Characters Can Speak via Music

Written By Annie Bosler, DMA

by: Annie Bosler, DMA written as a marketing intern for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra published in the California Classroom section of the Los Angeles Times (April 2005)

Mother Goose Story

The Story of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault

Do you know the tales of Mother Goose? A little more than 300 years ago, in 1697, a Frenchman named Charles Perrault wrote eight stories: Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Tom Thumb, The Enchanted Gar­den, Fairies and Puss 'n Boots.

Almost 100 years ago, Maurice Ravel, a French composer, wrote music based on five of the Mother Goose stories as a duet for chil­dren learning to play the piano. Ravel later rewrote his piano piece to be played by all the instruments in an orchestra. He called it the Mother Goose Suite. Even later, Ravel added more music to make it into a ballet.

Activity

Get a piece of paper and some markers or crayons. Draw a picture of Mother Goose and her friends Little Red Riding Hood, Cinder­ella, Beauty and the Beast, Tom Thumb, Puss 'n Boots and Sleeping Beauty having a musical party in the Enchanted Garden. Which of the characters might play a trum­pet? What about a violin? Which instruments would the other characters play? What would the music be like? Would any of the characters dance to the music?

Instrument Petting Zoo by Crystal Fong Hui

Artist: Crystal Fong

You can listen to Ravel's music and meet characters from these fairy tales at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's family concert titled Mutts, Movement & Mother Goose at 2 p.m. May 1. Daphne Kan, 11, and the chamber orchestra's music director, Jeffrey Kahane, will perform Ravel's original piano version of Mother Goose. Later, the full or­chestra will play the Mother Goose Suite.

If you get there an hour early, you can try out real musical instruments at the Instru­ment Petting Zoo, among other things.

This Learning Link was provided by the L.A. Chamber Orchestra, which performs at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. For tickets and more information, go to www.laco.org or call the box office at (213) 622-7001, Ext. 215. You can also find online fun at www.laco.org/kids.

MUSICAL PETTING ZOO: Kids can try out real instruments before the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's May 1 family concert.

Annie Bosler, DMA

Dr. Annie Bosler, known as a specialist in brass pedagogy for young students, currently manages a private horn studio and teaches at Cal State University, Northridge. For nearly ten years, she taught at the Colburn School for Performing Arts, during which time she recruited the largest studio within the Winds, Brass, and Percussion Departments. She has former horn students in almost every major conservatory across the country. In addition, Annie acted as the horn consultant to actress Shailene Woodley on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Previously holding the title of Colburn School Director of Wellness, Annie travels around the world lecturing about wellness for musicians. Named a TED Educator in 2017, Dr. Bosler co-wrote How to practice effectively…for just about anything, which received over 34 million views. As a freelance horn player, Annie has performed with almost every orchestra in Southern California including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Diego Symphony and has toured with John Williams’ Star Wars in Concert and with Josh Groban. She has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, The Ellen Show, PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center and shared the stage with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney on CBS’s The Beatles: The Night That Changed America. She played with both Arianna Grande and Chance the Rapper at THE GRAMMYs, Sean Combs (P-Diddy) at The American Music Awards, and Wu-Tang Clan at Coachella. Annie holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University where she played varsity tennis, and a MM and DMA from the University of Southern California. She has a love for teaching, writing, producing film projects, Instagram, agriculture, traveling, playing tennis, and watching college football.

https://www.anniebosler.com
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