The Essence of Opera Learning: Student Achievement
in the Arts

A Partnership between the Montgomery County Public School Schools, The Washington Opera, and The Metropolitan Opera Guild

ewhatmoor@dc-opera-org
Lillian_H_Pailen@fc.mcps.k12.md.us

Features of the partnership include:

• Professional development opportunities for teachers emphasizing standards-based instruction, cross-curricular themes, and the writing process;

• Programs that enhance students’ opera learning through hands-on workshops including docent visits, artist residencies, and field trips to The Washington Opera; and

• Tickets to performances for students and teachers.

The partnership builds upon a Metropolitan Opera Guild program entitled Creating Original Opera (COO). This program was originally implemented at Farmland Elementary School in 1995 under the guidance and creativity of Ms. Deborah Scesa, choral/general music teacher. In 1998, Mrs. Valia Vassila expanded the COO program to Beverly Farms Elementary School.

During the first semester of the 2000-2001 school year, Ms. Scesa participated in an Executive Internship program with The Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York City. Under her guidance, and through funding from the Maryland State Department of Education Fine Arts Initiative Grant, a new phase of the dual partnership has emerged. The partnership expansion includes the implementation of five additional elementary schools (Burtonsville, Fox Chapel, Greencastle, New Hampshire Estates, Resnick) and two high schools (Richard Montgomery and Wootton) in the COO program. The funding has also provided training opportunities for a teacher team at Watkins Mill Elementary School to participate in The Washington Opera’s Music! Words! Opera! 2001 summer training program. With continued support from business partners, school administrators, community stakeholders, and under the guidance and creativity of dedicated teachers, the school system hopes to expand the COO programs into five to seven additional schools per year.

The COO program at Farmland Elementary school, entitled Le Clevique Kids Opera Company, has been highly successful. The program description that follows provides information on the impact of the partnership on students and the curriculum and benefits of the partnership for The Washington Opera.

La Clevique Kids Opera Company and The Washington Opera Partnership

Creating Original Opera is a distinctive and unique program produced by The Metropolitan Opera Guild of NY where students form their own in-school opera production company and take on the roles of their professional counterparts. The project is designed to enhance and connect to the school curricula by challenging students to write, produce and perform an original opera. The in-depth interdisciplinary curriculum for the classroom includes all aspects and components of the performing arts and visual arts AND encourages students to utilize and reinforce skills in all subject areas.

The partnership with The Washington Opera provides opportunities for students to investigate, shadow and receive instruction in the "on the job" skills of opera professionals. The partnership:

• Placido Domingo teaches students about his varied and complex roles as opera singer, conductor and Artistic Director.

• Edward Purrington, Artistic Administrator, familiarizes students with his responsibilities to audition singers, manage the company and decide the future performances and direction of the company.

• Production Manager instructs students on issues at the management level: liaison for all the design elements and stage crew.

• Wig and makeup designers train student artists to design and apply makeup.

• Costume Director tutors students in character study and its impact on the design elements of costuming.

• Public Relations Director shares her expertise with students on how to develop their press release, VIP database and the best ways to approach the media for coverage of their work.

• Composers critique student compositions.

Because of this unique partnership, students acquire skills that generate their own efficient paradigms to solve problems in a real work context. Situation-linked knowledge and skills lead to effective job performance allowing students to transfer acquired knowledge into practice. The program de-emphasizes the school model focused on individual performance to a work model that emphasizes socially shared performance.

As opera professionals participate in student learning in partnership with teachers and schools they: open dialogues among school, parents and other business partners; acquire a deeper understanding of the sequenced student learning that can be used in their apprentice programs; find value in providing professional development for teachers involved in the partnership; and evaluate a new source of publicity (student PR department). Students have recognized their Washington Opera partners when they appeared on Nightline, The Today Show, Channel 4 when presented as one of the outstanding programs in education in the Washington Area and in The Washington Post. Most recently The Washington Opera/La Clevique Kids Opera Company received a $5,000 Business/School Partnership Award from The Wall Street Journal, the first elementary school ever to receive this honor.

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