The Fifth Grade in front of the Metropolitan Opera House. Saint David’s is collaborating with the Met for a unit that will
culminate with the boys’ original mini-operatic production.
difficult for many of us, including adults! They begin singing solos for each other, hearing their own voices in the classroom,
listening to their friends, making musical connections that will stay with them for their entire lives. By November, they are
studying the great composer Beethoven, and trying to understand what life in the late 18th century was really like. How
could Beethoven, a composer who is beloved throughout the world, write such music while not being able to hear? By putting
themselves in Beethoven’s shoes, they begin to respect the intense hard work and determination that makes greatness. When
the time comes for their Christmas Pageant in December, it is a bonding experience. They sing together; they applaud the
boys who sing solo; and they delight in dressing up as angels or shepherds. The theater bug has bitten them.
In Second and Third Grades, suddenly the boys’ knowledge of reading and writing music becomes more real. A quarter
note equals two eighths? This is a ledger line? The soldiers in the Revolutionary War actually sang “Yankee Doodle” and
made up their own verses? With the addition of our Otto-Bernstein Performing Arts Theatre, the boys now can feel what it is
like to stand under bright lights, to sing into a microphone, or to try to project their voices without one. They play characters
and their acting skills are called upon. They learn about blocking, about how to respect each other as they move around the
stage. They learn that choreography can mean they all have to do the same movements as a team. And very importantly, they
begin to learn rehearsal manners. Even at this age, boys often step up to be leaders. They are the ones who show by example,
and it is always very powerful as an educator to see these moments happen.
By Fourth and Fifth Grades, the boys are learning instruments. While many Saint David’s boys take private lessons on
“They can’t wait to create something that reflects their
understanding of our world and to let their voices be heard.”
piano, percussion or string instruments, their actual classes in recorder, percussion ensemble, singing, hand bells, and strings
teach them how a small ensemble really makes music. The idea that practice makes perfect, and that everyone needs to practice
suddenly becomes quite obvious; often, the music teacher needs only to mention the word. It is also in Fifth Grade, when the
boys begin to prepare for Lessons and Carols, that they realize they are part of a much bigger tradition. They see that many,
many boys before them, in some cases their fathers, participated in this celebration of word and music, and the fact that all 88
boys are dressed in black robes makes them feel a deeper respect for the traditions of the school and for the power of the music.
So, now let’s look at what actually goes into creating an original opera. This year, our fifth graders have partnered with
the Metropolitan Opera and some of the greatest artists in the world in a signature unit that will culminate in a workshop
performance of their own creation. At this writing, I do not actually know what the opera will be: the story, the arias, the
music, the sets and costumes, are all yet to be decided. However, I can tell you what our music department is doing to guide
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