This site was developed to support
the Xploring Xtremes concert program
by providing online access to music
and activities that explore extremes
in elements of music.
Teachers should review the entire
site—particularly the interactive
listening activities—prior to
student use.
Understanding that teachers and students
have varying needs and preferences
for interactive opportunities, we
have developed a number of different
resources for a variety of uses at
home and at school.
The listening activities presented
here are drawn from the student and
teacher Cuesheets; for more information,
or to conduct the activities offline,
download the Cuesheet
and use the accompanying CD or download
our MP3
files.
Each activity is described below;
for more information, visit the activity
or download the Cuesheet.
Listening Activity A: Xtremely Slow
Listening Activity B: Xtremely Fast!
Students learn about musical
tempo (speed) by listening to two
different musical pieces to experience
both fast and slow tempos.
Listening Activity C: Xtremely Soft
Listening Activity D: Becoming Xtremely
Loud!
Students learn about musical
dynamics (how loud or soft music sounds)
and listen to three musical pieces
to experience different dynamics.
Listening Activity E: Double Xtremes:
Soft and Fast!
Students listen to selections
that demonstrate musical sounds that
are both:
- fast and loud
- slow and loud
- slow and soft
- fast and soft
Listening Activity F: Xtremely Surprising!
Listening Activity G: Xtremely Thrilling!
Listening Activity H: Xtremely Shocking!
Students learn about how composers
throughout history have become increasingly
extreme in order to provide audiences
with new sounds. Students listen to
and compare the “surprises”
in three different musical selections.
Conductor Emil de Cou will be available
to answer your students' questions.
Tell students to drop us a line at
editor@artsedge.kennedy-center.org
with their questions or thoughts about
the concert, or about symphonic music
in general. We will forward them to
Mr. de Cou, and post his responses
in the Meet
the Conductor section.
Selected excerpts from the concert
are available in the Concert
Program section.
There are several ways to use this
interactive site. We have included
a few below; feel free to explore—and
share—other
ideas.
Allow students to explore
the site and complete the activities
on their own or in groups.
Devise your own activities
using the Concert
Program selections. These selections
do not have voice-over instructions,
and are adaptable to many situations.
Use the clips here (either streaming
or MP3) and conduct the
listening activities in conjunction
with the printed Cuesheet.
Teachers should download the Teacher
Cuesheet for additional information
and resources.
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