School Programs

Pittsburgh mussicians have put  presentations/performances together several presentations/performanceswith a goal to introduce children of all ages to classical music. Depending on the group’s age, each presentation lasts anywhere from thirty minutes
to a full hour, leaving the length flexible for adjustment if needed.

During a program musicians will perform one or two short pieces from different time periods
of music such as Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern: an average program
will have eight to ten pieces. At times  some popular songs by the
Beatles or other similar genre are included to show the differens between classical musicand other genres.  In between pieces musicians will interact with children, explaining the next pieces to be played, relating music time periods with history in general, creating what we refer to as “Musical Time Travel”.  That gives children a better understanding of how old some music is. For instance, if we are playing a piece from Romantic era that was written in 1863 – we mention the Civil War or another event that students have an understanding of. Musicians adjust their “Time Travel” story based on the age of children, as well as their knowledge of history. 

For each presentation musicians use a language that is appropriate for that given
group: using simple words and descriptions for younger kids, giving them
more “fun facts” about music, while reserving more complex language
and proper music terms for older ones.  Musicians also talk briefly about composers
whose music they perform.

Reserving time for questions from students is very important for our programs.
Some questions are asked between the pieces, but mostly musicians leave time for
that purpose at the end of the program. If time allows, children (especially
younger ones) come up and meet the musicians, giving them a chance to see and learn
about instruments up close.

For the conclusion, musicians may play a song or piece that students have heard
of or familiar with. Again, it is chosen based on the age group. Usually
that piece is not classical but more of a popular tune, to show students
different styles of music that classically trained musicians can perform.

Below is a summary of some things that children will learn about through
our presentations:

• who are professional musicians and what they do 
• what is chamber music and its’ differences from solo performers and
  orchestras 
• instruments in the “string family” and their characteristics 
• different ways of playing a string instrument 
• classical music in different times in history, “Musical Time Travel” 
• facts on composers and their lives 
• how to start playing an instrument and what it takes to become a professional
  musician.

Please contact us for more information on our school
programs and we will gladly choose one that will be suitable for your school.