Gioachino Rossini: William Tell Overture, "Finale"

Dynamics: Grades 2-3

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to differentiate between loud, medium and soft sounds using dynamic terminology.
2. Students will be able to use a graduation of soft and loud claps to direct another student to a hidden object.
3. Students will do activities to reinforce the understanding of the symbols for dynamics.
4. The students will use their choice of colors to create an artistic "dynamic".
5. Students will connect dynamics to emotions in music. Students will also gain an understanding of why composers choose dynamics for their music.
6. Orff extension: Students will create a song, which includes dynamics
7. Orff extension: Students will be able to follow a score while playing Orff instruments
8. Students will be able to follow the "William Tell Overture" beginning score for the finale.

Lesson 1 - Music tells a story

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7

Objective
Students will be able to differentiate between loud, medium and soft sounds using dynamic terminology.

Materials
Recording of William Tell Overture
William Tell storybook or story sheet
Listening Map of William Tell Overture - finale

1. Listen to William Tell Overture for a minute. Stop and ask students what the music is doing?

• Getting louder and softer.

2. Have the students focus on listening for the loud and soft sounds. Listen to William Tell Overture - finale

3. Did the music stay the same or keep changing?

• What did it sound like? Was there a story? What do you think was happening?
• Why would a composer put in the loudness and softness?

4. Explain what a legend is. Use definition at Merriam-Webster website: www.m-w.com

5. Read the story of William Tell to the class.

6. How does the music help tell the story?

• How do the dynamics, loudness and softness, of the music help tell the story?
• Would the story be the same if Rossini had written everything to be played softly? Or Loudly?

7. Music Listening Map - preferably a large class sized listening.

• Have the students follow the listening map while the teacher points out where they are.

8. Extension: Have the students write their own legend.

Lesson 2 - Music and Dynamics

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7

Objective
Students will be able to use a graduation of soft and loud claps to direct another student to a hidden object.

Materials
Flashcards with Dynamic Markings
Various objects to hide in the classroom

1. Review the listening map and William Tell Overture -finale.

• Point out the dynamic markings under the larger letters. ff,f,mf,mp,p,pp
• Explain that these are called Dynamics. They tell the instrumentalist how to play the music.

2. Play around with the idea of FF and PP - Very Loud and Very Soft.

• Put up Flashcards
• Have them give you examples

3. Explore the idea of why we need other descriptions for the loudness or softness of sound.

• Not everything is very loud or very soft.
• Sometimes sound moves between the extremes - like a siren or a sound that moves past us.

4. Enter in the other dynamics - f,mf,mp,p

5. Game - Loud and Soft / Hot and Cold.

• Have one student leave the room. Hide an object and have the student reenter the room.
• The teacher will clap loudest when the student is closest to the object and softest when they move farthest away. Students should then join in with the clapping.

Lesson 3 - The Colors of Sound

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7,8

Objectives

• To reinforce the understanding of the symbols for dynamics.
• The students will use their choice of colors to create an artistic "dynamic".

Materials
Worksheet to color for dynamics
Crayons
Other paper to color upon
Various music - soft and loud

1. Have the students get out their crayons and move to space by themselves in the room. Have them complete the dynamic worksheet.

2. Do they agree with the colors that were given for each dynamic if they were to choose the color.

3. Have them create their own color key which best represents dynamics.

4. Using their color key - have them create a picture to specific music

• Soft - do you draw clouds in blues, fuzzy pinks, and waves of green?
• Loud - are your colors dark and jagged? Are your pictures strong in shapes and animals?

5. Using their color key once again - have them color to the music of William Tell Overture, changing their colors as the dynamics change in the music.

Lesson 4 - Music Conveys Emotion

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7,8

Objective
Students will connect dynamics to emotions in music. Students will also gain an understanding of why composers choose dynamics for their music.

Materials
Book: "Today I feel silly and other moods which make my day" by Jamie Lee Curtis
Music which convey emotions - suggestions follow:

• Happy: "William Tell Overture" - finale by Rossini; "The Entertainer" by Joplin
• Fear: "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Grieg
• Sad: "Moonlight Sonata" - adagio by Beethoven
• Pride: "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Copland

Create a feelings poster - each child can do this or the teacher can do this.
From the book: Helping Your Child Be Healthy and Fit

Intro: sing "If you're Happy and You know it"

1. Play "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin. Ask them how does the music make you feel? - Happy

2. Read the book "Today I feel Silly and Other Mood Which Make My Day" by Jamie Lee Curtis

3. Talk about emotions and how the music you began with made them feel.

4. Have the students create an "emotion" quilt. Each of them can draw one face on a sheet of paper. You can use the basic outline. Put them up on the wall or on the board. Group like emotions into sets.

• Did they all make the same emotion?
• Why are there different emotions?

5. Play "The Entertainer again - which picture does it go with? Play other songs which convey emotions - have the class choose which picture or set goes with them.

6. Discuss - why are there different kinds of music? Why do composers shoes different dynamics in their music?

Lesson 5 - Orff Instrument Lesson Extension

National Standards for Music Education: 2,6,7
Learn more about Orff instruments

Objective
Students will create a song, which includes dynamics.

Materials
Orff instruments - any kind
Orff drones level 1 (as suggestions).

1. Set up instruments so that there are two players on each instrument.

• Have the students go over each Drone.
• Have the students explore playing the instruments loudly, medium or softly.
• Add dynamic marking to their playing.
• Have them play the drones in order to create a piece of music
• Have them put dynamic marking under each drone to show how the class should play it.

2.Choose individual students to change around the dynamics and see how it affects the music.

3. Have students create a longer piece of music by duplicating the drones and putting them in their own order. For example: Drone 1,1,2,1,3. Have them add dynamics to their work.

Orff Drones, Level 1

Orff Drones, Level 2

Lesson 6 - Score Reading with Orff instruments

National Standards for Music Education: 2,5,6,7

Objectives

• Students will be able to follow a score while playing Orff instruments
• Students will be able to follow the "William Tell Overture" beginning score for the finale.

Materials
Drone Flash Cards
Score for Orff Instruments

1. Students are set up to play the Orff instruments. Have multiple drone flash cards set up in front.

Place them on the wall / blackboard as if in a score. See example.

2. Have students play from their score - either by looking at the individual page or on large visuals on the wall or blackboard.

3. Have students, after creating their own score, look at a copy of the William Tell Overture score. Have them follow along in the music.

Extensions
Get a copy of other musical scores from the library and have the students try to follow along with the music.

Lesson 7 - What Is an Overture?

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7,8

Objective
Students will learn what an overture for and opera is.

Materials
Opera 101 for teacher reference
Various overture from other Rossini operas:

• La Cenerentola
• The Barber of Seville
• The Italian Girl in Algiers
• William Tell

Overture: It sets mood, introduces themes, preps the audience for the upcoming music, and quiets the audience.

1. Have students listen to various overtures from Rossini operas

• La Cenerentola
• The Barber of Seville
• The Italian Girl in Algiers
• William Tell

2. Have the students discuss what musical clues can tell you that Rossini is the composer?

• Compare and contrast.
• Tempos, themes, humor in the music, crescendo, dynamics, timbre

3. Discuss about how composers would "borrow" form their own music.

• Did they hear any of this in Rossini's music.
• What about Rossini's nature (learned from reading a bio previously) would lead you to believe he would borrow from his own work?

4. Writing Prompt: What should you listen for in a Rossini Overture and why?

Gioachino Rossini Links