A children's guide to the orchestra...

-
The HK Philharmonic performance of Siegfried this weekend was marvellous; we are seriously fortunate to have a world-class orchestra on our doorstep and to be able to attend their concerts without having to sell an organ to pay for the tickets!

Enhancing the performance was my pleasure at seeing a number of extremely well behaved children in attendance. Watching their delight as the story developed added to my joy. One little boy, sitting up in the gods, had a wonderful time nodding his head in time with the crashes of Mime's anvil at the end of the first act. At no point did any of the children distract those around them. Wagner can be complex for adults and sitting reasonably still in order to listen to four hours' worth of music is a task many of us in the audience found a challenge. The parents who had decided to bring their offspring had clearly thought carefully about their decision.

I was extremely fortunate to be able to attend concerts as a child and the habit has remained with me. Exposing your son or daughter to the joys of a live orchestra can give them such enjoyment but a few guidelines might be useful:

1: Choose your concert wisely! Many orchestras will offer children's programmes which could be a good place to start. Have a look at a few websites such as HK Phil which also offers an excellent Siegfried podcast.

2: Read up on the piece, composer, orchestra before you go. If your child is not a musician, explain how the orchestra is seated.

3: Explain the etiquette of attending a concert: the respect we show for the leader and conductor, the times that we clap to show appreciation, the need to keep quiet in order not to disturb others.

4: Direct your child's attention: give them players to look out for, parts of the piece to listen for, conductor's signals to be aware of.

5: Have fun! Discuss your joint reactions during the interval. Anyone who is heading for a school interview will benefit enormously from this exercise.

You may well have found a shared pleasure which you will be able to enjoy together for years to come.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"My friend says that the ISEB Pretest pass mark is ... " and other myths!

-
Image
  If your child has just taken the ISEB Pre-test as part of their Eton, Winchester, Tonbridge, Charterhouse, Wellington, Cranleigh, St Paul's (continue ad infinitum, see the list here! ) then you may well be surrounded by a fog of panic and misinformation. So here we go, the top myths...  1: There is a pass mark of X... No... there really isn't. Schools use the Pre-Test as part of their application process in conjunction with school reports, references and additional information. Most schools will apply a range to the results they receive from their cohort which may be broader or narrower depending on their intake.  As a rule of thumb: a school with fast-paced teaching and highly academic focus (such as St Paul's), will take the top end of their cohort. A school with excellent support and a broader intake (e.g. Stowe), will use a wider measure.  2: So and so scored 100%... The scores of the test are not released by schools...  3: So and so took the test twice... Not in one
Read more

My favourite Irish "party piece" poem

-
Image
We had some wonderful parties when I was little. Everyone would take it in turns to entertain; to sing, to recite or to dance. You don't have to wait until Saint Patrick's Day to start this tradition in your own families and, when you do, consider something by WB Yeats. The wonderful lyricism of the language appeals to every audience and the simplicity of his visions will delight. The Lake Isle of Innisfree I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made. Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet's wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand
Read more

How can I use the ZPD theory to parent my child?

-
Image
Vygotsky developed his Zone of Proximal Development theories based on observing how groups of children learn. Children may have the raw ability to learn how to do something but they may not be able to achieve their potential without assistance from a knowledgeable person'who breaks down the task into steps which the child can master. We can call this 'scaffolding'.  Anyone who has ever studied painting or music will understand exactly what this process involves. Remember the Suzuki method? Think about the Zone of Proximal Development as having three steps:    1: Tasks which a learner CANNOT accomplish with assistance Sometimes, the task is too great for a learner. You as a parent need to step back and break the task down into small bites. Think about this; you wouldn't put a child on a racing bike for the first time and expect them to be a competant rider! Apply this to every area your child struggles with.    2: Tasks which a learner CAN accomplish with assistance.   W
Read more