The Intac Insurance Education Concert Series
Each year the WSO brings music to over 22,000 students in Windsor, Essex County and Sarnia with its award-winning Education Concerts and Music Alive ensemble performances. The concerts take place in April and in May, and are an unforgettable experience for many students.
The material we cover in the course of these concerts can connect many of the other subjects students tackle. From the instruments of the orchestra to their construction materials, from hearing the notes to studying sound-waves, from listening to a melody to discovering its shape, our resources can help every teacher bring more imagination into the classroom. Music is a lot more than melody and rhythm.
Click here for dates
Click here to download guides
Percussion Power, for grades K-3. The orchestra would not be as powerful as it is without the thunder of the percussion family. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 are invited to a musical romp that explores the difference between “membranaphones” (better known as drums) and “idiophones” (all other instruments that produce sound when struck: the cymbal, xylophone, bells, triangle, etc). We will also learn about percussion instruments from various parts of the world and how they can be used in orchestras, including instruments created by the indigenous peoples of North America, Latin America, and Africa. A First Nations drumming session during the second half of the show will help promote an increased awareness, understanding and appreciation of the rich histories, cultures and perspectives of First Nation, Métis and Inuit peoples among all students and educators.
Major, Minor – Name That Tonality, for grades 4-6. This season, students in grades 4-6 are invited to Name That Tonality –an exploration of major and minor keys. How does minor music makes us feel melancholy, when major music has the power to cheer us up? Composers use the shift between major and minor tonality to give music its emotional punch, and through these concerts, students learn to identify and appreciate this elemental building block of musical expression.
We’ll all play the musical game-show “Name That Tonality” with Johannes Brahms as our host and students from the audience as contestants. Not only will students enjoy some healthy competition, they’ll learn to listen with new ears to the secrets locked inside the score. Everyone wins when we listen to great music!
Blast Off!, for grades 7-12.
“With music, I feel complete. It reminds me that humans possess genius and can use it to create beauty. Music classes in our schools can unlock the doors to creativity and self expression for Canada’s young people and help them expand their horizons.” - Dr. Marc Garneau, former head of the Canadian Space Agency and the first Canadian astronaut in space, 2006
We’re not leaving anyone out of the fun this year. Students in intermediate grades are invited to Blast Off! for an exploration of the universe and the careers of those who travel to its very outskirts. Embark on an extraterrestrial musical voyage through the solar system and beyond with Maestro John Morris Russell, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, and the Canadian Space Agency.
Striking multi-media images accompany live orchestral music as photos, videos, and computer-generated snapshots of our magnificent world appear on a big screen behind the musicians. Students will be introduced to the works that have been inspired by our incredible planet – some so much so that they have been sent on journeys into outer-space as “message in a bottle” recordings. Come along for the ride as we embark on an extraterrestrial voyage through sound and the solar system.
Send your child’s class or school a musical gift. Whether you are an alumnus, parent or grandparent, you can help bring children an engaging musical experience that will last a lifetime. Contact Sarah Bestvater at 529-973-1238 ext 18 or by email for more information.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Chrysler Theatre, Windsor
10:00 a.m. Blast Off!
11:15 a.m. Blast Off!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Capitol Theatre, Windsor
10:00 a.m. Percussion Power!
11:15 a.m. Name That Tonality!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Villanova Festival Theatre, LaSalle
10:00 a.m. Percussion Power!
11:15 a.m. Name That Tonality!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Migration Hall, Kingsville
10:00 a.m. Percussion Power!
11:15 a.m. Name That Tonality!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Capitol Theatre, Windsor
10:00 a.m. Percussion Power!
11:15 a.m. Name That Tonality!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Capitol Theatre, Windsor
10:00 a.m. Percussion Power!
11:15 a.m. Name That Tonality!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Capitol Theatre, Windsor
10:00 a.m. Percussion Power!
11:15 a.m. Name That Tonality!
Vendredi, 7 mai, 2010
Capitol Theatre, Windsor
10 h 00 Attention percussion!
11 h 15. Le Bon Ton!
Click the links below to download a PDF of the education guide for each concert. Education guides from previous years also available for download.
Download the 2009-2010 Percussion Power guide
Download the 2009-2010 Name That Tonality guide
Download the 2009-2010 Attention percussion guide (en français)
Download the 2009-2010 Le Bon Ton! guide (en français)
Download the 2008-2009 Big Bad Brass Bash guide
Download the 2008-2009 H2O guide
Download the 2007-2008 Wild and Wacky Woodwinds guide
Download the 2007-2008 Canadian Music Eh? guide