Welcome to Virtual Class Notes Concerts!
Each year, Classical MPR reaches tens of thousands of students across Minnesota through the Class Notes Concerts program. Designed to engage and inspire elementary students through live musical performance, these concerts help cultivate active listening skills and allow students to experience the joy of classical music.
Due to current circumstances, we have adapted the concert content to provide a virtual Class Notes Concert. Today's YourClassical Music Lesson will be a virtual Class Notes concert featuring the Concordia Wind Quintet.
Target age range: Grades K-8
1. First, meet the Concordia Wind Quintet.
Concordia Wind Quintet talked about adjustments they have made so they can play safely during the COVID pandemic. What adjustments have you made during quarantine?
2. Deb plays the flute. She will tell you a few things about her instrument.
Write down or tell someone two things you learned or noticed about the flute.
3. Leigh plays the clarinet. He will tell you a few things about his instrument.
Leigh puts a little piece of wood on the end of his mouthpiece. Do you remember what it is called? What kind of wood is used to make it? Learn more about the clarinet with the YourClassical Music Lesson: Meet the Clarinet lesson.
4. Stephanie plays the oboe. Learn about her instrument.
Write down or explain to someone how the oboe is different from the clarinet.
5. Russ plays the bassoon. He will explain how his instrument makes a sound.
Can you explain how Russ makes a sound on his bassoon? Learn more about the bassoon with the YourClassical Music Lesson: Bassoon Basics lesson.
6. Karen plays the French horn, which is sometimes just called "horn." She will tell you a little about her instrument.
What is the big difference between how Karen makes her sound compared with all the other members of the quintet? What are the two ways Karen can change the pitch on her instrument, or make sounds go higher and lower? Learn more about the French horn with the YourClassical Music Lesson: French Horn Frenzy lesson.
7. Listen to Concordia Wind Quintet play all together again. This piece, called "Flamenco," was composed by Russ, the bassoon player.
Follow-up questions for reflection, discussion, or journaling:
• What is flamenco?
• What special instrument does Russ play in this piece?
• What does it mean to improvise?
• What are two things that flamenco dancers do?
Listen to another piece inspired by flamenco in this YourClassical Music Lesson: Patterns in Music.
8. Concordia Wind Quintet has one more piece for you today. Amazing Grace is a traditional tune, but Russ arranged it for this group. The melody, or tune, will be passed around between instruments. See if you can name who plays the melody first. There is a bit of a surprise toward the end.
9. Finally, Concordia Wind Quintet will review a few key facts from their concert.
Do your own review by naming each instrument in the box below and writing down or saying out loud one fact about each instrument. Bonus points if you can name the two "surprise" instruments Russ played.
Tell us what you learned!
Getting feedback from our audience helps make this program possible. Students, teachers, and parents, please take a minute to complete this short survey about this Virtual Class Notes Concerts.
Have a question or suggestion? Contact Katie Condon, music education specialist.
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This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment‘s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
