Kipling Wrap-up

Hi All!

So here are my final thoughts on the CAO process this time around:

For my first attempt at Create an Opera, I think I did well. I spent time introducing the kids to opera, discussing different forms of opera around the world, and reviewing components necessary in the creation of an opera. Later, when introducing the task of libretto writing, I used examples from The Magic Flute to illustrate the functions of song when combined with story-telling, as well as the relation between music and text in opera. The kids surprised me with the readiness and enthusiasm with which they approached the task of libretto writing and song development. We discussed various musical styles and made decisions regarding the style of music and text correlations.

In Sona's class, I took a group of students who wanted to drum, and we worked on fitting their drum rhythms with the melodies I had written for the songs. One talented student even came up with a melody of her own, used in the third song, "Anansi's walking song." In Amanda and Mubeen's class I worked with the 'music group' on song-writing, and encouraged them to make decisions regarding the style of music, mood, character, tempo, etc. of each song. I then composed their songs taking these decisions into account. A student in this class also created a melody for the "Victory Song." The students' creation of melodies has inspired my to encourage more melody-writing from the students themselves next time, rather than doing all the composition myself. I have worked on making a tapestry of music to accompany all dialogue...there seems to be a lot of dialogue in the student's operas, since they have a lot to say and they have some intricate stories to relay.

For my next crack at the Create an Opera program, I have many new ideas, and there are many things I'll attempt to do differently. Opera is, by its traditional definition, a musical form, and I'd like to have a more heavy-handed approach in the music side of this collaboration. I learned the importance of providing supporting material for the teachers and classes, and in future I'd like to furether emphasise the traditional body of opera works by providing CDs for the students to listen to outside the hour-long CAO class. I found the teachers to be invaluable in their activities with the class outside our scheduled hour, so long as Sedina and I clearly outlined our expectations from the students over the week; often the classes came with extra work prepared! I'd like to use this outside class time for the students to explore opera, just by listening to examples I would provide for them. With more early exposure to the world of opera, hopefully the kids can gain a deeper appreciation for this amazing art form.

In class time, I'd like to cut to the 'work' part of the class more quickly, so the students have some more substantial pieces of work started in each class. This way, they will be better 'on-track' to finish up their weekly assignment. Sedina and I did a lot of warm-up, which was valuable in teaching healthy singing, but could be distilled down a bit in future to leave more class time for big task of creating an opera! In general, I think the program should move more quickly in the first few weeks, so there is a firmly established story and script and we can get down to libretto-writing quite soon. This way, the songs can be written sooner and the students can start learning the music earlier. It would be my hope that with a more accelerated beginning, there would be more time later in the program to work with the students on the accompanying musical background to the piece.

I would try to provide supporting material earlier; CDs of the music with and without the melody line, for example. I would also stress the importance of the students having the latest copy of the script with them at every class.

I appreciated very much the resources provided for the artists by the COC. In general, I felt supported by the program, and the blog provided a great way to stay in communication. The information and suggested lesson plans provided were extremely useful, and I would, in future, stick more closely to the suggested schedule of classes, now that I have a better idea how the whole program unravels over the eight weeks.

In the end, Create an Opera has been a fantastic and rewarding experience for me. I have always felt comfortable around children, but the students at Kipling made me really enjoy working with children. Their friendly enthusiasm in welcoming Sedina and I into their class and their level of commitment to this project made this a truly memorable experience.

I look forward to the final performances of the operas on March 27th, and I know both classes will create something truly unique. It is my hope that they all enjoyed the process and got to take a look into the world of 'collective creation,' as Sedina calls it.

March Madness Monday

I guess I'm trying to be creative with my blog titles. LOL.

Monday's classes were hectic and energetic. I had the task of rehearsing both of their operas in 1 hour for a performance that day. It took a lot of energy and the students saw a side of me they weren't expecting as we really had to get down to business.

First up was Amanda and Mubeen's class. We finished blocking their piece as we didn't get to the end last time. Then we had a chance to run through the opera once. They did a good job, although it was difficult for me to rein in some of the chorus members who had a habit of not paying attention if they weren't doing anything. I have had some challenges in this class with respect to just that, participation. They have great ideas, but it is disheartening to see some students slacking. So saying those who were into it, did well. For the final performance, I want to see this class work at confidence and energy as they are good performers, but tend to be shy onstage. This could come with some rehearsal and lots of encouragement to take the stage and do it like you mean it.

Next was Sona's class. This class was challenging as we had the task of teaching the drummers how to drum with singing and teaching the performers how to sing with drumming. Adam and I are so glad that we are incorporating the drumming and dancing, in addition to dialogue and singing, but one hour never seems like enough. We managed to go through all of the music once and then do a run through of the show. Focus was an issue on this Monday and I had to remind the students repeatedly to pay attention and speak only when needed as they tended to be chatty. I will attribute this to their excitement about the piece. For this class, for the final performance, their biggest challenge will be to integrate the drumming with the music as well as making sure that everyone is focused and on task. This will come with rehearsal and I am confident they can do a great job of performing their opera.

Amanda and Mubeen's class performed for Sona's class and then Sona's class was supposed to perform. However, we ran out of time and only M & A's class performed. They did a great job and I was sad that Sona's class wasn't able to present. However, I feel that Sona's class was probably motivated by seeing the other classes perform and Sona has said that they will find time to do this performance another time.

All in all, I have had a great time working with North Kipling. A very artistic and creative school and the students have been fab. I will miss my Tuesdays with them, but I hope to stay in touch and see their final performances if they end up doing something splashy at the end of the year.