Encore! Kids: Carnival of the Animals 2023/24
Online resources for students, teachers and parents.
Brief video from an Encore! Kids concert:
Key information
[scroll down for links and resources]
Culminating concert: Every child will participate in a concert at R. E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, on Tuesday, February 12, at 10am or 12:30pm. All lyrics will be clearly displayed on screens.
About the Concert Experience: The children don't come to sit and watch – they become the orchestra. This is more akin to a rock concert than a traditional Symphony Orchestra kids concert. It's completely interactive, and wildly impactful. The kids own it, and they'll never forget it.
Students involved: 2,500 K-2 students from Moore County Schools and several local private schools in Moore County.
This year's theme: Carnival of the Animals, including selections from Camille Saint-Saens' classic work for children.
Student Workbook: Click here to download a pdf version of the workbook.
Classroom preparation: All students will prepare in their weekly music class for at least eight weeks prior to the culminating concert experience to gain maximum impact and benefit from the program.
Guest Musician Visit: Every participating music class will be visited by a special Guest Artist from the orchestra during the course of their preparations. The Artist will share about the program and make music together with the children.
Concert Program and rehearsal/preparation resource links:
Theme from “Star Wars” (Children listen, seated)
Click here to listen on Youtube
Twilight – Encore! Kids Theme Song * (Children sing)
Click here to download a piano rehearsal MP3 track (no vocals)
Click here for a sing-along version with lyrics.
Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens (Children watch/listen)
Click here to view a brief excerpt from the Finale of Carnival of the Animals (with Disney animation)
“Into the Woods” Rhythm Game (the audience is divided into sections and imitates their rhythm leader)
Click here to listen to the theme music that will serve as a basis for a rhythm challenge with the audience.
“Do, Re, Mi” from “The Sound of Music” * (Children sing, seated)
Click here to listen to original film version of Do, Re, Mi from The Sound of Music (note that our version is a condensed version derived from the original).
“Nella Fantasia” * (based on “Gabriel’s Oboe”, from “The Mission”) (Children sing, seated)
Click here to listen to the arrangement of Nella Fantasia we'll be performing. Note that the children start singing (in Italian) from the 2'42" mark.
Tapestry (“Encore!”) * by David Michael Wolff (Children sing, standing)
Click here to download a piano rehearsal track for Tapestry.
Encore: “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 (Children invited to stand to sing/dance/clap ad lib.)
Click here to listen/view Happy with lyrics and Minions.
Click here (coming soon!) to view official choreography modeled from the stage - fun to learn!
* These four songs require preparation in Music Class.
Program Funding: Encore! Kids is a public-private partnership. In Moore County, NC, The Carolina Philharmonic partners with Moore County Schools; the program is made possible through generous funding through hundreds of local citizens.
Costs: Encore! Kids costs on average $50 per child. (The per child cost will decrease significantly as the program scales.) The Carolina Philharmonic presently serves more than 3,500 children annually through their educational outreach programs, requiring raising $175,000.
Private-Public Partnership: Minimal indirect costs are provided through the school district, such as the performance venue, busing the children to the performance, logistical support, and integration of the program into existing music instruction in the schools. The key component of the partnership is exploring synergistic ways to connect the larger community with the project to enable private funding. The School System is in a unique position to educate parents about the program to create community ownership and support.
Integration with Common Core, Standards of Learning: According to participating Music Educators in NC, Encore! Kids easily integrates into the existing teaching standards in place for Music Teachers. The program is intended to enhance, not replace, the existing curriculum. Teachers report that due to the Encore! Kids program and their students looking forward to and preparing for the culminating interactive concert that the classroom experience improves significantly.