Program Summary
Communication is a give and take using commonly understood rules and tools. One of these is patterns. Through listening to live music performed by the Del Sol String Quartet in 45-minute performances*, students focus on why and how we write music, and on elements of musical language and patterning. Music from youthful composers represents four different centuries, four nationalities and four styles of music: Mozart, Arriaga, Antheil and Cmiel. Students are introduced to how easy it is to start creating and expressing oneself through music.
* Fifth grade students stay with the Quartet for an additional 45-minutes and will compose a piece using musical patterns.
Sounds Like Learning© Web-Based Study and Play
Teachers ~ Parents ~ Caregivers
© John Kane
This edition of Sounds Like Learning© activities pages is immeasurably enriched by images from The Human Alphabet book, used with permission of the Pilobolus Dance Theatre and photographer John Kane. Both Mr. Kane and Pilobolus are internationally acclaimed and dedicated to creative communication through image and movement, demonstrating exceptional synthesis of art, learning and pleasure.
Table of Contents
| A - B - Communicate | An open mind, the desire to interact, the goal to understand something new, are the basis of successful communication. Explore the who?, what?, why? and how? of communication connecting our universe. |
| Patterns Shape Our World | Patterns turn messes into magic. Look at intentional, accidental and self-organizing patterning in nature, art and culture, and science. See how the practices and patterns of music reflect and unify them all. |
| A Musical Time Machine | Take a historical and cultural journey with four young composers from different centuries and nationalities. See what all composers have in common. Imagine your own Time Machine. |
| Playing with Music | Visit the San Francisco Symphony's charming online Music Lab to experience the basics of musical language. Follow other links to listen to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star played in surprising patterns. Learn about the playful history of this song. |