Billy and the Carnival

Commissioned by the Sacramento Symphony as a jazz-rock infused guide to orchestral instruments, Billy and the Carnival tells the story of a young boy who discovers musicians coming to his park to play a concert. Within the course of the story, every instrument is introduced by name followed by a characteristic solo. CD available on Bridge Records.

 

Intended for grades K-4, it is the story of a little boy?s first experience with an orchestra. While playing in the park, he meets a few musicians, then falls asleep and dreams about a carnival where, instead of children, there are musical instruments eating cotton candy and going on rides. When he wakes up, he finds that a real carnival has come to town, and the orchestra is part of it. Each instrument is highlighted as a character in the story. As the narrator introduces each instrument by name, it is featured in a solo passage, teaching the children how each instrument sounds while also illuminating the story.