Opera Philadelphia Education Program Addresses Growing Gap In Urban Arts Education
KENSINGTON (CBS) -- A group of 4th graders in Kensington showed off their talents by performing in mini operas based on Dr. Suess stories. It's a part of a musical education outreach program run by Opera Philadelphia.
For the past couple of months, Opera Philadelphia has been engaging about 100 students at William Cramp Elementary School, in the creation of opera.
Tatyana Smolen is a teaching artist for Opera Philadelphia's educational outreach program, Sounds of Learning™. She worked with the four 4th grade classes in the pilot program. She said the performances were adaptations of Dr. Seuss's "The Sneetches," with an important message.
"It' s okay to be who you are. In fact we borrowed from another Dr. Suess book we borrowed this line: Be who are are, say what you feel, those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind."
Cramp Elementary does not have a permanent music education program, the Sounds of Learning program addresses the growing gap in arts education and access in the region.
