Ask most adults about opera, and they’ll probably tell you they’ve never been.
Ask a Frisco ISD third grader, and you may be surprised: They’ve got one up on the adults.
This month, third graders attended The Ugly Duckling, performed by the Fort Worth Opera at the District’s brand-new Visual and Performing Arts Center. Third graders take an opera field trip every September, learning — among other things — about the art of opera and how to be a responsible audience member in lessons before the show.
In Michal Taylor’s Sparks Elementary music classroom, opera was gaining new fans.
The second of her three opera lessons took students through interactive opera creation, costume designing, blob operas, interviews with conductors, and even a tour of the Sydney Opera House. Michal’s goal was sharing the wide variety of interests that opera can touch on — it’s not just a pastime for adults.
“It is very important to me for the students to have choices in their music experience,” she said. “So with the opera unit, I give the students opportunities to personalize their learning and pick what aspect of the opera they want to explore more deeply.”
Michal’s lesson is part of the intentional, foundational work being done in elementary fine arts classrooms across Frisco ISD, where students can explore and find new interests in the arts. The lesson also fulfills state standards, or TEKS, for third grade music.
One of Michal’s students, Amber, has a head start and has already been to three operas. Her favorite? “Madame Butterfly!”
“Even though I fell asleep,” she said.
She was most looking forward to the Ugly Duckling costumes, and her favorite lesson was when “we learned about duets and that we’re supposed to be quiet and respectful.”
Her classmate Aki also loves music and was excited to see the costumes. Also like Amber, Aki has been to the opera already and was excited to talk about a piano concert he saw in Japan with his grandmother.
When asked about something he learned about opera, he said, “You don’t just make music with instruments — you use your voice.”
On the performance day, Sparks third graders joined others from across the District at the VPAC. There was a lot of happy, impatient squirming as the lights went down and the performance began.
They were in for a surprise: The Ugly Duckling was an interactive performance, encouraging laughter, clapping, snapping, oohs and ahhs, and cries of “Brava!” Performers even handed out duck hats and sang a round with students.
Near the stage, Aki and Amber were riveted. There was no falling asleep, this time.
And as it was time to go, more than one student could be heard saying, “That was so cool!”
Now that’s a rave review!
“Taking our students to the VPAC for the first time this year was such a special experience,” Michal said. “It truly was the cherry on top of a fun and meaningful opera unit, and I’m so grateful that we’re able to give our third graders the opportunity to experience opera in such a special setting.”
- Rachel McReynolds