Lisa Golda, COT Teaching Artist at Clinton & Hampton Elementary Schools
As always, this part of the year becomes very exciting as we plunge towards the finished product--our fully staged opera, with props co-created with our wonderful visiting teaching artist Sonja Henderson! Sonja often works first on drawings with the children to get them thinking about ideas for sets, costume pieces, and masks, for instance, which she can then incorporate into her work with them, or that the children can use as designs for their work! We worked on a canvas backdrop of the galaxy (stars, planets, comets), space suits based on packing tape molds, and yoga ball planets with the class who wrote a song about space discovery; mask designs for spooky space animals with the children whose song describes museum animals that come to life (who were, incidentally, brought back from outer space in a frozen state, only to thaw upon reaching earth! Of course! What could be more logical?) The other class sketched designs for a chocolate wall and wristbands for their roles as defenders of the chocolate-walled mirror kingdom! They love art class and their creations add so much to the final opera.
At Clinton, my teaching partner Kim, who is sadly soon to leave us, showed me the blocking she had created for the scenes between the kids' songs. I realized--we are in GREAT shape! We reviewed the choreography we had created for their songs. . .much of this was at first very rusty, but started coming back. . .which means that the entire opera is roughly staged. We now must just run transitions between scenes and classes. This is the first time that we are attempting to combine classes in some scenes, instead of confining scenes to one class at a time. . .we'll see if it works!
A blog from the Teaching Artists in Chicago Opera Theater's outreach and education programs
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Amanda Grimm, COT Teaching Artist at Reilly Elementary School
Winter and spring are shaping up to be exciting seasons for the violin classes at Reilly! The students are making rapid progress as we have been reviewing our basic techniques for posture and, most importantly, excellent bow holds. The second grade class is learning the song 'See-Saw,' a nice melody that utilizes the first finger and helps coordinate string crossings between the E and A strings. The after school class is moving very quickly, having already learned two versions of the song 'See the Pretty Flowers.'. This song also uses the first finger and encourages practice of the Mississippi-Stop-Stop rhythm. They are also starting to use their second and third fingers - 'Twinkle, Twinkle' is just around the corner!
I am very proud of my violin students at Reilly. Beginning the violin is a very difficult task and every student has approached it with enthusiasm, hard work, and a great attitude!
Winter and spring are shaping up to be exciting seasons for the violin classes at Reilly! The students are making rapid progress as we have been reviewing our basic techniques for posture and, most importantly, excellent bow holds. The second grade class is learning the song 'See-Saw,' a nice melody that utilizes the first finger and helps coordinate string crossings between the E and A strings. The after school class is moving very quickly, having already learned two versions of the song 'See the Pretty Flowers.'. This song also uses the first finger and encourages practice of the Mississippi-Stop-Stop rhythm. They are also starting to use their second and third fingers - 'Twinkle, Twinkle' is just around the corner!
I am very proud of my violin students at Reilly. Beginning the violin is a very difficult task and every student has approached it with enthusiasm, hard work, and a great attitude!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Linden Christ, COT's Manager of Education and Outreach
Our very own Chicago Opera Theater for Teens were one of ten selected groups to perform at the Chicago Theater on 28th. They performed a medley of songs from South Pacific including: I'm Gonna Wash the Man Right Outta My Hair, Honey Bun, Some Enchanted Evening, and more. The thirty participating teens from our program come from schools all over Chicago and meet at Gallery 37 downtown to rehearse on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings with our Instructors, Chris Richard & Marta Johnson.
Come and see the Chicago Opera Theater for Teens at the Harris Theater on our opening nights of:
Moscow, Cheryomushki on Saturday, April 14th at 7pm
Teseo on Saturday, April 21st at 7pm.
Our very own Chicago Opera Theater for Teens were one of ten selected groups to perform at the Chicago Theater on 28th. They performed a medley of songs from South Pacific including: I'm Gonna Wash the Man Right Outta My Hair, Honey Bun, Some Enchanted Evening, and more. The thirty participating teens from our program come from schools all over Chicago and meet at Gallery 37 downtown to rehearse on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings with our Instructors, Chris Richard & Marta Johnson.
Come and see the Chicago Opera Theater for Teens at the Harris Theater on our opening nights of:
Moscow, Cheryomushki on Saturday, April 14th at 7pm
Teseo on Saturday, April 21st at 7pm.
When Field Trips Attack!!!
Kimberly Chin, COT Teaching Artist at Clinton & Hampton Elementary Schools
Clinton is going very well! Unfortunately I wasn't there when they had their composition sessions with our guest composer, Adam, but when I came back and heard the songs the students have written with him, they were amazing! I would have thought that a professional composer wrote those songs himself. They also seemed to be very proud of their work, which is always gratifying to see. The most difficult song was Mr. Lee's "Devil Twins" song. This class really stepped it up when it came to composing a song. They were the most enthusiastic class when writing their lyrics so it's not surprising that they made their song so complicated.
I have only been to one art class that Clinton had with our guest artist, Sonja. I saw some of their finished products and also observed them working on current projects. Some of their finished products could have been displayed in a Museum because they were so good! My favorite was the huge submarine that they made out of cardboard and silver colored tape. I could already imagine how good this artwork will look in the performance. On top of the beautiful artwork, they enjoyed making them. All I heard were ideas and laughter in the auditorium. Sonja really helped make their imagination a reality.
We also started staging recently. All the students were super excited and many wanted to input their suggestions. Sometimes that is a problem because of time, but it was wonderful to hear their ideas and enthusiasm. Of course, we have incorporated as many ideas as possible. Mrs. Lee's class staged their zombie scene and they LOVED staging this. They also can't wait to learn the choreography for Michael Jackson's Thriller. We even have a "music video" section where one student will be rapping while others provide a beat. Even Mr. Coor's class, which has the most special ed. students, were super excited and followed directions well with staging. Trying to focus everyone's attention in this class is rare but they did really well when we staged their section.
I believe the biggest challenge at Clinton will be balancing the staging rehearsal days with the guest teaching artists days. This will include having enough time to rehearse, remembering staging, and memorizing songs, lines, and the dance. With their enthusiasm and hard work, I'm sure that we will have no problem making the performance a success.
Clinton is going very well! Unfortunately I wasn't there when they had their composition sessions with our guest composer, Adam, but when I came back and heard the songs the students have written with him, they were amazing! I would have thought that a professional composer wrote those songs himself. They also seemed to be very proud of their work, which is always gratifying to see. The most difficult song was Mr. Lee's "Devil Twins" song. This class really stepped it up when it came to composing a song. They were the most enthusiastic class when writing their lyrics so it's not surprising that they made their song so complicated.
I have only been to one art class that Clinton had with our guest artist, Sonja. I saw some of their finished products and also observed them working on current projects. Some of their finished products could have been displayed in a Museum because they were so good! My favorite was the huge submarine that they made out of cardboard and silver colored tape. I could already imagine how good this artwork will look in the performance. On top of the beautiful artwork, they enjoyed making them. All I heard were ideas and laughter in the auditorium. Sonja really helped make their imagination a reality.
We also started staging recently. All the students were super excited and many wanted to input their suggestions. Sometimes that is a problem because of time, but it was wonderful to hear their ideas and enthusiasm. Of course, we have incorporated as many ideas as possible. Mrs. Lee's class staged their zombie scene and they LOVED staging this. They also can't wait to learn the choreography for Michael Jackson's Thriller. We even have a "music video" section where one student will be rapping while others provide a beat. Even Mr. Coor's class, which has the most special ed. students, were super excited and followed directions well with staging. Trying to focus everyone's attention in this class is rare but they did really well when we staged their section.
I believe the biggest challenge at Clinton will be balancing the staging rehearsal days with the guest teaching artists days. This will include having enough time to rehearse, remembering staging, and memorizing songs, lines, and the dance. With their enthusiasm and hard work, I'm sure that we will have no problem making the performance a success.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Linden Christ, COT's Manager of Education and Outreach
Our COT Education Programs have been really exciting during these warm winter months in Chicago. Our Chicago Opera Theater For Teens will have a Masterclass with Nathan Gunn, a famous baritone on Saturday, March 10th at Gallery 37 on Randolph Street. Nathan Gunn met with the COT for Teens in the fall and talked about his life as a professional singer. The COT for Teens also went to see the touring Broadway production of South Pacific at the Cadillac Theater in preparation for their on performance of South Pacific coming up in April! Come see the COT for Teens at the Harris Theater at 7pm for the opening nights of Moscow, Cheryomushki and Teseo. The COT for Teens will perform music from South Pacific on the 2nd floor Lobby after the pre-opera lecture on Saturday, April 14th and 21st.
Our Opera For All students at Clinton, Reilly, and Hampton Elementary Schools have moved on from composing their own musical melodies to creating their own scenic backdrops, props, and costume pieces. The students have been thoroughly involved in the script-writing process which has been exciting for all the students and teachers alike. This process has really allowed everyone to share and get to know each other at a deeper level.
Our Reilly students just voted on their favorite student art-work for the t-shirt design contest which is an annual contest that provides strong school spirit & pride to be involved in the Opera Class! Two student art pieces tied, so we decided as a group that one design will be on the front of the shirt and the other design on the back. The remaining art work will be used in the Opera Program and Posters around the school and neighborhood.
The first two weeks in March are dedicated to ISAT testing. However, Reilly Elementary after school violin and opera programs continue, while the other schools have a two week break.
Our COT Education Programs have been really exciting during these warm winter months in Chicago. Our Chicago Opera Theater For Teens will have a Masterclass with Nathan Gunn, a famous baritone on Saturday, March 10th at Gallery 37 on Randolph Street. Nathan Gunn met with the COT for Teens in the fall and talked about his life as a professional singer. The COT for Teens also went to see the touring Broadway production of South Pacific at the Cadillac Theater in preparation for their on performance of South Pacific coming up in April! Come see the COT for Teens at the Harris Theater at 7pm for the opening nights of Moscow, Cheryomushki and Teseo. The COT for Teens will perform music from South Pacific on the 2nd floor Lobby after the pre-opera lecture on Saturday, April 14th and 21st.
Our Opera For All students at Clinton, Reilly, and Hampton Elementary Schools have moved on from composing their own musical melodies to creating their own scenic backdrops, props, and costume pieces. The students have been thoroughly involved in the script-writing process which has been exciting for all the students and teachers alike. This process has really allowed everyone to share and get to know each other at a deeper level.
Our Reilly students just voted on their favorite student art-work for the t-shirt design contest which is an annual contest that provides strong school spirit & pride to be involved in the Opera Class! Two student art pieces tied, so we decided as a group that one design will be on the front of the shirt and the other design on the back. The remaining art work will be used in the Opera Program and Posters around the school and neighborhood.
The first two weeks in March are dedicated to ISAT testing. However, Reilly Elementary after school violin and opera programs continue, while the other schools have a two week break.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Script Writing at Hampton & Clinton: When Ideas Attack!
Lisa Golda, COT Teaching Artist at Clinton & Hampton Elementary Schools
It’s amazing what we are able to accomplish at schools where we have been in residency with the Opera for All program for two years or more. I’m realizing this as I remember my first tough days at Clinton and Von Humboldt a few years ago. No one knew me, opera was still a new realm for the students, and it was a struggle to establish order in the classroom, much less play acting games and sing songs and write stories. We are now facilitating learning with the students that would not have been possible then, meeting the goals of our program at the very highest level, and it’s very exciting and rewarding for us all.
I’ve spent the past three weeks developing a script with the students at Clinton and Hampton schools for the opera they will perform. They have written song lyrics and melodies before, although that was a first for them last year. They made their own props for the first time last year, too. This year, I added the step of working with them on concepts of narrative and dialogue in order to write the script for the show WITH them, rather than writing it FOR them to tie their songs together. We have learned that the kids are more invested in rehearsing and performing material they themselves have created. Being a writer myself, I was interested in attempting this with them and complementing their classroom curriculums, since writing is a basic and vital skill.
But this was a challenging task, and involved a lot of reasoning and logic. We already had songs written by each class. First we had to come up with a story, a big picture plotline, based on this year’s field trips theme, that would tie the little sung stories together. Then I had to teach them the difference between narrative writing and dialogue; telling about action, which is usually very boring for an audience, vs. showing the action, which is more dynamic and involves no narration. This is a distinction that even adult scene and screen writers sometimes struggle to execute!
We also had to establish for the audience, in each scene, where the kids were, why they were there, what they were doing, and how this related to the previous song/scene, as well as the overall plot, in five minutes or less, which demanded that they be concise and logical in their ideas and dialogue, once we started writing it! I was asking a lot, but to my surprise, the kids were very engaged in the process, perhaps in part because I really did use their ideas, and partly because I think I was challenging them to be creatively academic.
Much of the song material we were piecing together was seemingly unrelated; a trip to outer space and new planets song, museum animals coming to life song, and a song about an imaginary kingdom of chocolate and mirrors at Hampton, for instance. (these were song themes created based on visits to the MCA and study of the solar system in place of an actual field trip to a planetarium). I first worked with the kids to brainstorm ideas that would answer the “W” questions.
Ms. Ochoa’s class decided to create a character who didn’t want to be on the field trip, touched the wall of chocolate in the museum because he was “bad”, and was thereby transported to the mirror realm in their song. Having learned his lesson about good vs. bad motives (the theme of the song), he decides to raise money for a field trip for another class at school, Mr. McFarland’s. That class had a less challenging task; how to get into outer space while at a space museum (discover new planets with a telescope there; find a space capsule there that works) and how to help the last class in their song about animals who come to life at a museum.
One of Mr. McFarland’s quieter students, whom I suspect is learning disabled, came up with the fantastic suggestion that we bring animals back from outer space. I did not want the animals killed, and so another often reticent, head-down-on-desk student said that they only appeared dead, but were actually frozen and would thaw out at the museum just in time to scare Ms. Paz’s students! “You know, global warming!” he said. This class has had opera before, so they knew why they were writing and came up with the most ideas. Then, Ms. Paz’s kids, the youngest, just had to get the animals onstage and end the opera. I was especially touched that some of the kids who often seem to be struggling with mood or learning issues were interested in participating in this creative process.
After having outlined these ideas in class discussions and journal entries at both schools (i.e., creating narratives, or what some of the CPS teachers called story maps), I taught the kids how to turn narrative into dialogue. They had to create conversations that communicated details about the characters and setting quickly and clearly while also giving themselves fun yet direct things to say! This was harder for some classes than others, but I ended up providing very little editorial help in terms of changing their material, doing most of the teaching work in helping them learn hierarchical thinking steps.
The students at Clinton were similarly engaged, coming up with more detailed ideas than we could accommodate in our brief opera. Many kids, when assigned, also wrote entire scenes with dialogue on their own for homework, one of which (written by a child who played a role in last year’s opera) I used almost verbatim because it was so clever, and so appropriate.
I marveled not only at their creativity, but also at how eager for new information and skills they were. I don’t think they would have accepted the thought problems I was tossing their way a few years ago. They have all seen operas now, even if they have not all themselves been in one yet; they know what they are working towards, so asking them to write scenes was not a totally abstract concept.
Just as importantly, judging by the smiles and waves I get from former and current students at these schools, I believe that they have come to associate our visits with exciting and fun learning, times during which their imaginations and ideas take center stage. They know us and trust us; something that in some neighborhoods is perhaps more valuable than we can know. It is so sad when kids appear defeated (by parents who are themselves defeated, by overworked teachers, by poverty and all the associated disadvantages) at such a young age. I see that discouragement sometimes in the faces of students who do not yet realize that all of their ideas, in this context, are truly valid and valuable, who self-silence themselves with half-hearted answers or tentative hand raising or “never minds”.
Even despite what appears to me to be in some cases an internalized expectation of failure, many students are still willing to visit outer space, risk walls of chocolate and mirror mazes and brave alien animal attacks, with us, as well as to attempt new intellectual challenges. Giving free rein to those imaginations, while also teaching them skills that will enable them to harness and communicate their ideas to others, and the confidence to do both, is what our program is all about.
It’s amazing what we are able to accomplish at schools where we have been in residency with the Opera for All program for two years or more. I’m realizing this as I remember my first tough days at Clinton and Von Humboldt a few years ago. No one knew me, opera was still a new realm for the students, and it was a struggle to establish order in the classroom, much less play acting games and sing songs and write stories. We are now facilitating learning with the students that would not have been possible then, meeting the goals of our program at the very highest level, and it’s very exciting and rewarding for us all.
I’ve spent the past three weeks developing a script with the students at Clinton and Hampton schools for the opera they will perform. They have written song lyrics and melodies before, although that was a first for them last year. They made their own props for the first time last year, too. This year, I added the step of working with them on concepts of narrative and dialogue in order to write the script for the show WITH them, rather than writing it FOR them to tie their songs together. We have learned that the kids are more invested in rehearsing and performing material they themselves have created. Being a writer myself, I was interested in attempting this with them and complementing their classroom curriculums, since writing is a basic and vital skill.
But this was a challenging task, and involved a lot of reasoning and logic. We already had songs written by each class. First we had to come up with a story, a big picture plotline, based on this year’s field trips theme, that would tie the little sung stories together. Then I had to teach them the difference between narrative writing and dialogue; telling about action, which is usually very boring for an audience, vs. showing the action, which is more dynamic and involves no narration. This is a distinction that even adult scene and screen writers sometimes struggle to execute!
We also had to establish for the audience, in each scene, where the kids were, why they were there, what they were doing, and how this related to the previous song/scene, as well as the overall plot, in five minutes or less, which demanded that they be concise and logical in their ideas and dialogue, once we started writing it! I was asking a lot, but to my surprise, the kids were very engaged in the process, perhaps in part because I really did use their ideas, and partly because I think I was challenging them to be creatively academic.
Much of the song material we were piecing together was seemingly unrelated; a trip to outer space and new planets song, museum animals coming to life song, and a song about an imaginary kingdom of chocolate and mirrors at Hampton, for instance. (these were song themes created based on visits to the MCA and study of the solar system in place of an actual field trip to a planetarium). I first worked with the kids to brainstorm ideas that would answer the “W” questions.
Ms. Ochoa’s class decided to create a character who didn’t want to be on the field trip, touched the wall of chocolate in the museum because he was “bad”, and was thereby transported to the mirror realm in their song. Having learned his lesson about good vs. bad motives (the theme of the song), he decides to raise money for a field trip for another class at school, Mr. McFarland’s. That class had a less challenging task; how to get into outer space while at a space museum (discover new planets with a telescope there; find a space capsule there that works) and how to help the last class in their song about animals who come to life at a museum.
One of Mr. McFarland’s quieter students, whom I suspect is learning disabled, came up with the fantastic suggestion that we bring animals back from outer space. I did not want the animals killed, and so another often reticent, head-down-on-desk student said that they only appeared dead, but were actually frozen and would thaw out at the museum just in time to scare Ms. Paz’s students! “You know, global warming!” he said. This class has had opera before, so they knew why they were writing and came up with the most ideas. Then, Ms. Paz’s kids, the youngest, just had to get the animals onstage and end the opera. I was especially touched that some of the kids who often seem to be struggling with mood or learning issues were interested in participating in this creative process.
After having outlined these ideas in class discussions and journal entries at both schools (i.e., creating narratives, or what some of the CPS teachers called story maps), I taught the kids how to turn narrative into dialogue. They had to create conversations that communicated details about the characters and setting quickly and clearly while also giving themselves fun yet direct things to say! This was harder for some classes than others, but I ended up providing very little editorial help in terms of changing their material, doing most of the teaching work in helping them learn hierarchical thinking steps.
The students at Clinton were similarly engaged, coming up with more detailed ideas than we could accommodate in our brief opera. Many kids, when assigned, also wrote entire scenes with dialogue on their own for homework, one of which (written by a child who played a role in last year’s opera) I used almost verbatim because it was so clever, and so appropriate.
I marveled not only at their creativity, but also at how eager for new information and skills they were. I don’t think they would have accepted the thought problems I was tossing their way a few years ago. They have all seen operas now, even if they have not all themselves been in one yet; they know what they are working towards, so asking them to write scenes was not a totally abstract concept.
Just as importantly, judging by the smiles and waves I get from former and current students at these schools, I believe that they have come to associate our visits with exciting and fun learning, times during which their imaginations and ideas take center stage. They know us and trust us; something that in some neighborhoods is perhaps more valuable than we can know. It is so sad when kids appear defeated (by parents who are themselves defeated, by overworked teachers, by poverty and all the associated disadvantages) at such a young age. I see that discouragement sometimes in the faces of students who do not yet realize that all of their ideas, in this context, are truly valid and valuable, who self-silence themselves with half-hearted answers or tentative hand raising or “never minds”.
Even despite what appears to me to be in some cases an internalized expectation of failure, many students are still willing to visit outer space, risk walls of chocolate and mirror mazes and brave alien animal attacks, with us, as well as to attempt new intellectual challenges. Giving free rein to those imaginations, while also teaching them skills that will enable them to harness and communicate their ideas to others, and the confidence to do both, is what our program is all about.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Some Enchanted Evening
Marta Johnson, COT for Teens Teaching Artist
Chicago Opera Theater for Teens is off to a great start this spring. With 32 kids enrolled, we are embarking on learning a trimmed version of South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This past Saturday we were fortunate enough to go see the touring Broadway production of South Pacific. This inspired a lot of conversation about script and director choices, voice types, opera versus music theater and many other interesting topics. Many students were inspired by seeing a professional production, live, of the very work we are just learning.
So far we have learned a choral version of Honey Bun and have created a “remix” of I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair, There is Nothing Like a Dame, Some Enchanted Evening, and Honey Bun. We have learned the music for the remix and are currently working on the choreography for our audition for Citywide Showcase. This is an event put on by After School Matters every spring. ASM picks ten performing groups from across the entire city, as well as having an art gallery and culinary treats made by the teen culinary programs. It is a real honor to be chosen to be a part of the Citywide Showcase and we are hopeful that we will be amongst the performing groups again this year.
Please come see us for our final performances of South Pacific!
April 19th and 20th
First United Methodist at the Chicago Temple
77 W Washington Street
6 pm both evenings.
Chicago Opera Theater for Teens is off to a great start this spring. With 32 kids enrolled, we are embarking on learning a trimmed version of South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This past Saturday we were fortunate enough to go see the touring Broadway production of South Pacific. This inspired a lot of conversation about script and director choices, voice types, opera versus music theater and many other interesting topics. Many students were inspired by seeing a professional production, live, of the very work we are just learning.
So far we have learned a choral version of Honey Bun and have created a “remix” of I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair, There is Nothing Like a Dame, Some Enchanted Evening, and Honey Bun. We have learned the music for the remix and are currently working on the choreography for our audition for Citywide Showcase. This is an event put on by After School Matters every spring. ASM picks ten performing groups from across the entire city, as well as having an art gallery and culinary treats made by the teen culinary programs. It is a real honor to be chosen to be a part of the Citywide Showcase and we are hopeful that we will be amongst the performing groups again this year.
Please come see us for our final performances of South Pacific!
April 19th and 20th
First United Methodist at the Chicago Temple
77 W Washington Street
6 pm both evenings.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Performing for the Students
Catheryne Shuman, Young Artist at Chicago Opera Theater
I was a bit nervous when I first found out Andrew and I were going to be singing at Lionel Hampton Elementary School. I felt like I was unprepared to talk to a whole group of kids about opera, and I had about a million questions. What should I sing that would be fun for the kids and wouldn’t bore them to death? What kinds of questions are they going to ask? Or worse, what if they’re completely disinterested and have no questions? ACK! The list went on and on.
However, when we got to the school, the students were immediately engaged. They had so many questions for us that the 45 minutes we had didn’t seem like enough time. I thought it was particularly funny that they kept trying to figure out how old we all are, and I found the kids’ energy and intelligent questions refreshing. One of my favorite moments was when they had Andrew hold a note for as long as he could (37 seconds!). I also thought it was really funny when they had me sing as high as I could. It was really encouraging to see so many young, interested faces, and I hope they took something from our performances. All I can say is, the next time I have to do outreach to an elementary school, I won’t be nearly as nervous.
I was a bit nervous when I first found out Andrew and I were going to be singing at Lionel Hampton Elementary School. I felt like I was unprepared to talk to a whole group of kids about opera, and I had about a million questions. What should I sing that would be fun for the kids and wouldn’t bore them to death? What kinds of questions are they going to ask? Or worse, what if they’re completely disinterested and have no questions? ACK! The list went on and on.
However, when we got to the school, the students were immediately engaged. They had so many questions for us that the 45 minutes we had didn’t seem like enough time. I thought it was particularly funny that they kept trying to figure out how old we all are, and I found the kids’ energy and intelligent questions refreshing. One of my favorite moments was when they had Andrew hold a note for as long as he could (37 seconds!). I also thought it was really funny when they had me sing as high as I could. It was really encouraging to see so many young, interested faces, and I hope they took something from our performances. All I can say is, the next time I have to do outreach to an elementary school, I won’t be nearly as nervous.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Music Inspires!
Check out this awesome video of our Three Way Collaboration with Chicago Opera Theater, Classical Kids Live and the Oistrach Orchestra at Hampton Elementary School. It was a joyous Mozart week and we hope to share this week with many more schools!
Music Inspires! from Hannah Goering on Vimeo.
Composing Wrap Up
Ben Hjertmann, COT Teaching Artist - Composer
It was my last day at Reilly Elementary with Opera for All. The kids seemed re-inspired today and we started out swinging with their song about being accepted to college. We tightened up what we already had and continued to add new material. Then we went back to the classic "Lost in New York," where the kids really let their R&B/Soul side come out. We ended the day composing a short riff for Emilia's Poem "New York City". With their eyes closed, the students voted on moods and came up with a short melody to introduce each new stanza.
It was a distinct pleasure to work with this organization and particularly with this group of students. They've got a lot of heart, and it comes through in their ideas. Their making a really high-quality show here! I would have loved this kind of thing when I was their age. I still do.
It was my last day at Reilly Elementary with Opera for All. The kids seemed re-inspired today and we started out swinging with their song about being accepted to college. We tightened up what we already had and continued to add new material. Then we went back to the classic "Lost in New York," where the kids really let their R&B/Soul side come out. We ended the day composing a short riff for Emilia's Poem "New York City". With their eyes closed, the students voted on moods and came up with a short melody to introduce each new stanza.
It was a distinct pleasure to work with this organization and particularly with this group of students. They've got a lot of heart, and it comes through in their ideas. Their making a really high-quality show here! I would have loved this kind of thing when I was their age. I still do.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Songwriting Superstars!
Lisa Golda, COT Teaching Artist at Clinton & Hampton Elementary Schools
This week was a very exciting one at both Clinton and Hampton schools!
The kids had their first taste of performance just before break, when we presented a “winter preview” at both schools. Because many of our students do not have music class, much less any previous experience presenting a fully staged and costumed performance, we have found it very helpful to give them a “dress rehearsal” w/audience at the end of their first semester. In the preview, which is for an audience of their parents, other opera students, and sometimes, other students from the school, they recite, with limited choreography and staging, the lyrics they have written thus far for their songs, all of which will eventually make up the opera.
This past week was our second week back, and with the memory of that preview experience fresh in their minds, the kids were focused and ready to work with Adam Busch, who helps the children to set their original lyrics to music (and who also assisted them in the lyric writing process, this year). We had several “a-ha!” moments throughout the day, both with students and with teachers.
At Hampton, one child in Mrs. Ochoa’s class remarked that what we were writing was “like opera.” Mrs. Ochoa pointed out that, a couple weeks before, the kids had enjoyed a concert and weeklong residency presented by Classical Kids that focused on the life of Mozart, particularly his childhood precocity. She thought that her student was comparing their composing process to the young Mozart’s!
Next, Mrs. Ochoa got out a silly poetry book that she been using with her students as part of their poetry week. She asked Adam and I to play and sing a silly song (her book provided hilarious new lyrics set to familiar tunes). She felt that the kids would make the connection between song lyrics and poetry, and how we were writing a song, especially since they had been working on it in class. They were fascinated and requested an encore, but unfortunately, we had to go to the next class! We love it when teachers use our curriculum to complement ours in that way, and vice versa.
Mr. McFarland’s class, who had Opera for All last year, had their lyrics set to music in no time, in part because a talented young student raised his hand and asked if he could sing the melody he had already composed for the verse portion of the song! Wow! The other students were so excited and impressed by his creativity, boldness, and lovely singing voice, and soon they too were raising their hands to offer suggestions for the doo-wop style song we came up with together for their “planet discovery” song.
It is so rewarding when students who have had our program before begin to express their gifts, both because they have a context for their talents, and also because they understand how to use them in application to the task at hand—composing! Where and when else would that student have the opportunity to discover and utilize those abilities, especially as a sixth grader!
At Clinton, the students were similarly engaged by the process, quickly learning and singing the songs they created with enthusiasm. Mrs. Lee’s class participated in the program last year, and I am enjoying asking them more challenging questions about the nature of music, composing, acting, etc. this year in my quest to give them a deeper understanding of the process.
We discussed the fact that, rather than just choosing random pitches for their songs, they needed to chose notes with intent as to the character they wished their song (Alone on a Submarine Floating Out to Sea) to have given the text. Many of them said they wanted the song to sound “like a rap”. We discussed what made rap sound like rap; limited pitch range, speech-like rhythms, medium tempo. Adam gave them some pianistic examples to choose from, and they chose a blues-influenced, slightly jazzy tonal palette given the fact that their song was humorous, and, while not happy, not really sad, either. Then the process took off.
I asked; what can we do to suggest the shark in the song? Both the kids and Adam came up with the JAWS motif at the same time, but Adam modified it with repetition and modulation. I asked—why does that sound scary and exciting? The kids were able to articulate that this rising half step pattern, magnified by modulation, emulated a circling shark and fright! Adam came up with some frenetic music for the “tossing and turning” hysterical lyrics in the song. I asked—why is this appropriate, if at all, to this portion of the song? “because everyone is going crazy right now” was the general student consensus. Then, a student asked if Adam could play a sustained note for the moment when the mother wakes the child up from their nightmare. They GET IT!!!!!
At this point, I was overwhelmed with more suggestions than we could handle, the kids completely immersed in the process, and then was asked by a kid if she could get “eaten” by the “shark”, which is about ten kids pantomiming jaws, fins, and a tail. We worked that out by having her step into the biting “jaws” created by two students, and having the body of the shark jump up and down to “digest” her after she was “swallowed”. It was hilarious! Several of my usually shy girls asked if they could audition to be the hapless heroine.
It was a fantastic day!
This week was a very exciting one at both Clinton and Hampton schools!
The kids had their first taste of performance just before break, when we presented a “winter preview” at both schools. Because many of our students do not have music class, much less any previous experience presenting a fully staged and costumed performance, we have found it very helpful to give them a “dress rehearsal” w/audience at the end of their first semester. In the preview, which is for an audience of their parents, other opera students, and sometimes, other students from the school, they recite, with limited choreography and staging, the lyrics they have written thus far for their songs, all of which will eventually make up the opera.
This past week was our second week back, and with the memory of that preview experience fresh in their minds, the kids were focused and ready to work with Adam Busch, who helps the children to set their original lyrics to music (and who also assisted them in the lyric writing process, this year). We had several “a-ha!” moments throughout the day, both with students and with teachers.
At Hampton, one child in Mrs. Ochoa’s class remarked that what we were writing was “like opera.” Mrs. Ochoa pointed out that, a couple weeks before, the kids had enjoyed a concert and weeklong residency presented by Classical Kids that focused on the life of Mozart, particularly his childhood precocity. She thought that her student was comparing their composing process to the young Mozart’s!
Next, Mrs. Ochoa got out a silly poetry book that she been using with her students as part of their poetry week. She asked Adam and I to play and sing a silly song (her book provided hilarious new lyrics set to familiar tunes). She felt that the kids would make the connection between song lyrics and poetry, and how we were writing a song, especially since they had been working on it in class. They were fascinated and requested an encore, but unfortunately, we had to go to the next class! We love it when teachers use our curriculum to complement ours in that way, and vice versa.
Mr. McFarland’s class, who had Opera for All last year, had their lyrics set to music in no time, in part because a talented young student raised his hand and asked if he could sing the melody he had already composed for the verse portion of the song! Wow! The other students were so excited and impressed by his creativity, boldness, and lovely singing voice, and soon they too were raising their hands to offer suggestions for the doo-wop style song we came up with together for their “planet discovery” song.
It is so rewarding when students who have had our program before begin to express their gifts, both because they have a context for their talents, and also because they understand how to use them in application to the task at hand—composing! Where and when else would that student have the opportunity to discover and utilize those abilities, especially as a sixth grader!
At Clinton, the students were similarly engaged by the process, quickly learning and singing the songs they created with enthusiasm. Mrs. Lee’s class participated in the program last year, and I am enjoying asking them more challenging questions about the nature of music, composing, acting, etc. this year in my quest to give them a deeper understanding of the process.
We discussed the fact that, rather than just choosing random pitches for their songs, they needed to chose notes with intent as to the character they wished their song (Alone on a Submarine Floating Out to Sea) to have given the text. Many of them said they wanted the song to sound “like a rap”. We discussed what made rap sound like rap; limited pitch range, speech-like rhythms, medium tempo. Adam gave them some pianistic examples to choose from, and they chose a blues-influenced, slightly jazzy tonal palette given the fact that their song was humorous, and, while not happy, not really sad, either. Then the process took off.
I asked; what can we do to suggest the shark in the song? Both the kids and Adam came up with the JAWS motif at the same time, but Adam modified it with repetition and modulation. I asked—why does that sound scary and exciting? The kids were able to articulate that this rising half step pattern, magnified by modulation, emulated a circling shark and fright! Adam came up with some frenetic music for the “tossing and turning” hysterical lyrics in the song. I asked—why is this appropriate, if at all, to this portion of the song? “because everyone is going crazy right now” was the general student consensus. Then, a student asked if Adam could play a sustained note for the moment when the mother wakes the child up from their nightmare. They GET IT!!!!!
At this point, I was overwhelmed with more suggestions than we could handle, the kids completely immersed in the process, and then was asked by a kid if she could get “eaten” by the “shark”, which is about ten kids pantomiming jaws, fins, and a tail. We worked that out by having her step into the biting “jaws” created by two students, and having the body of the shark jump up and down to “digest” her after she was “swallowed”. It was hilarious! Several of my usually shy girls asked if they could audition to be the hapless heroine.
It was a fantastic day!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Incredibly Enlightening
Amanda Compton, COT Teaching Artist at Reilly Elementary
Today was my first experience with an OFA composition class.
The approach to writing the music as a group was for Ben to play progressions in the background while the kids improvised. We would do that a few times in a row with one chord progression and then try it again with a new chord progression. From there, the kids would vote on which chord progression they liked, and then improvise again as a group to the chosen progression. Most of the kids have a natural ear for where they want the phrase to go, and how the phrase should end. With a little guidance from Ben and I, I think we actually came up with some pretty creative and accessible music. I'm looking forward to hearing the kids' homework, which was to create a melody for the last two lines of the "Acceptance Song." For next year's class, I think a lesson on hearing if pitches are higher or lower, and perhaps some interval training (tricks like "Here Comes the Bride" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for 4ths and 5ths) will help the kids to express their musical ideas, as this was the biggest challenge during the class period. The class was really a great experience for both myself and the kids. I think we all learned very important aspects of the compositional process!
Today was my first experience with an OFA composition class.
It was incredibly enlightening. I think sometimes as a teacher, with all of my training and technical background, it's easy to forget that music does not require a written page to be music.While these kids don't know exactly what chord progression they are doing or what notes they are singing, they do know what they like and they can create melodies without reading music. Ben had a very creative approach to the session, by having the kids audiate the music they created Tuesday before physically hearing it again. I think this is a really important skill, and I'm glad Ben introduced it to them. Perhaps we can solidify this skill in the future by having them practice with pop music that they already know as a homework assignment. If they can learn to sing the music silently in their head, then they will truly own it and be able to perform it. From there we sang through the part of the chorus to "Lost in New York," and finished composing it.
The approach to writing the music as a group was for Ben to play progressions in the background while the kids improvised. We would do that a few times in a row with one chord progression and then try it again with a new chord progression. From there, the kids would vote on which chord progression they liked, and then improvise again as a group to the chosen progression. Most of the kids have a natural ear for where they want the phrase to go, and how the phrase should end. With a little guidance from Ben and I, I think we actually came up with some pretty creative and accessible music. I'm looking forward to hearing the kids' homework, which was to create a melody for the last two lines of the "Acceptance Song." For next year's class, I think a lesson on hearing if pitches are higher or lower, and perhaps some interval training (tricks like "Here Comes the Bride" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for 4ths and 5ths) will help the kids to express their musical ideas, as this was the biggest challenge during the class period. The class was really a great experience for both myself and the kids. I think we all learned very important aspects of the compositional process!
Composing at Reilly Elementary School
Ben Hjertmann, COT Teaching Artist - Composer
We began class Tuesday with our eyes closed (to focus our listening) and concentrated on establishing the mood the students wanted to display for their song "Lost in New York". They wrote their own class lyrics in December for their futuristic Opera about New York City. Once the class had picked the mood of the song, they began to improvise melodies over my piano playing. COT Manager and teaching artist, Linden Christ was listening close to the students responses and repeating back the melodies as the students would sing them. I felt a connection with the students, their instincts for melody were the same as mine. We all seem to have similar instincts, but the hard part is figuring out how to hone them together. A few times, two students would improvise really catchy melodies at the same time, so we'd use both of them.
On Thursday we began by reviewing the chorus for "Lost in New York" and continued on with the verse. Once we had the melody for the verse, we moved to "The Acceptance Song" which is about getting into college. We remembered a mood we had picked on Tuesday, the students called riff "Packing Up" and wrote a melody. COT teaching artist, Mandy Compton was transcribing the students' melodies while I helped them improvise. Some of the kids are really letting go when they improvise. The first week with Opera for All at Reilly turned out to be a blast and was equally inspiring for the students and myself.
We began class Tuesday with our eyes closed (to focus our listening) and concentrated on establishing the mood the students wanted to display for their song "Lost in New York". They wrote their own class lyrics in December for their futuristic Opera about New York City. Once the class had picked the mood of the song, they began to improvise melodies over my piano playing. COT Manager and teaching artist, Linden Christ was listening close to the students responses and repeating back the melodies as the students would sing them. I felt a connection with the students, their instincts for melody were the same as mine. We all seem to have similar instincts, but the hard part is figuring out how to hone them together. A few times, two students would improvise really catchy melodies at the same time, so we'd use both of them.
On Thursday we began by reviewing the chorus for "Lost in New York" and continued on with the verse. Once we had the melody for the verse, we moved to "The Acceptance Song" which is about getting into college. We remembered a mood we had picked on Tuesday, the students called riff "Packing Up" and wrote a melody. COT teaching artist, Mandy Compton was transcribing the students' melodies while I helped them improvise. Some of the kids are really letting go when they improvise. The first week with Opera for All at Reilly turned out to be a blast and was equally inspiring for the students and myself.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Acting Games & Song Lyrics
Amanda Compton, COT Teaching Artist at Reilly Elementary School
We started this week doing some slightly more in depth acting games, which the kids seemed to LOVE. Every day since we did them, the kids ask when they will get to do more acting games. We played, "here comes Jill," which has two kids sitting at a table, that share an improvised dialogue describing their waitress, "Jill." After a few lines, Jill has to enter and act out the traits that the two customers described. The hardest thing about the exercise was getting the kids to NOT copy each other in which traits they described. Some popular choices were "stupid," "ugly," and "clumsy." Once we made it clear to the students that it was important for the description to involve an action or an act-able trait, the scenes because much clearer. Some of the "Jills" had a real knack for taking what the customers said and bringing it to life as they came out to "serve" them.
We then built upon this exercise to extend it into our "New York" opera theme. We had the kids, in groups of four, improvise scenes at the twin towers and shopping in NY. It was a VERY good effort from all of them, as this was their first time just completely improving something with only a given character and setting to start with. From this exercise, we assigned them to write their own scenes at home to use for the show. More to come on these.
This week Linden and I also really tried to focus on finishing lyrics for our Lost in New York song. We did the same group format we did with Lisa, and had the kids brainstorm about some questions we asked them like, "How would you feel if you saw the Statue of Liberty in person?," and, "What would you do there?" etc. We were able to finish our entire lost in NY song, with our final verses about the Statue of Liberty and Broadway that offer a wide range of performance opportunities for the students. I'm very proud of the students' work, and I'm really excited to stage it!
We started this week doing some slightly more in depth acting games, which the kids seemed to LOVE. Every day since we did them, the kids ask when they will get to do more acting games. We played, "here comes Jill," which has two kids sitting at a table, that share an improvised dialogue describing their waitress, "Jill." After a few lines, Jill has to enter and act out the traits that the two customers described. The hardest thing about the exercise was getting the kids to NOT copy each other in which traits they described. Some popular choices were "stupid," "ugly," and "clumsy." Once we made it clear to the students that it was important for the description to involve an action or an act-able trait, the scenes because much clearer. Some of the "Jills" had a real knack for taking what the customers said and bringing it to life as they came out to "serve" them.
We then built upon this exercise to extend it into our "New York" opera theme. We had the kids, in groups of four, improvise scenes at the twin towers and shopping in NY. It was a VERY good effort from all of them, as this was their first time just completely improving something with only a given character and setting to start with. From this exercise, we assigned them to write their own scenes at home to use for the show. More to come on these.
This week Linden and I also really tried to focus on finishing lyrics for our Lost in New York song. We did the same group format we did with Lisa, and had the kids brainstorm about some questions we asked them like, "How would you feel if you saw the Statue of Liberty in person?," and, "What would you do there?" etc. We were able to finish our entire lost in NY song, with our final verses about the Statue of Liberty and Broadway that offer a wide range of performance opportunities for the students. I'm very proud of the students' work, and I'm really excited to stage it!
Lost in New York
Don’t know what to do.
I really need some help.
Can you give me a clue?
So much to explore, so much to learn.
Something unbelievable at every turn.
There’s lots of sites to see like the Statue of Liberty.
It’s real bumpy on a boat
Look at Lady Liberty Float
We can take pictures and climb the stairs.
Look up there! Her torch still Flares!
As we walk and dance down Broadway Street
We hear lots of music and a funky new beat.
I love the New York accents and the bright shining lights
Let’s go see a musical, Right Now! Tonight!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Getting to the Young By Brian Dickie
Brian Dickie, General Director of Chicago Opera Theater
COT has an extensive program of activities with the Chicago Public Schools and the City's cultural department. I am a great believer in participation by the children - getting them to play, sing and dance, and to get involved in all aspects of production as far as it is practical. And there is no doubt that we have had some great success in this. And the spin off of higher grades in other studies, as well as improvement in discipline, is well documented not just hearsay. With the huge reduction of commitment to the arts in our educational establishments, the work that professional companies do in this area is indispensable.
I was down at the Hampton School on the South side of Chicago this morning - and first of all discovered that it is named for the great Vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. And as you can see from the photo above its full name includes the words "Fine and Performing Arts School". In fact I am not sure that they able to concentrate extensively on the arts (resources just do allow that alas) - but their Principal Zaneta Abdul-Ahad is a most distinguished lady who gave an enthusiastic and extremely eloquent welcome to this morning's event. And it is clear that this week has been an important one in the life of these children.
Our work in this and a number of other schools this year is directed to preparing them for COT's production of The Magic Flute next September. We have a family of teaching fellows who work with the schools throughout the school year. Today's event was the culmination of a week of intensive exposure to Mozart.
And so the climax to the week was a visit to the school by the remarkable Classic Kids Live with their excellent show Mozart's Magnificent Voyage. This was one of their rare excursions into a school - and it was a huge hit in this gymnasium setting (below), a familiar place where the children could relax and enjoy the show without all the complications of an exhausting field trip. Their attentiveness and clear appreciation was testament to the work done by Mrs Abdul-Ahad and her team, as well as to the preparation by our Education Manager Linden Christ and the teaching fellows.
COT has an extensive program of activities with the Chicago Public Schools and the City's cultural department. I am a great believer in participation by the children - getting them to play, sing and dance, and to get involved in all aspects of production as far as it is practical. And there is no doubt that we have had some great success in this. And the spin off of higher grades in other studies, as well as improvement in discipline, is well documented not just hearsay. With the huge reduction of commitment to the arts in our educational establishments, the work that professional companies do in this area is indispensable.
I was down at the Hampton School on the South side of Chicago this morning - and first of all discovered that it is named for the great Vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. And as you can see from the photo above its full name includes the words "Fine and Performing Arts School". In fact I am not sure that they able to concentrate extensively on the arts (resources just do allow that alas) - but their Principal Zaneta Abdul-Ahad is a most distinguished lady who gave an enthusiastic and extremely eloquent welcome to this morning's event. And it is clear that this week has been an important one in the life of these children.
Our work in this and a number of other schools this year is directed to preparing them for COT's production of The Magic Flute next September. We have a family of teaching fellows who work with the schools throughout the school year. Today's event was the culmination of a week of intensive exposure to Mozart.
And so the climax to the week was a visit to the school by the remarkable Classic Kids Live with their excellent show Mozart's Magnificent Voyage. This was one of their rare excursions into a school - and it was a huge hit in this gymnasium setting (below), a familiar place where the children could relax and enjoy the show without all the complications of an exhausting field trip. Their attentiveness and clear appreciation was testament to the work done by Mrs Abdul-Ahad and her team, as well as to the preparation by our Education Manager Linden Christ and the teaching fellows.
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