Choosing Our Story

Heather Keith, Opera For All Teaching Artist

This week in Opera for all we were very busy writing the plots of our operas. The students were incredibly excited to be able to use what they learned at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and apply it to writing their stories.

I have an exciting cast of characters in all my classes so, needless to say, their stories are shaping up to be pretty fantastic.

Hanson student strikes a pose on the nature walk. 

One of my favorite stories so far comes from one of my classes at Reilly. During our class, the students were having a difficult time finding inspiration. They wanted to tell a story that used facts, but nothing seemed original enough to really excite the students.  Finally, one student suggested we write a story about bees, which ignited a conversation about how the planet is seeing less and fewer bees every summer. We talked about having our opera be about conservation, which the students liked, but it also seemed too much like the plot of another class at Reilly.  Finally, I asked them to give me all the crazy ideas they had, that we would keep scientific facts in the development of the characters, but that we could adapt our opera to anything we liked.  Once the floor gates of creativity were open we were overwhelmed with possibilities. I could see the excitement in the room starting to rise.  A student suggested that the reason the bees were disappearing in our story might be that they drank an invisibility potion.  Then, we concentrated that on just the queen bee because the students decided it might be confusing if all the main characters on stage were invisible.  Finally when it came to finding a resolution; to the students, only one solution seemed clear.  Dumbledore the bee would come and save the day.

I love this story because it shows that sometimes the best inspiration happens when you let go of the expected.  When the students were able to let go of the idea that there was a “right” way to answer the store, the writing process became easy and incredibly rewarding. I also think it’s important for my students to go through the creative block process. As a singer, I know how hard it is to deal with creative roadblocks and how sometimes they lead me to want to throw in the towel.  But through my life, I have learned when I am facing a road block that the best thing to do is look at it from a different angle and to get a fresh perspective.  That is what I hope to teach my students through this process. To not give up when things get hard, but to take a step back and look at the problem with fresh eyes.  When you do this you often times end up with amazing results -- even Dumbledore in bee form.

Day At the Museum

Matt McNabb, Opera for All Teaching Artist

Spiders and turtles and butterflies, oh my!

As the students entered the Peggy Notebaert Museum on Tuesday morning, the looks of wonder on their faces reminded me of the first time Dorothy gazed upon the Land of Oz! As soon as backpacks, lunches and coats were set in the correct bins, we took a journey down the yellow brick road of science and discovery.

The students got to splash and play while learning about clean water and ways to prevent flooding. They got to see many fascinating specimens of taxidermy, live animals, creepy creatures and real skeletons, including a real human skeleton! They got to see how food decomposes, and they got to stand under a UV light and see what germs may be lurking in their bathrooms. I found that exhibit much scarier than the skeleton!

Most exciting, the students got to enter the butterfly house and spend an afternoon in the company of some of the most spectacular looking butterflies I have ever seen. They flew around freely, and some lucky students had them land on their heads, shoes, shoulders and arms. I had one land on my thumb, just to say hello! One lucky student and I got to see a butterfly emerge from its’ cocoon. It was a new experience for both of us, and as we stared at this miracle of nature, awestruck by what we were seeing, I felt that childlike sense of joy and discovery that we as adults all too easily forget.

The purpose of this awesome field trip was to gather information and ideas for our classroom opera scripts. Our theme this year is “Growing Together: An Organic Love Story.” Script creation is my favorite part of the Opera for All process, and I anticipate some ridiculously imaginative ideas. I’ve already had one student tell me that she wants to play Mother Nature! Brilliant!

Opera For All - Week One

Sarah Litchfield, Opera for All Teaching Artist

It's been a tremendously successful start to another year of Opera for All! This year, I am returning to the same 3 schools that I was fortunate enough to teach at last year. This will be my third year at Chase Elementary School! While most of my students are brand new to the program and to opera in general, I do have a handful of OFA veterans for whom this will be their second or third year in the program. I can't wait to see how much more these students will be capable of now that they've already created and performed their very own operas! Our first session serves as a fun, interactive introduction to opera in which we define opera as "storytelling through music." I think it's important to communicate that opera incorporates many different art forms (specifically music, acting, dance/movement, creating writing, and visual arts.) Ultimately, every student is not going to be interested or comfortable in the spotlight, but these students may really shine as set designers or script writers. The first session is also an opportunity for us as teaching artists to get to know our students, and let me tell you, there is a lot you can learn about a group of grade school kids through a couple of introductory theater games! I tried to make mental notes of those kids who always have their hand in the air, chomping at the bit to participate as well as those who are reluctant about new activities. This usually tends to change as the year progresses, and without a doubt there will always be students who surprise me. Lastly, we use this first class session to sing to our classes! There is something so awe-inspiring and genuine about a kid's reaction to hearing opera for the first time. It's usually a combination of excitement, shock and wonder! As for those who think opera is not accessible or appropriate for kids or young adults, I wish they could see how positively a group of 5th graders respond to live opera singing.

Our next step is to create the stories that will eventually be developed into their opera scripts. We will use a visit to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to gain inspiration for our nature themed operas, and I can't wait to see what they come up with!

Final Productions / Dealing with Stage Fright

Heather Keith, Opera for All Teaching Artist

From now until the end of the CPS school year my schedule is filled with dress rehearsals and show days. When we get to this point, I undoubtedly have a few students come up to me and confess they struggle with stage fright. I think in a society that is preoccupied with standards being met and test grades being perfect I completely understand where these students are coming from. To help my students overcome their fears I am making an effort to remind my students to enjoy the process.  I see them struggle with self-doubt as they prepare to vulnerably put themselves out in front of an audience., something all great performers struggle with. I tell them that what helps me the most is trusting in my cast, trusting that if I get lost the other people on stage will help me find my way back.  That trust is formed in rehearsal and I encourage them to not stress so much about the finished product. Explaining that if you put the work in the rehearsal room and you have faith in the people around you, the product will undoubtedly be there.  

Reilly Students rehearsing their opera

Chase students practicing their dance

This idea of not living for the product brings to mind something a director once told me about the rehearsal process in general. He said “If you are waiting for the run of the show to enjoy the production you are missing the point. The production is created in the rehearsal process; the actual show is anti climatic. “ I feel this is so poignant when applied to the work Opera for all does.   While the shows are important they are not nearly as important as the bonds these students are making and the skills they are honing.  I have seen so much growth this year. I have seen shy students face their fears and sing solos in front of their peers and I have seen friendships form where before they didn’t exist. I have seen empathy beyond what I thought possible from a 4^th grader. This process has been incredible and while I am confident these students will put on amazing shows that will stay with them, I believe the work they have put in during the accumulation of this year makes a far more lasting mark.  

McAuliffe student waiting for his entrance.

Dress Rehearsals

Sara Litchfield, Opera for All Teaching Artist

Well we are officially in the thick of it with two school performances already done and more to come. At this time of year, I always find that it is very difficult for teaching artists to talk and think about the world outside of Opera for All as our brains are constantly juggling everything from props to song lyrics, dance choreography and blocking. But we are truly blessed to have such a supportive, competent education team from the office who have been present at all of our dress rehearsals and performances helping set up microphones, lights, backdrops, slideshows and anything else that needs to be taken care of so that the TAs are able to focus on the students. 

On the day of the performance, our classes usually come to the auditorium an hour before showtime to warm-up and run through transitions between each class performance. I like to start with a high energy movement activity that engages their entire body while allowing them to be stationary since we usually have a lot of kids in one place. I have found that moving a shake or wiggle from your feet, through each part of your body and all the way up to your head tends to effectively wake them up and raise their energy so that they are excited for what's to come. Then this usually moves into a brief vocal warm-up. 

My mantra throughout dress rehearsals and performances has been Volume, Energy and Focus, the most important of which is very often focus. These students now not only leave this program with an understanding of all of the elements that must come together to make a successful opera, but they now personally understand all of the things that performers are tasked with remembering during a performance like where do I enter and exit? What is my line? What is my cue? Where is my prop? What is my character feeling when I say this line? Where do I go for the dance/ song? Etc, etc, etc. Keeping track of all of this requires a great deal of focus. 

This past Friday, Healy Elementary in Bridgeport successfully completed two performances of their operas. One was for parents and the fourth grade classes while the other was an opportunity for the fifth-grade OFA classes to perform for one another. I could not be more proud and impressed by all of the hard work and dedication that not only the students but teachers and entire school community poured into these operas and the result was truly fantastic. We positioned our classes so that they surrounded the audience when they sang our "Once Upon a Windy City" theme song, which was quite an impressive sound. 

This morning, our two classes at Eugene Field Elementary also had their final performance and I can honestly say their operas were the best they've ever been. Many of the students approached me as I was entering the building with pre-performance excitement and jitters and as I mentioned in a previous blog, they were able to harness their adrenaline and nerves into focused performances. I remember how hesitant and shy many of them were to even stand up in class and read at the beginning of the year and now almost every student loudly stood up in front of an audience and not just read a line but performed. Looking back on their transformations makes me very proud and every one of our students should feel very proud of all they have accomplished.  

Opera for All

Matt McNabb, Opera for All Teaching Artist

I recently had a coworker at one of my jobs ask me how the student recitals were going. And I said, “what do you mean recitals?” We proceeded to have an exciting and eyeopening conversation about what really takes place in the Opera for All program. I explained that these are not just recitals, these are fully scripted and fully staged minioperas performed by the students under our guidance. When people hear what is actually involved in the process of creating our new student operas, they can’t believe something so wonderful exists in the public school system.

Well I am here to tell you that it does exist, and that the program is wonderful! A huge
part of Opera for All is of course about offering a chance to expose students to the magical
world of opera. As teaching artists there is nothing more rewarding than seeing our students
rock out to the overture of “Carmen,” or see their eyes pop open the first time they hear
Brunnhilde’s battle cry!

But Opera for All is also about so much more. It is about teamwork and collaboration. The students quickly realize that in order for a performance to come together as a coherent piece of art, everyone must tow the line, and everyone must contribute. Most rewardingly, the students WANT to be part of this process, and they love sharing their creative ideas and can’t wait to see them take shape in the form of scripts and songs and dances. In Opera for All, we create a culture of trust and hard work and fun, and we strive for excellence in all we do.

Opera for All is about building confidence through performance and other artrelated mediums. Students are allowed to work in the visual arts with scene design and drawing. In fact, we just completed a Tshirt design contest where over 700 students turned in entries to be judged. Through theatre games, performance skill building and creative expression, students are allowed to blossom in ways that they can’t find in other school subjects. Students are allowed to explore their strengths, and many students sometimes surprise themselves at what they can accomplish. The students all come away with a stronger sense of best performance practices, and they understand what constitutes a great performance vs. a mediocre performance. These are skills that will lead to success in many areas of their lives.

Opera for All is about sharing the joy and the necessity of the arts in schools. So many
students don’t have any other outlet for creative expression, and opera time is something that
our students look forward to on a weekly basis. We are greeted with hello’s and highfives
when we enter the classrooms, and it is a great feeling to know that what we do matters!! Opera for All is an essential experience that more and more students need to enjoy!

Our end of the year performances are coming up in the months of May and June. Come and experience what Opera for All has to offer! And, just a special mention Thursday May 5 was the Chicago Opera Theatre gala. The teaching artists had a blast as costumed characters from next season’s operas! A huge thank you to our wonderful parents, Ms. Rhodes and the 4th graders from Disney II Magnet School, who had the awesome privilege of performing “Once Upon a Windy City” and “Hot Dogzilla” to a wonderful audience of COT family, donors and opera lovers. They received a standing ovation, and I couldn’t be more proud!

Choralography!

Sara Litchfield, Opera for All Teaching Artist

Well it's the week after spring break and we are officially in the home stretch!  Our goal this past week has been to fine tune each of our individual performance elements, specifically our songs and dances, and then put all the pieces together with our blocking. Very often this means tediously working through transitions and trying to communicate to students who've never been on stage before how to emote and express their lines. Not an easy task! But it's truly impressive how much of their songs and dances our students remember, especially since we haven't practiced these for weeks while we focused on staging. 

We added some "choralography" or simple gestures to our songs and while a term like this often provokes the image of cheesy show choir jazz hands, adding movements to the music really helps with memorization and usually gives an extra boost of energy to their sound. The next step for our students is memorization because it's much easier to work on acting and expression without a script in your hand and in front of your face. As our class sessions begin to transition into dress rehearsals and consist primarily of running our operas, my hope is that our students will become more and more familiar with what comes next in their operas and all of these things we constantly nag them about like projecting and cheating out will become second nature.

Essentially, I feel like I've done my job when the students no longer need me to make it through their performance. Every year around this time I start to panic and think, "We only have HOW MANY classes before our performance? Will everything come together?" But every year like clockwork, it always does and the moment there is an audience present, suddenly these often quiet, hesitant students become young performers. A little healthy fear and adrenaline can go along way!