Pre Concert Classroom Activities

Find a recording and listen to the recording of the music.

• Learn about the composer.
• Learn about the musical historical period and about any story that the music tells.

Discuss the instruments of the symphony orchestra and show pictures of them. Listen to examples of each of the symphony instruments:

• Winds – clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon
• Brass – trumpet, trombone, French horn
• Strings – violin, viola, cello, bass
• Percussion – timpani, snare drum, cymbals, mallets

Discuss appropriate concert behavior:

• Sit quietly; the performers can hear you and will think you don’t like them if you are noisy.
• Don’t get up and move around during the performance.
• Applaud politely at the appropriate times.