for grades 5-8
ROSSINI Overture to William Tell
OFFENBACH Can Can from Orpheus in
TCHAIKOVSKY Waltz from Sleeping Beauty
RANDY NEWMAN “Almost There” from
JOSEPH BOLOGNE Symphony No. 1 in G major
BERNSTEIN Overture to West Side Story
BERNSTEIN “Cool” from West Side Story
arr. Alfred Reed America the Beautiful
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
11:15am
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
11:15am
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
10:15am
(Click above for full playlist or on any title below to listen to individual pieces)
ROSSINI
Overture to William Tell
William Tell was the last of 39 operas composed by Gioachino Rossini. The Overture is in four parts and paints a musical picture of life in the Swiss Alps. The Swiss Alps are a large mountain region in Switzerland.
Can you locate Switzerland and the Swiss Alps on a map?
The end of the Overture represents the Swiss soldiers’ victorious battle to free their homeland from Austrian control in the opera. It has been consistently used as theme music in radio, television, and film, and has been widely associated with horseback riding since then.
Clap to the beat as you listen to the Overture.
HAYDN
Symphony No. 101, “The Clock”
Movement II
“The Clock” is one of 12 symphonies written by Joseph Haydn inspired by his time in London.
Listen to the strings and bassoons in the second movement to hear the rhythmic pulse that sounds like a clock ticking round and round.
the nickname for the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster in London, England
OFFENBACH
Can Can from
Orpheus in the Underworld
The Cancan dance has French roots and features women wearing layers of skirts while doing a dance of high kicks and flips.
Jacques Offenbach wrote this music for his operetta (short opera). It was used in a scene during which the Greek gods are having a wild party and galloping around the stage!
Clap to the beat as you listen to the music. How does the tempo compare with that of the Overture to William Tell?
MOZART
Overture to The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Overture is played before the curtain opens and sets the stage for the action and music to follow. During Mozart’s time, the overture did not always reference melodic themes heard in the rest of the opera, but the slow introduction to The Magic Flute Overture does contain 3 chords that are heard at significant points throughout the rest of the opera.
Listen to the 3 opening chords in the Overture. Even though the instruments are playing different notes, the music sounds pleasing, because everyone is playing together in harmony. Practice dividing into three groups to sing the root, 3rd, and 5th of a chord separately, and together in harmony.
TCHAIKOVSKY
Waltz from Sleeping Beauty Suite
The waltz is a dance in triple meter (3/4 time) with an accent on the first beat. Tchaikovsky used waltzes often in his ballets, including Sleeping Beauty.
Count “ONE-two three, ONE-two-three” to get the feel of the waltz. Clap or tap on beat 1 to feel the strong downbeat.
Try dancing the waltz. Step forward on Beat 1, step to the side on Beat 2, bring your feet together on Beat 3. Beat 1 is the strongest beat you should feel.
Listen to the Waltz from the Sleeping Beauty Suite. Try dancing along to the music.
RANDY NEWMAN
“Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog
“Almost There” is a song from the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. Set during the 1920s, the film tells the story of a hardworking waitress named Tiana who dreams of opening her own restaurant. In the song, Tiana is singing that she is “almost there” to successfully opening her dream restaurant.
Watch the video to the right from the movie. Use percussion instruments to clap or tap along to the beat.
Practice clapping syncopated rhythms. Sing along to the video.
How does the music help tell Tiana’s story? Can you think of other songs that show a character’s dream or goal?
BOLOGNE
Symphony No. 1 in G major, Mvt. I Allegro
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a French violinist, conductor, and composer. He was the first classical composer of African descent to achieve widespread recognition in European music. Born to an enslaved mother and growing up during a period of racial tension, Bologne overcame a great deal of adversity to become a celebrated composer and performer.
Musical form refers to the structure or shape of the music. The first movement of Symphony No. 1 is in Rondo form- ABACA.
A (Theme): main musical idea
B (Episode): contrasting section with different melody and harmony, providing a temporary change of mood or key
A (Theme): main theme returns
C (Episode): another contrasting section
A (Theme): main theme reappears for the final time
Listen for the reappearance of the main theme throughout the movement.
BERNSTEIN
Overture from West Side Story
Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story is a musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Set in New York City during the 1950s, it includes themes of love, conflict, and cultural identity. It tells the story of two groups of teenagers growing up in the same neighborhood, but they don’t get along because they don’t respect or appreciate each other’s differences.
What emotions do you feel as you listen to the Overture? What instruments or musical elements stand out to you?
Draw a scene inspired by the Overture.
BERNSTEIN
Cool from West Side Story
This song is used in the musical to advise the groups of teenagers to “stay cool” before a fight is about to break out. It is full of jazz elements, including syncopation, riffs, and swing rhythms.
Snap your fingers to the beat as you listen to the music.
A musical riff is a short, repeating melodic phrase that serves as a memorable musical idea. See how many riffs you can discover in the music as you listen.
BERNSTEIN
Mambo from West Side Story
The Mambo is a style of Cuban dance music from Latin America. In the musical, both groups of teenagers dance the mambo in a dance battle!
The music uses over 20 different percussion instruments! Listen for the energetic rhythms from the percussion and see what different percussion instruments you can identify.
Listen for the “call and response,” where the brass play the syncopated theme, and respond by shouting, “Mambo!”
America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful is the “unofficial anthem” of the United States. This patriotic song is often sung before major sporting events.
The lyrics were first written as a poem by a teacher at Colorado College named Katharine Lee Bates. Her words were later set to music. She was inspired to write the poem when she traveled to the top of a very tall mountain in Colorado called Pikes Peak. Here are her words about the trip:
“One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of American seemed displayed there.”
Sing through the first verse of America the Beautiful.
QUINCY JONES
Soul Bossa Nova
Soul Bossa Nova was composed by American musician Quincy Jones. Jones said it took him 20 minutes to compose the piece. The music has been used in many TV shows and films, most notably as the theme song for the Austin Powers film series. The original recording of Soul Bossa Nova includes Lalo Schifrin on piano, who composed the Mission Impossible theme song.
The music features a cuíca, which makes the distinctive “laughing” sound in the opening of the piece. A cuíca is a Brazilian friction drum with a large pitch range, produced by changing tension on the head of the drum. Cuíca is Portuguese for the gray four-eyed opossum which is known for its high-pitched cry. The tone the cuíca produces has a high-pitched squeaky timbre. It has been called a “laughing gourd” due to this sound.
See if you can identify the cuíca as you listen to Soul Bossa Nova.
Watch the cuíca demonstration videos.
for grades 5-8
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