Carnival of the Animals 2025

Carnival of the Animals

"Listen Live" Education Concert Guide

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The Composer

The Carnival

The Orchestra

Here

Get to know...

The Orchestra

The Orchestra

WHAT IS AN ORCHESTRA?

An orchestra is a group of musicians who play instruments that fall into four groups: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion.

The Orchestra

The Conductor

• There are sometimes up to 100 players in an orchestra!
• The musicians in an orchestra need someone to keep them together and direct them while they play.

• This is the job of the conductor, also called "maestro" or "maestra."

The Orchestra

The Conductor

• Lubbock Symphony Orchestra’s conductor is Maestro David Cho!
• He has been the Lubbock Symphony conductor since 2012.

The Orchestra

What is a symphony?

A symphony is a piece of music that requires a large orchestra to play it. A symphony orchestra is an orchestra that is big enough to play those pieces. Sometimes a symphony orchestra is just called a "symphony" for short! Lubbock Symphony does this!

The Orchestra

INSTRUMENT FAMILIES

Let's explore the different instrument families and instruments in a symphony orchestra!

The Orchestra

Instrument families

The Orchestra

The String Family

• Made of: Wood, special strings, and hair (on the bow)!

• How to make sound: The strings can be bowed, plucked, or strummed.

• The bigger the instrument, the lower the sound!
• There are many string instruments in an orchestra.

The Bow

The Orchestra

The String Family

Cello

Bass

Viola

Violin

The Orchestra

Instrument families

The Orchestra

The Brass Family

• Made of: brass (metal)
• How to make sound: Blow air into the instrument while buzzing your lips against the mouthpiece. Press the valves to change pitch.

• The music you’ll hear at the concert doesn’t include brass, but be sure to come to another concert to hear them!

The Orchestra

The Brass Family

Horn

Tuba

Trombone

Trumpet

The Orchestra

Instrument families

The Orchestra

The Woodwind Family

• Made of: wood and/or metal
• How to make sound: Blow air through a pair of cane reeds, between a reed and a mouthpiece, or in the case of the flute, across a hole in the lip plate.

• Can include the saxophone, which is less common in an orchestra!

The Reed

The Orchestra

The woodwind Family

Oboe

Flute

Clarinet

Bassoon

The Orchestra

Instrument families

The Orchestra

The Percussion Family

• A LOT of different instruments!

• How to make sound: strike the instrument with hands, mallets, or sticks.
• Pitched percussion: Makes a specific note when played.
• Unpitched percussion: Does not sound like they’re playing notes!

The Orchestra

The "Pitched" Percussion Family

Timpani

Xylophone

The Orchestra

The "UnPITCHED" Percussion Family

Bass Drum

Snare Drum

Cymbals

Triangle

The Orchestra

Instrument families

The Orchestra

The Piano

• How to make sound: Press one of the 88 keys to make small hammers hit the strings inside. The strings vibrate and make sound! The foot pedals can help keep notes going.
• Technically a percussion instrument.
• A keyboard sounds similar, but has no strings inside (it plays a digital recording).

Listen

The Orchestra

Soloists

• When someone plays alone or is a featured artist in a piece of music, they’re called a soloist, and are playing a solo.
• In our concert, there will be two soloists on piano. Their names are Helen and Daniel.

The Orchestra

Interview with our Soloists!

The Orchestra

The concert

• When you come to the concert at The Buddy Holly Hall, you’ll hear music that the orchestra and Maestro Cho have learned and practiced together.
• Each concert can be different. The one you will see is called Carnival of the Animals.

The Composer

The Carnival

The Orchestra

The Composer

Here

Get to know...

The Composer

The Composer

What is a composer?

A composition is a piece of music. A composer is someone who writes music! Carnival of the Animals was written by a composer known as Camille Saint-Saëns.

The Composer

Camille Saint-Saëns

• He was born in 1835.
• He died in 1921 (at age 86).
• He was from Paris, France.

The Composer

Camille Saint-Saëns

• He started playing piano when three years-old.
• He played his first concert when he was ten years old.
• He studied composition (how to write music) at the Paris Conservatory (music school).

The Composer

Camille Saint-Saëns

• He wrote the music Carnival of the Animals when he was 51 years-old, as a joke to his friends.

• He only allowed people to perform "The Swan" part.
• After he died, the whole piece became famous!

The Carnival

The Orchestra

The Composer

Here

Get to know...

The Carnival

The Carnival

WHAT IS A CARNIVAL?

• A carnival is a fun outdoor event, like a fair or festival.
• Carnivals can have parades, rides, games, art, music and food.
• Some carnivals have animals, in small zoos or areas where they might perform tricks!

The Carnival

CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS

This piece of music makes you feel like you are at a fun carnival, walking by small zoos filled with interesting animals that you don't get to see everyday. Let's explore the music!

The Carnival

1. Intro and Royal March of the Lion

• This music is fit for a king!
• Lions are like kings in the animal world. They are the biggest predators in Sub-Saharan Africa!
• Listen for the royal music in the pianos and strings.

The Carnival

1. Intro and Royal March of the Lion

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT THE LION

Science

Math

Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

2. Hens and Roosters

• Male chickens are called roosters and female chickens are called hens!
• Listen for the sounds of chickens (bock-bock!) in the pianos and strings.

The Carnival

2. Hens and Roosters

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT HENS AND ROOSTERS

Science

Math

Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

3. Wild Donkeys

• Hee-haw!! Donkeys are similar to horses, but are not quite the same. Donkeys are smaller, and better at climbing up mountain trails!

• Listen for sounds of hurrying in the pianos.

The Carnival

3. Wild Donkeys

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT WILD DONKEYS

Math

Science/Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

4. Tortoises

• Tortoises move slowly, so Saint-Saëns thought it would be funny for them to dance slowly to the "Can-Can," which is usually fast.
• Listen for the slow string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello), bass, and piano!

The Carnival

4. Tortoises

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT TORTOISES

Math

Science/Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

5. Elephants

• Can you imagine giant elephants in a dance class? Saint-Saëns could! Imagine these heavy-footed animals dancing a graceful waltz!
• Listen for a walz (1-2-3, 1-2-3...) in the piano and bass.

The Carnival

5. Elephants

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT ELEPHANTS

Math

Science/Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

6. Kangaroos

• Kangaroos have big back legs that help them get around quickly by hopping!
• Listen for the sounds of jumping kangaroos in the pianos.

The Carnival

6. Kangaroos

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT KANGAROOS

Science

Math

Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

7. The Aquarium

• Fish can be found in ocean, rivers, and lakes... AND in glass containers called aquariums!
• Aquariums can be small (like one on a desk for goldfish) or they can be very big (like ones in huge buildings that have sharks!).

The Carnival

7. The Aquarium

• Listen for underwater sounds in the glockenspiel (an instrument related to the Xylophone) and the strings.

The Carnival

7. The Aquarium

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT AQUARIUMS AND FISH

Math

Science/Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

8. Characters with Long Ears

• Hee-haw!! The donkeys are back!
• Donkeys have long ears. Can you think of other animals with long ears?

• Listen for donkey sounds in the violins.

The Carnival

8. Characters with Long Ears

The Carnival

9. The Cuckoo

• Cuckoo, cuckoo! If you've ever heard a cuckoo clock, you know what a cuckoo bird sounds like!
• Listen for a distant cuckoo bird call in the clarinet.

The Carnival

9. The Cuckoo

The Carnival

10. The Aviary

• There are thousands and thousands of different kinds of birds.
• A place that houses lots of birds is called an aviary!
• Listen for the flute and strings, which sound like lots of birds flying around.

The Carnival

10. The Aviary

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT AVIARIES AND BIRDS

All Subjects!

Math

The Carnival

11. Piano Players

• Piano players in a piece about animals?! How silly!
• Saint-Saëns tells the pianists in this movement to sound like they're learning basic scale exercises for the first time.
• Listen to the pianists practice their scales.

The Carnival

11. Piano Players

The Carnival

12. Fossils

• Fossils are remains of animals that over time have been preserved and naturally turned into rocks.
• Some fossils show evidence of life from millions of years ago!
• Listen to the xylophone. It sounds like music played on bones!

The Carnival

12. Fossils

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT FOSSILS

Math

Science/Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

13. The Swan

• Another bird! A water bird.
• Swans moves so smoothly on the water, you would think they are just floating. But under the surface of the water, their webbed feet paddle quickly to propel them forward!

The Carnival

13. The Swan

• Listen to the cello. Its graceful melody sounds like a swan gliding over ripples in a pond!

The Carnival

13. The Swan

The Carnival

MORE ABOUT SWANS

Math

Science/Social Studies

Reading

The Carnival

14. Finale

• In this final part, all of the instruments join back in and hint at the animals that came before!
• Listen for music you recognize. Can you hear the lion, kangaroos, donkeys and more?

The Carnival

14. Finale

Bonus!

Before you go...

The Concert

The Concert

SEE YOU ON CONCERT DAY!

• The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra is excited to see you soon!
• When you arrive, please follow your teacher's instructions.
• Please listen to the orchestra and Maestro Cho during the performance. Be as quiet as possible!
• The concert will last about 45 minutes, and will be so much fun!

• The video in the next slide will explain more of how you can show the orchestra your appreciation...

The Concert

What to do at the concert...

The Concert

GET 2 FREE TICKETS TO ANOTHER LUBBOCK SYMPHONY CONCERT!

Your teacher will give you a sheet with instructions on how to get 2 FREE TICKETS to the Lubbock Symphony concert Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff on Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM in the Buddy Holly Hall!

The End!

We'll see you soon at The Buddy Holly Hall!

Read the article! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses. Click the yellow circles for more information on certain words!

A donkey is a mammal that belongs to the Equidae family, which also includes horses and zebras. People have used donkeys as working animals for at least 5,000 years. The word 'donkey' usually refers to the tame animal. People use donkeys for transportation , carrying things, or helping with farm work like plowing fields. Donkeys can also have babies with horses! When a female horse and a male donkey have a baby, it's called a mule. If a female donkey and a male horse have a baby, it's called a hinny. Mules are more common and are often used for carrying people and goods.

Where in the world do kangaroos mostly live? Can you name the continent or point to it on the map?

Answer

Click the Lion to read an interesting article about Lions! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Play this interactive game about birds!

Link

The average healthy hen lays 1 egg about every 24 hours. How many hours does it take for one hen to lay 5 eggs?

Answer

120 hours

Click the button to read an interesting article about Hens & Roosters! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Link

Cuckoo Clock!

Donkeys can remember meeting other donkeys for up to 25 years! If a Donkey meets another Donkey when he is 6 years-old, will he remember the other Donkey when he is 30 years-old?

Answer

Yes! 6+25=31

Click the button to read an interesting article about Elephants! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Link

Click the button to read an interesting article about fossils! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Link

If you make an aquarium with small goldfish, it’s best to have at least one gallon of water for every 1 inch of goldfish. If you have 2 goldfish that are 2 inches long, 1 that is 3 inches and 1 that is 1 inch long, how many gallons of water would you need to have in the aquarium?

Answer

8 gallons

Donkey Noise!

Click the button to read an interesting article about Kangaroos! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Link

If a swan family flies at 40 miles per hour for 10 hours, how many miles would they travel?

Answer

400 miles

Where in the world do lions mostly live? Can you name the continent or point to it on the map?

Answer

Click the button to read an interesting article about fish! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Link

Click the button to read an interesting article about swans! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Link

Elephants can hold water in their trunks. They use their trunks to put water in their mouths. An Elephant can hold up to 2 gallons of water in their trunk at a time. How many times would an Elephant need to collect water in order to drink 10 gallons of water?

Answer

5 times

If a dinosaur fossil is found that is estimated to be from 145 million years ago, and another is found and estimated to be from 66 million years ago, how far apart in time did these dinosaurs live?

Answer

79 million years!

FRANCE (Country) Continent: Europe Capitol City: Paris Language: French

Click the Tortoise to read an interesting article about them! You can read on your own, popcorn read, or anything else your teacher chooses!

Remember, the tortoise is played in the piece by a string quartet. Duets are groups of two musicians. Trios are groups of three. Quartets are groups of four. If a concert has two duets, one trio, and two quartets, how many musicians are there in total?

Answer

15 Musicians

Kangaroos can jump 30 feet in a single jump! If a kangaroo jumps 4 times, how many feet have they traveled?

Answer

120 feet

Lionesses give birth to a litter of cubs. They can give birth to between 2 and 4 cubs at once. If a lion family has 3 lion cubs, then 2 more, then 2 times as many as the second litter, how many cubs are there in all?

Answer

9 Cubs

Play the game in the first link. Then let’s find out how far Anna’s Hummingbird travelled by adding the distances of its destinations together:

• Durango, Mexico to Baja, CA: 803 miles
• Baja, CA to Yosemite National Park: 438 miles
• Yosemite National Park to Bend, Oregon: 577 miles
• Bend, Oregon to Forks, Washington: 405 miles
• Forks, Washington to Juneau, Alaska: 650 miles
• Juneau, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska: 570 miles

Answer

3443 miles