Learning for Real

On the Rink

by

Though almost half of the class had never roller skated before, the company decided that the best setting for our opera story would be a skating rink. So, last week we went on a field trip to Wheels Skating Center in Odenton, Maryland. Owner and professional skater, Pam Muegge, welcomed us and opened her rink for us to explore.

Roller skating was no easy feat. Most of us spent more time on the floor than upright on skates but learned valuable lessons about ourselves, our company and about the challenges of skating. Our experiences on and off the rink proved fruitful for our respective opera jobs and we left with a sense of accomplishment.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WHAT REALLY MATTERS?

by

The goal is that each day will be purpose driven and meaningful in a way that engages and excites all students in the learning process. When we notice that much of our space is filled with the “silly, stupid things” that get in the way of learning, it’s time to step back and ask ourselves, “What really matters?” Last week I asked that very question. Company members retreated to a comfortable writing place and put pencil to paper. When given time to reflect, we can see what is happening around us and inside us. Then we are able to recognize the moments and experiences that affect us positively and negatively. We are more cognizant of what really matters.

A LETTER TO AMERICA

by

The day after the election, my students wanted to talk. They wanted to tell me how they were feeling and what they were thinking. I listened. Then I encouraged them to write their thoughts in a letter to America. Below are excerpts from their writing. I am hopeful as I think about the future of our country when I hear these eight year olds speak their truth and begin to discover their music inside. They matter. And they want the world to know it.

“We have to speak up and show who we are.”
–Kelvin

“We should have kids vote, like 6 year olds, seven year olds, eight, nine and ten year olds.”
–Mezaih

“We want people to not want so much power.”
–Enrique

“America needs to know who we are and what we are capable of.”
–Iyannah and Mark

“Everybody needs to have freedom.”
–Alexa

“We are all unique and that’s okay.”
–Belinda

“We have voices.”
–Evelyn

 

 

The Island of Judgment and Criticism

by

In education today, play and improvisation are often regarded as frivolous, fluff, a waste of time. In reality, they hold the key to learning and understanding the world around us.

By creating an environment and simulating a situation to explore our opera theme of judgment, students bring to life an imaginary world by improvising a scenario. They are completely uninhibited because they are merely playing. What this “play” yields astounds me every time I witness it. From what appears to be total chaos, comes profound revelation.

The Island of Judgment and Criticism has a river that runs through it. One side of the river is inhabited by compassionate, empathetic beings. On the other side of the river live those who are judgmental and critical.
No one has ever crossed the river . . . until now.

Lyric Writing: A Collaborative Effort

by

We are now in the process of introducing all jobs in the opera company.

As a writer, a chief responsibility is composing song lyrics. Given a familiar story about fishermen from The Congo, small groups set to work crafting lyrics for an aria to be sung by one of the main characters, Benguela.

Generally speaking, learning to work collaboratively is no easy feat. But today, teams settled quickly into a productive flow. There was immediate interest and engagement in the task.

I was delighted to see students who struggle with writing take the pen and lead their peers in this creative pursuit. The classroom was abuzz with unique ideas and lively discussion. To my surprise, several groups broke into song, tapping rhythms and singing melodies to accompany their words.

My Anger Dragon

by

In talking with my students about living a great story, I simply asked, “What parts of our story can we control and what parts of our story are beyond our control?” Several shared that anger sometimes gets the best of them and they are not able to control it. For this reason, every day after recess and lunch, we find the space to stop, be still, breathe and release.

One day, during this period, a dear friend and former opera parent, Lissa James, came to class to lead us in a guided imagery session intended to help us recognize and confront our anger. Through story and vivid images, company members became conscious of their anger dragons.

Now, the goal is to determine ways to control this unpredictable beast that appears time and time again, catches us off guard, wreaks havoc in our lives and often leaves us feeling defenseless and defeated.

Where does my anger dragon live? What is his motivation? How will I control him? These are questions we all might ask ourselves.

Discover the Music Inside: A Big Part of our Great Story

by

We are Discover the Music Inside Kids Opera Company. After reflecting on the experiences we have shared since school began, the students were able to synthesize the metaphors, inspiring song lyrics, profound books and all we have lived together these last five weeks to arrive at their company name. It will surely serve us well and will inform our individual and collective stories.

Others Matter

by

Late Friday afternoon as the first week of school drew to a close, I asked company members what they had learned over the five instructional days. Samir, who rarely contributed ideas during discussions and group sharing, raised his hand and responded, “Others Matter.”

As hands shot up around the circle and students generated a comprehensive list of lessons learned, I wondered, “If they are able to recognize and utilize these tidbits of wisdom in September, where might they be in June?”

Live a Great Story

by

On day one, I presented the incoming company members with the directive, Live a Great Story.live-a-great-story

I simply asked, “What does this mean to you?” Their responses, so authentic and introspective, launch our year-long journey of discovery.

“Write my story.”
― Eugene

“I want to live my life like a story, make it beautiful and amazing. I want my life to be as clean as the Earth after rain. I want to make good decisions and be a good example.”
― Evelyn

“Follow your heart. Nobody can tell you what you can or can’t do. If you make a mistake, it’s okay. The good thing instead of giving up, is that you learn from your mistakes.”
― Belinda [Read more…] about Live a Great Story

Bigger Than Our Barriers

by

Back in September, Take Off the Mask Kids Opera Company was invited to present its original opera on The Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. We knew then that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity and that we must work hard and persevere to deliver our collective message to a broader audience.

After the opera, Jasmine Momyer eloquently shared from the stage her final words as production manager.

“When we are confronting our barriers… It will hurt. It will take time. It will require confidence. It will require love. We will need to make healthy decisions for ourselves. We will need to keep our minds fresh and clean and our hearts pure. It will require sacrifice. We will need to push our bodies to the limit. There will be temptations to give up. But I promise, when we reach our goal, it will be WORTH IT!! Confront your barriers.”

In these final days of school, we can say that we indeed have confronted our barriers, we have reached our goals, we have learned many life lessons and we are now ready to teach others what we have experienced.

The opera on June 8, 2016 was streamed live for the world to see. We share it with you now.