residency activities


Our experience has shown that residencies provide greater understanding and appreciation for classical music in the community. Residencies may vary in length and content to suit your needs and budget and may include family concerts and education concerts, community outreach performances, chamber music coachings, master classes and classroom teaching.
Selected Education Programs (K-8) The following programs were designed to introduce students to the instruments of the woodwind quintet and provide them with a variety of tools for listening to music. Programs are 45 minutes in length and end with a question and answer period.
	Workout in the Musician's Gym Teaches audience members to exercise their musical muscles. From learning how to put musical layers together, to understanding the idea of melody and accompaniment, the audience hones the skills a musician uses everyday. In a much-loved activity, the audience is given a chance to compose when the quintet "auditions" to play the melody of a piece and students are able to assign the role to their favorite instrument. Students will also learn how to listen to a musical line being passed around the ensemble through a musical game of "duck duck goose". In the final activity, students are taught a simple conducting pattern and are invited onstage to direct the musicians. The audience leaves with a greater understanding of how music is put together and most importantly, insight into the skills of being a musician.
	America the Beautiful This program celebrates patriotism and diversity in both our country and in our music. Audience members will be given a lively and interactive introduction to our instruments and to our specific roles within the ensemble as we parallel the roles of American government officials. Always a popular activity, students will be challenged to play along as they expand their musical ears and guess which instruments are playing at a given time. They will also be given the opportunity to participate in a breathing workshop, try out a number of vocal warm-ups and join the Ariel Winds in a collaborative performance of America the Beautiful.
	Pictures at an Exhibition Ariel Winds takes audiences on a fun and interactive journey, beginning with an introduction to the instruments of the woodwind family. Through the course of the concert, students learn about different "tools" a composer uses to paint a picture. Just as an artist has the choice between using red or green paint, a composer has his or her own "palette" that he or she can choose from in order to paint a musical picture. Through the course of the concert, students will learn the different techniques a composer uses to make music sound busy, heavy, or light, through a series of fun and engaging activities. In a well-loved activity, audience members will join in creating an "ostinato" or repeated musical pattern with the quintet during "The Old Castle". Ariel Winds give students a chance to become the composer by letting them choose which instrument they think would best suit the image of an Ox-Cart, using the skills they have honed during this concert.
Family Concert Children's Classics takes audience members on a playful journey through some of the best-known music written for and about children. Repertoire includes such audience favorites as Peter and the Wolf, The Pink Panther and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Children and adults alike can enjoy this energetic and accessible program. This performance ends with an instrument "petting zoo", giving the audience the opportunity to meet the musicians and see the instruments up close.
Selected Workshops: Practice Like a Pro Students learn to set short and long-term goals, create an effective practice routine, and prepare for recitals, auditions and competitions. Press Kit 101 A guide to successful marketing techniques and the development of promotional materials such as publicity photos, resumes and business cards. Create Your Own Education Program Students learn to select a topic, choose repertoire, and develop a script that is age-appropriate, challenging and fun for both the performers and their audience. Performance Success Students are introduced to a variety of performance enhancement strategies including: developing a successful pre-concert routine, learning centering techniques, and identifying and alleviating stress. I Think Therefore I Listen Intelligently Designed to raise awareness of the students' current listening habits and introduce them to a wide variety of new music. The skills honed in this workshop will enable students to speak knowledgeably about any piece of music they perform or listen to.
Special Projects: Ariel Winds Behind the Music Your backstage pass to the ensemble's open rehearsal where students witness the inner workings of a woodwind quintet. From working on intonation, balance, and developing awareness of the score, to the final touches of developing a cohesive group sound and a unified musical vision. ChamberFest A day-long festival that brings small area bands or orchestras together for intensive rehearsals, sectionals, and culminates in a performance as one large ensemble. Interacting with many other music students enhances the participants' playing skills, while broadening their repertoire and providing a stimulating social experience.