazz spread and white musicians began to play it. Jazz and its descendents, rhythm and blues and rock music, are one of the primary exports of the United States. You can hear Dixieland Jazz in Germany, rhythm and blues in Great Britain and rock music all over the world.

“When the Saints Go Marching In”

Over time, “When the Saints Go Marching In” has acquired the status of an American folk song. It probably had its start as a spiritual, but it is now in print as a hymn and a gospel tune as well. One of its early uses was in “jazz funerals” in New Orleans. Louis Armstrong is most closely associated with its early popularity.

Sports teams in the US, Australia and Great Britain have adopted the song as their theme song. It has been recorded by everyone from Judy Garland to Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen.

Resources: www.pbs.org/jazz This website on Ken Burns’ PBS series Jazz has extensive biographies of important people in the history of jazz and audio clips of historical and contemporary jazz recordings. Go to the Classroom link for lesson plans and handouts. Direct students to the companion site pbskids.org/jazz.

www.redhotjazz.com Extensive sound file archive of jazz recordings before 1930. Includes biographies and information on the bands of the era.

www.jazzinamerica.org/home.asp From the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Lesson plans, timeline, audio clips, history of jazz.

www.smithsonianjazz.org/class/armstrong/kit/kil.asp Another jazz reference

“SAINTS” SPORTS TRIVIA

•TheNewOrleansprofootballteamis named “The Saints.” According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: the New Orleans Saints’ franchise was awarded on All Saints Day November 1, 1966. The local newspaper, New Orleans States-Item, ran a contest to name the football team.

•Thetuneisapopulartelephoneringtone in England, where the Southampton Saints woman’s football club has a strong following.

Traditional New Orleans JazzTraditional New Orleans Jazz, “When the Saints Go Marching In”

CoplandWhere in the World is the “Old West?”

The United States were formed from the 13 original

English colonies on the east coast of North America. The country expanded westward

until it reached the Pacific Ocean. In 1849, someone discovered gold in California. Thousands of people

packed their belongings in covered wagons. They made the long trip west hoping to make lots of money. At first, the land was free. People could graze their cattle anywhere they wanted to. They could “stake a claim” on a piece of land.

What are cowboys?

From 1865 to 1890, the “Old West” was a place where people raised huge herds of cattle. Cowboys drove longhorn cattle north to Abilene, Kansas. They followed the Chisholm Trail from Texas. In Abilene, they would load the cattle onto trains. The trains took the cattle to market on the east coast. The cowboys were great horsemen. They had to round up the cattle and rope them from horseback. They had contests called “rodeos” to see who was the best at those jobs. Sometimes they had a “hoedown,” or dance party, after the rodeo. People danced square dances at the hoedowns.

What makes American music American? Composers make music sound American by using American folk songs and American folk instruments (like fiddles and banjos) in their music. Lots of American music also uses jazz ideas. Remember, jazz is a type of purely American music.

Who was Aaron Copland?

Aaron Copland was born in 1900 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied piano with his older sister. Copland attended an orchestra concert when he was a young man. He liked the music so much he decided to become a composer. Aaron Copland wrote music that we say sounds “American.”

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

“Hoedown” from Rodeo

Rodeo

Rodeo is a “cowboy” ballet. The story is set on a ranch in the Old West. A cowgirl tries to show the cowboys that she can rope and ride as well as they can. They don’t like having a girl compete with them. All but one cowboy laughs at her. Later, at the hoedown, she shows up wearing a pretty dress. The rude cowboys ask her to dance. She turns them down. Then she dances with the only cowboy who was nice to her at the rodeo. The dancers dance to the section of Copland’s Rodeo called “Hoedown.”

A hoedown is filled with energy. The dances are fast and lively. You can hear the sound of fiddles playing. Aaron Copland used two old American square dance tunes in this piece. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association uses “Hoedown” from Rodeo in their TV ads. Can you imagine why?

Activity 1: Follow the Listening Guide on the next page. Notice that there are two main sections to the music – the A section and the B section. A short part of the A section is repeated at the end.

Activity 2: Make up your own hoedown dance to match the music. Four couples dance together in a square dance. (They make a square when the couples face each other.) Sometimes they move around in a circle holding hands. Sometimes the couples will link arms and “swing your partner.” Use different movements for the A section and the B section.

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TEXAS

OKLAHOMA

KANSAS

More about the American Old West

The Old West was not entirely lawless, but law enforcement was scarce enough that cowboys visiting towns on the frontier earned quite a reputation as trouble-makers (thus the term “Wild West”). At first, the west was populated by railroad builders, buffalo hunters, gold speculators and an assortment of drifters. Native Americans, Mexicans, African Americans and whites all came together in the area after the Civil War. Together with the cowboys, they made for a lively mix. The

cowboys drove the longhorns along feeder trails to the Chisholm Trail (the line in red) which

led to the rail head in Abilene. It was worth the trouble to drive the cattle over such an arduous journey.

Cattle sold for about four dollars per head in Texas, but brought about $40 in the east.

More About the Composer

Aaron Copland was born to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants. His first music education was through correspondence courses. After working hard for several years, he won a scholarship to study in France.

When Copland was asked to compose his first ballet, Billy the Kid, he wasn’t sure that a Jewish boy from Brooklyn could do the best job of writing music about the Wild West. He felt better when he found out that William Bonney – Billy the Kid – was also born in Brooklyn, New York. Four years later, in 1942, a new cowboy ballet by Copland, Rodeo, was presented to the public.

Copland wrote sixty articles and essays on music and authored five books, including What to Listen for in Music and Music and Imagination. Like the ASO’s own Maestro Robert Spano, Copland was a popular member of the faculty at Tanglewood. In his fifties, he became a conductor, conducting until he was 83. His numerous awards include a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award for Best Musical Score, The Presidential Medal of Freedom and 30 honorary university degrees.

More about Rodeo

The movements of Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes, extracted from the ballet in 1943, are “Buckaroo,” “Corral Nocturne,” “Saturday Night Waltz,” and “Hoedown.” Copland quotes a number of familiar western folk songs in Rodeo. In “Hoedown,” we hear excerpts from the square dance tune Bonyparte and a few measures of McLeod’s Reel played in folk fiddle style. The dance episodes were first performed in 1943 by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops.

A “hoedown” was originally a fast dance related to the jig or clog dance. Now the term applies to almost any activity (from comedy improvisation to rollerblading) that includes a virtuoso display. Activity 1: Help students identify the A and B sections. Ask them to raise hands when they hear the new B section. The return of the A section is quite noticeable, since the music virtually stops beforehand.

Activity 2: Chances are that your physical education teacher can introduce the class to some simple square dance steps. Your school library should have at least one book and maybe a recording on folk and square dancing.

Note: Listening guide is in the back of the Teacher’s Book

Resources: www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/ Go to the Masters List and read about Copland.Our Singing Country: A Second Volume of American Ballads and Folk Songs, John Lomax (includes Bonyparte, the square dance tune quoted in “Hoedown”)memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/copland/ The Library of Congress online collection, including pictures, a biography and timeline. This fascinating site includes a copy of a letter Copland wrote promoting the work of then-unknown composer Pablo Moncayo (Huapango). One can view the rough sketch of Rodeo in the composers own hand. His notes mention the “bucking horse” (section A of the piece) and “a good riding rhythm.”

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

“Hoedown” from Rodeo

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Who is James Johnson?

James Price Johnson was an African American pianist and composer. He grew up in New York in a neighborhood called Harlem. James studied piano as a young boy. He heard a lot of jazz music when he was young. He also liked Broadway show music. He studied classical music all of his life.

People called James Johnson the Father of Stride Piano. The stride piano style is very hard to play. He taught many famous jazz pianists how to play stride piano. James Johnson wrote one of the most popular tunes of the 20th century – “Charleston.”

James wrote Broadway show tunes. He also wrote music for the orchestra. James was one of the first composers to use African music ideas in symphonic music.

Drums, a Symphonic Poem

The drumming you’ll hear in Drums, a Symphonic Poem is written for orchestra drums, not African drums. James helps the orchestra imitate the sounds of African drums. Listen for many rhythms played at one time. The melody sounds jazzy. James was also one of the first composers to bring jazz to the orchestra.

Activity 1: Use real drums or classroom objects (trash cans, boxes, etc.) to create your own drumming patterns. Choose 2 or 3 leaders. Each leader will play a short rhythm pattern. The rest of the group will imitate the leader’s pattern.

Activity 2: Experiment with ways to change the sound of your drum. Wrap something around it to make a muffled sound. Or try filling the drum with pebbles. Try playing the drum with different types of beaters. Make a whole orchestra of drums!

Where in the world is Africa?

The equator runs across the middle of Africa. Africa is connected to Asia and Europe to the north. (Remember that Spain is only 10 miles away across the Strait of Gibraltar.)

Africa is the second largest continent on earth. It covers more than one-fifth of the earth’s land surface. It has the world’s longest river, the Nile. The lower bank of the Nile was the home of the first great civilization.

Most of Africa is desert and grassland. Forest covers only 10 percent of the land. Africa has over 1500 species of animals. There are 53 countries in Africa. The people in these countries speak over 1000 different languages.

What makes African music African?

Music is an important part of life in Africa. Everyone makes music. People sing and play instruments, especially drums. There are many different styles of African music. Rhythm is important to all of them. Rhythms are clapped, danced and played on drums of all kinds.

African drumming is a very complex art. You hear many different rhythm patterns at once. One drummer plays the steady beat that keeps all the different rhythms together.

James Price Johnson (1894-1955)

Drums, a Symphonic Poem

About James P. Johnson’s Harlem

Harlem is the section of Manhattan north and east of Central Park. It extends from the Hudson River to the East River. In the 1920’s, Harlem was the center of an exciting African American cultural movement called the Harlem Renaissance. The area was settled by the Dutch in the 17th century as Nieuw Haarlem after the Dutch city of Haarlem. Later, it was a farming suburb of New York, reached by steamboat. Though it fell on hard times during the latter half of the 20th century, it is currently experiencing revitalization.

More about Drums, a Symphonic Poem

Drums, a Symphonic Poem, began its life in 1932 as a song in a James P. Johnson Broadway revue titled Harlem Hotcha. A few years later, Johnson recorded it as a piano solo and in 1938 orchestrated it as a symphonic poem. The tune also exists under another song title, “Jungle Drums” (Smithsonian Folkways Recording), with lyrics by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Traditional African drumming rhythms are echoed in several percussion solos throughout the symphonic version.

More about James Price Johnson

James Price Johnson (1894-1955) was one of the most important African-American jazz pianists and composers of the early 20th century. His “stride piano” style was the bridge between ragtime and jazz. Johnson was a champion pianist and played at “rent parties” in Harlem, where his popularity helped draw a paying crowd to help his hosts pay their rent. Contests among the best stride pianists of the day were part of the entertainment.

Born in New Brunswick, N.J., James P. Johnson learned music first from his mother. He received classical piano training from Bruno Giannini. His later life reads like a history of jazz. Moving to New York in 1908, he studied piano with Eubie Blake, who taught him an “orchestral” approach to the piano. He continued to study composition, music theory and music history throughout his life. His influence was felt throughout the jazz world of his time.

In the 1920’s, his career took off with popular compositions (including “Carolina Shout” – the first sound recording of jazz-piano) and his solo performances. He was the favorite accompanist to singers Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. He taught both Fats Waller and Duke Ellington to play stride piano and he wrote for Broadway. A tune from his show Runnin’ Wild (1923), “Charleston” came to define the whole decade. Johnson was voted into the Down Beat Hall of Fame in 1992.

Although he achieved commercial success with his jazz piano recordings and Broadway show tunes, Johnson’s fondest desire was to write music for the orchestra and bring attention to the influence of African music on American music. In his 30’s, Johnson began to write large-scale orchestral works, including Harlem Symphony in 1932. His one-act blues opera De Organizer, with libretto by Langston Hughes, was performed in 1940 in Carnegie Hall. Though his music for orchestra was not often performed during his lifetime, Johnson is now recognized as the important composer he was.

Activity 1: You may need to be the “leader” in the beginning of this activity. Once you identify some good drummers, turn the task over to students. Help them set up a constant steady beat in the beginning. This activity should be like a good long volley in tennis – keep it going!

Activity 2: Let the class sit in a circle after they’ve modified their drums. Ask each student in turn play to an 8-beat rhythm to demonstrate all the tone colors they’ve invented.

Resources: digicoll.library.wisc.edu/AfricaFocus/ Click on drums to hear a variety of African drumming styles.www.calacademy.org/exhibits/africa/index.html Lesson plans, activities, pictures and maps for studying African cultures.http://jamespjohnson.org/ The official James P. Johnson Foundation website. www.redhotjazz.com/jpjohnson.html Hear recordings of Johnson playing some of his most famous pieces, including “Carolina Shout” and “Charleston.”www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=252 A lesson plan and resources for studying the Harlem Renaissance.

James Price Johnson (1894-1955)

Drums, a Symphonic Poem

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) Dance of the Miller’s Wife from The Three-Cornered Hat

timpani

BIG ACCENT!

bassoonsolo

2 times 2 times 3 times

oboe and violin melody

xylophone imitates castanets

high flute trill

bassoon and cello

BIG ACCENT!

strumming rhythm

bassoon and celloNEW flute and violin melody

7 TIMES

flute and violin melody

6 TIMES

oboesolo violins

repeatoboesolo

harp glissando

oboe solo2 times

timpani solo

xylophone imitates castanets

high flute trill

guitar strumming

BIG ACCENT!

flute and violin melody

4 TIMES

10 BigBangs

OLÉ!!

Part A

Part B

RememberingPart A

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Intro

Aaron Copland (1900-1990), “Hoedown” from Rodeo

B

Intro

Do you hearthe fiddles???

Come tothe dance!

Ride over tothe dance hall... Grab your

partner!

Tune up thefiddles!

4 times3 times much

softer…

Theme 2 Theme 2Oboe tune

Swing your partner!

All together, now!!!

Take a rest...S-L-OW D-O-W-N

LOUDER!

LOUD DRUMS…

Theme 1

Theme 1 Theme 1 Theme 1

Theme 1

A

A

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softer

Each lesson addresses these objectives:

Study Guide Objectives

Grades QCC Strand QCC Standard

3,4,5 General MusicResponds to music in a variety of instrumental and vocal styles through listening, moving, singing, and playing instruments.

3,4,5 General MusicDistinguishes among string, woodwind, brass, percussion and electronic instrument families by sight and sound.

3,4,5,6,7,8 General MusicDistinguishes among repeating and contrasting phrases, sections and simple formal structures—ABA.

3,4,5,6,7,8General Music; Music Appreciation,History and Literature

Demonstrates growth in knowledge of music vocabulary appropriate to the level.

3,4,5,6,7,8 General Music Describes personal response to listening selections.

4,5,6,7,8 Music Appreciation, History and Literature Expands knowledge of selected famous composers and their music.

5,6,7,8 General MusicDescribes the expressive effect of music in terms of its elements: melody, rhythm, harmony, timbre and tonality

6,7,8 Music Appreciation, History and LiteratureListens to music or examines scores to describe the elements (rhythm, melody, harmony, form, dynamics and timbre) of music from developmentally appropriate selections.

6,7,8 Music Appreciation, History and LiteratureDemonstrates an aesthetic understanding of music and its relationship to the other arts.

6,7,8 Music Appreciation, History and Literature Analyzes and makes critical judgments about music.

6,7,8 Music Appreciation, History and Literature Integrates many elements of the study of music with other art forms and other curricular areas and related use of technology.

Meet the ConductorMei-Ann Chen is a new conductor with the ASO this year. She will lead our Young People’s Concerts. The conductor is the person who stands in front of the orchestra and leads the music. The conductor’s instrument is the whole orchestra! The musicians follow the conductor’s arm movements in order to play together. The conductor reads from the score. The score helps the conductor see what each instrument should be playing at any moment. The conductor starts and stops the orchestra and sets the speed (tempo) of the music. She keeps the beat and shows the players how the music should be played.

Below, Maestro Chen answers some questions to help you get to know her.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. My parents were both wonderful teachers. I wanted to be a teacher, too. An American youth orchestra came to Taiwan. I was offered a scholarship to study violin in America. So, I came to America when I was 16. My family is still in Taiwan.

How did you become interested in music?

My parents loved music. They didn’t have a chance to play an instrument. My sister and I started music lessons when we were very young. My sister was more interested in painting. I learned the piano and the violin. Music became a way to share what I couldn’t say with words. Now I can’t live without making music.

How did you learn to conduct?

I began playing in an orchestra when I was ten years old. I knew right away that I wanted to become a conductor. I would memorize my violin part so that I could watch the conductor. That’s how I first learned to conduct. I was very determined to become a conductor. I had my first real conducting lesson while I was a junior at the New England Conservatory.

What excites you about moving to Atlanta?

I played the violin in a conducting class at a summer music camp. Maestro Robert Spano taught there. He is the conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He’s a great teacher! Working with him as a conductor for the ASO is my dream come true. I can’t wait to work with the world-class Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

A Note to Parents:We are delighted that your child will have an opportunity to visit

Symphony Hall to hear the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This student

guide is part of the extensive preparation materials provided for

educators to use in preparing young people for the concert. The

teacher materials are available for your perusal on the Internet at

www.atlantasymphonyorg/communityandeducation/downloadcenter.aspx.

The theme of the 2007-2008 ASO Young People’s Concerts is A World

of Music. Students will explore the function of music in our society.

This will enhance their understanding and enjoyment of all music. This

set of lessons also reinforces learning in the social sciences and other

parts of the school curriculum. In subsequent years, students will

learn about other aspects of music. We hope you will encourage your

school leaders to take advantage of these future concerts.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra provides other opportunities for

you to share the joy of music with your child. The Sunday afternoon

Family Concert series is designed to be an entertaining learning

experience for the whole family. Also on Sunday afternoons, you

and your children may enjoy concerts performed by the Atlanta

Symphony Youth Orchestra. This talented group of student musicians

ranging in age from 13-18 performs three subscription concerts a year.

We hope you’ll take advantage of these and other concerts to instill

in your child a love of orchestral music – a lifelong gift that your child

will treasure.

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