“The Planets” by Gustav Holst
Recommended Book: The Story Orchestra: The Planets: Press the note to hear Holst’s music

Level 1: Listening with Curiosity and Imagination

How to Listen:

• Find a comfy place to sit or lay down, close your eyes, and just listen.
• Focus on how the music makes you feel. Is it fast or slow? Loud or quiet? Does it sound happy, scary, exciting, or sleepy?

What to Do:

• Ask: “What do you think is happening in this music?” “If this music was in a movie, what scene would it go with?”
• Use coloring pages or draw your own planet while listening.
• Act it out! Move your body the way the music makes you feel—stomp like Mars, float like Neptune, twirl like Venus.
• Appreciation Tip: You don’t need to understand all the parts—just enjoy the ride and notice the feelings it brings!

Level 2: Listening with Curiosity and Thought
How to Listen:Holst gave each planet its own “personality” in music. Try listening to each movement and ask:

• What instruments do I hear?
• What kind of mood or story does the music tell?
• How does each piece match the name of the planet?

What to Do:

• Compare two movements (like Mars, the Bringer of War vs. Venus, the Bringer of Peace). How are they different?
• Create a listening journal with a few notes for each planet: mood, tempo, instruments, and what it made you imagine.
• Research how Holst’s planets are based on astrology, not astronomy, and reflect on whether you’d describe the planets differently based on space facts.
• Appreciation Tip: Holst used music to imagine the personality of each planet—how would you describe them?