06 May Let’s Exceed Expectations
One of my favorite moments this spring began on a walk down the hall with a middle school music teacher. We were heading to the gym for dress rehearsal with her students and the Opera for the Young (OFTY) cast. She warned me that her students were “too cool” to engage with the opera, embarrassed to participate in front of their peers.
But when we stepped into the gym, something magical happened. Every single chorister had joined in with our cast: singing confidently, doing the motions, and eager to show the professionals how well they knew their parts. The same students who had resisted with their teacher were now embracing the spotlight, proud to be colleagues to our cast.
This is the transformative experience that OFTY brings to schools: empowering kids, showing them how capable they are as individuals, and letting them take part in the magic and satisfaction of creating something exquisite and unforgettable as part of a team. By taking part in an opera alongside world-class professional artists, kids learn something essential not only about performing, but about themselves, and they can carry this lesson with them for life.
And just like the students, OFTY can rise higher with your support.
Your gifts allow us to sustain 100 more participatory performances of The Elixir of Love this spring – bringing the joy of live opera to 70,000 children, strengthening our cast and staff, and keeping every performance vibrant, meaningful, and fully realized.
This season, I invite you to join us in exceeding expectations: giving a little more than you have in the past so that students can continue to surpass theirs. Together, we can make each school performance an unforgettable moment of courage, joy, and discovery.
Thank you for helping students step into their spotlight, and for helping OFTY deliver opera that inspires, challenges, and delights.
Sincerely,
Saira Frank & the Board and Staff of Opera for the Young
