CAAPA’s “Mini Mozart Master Class” allows Youth opportunity to try Opera up close

WASHINGTON - Aug. 3, 2015 - PRLog -- When asked an audience of nearly seventy children, how many knew what an opera was, at a Prince George’s County, Maryland summer camp recently, one youngster raised his hand and explained in his own words, “opera is old boring music”.  But by the end of the 45 minute “Mini Mozart Master Class” session, when asked how many children might want to consider singing opera when they get older, seven or more children enthusiastically raised their hands, including the same young man.

Conducted by the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA) and facilitated by tenor Wayne Jennings, it was clear, lives had been changed.  Jennings remembered the same thing had happened to him almost 20 years ago. He now sings with Washington National Opera and other companies throughout the nation. Campadministrators, teachers, and CAAPA staff, including Executive Director Terri Allen, who were also in attendance, knew the same thing. “Children’s lives were changed,” stated Allen. She could see the children’s faces light up when Jennings performed an Italian aria by Mozart.  “This is what CAAPA is about…changing lives”, Allen continued. Last week’s session at the Levine School of Music Summer Camp, facilitated by soprano Angeli Ferrette, the campers also had a personal encounter, up close and personal. They had seen and heard someone like themselves, a Black person, perform an old boring opera song.  These children had never experienced that before, which is one of CAAPA’s goals, to help “Bring Color to the Classics!”

The non-profit 501(c)3 organization conducts programming for youth grades Pre-K to 18 including; “Figaro Teen Opera Program”, “Opera Alive!”, “The Opera Tale”, “Opera for Kidz”, and a scholarship program to help pay for music lessons and college, all falling under the auspices of CAAPA’s “Opera for Fun Youth Outreach Programs”.  The twelve-year-old arts organization also offers a recital series for senior citizens, master classes to high schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) throughout the USA, (a successful program the group launched last year), a performance series, among other programming, including the first-ever “Arias at Sea; Blacks in Classical Music Cruise” scheduled for November 2016.

Structured with youth in mind, the “Mini Mozart Master Class”, encourages youth to perform a song of their choice, is then helped how to stand, introduce themselves, walk, along with a brief introduction to opera, Mozart and the Black Mozart (a 17^th violinist who is largely forgotten), breathing technique and bowing. When completed the “master class” element of the session, there is a performance by the MusicMaster, always in a foreign language.  Partially funded by the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, all of CAAPA’s youth outreach programs and other programs, may be tailored to the specific needs of the school, group, or organization.  For details how to book a program, donate funds, subsidize, or sponsor an “Opera for Fun” youth outreach program, or to learn about CAAPA, visit the website www.4caapa.org, call the office number at 301-839-1444 or email info@4caapa.org.

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