NEW YORK, NY — The Metropolitan Opera Guild, a premier arts education organization, announced an enrollment growth in the lineup of its opera-based learning programs from the previous year. These programs, which began in August, are designed to enrich the lives of children and educators, while fulfilling state and federal learning standards. “Our programs at the Guild are tailored to fit a school’s specific needs, and have been proven to increase a student’s test scores and engagement,” said Stuart Holt, Director of School Programs and Community Engagement, Metropolitan Opera Guild.
More details from the Metropolitan Opera Guild (www.metguild.org):
“Last year at this time, we had 197 classrooms enrolled in our programs — currently, we have 227 classrooms enrolled. We are proud of the work we are doing at the Guild, and the positive impact it’s had on the community.” States Holt.
Due to its success in providing excellent and accessible arts experiences, The Metropolitan Opera Guild received a grant from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) this spring to support their work in public schools in New York and New Jersey.
The programs that are available for schools include:
Students Compose Opera: Using the elements of opera – libretto writing, music composition, and theatrical staging – students compose and present their own musical dramas based on source material drawn from Language Arts or Social Studies curriculum.
· Appropriate for: Pre-K to Grade 12
· What’s included: weekly instruction, planning sessions, professional development, student presentations and Metropolitan Opera final dress rehearsal tickets
Urban Voices: Using choral repertoire from the operatic canon as well as different cultures, genres and time periods, this program builds music literacy, text comprehension and listening skills. Students also explore rhythm, pitch, harmony and notation through performance.
· Appropriate for: Kindergarten to Grade 12
· What’s included: weekly instruction, planning sessions, student presentations and Metropolitan Opera final dress rehearsal tickets
Access Opera: Engages Students with the unforgettable experience of watching a performance live on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House and provides teachers with the resources for drawing connections across literature, social studies, foreign language and the arts.
· Appropriate for: Grade 3 to College
· What’s included: Metropolitan Opera final dress rehearsal tickets, classroom resources and professional development
Teaching Through Opera: This professional development program helps educators build the knowledge and skills to incorporate the elements of opera into ongoing instruction. Teachers learn to guide students in creating original operatic material based on stories, poems, or historical events from the curriculum. In turn, students develop skills in the arts, while improving literacy, communication, problem-solving, and collaboration.
· Appropriate for: Educators of students Kindergarten to Grade 12
· What’s included: opera learning institute, team planning sessions, classroom support, opera learning workshops, and Metropolitan Opera final dress rehearsal tickets
Registration is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit www.metguild.org/schoolpartnerships
