Woodside Elementary School students rounded out a year of special musical experiences March 5 with a performance by a Waukesha Symphony Orchestra mixed ensemble. The musicians played pieces by Stravinsky to an audience of students in kindergarten through second grade. The music told the story of a soldier and evil wizard who tried to trick and battle one another. In addition to hearing the story in the music, students learned facts about the instruments the musicians played including the violin, double bass, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone and a variety of percussion instruments.
The performance was sponsored by the Educational Outreach Committee of the Waukesha Symphony League and Orchestra.
In addition to the recent Waukesha Symphony performance, Woodside students were the recipients of other musical experiences throughout the school year that were sponsored by the Woodside Home & School organization and the Hamilton Education Foundation.
Fifth-graders attended a student matinee of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in October. Third grade classes attended the student matinee of the “Nutcracker” ballet in December. In April, the Florentine Opera will give an in-school performance for fourth-graders.
The special live performances and field trips enhance the topics students are studying in music classes, such as orchestra and opera music, and demonstrate how music relates to other art forms.
Heather Cheslock and Beth Kauffeld are the music teachers at Woodside.
Student quotes about the mixed ensemble instruments from the Waukesha Symphony Orchestra
“You can really hear the sadness from the violin.”
“The littler instruments play higher notes and the big instruments play lower notes.”
“The double bass sounded like it was walking.”
“It was neat how the bassoon and the clarinet are made out of two different kinds of wood.”
“My favorites were the trumpet and trombone.”
“I mostly liked the violin. I thought it was cool ‘cause it was the soldier.”
“The drummer made a lot of different sounds.”
“The double bass made some low notes.”
“I liked the bassoon because it made sounds I’d never heard.”
“I liked the battle at the end with all the drumming.”