VIRTUAL KINDER KONZERTS LESSONS
Virtual Kinder Konzerts is a series of 17 short video-based lessons for use at home or in the classroom.
Using One-Dog Canoe, the Kinder Konzerts commission by Daniel Nass, based on the book by Mary Casanova, this sequence includes short lessons on audience behavior, introductions to instruments, and a narrated version of the musical story.
To use Virtual Kinder Konzerts, just click through the lessons to watch and enjoy the videos. Virtual lessons can be done at your own pace at school or at home.
Lesson 1: We Are the Audience
In our first lesson, we will learn about the very special job of being in an audience. We will sing a song about being an audience, and learn a fancy word that members of the audience might say when they really love the music they hear.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Sing We Are the Audience before sharing time or any at-home performance.
• Practice being an audience any time you watch or listen to anything. Before viewing, review the idea of an audience. Sing the song to prep for watching, make sure you clap and say bravo after a performance is over.
Go to the Minnesota Orchestra website to find video performances like this one. Perfect for listening to beautiful music and practicing audience skills.
Lesson 2: A Trip to Orchestra Hall
Orchestra Hall is a building made especially for performers and audiences. Join Ms. Katie for a virtual tour of this amazing building. Check out the lobby, the ring corridor, and the stage. You will get to see the magic cubes and learn how they bounce sound all around the big hall.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Look at this picture, on the Minnesota Orchestra website, that shows you where all the musicians sit on stage. You can click on some instruments to learn more about them and discover how they make their sounds.
Look in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box to find musician pictures. Cut these out and stage a pretend concert. Use construction paper or other art supplies to make a wood floor and some magic cubes, just like you saw in the video with Ms. Katie.
Lesson 3: The Flute
Minnesota Orchestra flutist Greg Milliren will play some music for you and explain how his instrument makes sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Look at a great picture and description of the flute, here.
• If you really love the flute, you might like its close relative, the piccolo. Look at a picture and watch a demo for the piccolo here.
• Listen to a little music for solo flute by scrolling down to the “Flute” section on this page.
Look for the flute player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 4: The Clarinet
Minnesota Orchestra clarinetist Greg Williams will play some music for you and explain how his instrument makes sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Look at a great picture and description of the clarinet, here.
• Listen to a little music for solo clarinet by scrolling down to the “Clarinet” section on this page.
• Take a look at the Meet the Clarinet lesson on Classical MPR’s Music Lesson page.
Look for the clarinet player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 5: The Bassoon
Minnesota Orchestra bassoonist Kai Rocke will play some music for you and explain how his instrument makes sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Look at a great picture and description of the bassoon, here.
• Take a look at the Bassoon Basics lesson on Classical MPR’s Music Lesson page.
• Listen to a little music for solo bassoon by scrolling down to the “Bassoon” section on this page.
Look for the bassoon player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 6: The French Horn
Minnesota Orchestra horn player Brian Jensen will play some music for you and explain how his instrument makes sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Look at a great picture and description of the French horn, here.
• Take a look at the French Horn Frenzy lesson on Classical MPR’s Music Lesson page.
• Listen to a little music for the solo French Horn by scrolling down to the “French Horn” section on this page.
Look for the French Horn player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 7: The Violin
Minnesota Orchestra violinist Rebecca Corruccini will play some music for you and explain how her instrument makes sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Look at a great picture and description of the violin here.
• Listen to a little music for the solo violin by scrolling down to the violin section on this page.
Look for the violin player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 8: The Viola
Minnesota Orchestra violist Sam Bergman will play some music for you and explain how his instrument makes sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
Look at a great picture and description of the viola here.
Listen to a little music for the solo viola by scrolling down to the viola section on this page.
Look for the viola player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 9: The Cello
Minnesota Orchestra cellist Minji Choi will play some music for you and explain how her instrument makes a sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Look at a great picture and description of the cello here.
• Take a look at the Cello Magic lesson on Classical MPR’s Music Lesson page.
• Listen to cello player Nygel Witherspoon play a famous cello piece in this video.
Look for the cello player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 10: The Marimba
Minnesota Orchestra percussionist Brian Mount will play some music for you and explain how his instrument makes a sound.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Learn about the marimba and several other mallet instruments at the Mallet Magic! Part One lesson on Classical MPR’s Music Lesson Page.
Look for the marimba player in the Musician Images piece in your Kinder Konzerts in a Box.
Lesson 11: Music Tells A Story, Part 1
Kinder Konzerts promotes the development of both musical and emerging literacy skills. In this lesson, you will be introduced to the story of One-Dog Canoe. Meet the characters, and discover what happens during this exciting canoe ride.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Story comprehension is reinforced through re-telling. Do a dramatic re-enactment of the story. Use props!
• Use the character pictures and red canoe from the Kinder Konzerts in a Box to retell the story.
• Re-read the story, and use the loon call from your Kinder Konzerts in a Box at the appropriate moment.
• Think about the north woods’ environment. See the directions for a One-Dog Canoe mural in the Kinder Konzerts in a Box to help students identify natural elements of this habitat.
Lesson 12: Music Tells A Story, Part 2
You have heard the story of One-Dog Canoe, so now it’s time to focus on character identification and story sequence. These pre-literacy activities will help us better understand the musical story.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Vocalization of animal sounds promotes vocal development and helps children explore their vocal range. Use the character pictures from the Kinder Konzerts in a Box as cue cards for animal sound vocalization. Interested in hearing authentic sounds for the One-Dog Canoe animals? You can listen to them HERE.
• Make connections to science! See the lesson on page 10 of the One-Dog Canoe Educator Guide for ideas about how to connect this content to science learning.
Lesson 13: Meet the Composer
Composers have the job of writing music for musicians to play. In this lesson, you will meet Daniel Nass, the composer of the musical story One-Dog Canoe, and hear a little bit about how he turned animal sounds into musical sounds.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Try a little at-home or at-school composing. You don’t need to know how to read or write music! A musical score is really just a set of directions for a performer.
Choosing a title is a good place to start. It might help you decide how fast or slow to play, or how loud or soft.
•Choosing a sound source is the next step. Maybe you have access to a piano, or maybe you decide to make some found object percussion.
• Use the Collection of Instruments or the Instruments to make from your Kinder Konzerts in a Box to create your compositions!
Finally, add some notes about how long the sounds should continue- 10 seconds? Until a grown up holds up a “stop sign”?
Using a musical ideas grid like the one below can help organize some thoughts.
Here’s a completed sample:
Title: Thunderstorm
Instrument: A big bucket and a wooden spoon
Performer notes: Gentle taps with the spoon on the bottom of the bucket (5 seconds), louder taps, like thunder! (5 seconds), back to gentle taps, like the rain stopping (5 seconds).
Listen to more music by Daniel Nass here.
Lesson 14: Meet the Author
Authors write stories. In this lesson, you will meet Mary Casanova (and her dog, Nellie) and hear about how she was inspired to write the story of One-Dog Canoe.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• See the Book List in the Kinder Konzerts in a Box User’s Manual for some more books inspired by wilderness, the north woods, camping, canoeing, outdoor life, and animals.
Find out more about author Mary Casanova here.
Lesson 15: Exploring Musical Ideas
Keeping a steady beat is a very fundamental musical skill. In this lesson, you will sing a canoe song and paddle along with a steady beat, while remembering some favorite characters from the story of One-Dog Canoe.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
• Use the Collection of Instruments or the Instruments to Make from the Kinder Konzerts in a Box to find steady beats and accompany your classroom songs.
• Dancing is a great way to feel and internalize a steady beat. Try the TGIF Dance Party lesson, the Dance Party lesson, or the Shake, Jump, Clap, and Stomp lesson. For a calmer vibe, try the Smooth Moves Dance Party lesson. All from Classical MPR’s Music Lesson Page.
Lesson 16: Listen to the Musical Story of One Dog Canoe
It is finally time to listen to the musical story of One-Dog Canoe!
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
Have a post-concert chat! When a concert is over, members of the audience often like to talk about or discuss what they just heard. (Sometimes while eating special treats.) After you listen to One-Dog Canoe, have a post-concert chat. Treats are optional.
• What was your favorite part?
• Which animal’s music sounded the most peaceful?
• Were there any funny parts?
• Can you think of any other musical stories?
Was there anything unexpected?
• Listen again and pretend you are each animal, moving to their music. When you hear the bear join in, move like a bear! Flap your loon wings when you hear the loon’s pretty melody on the flute, or pretend to play the flute! Use the props and cutouts from the Kinder Konzerts in a Box as accessories.
• Find a bin or bucket or a toy boat- bonus if it’s red! Use stuffies or dolls or cut outs of each animal to re-enact the story while listening.
• Listen again and see if you can say “Can I come too” each time another animal asks to join in.
Lesson 17: Wrapping Up
In the last lesson, we will remember all the things we have seen, heard, and done over the course of all the lessons.
Follow up ideas for teachers and caregivers:
Want to continue and extend the learning? There are many more ideas in the One-Dog Canoe Educator Guide.