Opera Resources for Elementary Music

OPERAAAAA

Ok, I totally sang that. Opera can have a bad rap. Boring, for old people, for stodgy people, or just not cool. But opera can be downright awesome! Introducing your students to opera can take out some of the myths, and show them that opera can be exciting for everyone! Here’s a collection of resources for teaching about opera in the elementary music classroom.

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Some Resources

Activities from the Lyric Opera of Chicago: https://www.lyricopera.org/lyric-lately/virtual-activities-for-kids/
Activities from the Portland Opera: https://www.portlandopera.org/education/community-voices/opera-activities/
Musical Explorers Resources: http://musicalexplorers.savannahmusicfestival.org/category/season4/s4-unit2/
Resources from The Metropolitan Opera: https://www.metopera.org/Discover/Education/Educator-Guides-Archive/

Videos

Terry Fator (a ventriloquist – a must watch!): https://www.sherrishowtv.com/video/terry-fator-performs-on-sherri/
Kids Meet an Opera Singer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95RLviccrQc
An Introduction to Opera’s Voices (Voice Types): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLfvkwTnJVM
What Happens Just Before Showtime at the Met: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdUScE7VZq8
Opera for Kids Abigail Kelly (Royal Albert Hall): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cNe0J2hqMs
Queen of the Night Aria from The Magic Flute (Royal Opera House): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuBeBjqKSGQ
Nessun Dorma: Jonas Kaufmann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SpKFkjlO8Y
Habanera: The Muppets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXKUb5A1auM
Andrea Bocelli’s Lullaby for Elmo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BDVvB7Xx1w
Sesame Street People in Your Neighborhood Opera Singer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xrab76v5zU&t=5s

Some Productions:

Hansel and Gretel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SK5s9rdwPY
The Three Little Pigs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-nKO7BXVrY

A Few Books

Welcome to the Opera: Discover the Enchanting World of Opera with Mozart’s The Magic Flute
Author: Carolyn Sloan
Illustrator: Kaly Quarles
ISBN: 978-1523516964
Buy the book on Amazon

Welcome to the Opera is a must have for your classroom! This adorable book features some cute little puppies taking a trip to the opera to see The Magic Flute. Not only is it a cute little story but it explains elements of the opera, drama, musical terms, and has sound clips to listen to as well.

Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera: Behind the Scenes with Composers, Cast, and Crew
Author: Ann Siberell
ISBN: 978-0195139662
Buy the book on Amazon

This is a more in depth look at parts of the opera, how things work such as parts of the stage, things like the stage manager, costuming, and about opera in general. This is a great resource to build a unit on!

The Barefoot Book of Stories from the Opera
Author: Shahrukh Husain
Illustrator: James Mayhew
ISBN: 978-1902283289
Buy the book on Amazon

This book is 7 operas written as stories. Great for an introduction to specific operas.

A Soup Opera
Author: David Gill
Illustrator: David Moose
ISBN: 978-0981572109
Buy the book on Amazon

An illustrated comic opera perfect for some fun! This poor guy just wants some soup.

Fun Game

Opera or Cheese is a cheesy, funny way to add to an opera unit. Let students guess if the work is a title, or the name of a cheese! It also works great for subs! Comes with info about each cheese and a quick info about the operas. Check it out here.