Chicago Opera Theater - Education: Opera for All

Overture for the Ghost of McKinley Park

The children at McKinley Park have already learned three of the songs on their violins that we are preparing for the opera. We composed an overture made from scales and "ba-na-na ice-cream" rhythm on an assigned note. In addition, we practiced simple arrangements on the Mexican song "De Colores" and the children's chorus from the opera "Carmen." In an ethnically proud school, such as McKinley Park Elementary, where English is a second language for many of the Hispanic children, most students knew "De Colores." They said, it was a nursery song, and performed it for me.

I look at my students as individuals, and I frequently forget that they are very young, only in the 2nd grade. They are still prone to behave in most childilke ways. For example, the third floor, where we have our violin class, is a lonely, dark place; many of the children believe that it is haunted and do not dare to leave our room on their own. During the times we tune the violins and put rosin on the bow, they share stories of the brooding ghosts in the restrooms.

Pancake, tortilla or naan of the above

While most of the country is looking toward Super Tuesday to cast their presidential nominee votes, students of McKinley Park were casting their own votes on "Best School Lunch" experienced as part of their field trip immersion to Devon Avenue and the Indo-American Center.

Here's a little pictorial chronicle of what they learned,  who they met and new things they experienced.  Population density exercise: India is one-third the size of the US, but has 3 times the population. Subbu had the students demonstrate this. Reaction was that it seemed a bit "crowded".

Getting dresses is as easy as 1, 2, 3 -

     

Now the boys were able to try on some attire as well - a turban:

The next leg of their excursion was lunch at Ghandi India Restaurant. Along the way they saw some of the things they just learned about. One boy exclaimed - "Look she's in a sari, and I think she's married." One of his classmates replied - "Just because she's got a bindi doesn't mean she's married."

Final stop was for lunch. Here's what they thought of their first experience of Indian food...

Clinton Field Trip to India

On November 19, 2007 sixty students from the sixth grade at Clinton Elementary took a mere two block walk to the Indo American Center, but you would have thought they took a trip half way around the world. The morning was spent with members of the Indo American Heritage Museum learning about India and its traditions. From there, the students broke into teams and were let loose on Devon Avenue for a scavenger hunt. In the beauty shops, food, book, electronic, music and jewelry stores the students found the answers to their questions including naming a spice, bread, and utensil they've never heard of and picking out a garment for your family members and finding out how much it costs. This day was full of firsts, and for many students provided their introduction to a full Indian meal at the Indian Garden buffet.

Chicago Opera Theater Teaching Fellow A.J. had the students journal about their experience. Here are some of their first hand accounts:

“I really enjoyed the field trip! It was so much fun. What I like about the field trip is that we went to go wander around Devon Street and it felt like we were in India. The culture is so beautiful. I love what they wear! New things I learned was that I learned how to wear a sari! And there are many languages in India that are spoken.”

“What I learn about this trip that we went is that people come to American because they need to speak other language so they could get jobs. Also they said hi with their hands. What I also like about this trip is how they eat different food. We also went to stores to look what they eat and how they make the food.”

“The restaurant we went to was nice. The food there was good for me because I got to try it. Some people didn’t like it at first because of how it looks. But then after they tried it they thought it was good.”

“I never knew a lot about India but after the field trip I learned a lot.  I learned how Indians wear saris and how they accessorize.  I also learned why Indians traveled to America”   

“I learned how to tie a sari, and the different styles of tying or wearing the sari depending on the occasion. I also learned what they eat from eating at the restaurant.  I really enjoyed tasting new foods that I’ve never had before.  I also learned that America has triple the land as India but India still has triple the population.  They are separated into states as the U.S. The states speak the Indian language a little differently.” 

“This field trip was very new.  I didn’t like it a lot but it was OK.  I learned that India is more cleaner because they don’t have a lot of things so they don’t waste them.  When we ate there the food was OK!  I liked the chicken.   On the trip we went to different stores & learned what the Indians wear & how there disserts taste.  This was a great NEW! Experience!  THANK YOU!”

“The trip was fantastic.  We walked to the Hindu-American Center and we learned A LOT then we went to the Indian Garden Restaurant and ate there, the food was SO DELICIOUS…I will never forget this day, one of the best day of my life."

Jingle All the Way at Von Humboldt

Week 9 of violin class at Von Humboldt Elementary
"The kids at Von Humboldt are growing up in front of my eyes. Three years ago, I had a class of sweet 2nd graders who would listen quietly and respectfully and do their best every time. I also started another class of rowdy 5th graders, who would bring to class their petty arguments and secretly listen to their mp3 players.

Three years later, my 5th graders, now 8th graders, have become almost adult; they arrive in class "all business" and behave like professionals. The former 2nd graders, in turn, arrive in class loudly, parading their shiny ipods and cell phones, competitive and argumentative. From time to time,  they burst out in the newest rap song. How things change, yet not at all! It is funny that they all learn Jingle Bells with the same fervor."

Character Exploration thru Folktales

"McKinley Park students are up out of their classroom seats acting out short scenes. Eleven students from each class were designated a role and read from the script "The Enchanted Stork". The students read their lines out loud in front of their class-mates and several got into their character roles by adding extra movements and verbal indications. For example, one student played an evil, old sorcerer and added wheezing and a wicked laugh before he spoke his sinister lines. The fourth graders were especially active in their roles and had a high comprehensive level of the plot.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth graders will be taking a field trip to the Indo-American Center in December. Here they will experience this different culture and hopefully get the students excited to for our A Flowering Tree opera this spring." Report from Linden

Auditions anyone?

Francesco reports that "Opera Theater Workshop for Teens had an incredible class on Saturday November 10th.  Part of our focus this semester has been on addressing the application and audition process.  As we all know this can be an extremely difficult and daunting task.  AJ and I have spoken about the process, different schools, degrees, teachers, and so forth.  BUT! On Saturday we provided a panel of "auditioners" from Roosevelt's Chicago College of Performing Arts, DePaul School of Music, Northwestern, and North Park University.  The second half of the class began with the various guests introducing themselves, their institutions and explaining the audition/application process for each school.  Many of the guest have sung, taught, or directed all over the world!

Now on to the singing.  Each student that was selected to sing was to treat this like an audition for a school and they were given comments following their performance.  The students came to the piano with their music, spoke to the pianists, announced their name, piece and it's composer, and performed.

It was a great learning experience for all of the students.  The comments ranged from vocal technique (of coarse), and expressing the text of the song, to how they were dressed and how they announced their names!  It was easy to see how impressed the guests were with our students level of talent and the students got to see how tough it is to do an audition and just how much is involved in the preparation for it."

Getting in the Loop at South Loop

Nov. 5: 2007: Every Thursday afternoon, I (Deepak) have the pleasure of teaching two sessions of Opera for All at the South Loop School. The energy at this school is amazing. That is probably because I walk in the building just as most of the kids are walking out, but the fact remains – they are excited! My first session is with 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th graders. Theses students know the routines at this point and have just finished reading A Flowering Tree. I found it amazing how interested they were in this story and how wild they let their imaginations run. I would stop throughout the story and ask students what they thought would happen next. Their responses were nothing short of remarkable. It’s been great teaching them about opera and introducing them to this new art form. My second class is comprised of 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders. Due to a scheduling issue and then an issue with the treasured snack break, my 6 – 8^th graders are just starting to settle into things.

Next steps at the South Loop School are to start incorporating more music and drama into each class to get students more and more comfortable with performing and being on stage. The students are willing to try anything and have been continuously excited about what comes next.

High Schoolers that are too hot to Handel

Oct. 29, 2007: A.J. Wester, one of the lead teachers for Chicago Opera Theater’s Opera Theater Workshop for Teens, writes:

"Opera Theater Workshop for Teens  is a city funded program through the After School Matters program designed to give Chicago teens an opportunity to study a craft - dance, theater, sculpture, computers, painting, etc.  The students come nine hours a week, are paid just above minimum wage, and gain job experience while helping them with their future endeavours.

This is our second year of After School Matters.  Last year, we weren’t even sure we would get any kids to audition for our program.  You know the story, inner city teens and OPERA??? We had to be out of our minds!  Well, the program was a success and this year, we have kids clamoring to be part of the program.

Last year, we did two staged productions.  This semester, we are trying something new; we are going to do an oratorio with them.  We will be performing a “Mini-Messiah” with the students in the beginning of December featuring some of the COT’s Young Artists in the harder solos.

Teaching Handel to them has definitely been a challenge.  For one thing, this is HARD music.  Francesco Milioto, the other lead teacher, has really made the kids stretch in their musical vocabulary.  It’s been a big challenge for them.  They are finally starting to get it, and I think they are starting to see the fruits of their labors.  I mean, when this stuff is good, it’s such a great feeling to sing it.  You can tell some of the returnees are ready for the stage production in the spring (Pirates of Penzance). We are also giving them some scenes to do, mostly Mozart and a couple of scenes from Amahl and the Night Visitors.  In two weeks we are also taking them to a dress rehearsal of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Benard Haitink. So I think I can honestly say, these kids aren’t bored.

  It’s also our plan this year to prep some of our high school senior for college auditions in the spring.  This weekend, I took different groups to the operas at DePaul University and Roosevelt University.  In two weeks we will have faculty of DePaul University,  Roosevelt University,  North Park University, and Northwestern come and talk to the students about auditioning for college and beyond. 

Of course, we are asked to do an occasional gig for the city.  Tomorrow night, we are going to sing for a gala at the Westin Hotel at Navy Pier.  So, we are also training the students for a big part of a musician’s life: gigging.

All in all, the program has been a delight this year and both Francesco and I are looking forward to the Messiah in December and Pirates in April."

View schedule of Opera Theater Workshop for Teens performances.

Blooming at McKinley Park

Oct. 23, 2007: Linden, in her second year teaching at McKinley Park Elementary reports:

"McKinley Park students are blooming with this years opera A Flowering Tree. The students enjoyed reading the story aloud as a class project.

Last Wednesday, we used our brand new COT keyboard for classroom vocalises. I sang an aria, "In uomini, in soldati"-- which was a big hit. The word-of the week (WoW) was ARIA. The students will be quizzed on this new term this Wednesday and the student who can spell and define it correctly will win a piece of candy!

The new keyboard was put to good use as we learned the beginning of the children's chorus of La Boheme. The students applied their knowledge of the solfeggio system to learn the melody. Clapping rhythm exercises helped the classes unify as a choir. Many speak Spanish and did not have any difficulty learning the Italian and made connections between the Italian words.... Fior = Flores = Flowers. The 90 students from 4th, 5th, and 6th graders are energetic, excited, and eager to learn about music!"

Violin - It's the pizz

Oct. 15, 2007: Teaching Fellow Olga spends her second year teaching violin as part of our Opera for All residency. This group of second graders will serve as part of the ensemble during the spring student performance of A Flowering Tree at McKinley Park Elementary. Here's Olga's report on these future orchestra members:

"Originally, the number of children enrolled in violin classes at McKinley Elementary were limited to no more than 20 children. However, the students were so excited that I accepted teaching all of them, a full class of 30, split into two groups.

On the first day of class, I realized that I had chosen well. I met 30 pairs of bright eyes, eager and curious. All children were attentive and we quickly learned how to hold the violin and how to pluck the strings.

I am very pleased and looking forward to learning together and performing in the opera at the end of the year."