USC music students introduce opera to elementary school kids
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — You might have seen a lot of opera houses in the state, but may not have ever actually been to one.
Friday, opera singers performed for people who don’t normally attend them, elementary school students.
“You got to remember that it’s an artform that’s been around for 500 years. It changes with the times,” said Ellen Schlaefer, University of South Carolina director of opera. “There’s a lot of operas being written right now.”
Music students in their 20s are writing operas right here in Columbia. The grad school program at USC has singers from all over the world.
“My mother used to play records and my father was in musical theater,” said grad student Austin Means. “I was hooked from the get-go.”
USC grad school students performed an original piece based on classic children’s stories to 4th and 5th graders at Rosewood Elementary.
“We try to provide opportunities for our children to have a range of arts experiences whether it’s going out to the community or having the community come into our school,” said Rosewood Elementary School principal Elizabeth Williams. “It’s important for our students to be exposed to the arts.”
The elementary school students were able to ask the singers about opera after the performance.
“There’s just so many different options,” Means said. “There’s a ton of variety.”
“I love coming alive and becoming a different character, I think that’s where I thrive,” added grad student Ladejia Bittle. “I like telling stories and connecting with the audience as well.”
“The energy is so great. They love singing and telling stories. I don’t say this often, but I love coming to class with them because they’re curious,” Schlaefer said. “They have talent and they want to share it.”
“It’s about wanting to work hard in all the extracurricular activities such as summer programs but it’s also having a good support system too,” Bittle said. “Without that, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Find out more about USC’s opera here.
