 Education
Ongoing programs
Brown Bags
for Kids
Tours
| Slide Presentations | Speakers
Brown
Bags for Kids
Mechanics Hall proudly produces
free Brown Bags for Kids concerts for school children, which are patterned
after the Brown Bag Concerts for the general
public, and are unique in the country.
"An Introduction to Chamber Music,"
introduces in grades 3 through 5 children to:
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orchestral instruments,
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live chamber music performance,
and
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concert hall decorum.
A narrator engages the young audience
with stories about Mechanics Hall, and introduces the children to the
musicians and their orchestral instruments. Students participate in a question
and answer session; the musicians mingle with each table of students to
provide an up-close look at the instruments, and variations on a theme
are explored. The featured musical piece is "Peter and the
Wolf."
"An Introduction to American Composers"
is presented for grades 5 through 8. It was developed at the request of the Worcester Public Schools and is
presented in a framework of American history, linked to the history of
American music. Particular emphasis is given to composers and musical
form. Students participate by singing during the concert and the
program includes performance on the historic Hook
Organ. Audiences are introduced to music written by Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin,
Charles Ives, Scott Joplin, John Philip Sousa and contemporary composers,
among others.
"Conversations in Jazz"
is geared to grades 3 through 6, revealing the story of Jazz and its conversational
form. The program takes the audience on a musical discovery of Jazz from its roots
in Africa, the Caribbean and the American South. Mechanics Hall has partnered with
WPI, Joy of Music Program, the Sonic Explorers led by Jerry Sabatini, and the
Worcester Public Schools to create this unique and wildly entertaining program.
Curriculum material available at www.wpsweb.com/performingarts/BrownBagJazz/Default.htm
The Worcester Public Schools,
through its office of the Arts Curriculum Liason, has developed and produced
the curriculum materials for these programs as well as the related professional
development workshops that Mechanics Hall offers free of charge to teachers.
Participating schools pay no admission.
Reservations are required. Seating is available at tables for 10, including one adult
at every table. Sponsors of the concerts have included Fleet, Allmerica Financial,
the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Commission,
and the Worcester Cultural Commission.
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As part of its Teaching With Historic Places program, The National Park
Service, through its work with the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River Valley
National Heritage Corridor, has created a lesson plan for teachers called:
Mechanics Hall Symbol of Pride and Industry. Please click here
to access the lesson plan.
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Tours
There is much to see and discover
at Mechanics Hall:
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Its one-of-a-kind cast iron
façade
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The city's oldest graffiti (1869!)
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Unique ticket kiosks
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A portrait gallery of 19th Century
leaders
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A wealth of architectural detail
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The 3,504 pipes of the Worcester
Organ, some the size of a pencil, some 16 feet tall
When touring Mechanics Hall,
you will learn about the Hall's remarkable history,
in which Charles Dickens, Enrico Caruso and Teddy Roosevelt have all played
a part. Tours are available by appointment only. They have been designed
for all age groups and can be tailored in length and style to suit the
visitor's interests.
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Slide-tape
presentations
Professionally produced
slide-tape lectures, with teacher-designed study guides, are available
at the Hall or through the Worcester History Resource Room of the Worcester
Public Schools. Each slide-tape focuses on a different element of the Hall's
history.
Representative titles include:
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The Mechanics Story
The role of the mechanic
in the development of 19th Century Worcester; the early history of Worcester
and Mechanics Hall. The Mechanics
Story is also available on VHS videocassette.
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Politics and a Podium
The political leaders who
spoke at Mechanics Hall and the issues they addressed.
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Mechanics Hall: Her Story
The role of the Womens'
Rights Movement in the history of Worcester and Mechanics Hall.
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Speakers
are available to address community, school or business groups about the
past and present Mechanics Hall.
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321
Main St., Worcester, MA 01608
(508)
752-5608
info@mechanicshall.org
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