2014, Weeks 1 and 2: March of the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky

We are learning about the instruments of the orchestra: what they look like, what they sound like, and what section of the orchestra they belong to. 

Here are some of the things we learnt about in our first music lessons this year.


Here is a video of an outdoor concert of the March of the Nutcracker. The conductor is Seiji Ozawa from Japan. 

We pretended we were playing some of these instruments, and we pretended we were the conductor. 

How many instruments can you name?



Here is a video showing some of the instruments which are played in the March of the Nutcracker.

It also includes some symbols to show you when the music is getting louder or softer, or when the music sounds as if it is going up or down.
 

Here is a video of the part of the Nutcracker ballet which has the dance for the March of the Nutcracker.  It shows a group of boys and girls at a Christmas party. Watch for the ways that the boys show they expect to grow up to be soldiers. 

Here is the heavy metal electric guitar version of the March of the Nutcracker so you can practise your air guitar. 

Here are some of the new words we learnt in the first lesson: 

Sections of the orchestra: 

brass: trumpet, tuba, French horn, trombone  

woodwind: flute

percussion:cymbals

strings: violin, double bass