Overview of Patch Originally founded in May 1986 as the city’s first professional opera company, Austin Opera has become a cultural touchstone for the fine arts community in the Central Texas region and has gained national acclaim as a producer of great opera. Austin Opera is thrilled to partner with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas to encourage girls to discover, to connect with, and to celebrate this engaging and beautiful art form. While completing the requirements for the Austin Opera patch, girls will have the opportunity to build cultural intelligence by gaining historical knowledge of opera as well as the many skills and people that collaborate to produce an opera. They will experience a beautiful art form and learn to be critical and thoughtful listeners and audience members. They will be encouraged to have fun exploring their whole being to express themselves musically and to pass on the understanding about the power of opera to communicate universal themes, ideas, and emotions. PROGRAM GRADE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: Daisies: _2_ activities from each category Brownies: _3_ activities from each category Juniors: __4 activities from each category Cadettes, Seniors & Ambassadors: _4/5_ activities from each category DISCOVER ACTIVITY 1 What’s an Opera? Listen to the following radio episode from CLASSIC FOR KIDS. After listening, take the short quiz provided on the webpage. https://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/shows.php?id=272 ACTIVITY 2 What’s it like to be an Opera Singer? Listen to an interview with opera singer Denyce Graves, who shares what it is like to be an international opera star. https://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/shows.php?id=244 After listening to the interview, watch a video performance featuring Denyce Graves. Here are a few suggestions. “Habanera” from Carmen by George Bizet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V9woZuVIO4 “American Anthem” by Gene Scheer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIGnlIymhUU (NOTE: Gene Scheer is the librettist for Everest, an opera being presented by Austin Opera in January 2020.) ACTIVITY 3 Discover the different voice types in opera. Go to the following webpage to read descriptions about each of the different voice types in opera. Then click on the accompanying video to hear a recording of each. Do you have a favorite voice type to listen to? Discuss with others how the voices are different from one another. https://operaamerica.org/Applications/Notes/Voice.aspx DISCOVER ACTIVITY 4 Read “A Sound Anatomy of Opera.” https://3y1n6b1nmivx2rbq5g2185a9-wpengine.netdna- ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/A-SOUND-ANATOMY-OF-OPERA-study-guide-2017.pdf Make a list of any NEW vocabulary or terms that you learned. Pick at least ONE new term to listen to from the list below. OVERTURE - Marriage of Figaro: “Overture” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb1tlh9xn38 ARIA – Turandot: “Nessun dorma” by Giacomo Puccini https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWc7vYjgnTs RECITATIVE: “What is a Recitative?” presented by Leonard Bernstein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDq4KqP7Pxs ENSEMBLE: The Marriage of Figaro: Act 2 Finale “Voi, signor, che giusto siete” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo5BiYDgj7s CHORUS: Final Chorus from Turandot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwJA1b2l7g Children’s Chorus from Turandot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PkS2HQj9ZE DISCOVER ACTIVITY 5 The Opera Orchestra-Instrumental Music is an important component of an opera. Learn how to identify and classify instruments by sight and sound with the following resources. Classification of Instruments Slide Show: Learn both the orchestral classification system and the ethnographic classification (based on how an instrument produces sound). https://www.slideshare.net/sandramorgan16547/classification-of-instruments-revised- nov2013 Learn & Listen-Instruments: On the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids’ website, find pictures, facts, and audio samples of the instruments in the orchestra. https://www.mydso.com/dso-kids/learn-and-listen/instruments Percussion Family Crossword Puzzle: A fun activity from the DSO Kids’ website to practice your knowledge of percussion instruments. https://d15gc4eof6ew0j.cloudfront.net/res/DSO%20Kids%20Lesson%20Resources/The%20Beat %20Goes%20On_Family%20Crossword%20Puzzle_13-14.pdf DISCOVER ACTIVITY 6 Inside Austin Opera – Costumes! View the following video interviews with Austin Opera’s Wardrobe staff. Make a list of skills and activities that go into preparing costumes and dressing the performers. Inside Austin Opera: Kathy Lang, Wardrobe Supervisor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHcm_JPKtZc&feature=youtu.be Spend a few minutes with Kathy in the Wardrobe Room prior to the start of the final dress rehearsal of Austin Opera’s production of Ariadne auf Naxos. Inside Austin Opera: Trinka Withers, Head Dresser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtNi6UGHtpg&feature=youtu.be Put on your comfy shoes and get ready to follow Trinka as she shows us some of her favorite spots in the theatre. Inside Austin Opera: Joe Adams, Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=7RYuc8pyK_E&app=desktop Join Joe at the Austin Opera Warehouse as he takes us through the steps of a costume fitting. This video also features Abigail Jackson, from the Austin Opera Chorus. DISCOVER ACTIVITY 7 Read a book about opera. Here are a few to look for at your school, public library, or for purchase at an online store. PICTURE BOOKS * Clement, G (1999). The Great Poochini. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre * Freeman, L., & Freeman, D. (1953). Pet of the Met. New York: Junior Literary Guild. * Gatti, A. (2005). The Magic Flute. Chronicle Books. * Gill, J., & Moose, D. (2009). A Soup Opera. Oak Park, IL. Jim Gill. * Greaves, M. (1989). The Magic Flute: The Story of Mozart’s Opera. Henry Holth & Co. * Price, Leontyne, (1990). Aida. Gulliver Books. * Ryan, P., & Saylor, D. (2002). When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson: The Voice of a Century. New York: Scholastic Press. * Weatherford, C. (2014). Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century. Knopf Books for Young Readers * Weaver, T. & Wesson, A. (2002). Opera Cat. New York: Clarion Books CHAPTER BOOKS & OPERA STORY COLLECTIONS * Mayer, Marianna (1995). Turandot. HarperCollins * Mayhew, J. (1999). The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera. New York: Barefoot Books. * Osborne, M.P. (2009). Moonlight on the Magic Flute (Magic Tree House Series #41). Mary Pope Osborne. * Rosenberg, J., & York. N. (1989). Sing Me a Story: The Metropolitan Opera’s Book of Opera Stories for Children. New York, N.Y.: Thames and Hudson. * Maclear, K., & Eggenschwiler, B. (2019). Operatic. Groundwood Books. ACTIVITY 8 Discover the many skills and jobs that connect to opera and the arts by completing the CAREERS IN THE ARTS activity: https://3y1n6b1nmivx2rbq5g2185a9-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Careers- in-the-Arts-study-guide-2017.pdf CONNECT ACTIVITY 1-Attend a performance of LIVE opera! Austin Opera will provide FREE tickets for Girl Scout groups to attend the ACCESS OPERA final dress rehearsal of Puccini’s Turandot. Thursday, April 23, 2019, 7:00PM at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704 **Go to https://austinopera.org/education/accessopera/ to register for tickets to attend Turandot. Maximum of one adult ticket provided for every 4 students. Registration for tickets opens on February 19. Register early! Email [email protected] for additional information or to pre-register prior to the 19th. Go to austinopera.org to see programming for the entire season. There are other organizations in the Austin area that also produce LIVE opera. Check out their websites below. LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists)-http://www.lolaaustin.org/ One Ounce Opera-https://oneounceopera.com/ UT Butler Opera Center-https://butleroperacenter.music.utexas.edu/current-season/ ACTIVITY 2 – Watch a video or DVD performance of an opera. The Metropolitan Opera produces Live in HD transmissions in movie theatres across the Central Texas region, including: Austin, College Station, Killeen, Kyle, San Angelo, San Antonio, Temple, and Waco Go to https://www.metopera.org/Season/In-Cinemas/Theater-Finder/ to find the theatre closest to you. Check with your local cinema for specific dates and times. You can also find complete opera performances online. Here are some suggestions: Turandot (Puccini) Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvQC4vCXjDc Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yJCpL0EfNY Turandot: Performance in China (Puccini) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyZHi-yVESQ&list=PL4jmgLPuATP0j3I7X_ge- Et6JZk8pJNFW&index=40 CONNECT The Magic Flute (Mozart) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9nyPrJy5ek Tosca (Puccini) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnO7FBS1akI&list=PL4jmgLPuATP0j3I7X_ge- Et6JZk8pJNFW&index=4 Marriage of Figaro (Mozart) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OYtlGpApc0&list=PL4jmgLPuATP0j3I7X_ge- Et6JZk8pJNFW&index=10 La Cenerentola (Rossini) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeVezYX1m6M&list=PL4jmgLPuATP0j3I7X_ge- Et6JZk8pJNFW&index=23 Madame Butterfly (Puccini) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T_whchilwQ&list=PL4jmgLPuATP0j3I7X_ge- Et6JZk8pJNFW&index=41 ACTIVITY 3 Opera is sung in a variety of languages in countries all over the world. Opera originated in Italy, and many of the most popular operas are written in and performed in Italian. Have fun learning some Italian words and phrases using the Duolingo APP: https://www.duolingo.com/ (or another language teaching resource of your choice) Then view one of the Animated Listening Maps in the Turandot PowerPoint