Meet Our Orchestra Family
Digital Discovery Series

 

The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra is delighted to present our Symphony School Show for 2021, Meet our Orchestra Family.  While it has taken us some time to pull this together, and we do apologize for the delay, we believe this digital series will take you on a learning journey of discovery about our orchestra.

An orchestra is a musical ensemble made up of instruments from four families, the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion.  This Digital Discovery Series will allow you to explore each of these families, introducing you to the instruments, their special characteristics and of course the OSO players. 

Teachers and students learning remotely will use the online learning platform Thinkific to access the Meet Our Orchestra Family program through a series of modules about each of the orchestra families.  These modules include instrument videos, music performed by the OSO, additional educational content, activities and worksheets.    

Each instrument family produces sound (vibrations) in a different way. Here is an introduction to the different ways sound is produced and part of a lesson from the program.

The String Family

The section of the orchestra with the most players is the string family, which consists of violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. These instruments are usually played by drawing a bow across a string to produce the vibration.

The Woodwind Family

The woodwind family consists of the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Most woodwinds produce sound by blowing air on a reed that then vibrates.

The Woodwind Family

The woodwind family consists of the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Most woodwinds produce sound by blowing air on a reed that then vibrates.

The Brass Family

Brass instruments include trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba. They produce sound when a player vibrates (buzzes) their lips against a mouthpiece.

The Percussion Family

The percussion family contains the largest variety of instruments, with vibrations produced by hitting, shaking, or scraping them. Some percussion instruments play specific pitches while others are untuned.

The Percussion Family

The percussion family contains the largest variety of instruments, with vibrations produced by hitting, shaking, or scraping them. Some percussion instruments play specific pitches while others are untuned.

We’re putting the finishing touches on the course content, but here’s a ‘rough cut’ preview of what you can expect:

Meet our Orchestra Family is proudly supported by:

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