Saira Frank
28 years old
Lyric soprano
What experiences have you had working with youth education and outreach programs?
I have been Madison [Wis.] Opera’s Resident Teaching Artist for the Overture Arts Initiative since 2009. This is my fifth season with Opera for the Young.
How would you describe the experience? How is it good for the community, and how have you benefited from it as a young performer?
Giving children an exposure to opera at such an early age and in such a relaxed setting sets the genre up for future success. It’s amazing how negatively people think about opera without even realizing their assumptions are damaging to the art. Children witness stories being told with song, emphasized by the voice and, all of a sudden, opera becomes accessible to them. Every time I perform for an audience unfamiliar with opera, I allow myself more freedom as a performer. Outreach has allowed me to learn so much about my ability, both vocal and dramatic.
Why do you think education and outreach in opera are important?
Without it, there’s the constant fear of losing our audience. People need to understand how accessible opera can be; it’s just stories, punctuated by beautiful song and breathtaking moments. And comedy! But people seem to be afraid to take it as lightly as it was intended. This is why companies like Opera for the Young are so wonderful. We can take that comedy and slap you in the face with it.
What are some of the things that drew you to the program you’re working with?
Opera for the Young auditioned a few blocks from Northwestern’s campus during my final year. I was asked to sing a role and I keep coming back. Diane Garton Edie is a joy to work for, and the company is very organized and passionate about their performances. I’ve always loved working with kids, and outreach allows me to do so while sharing my favorite art and connecting them to it. Outreach is also a great way to transition between graduate studies and a professional career. There are so few positions for soloists, yet we need to keep performing and singing and improving our voices in the interim.
Mark Craig
33 years old
Tenor
What experiences have you had working with youth education and outreach programs?
I have performed with Opera for the Young for five years, singing four different roles. I was also a member of the Anchorage Opera Studio in 2004 and 2005 in Anchorage, Alaska. We toured the entire state, performing with students in many remote areas.
How would you describe the experience? How is it good for the community, and how have you benefited from it as a young performer?
Since I was first cast in 2008, I found it to be an extremely professional and educational experience. I often find that these performances bring so many people together that may not ordinarily have the opportunity to hear such wonderful music sung by professionals that also highlights their children, neighbors, students, etc. I encounter many parents that are extremely excited that their children are able to take part in such a self-esteem-building activity. I am told often that the kids love singing the songs at home and more times than not continue upon their musical journeys through other outlets in the community, such as school and church choirs or private lessons.
Our performances and workshops always bring a sense of camaraderie, positive self-esteem, and pride to the kids and schools involved. I have gained a more inclusive idea of opera. It is not just an art form studied and relegated to adults or those with superior musical knowledge or talent. As an outreach member and advocate, I have seen first hand how music can truly change the course of a young person’s life, adding an outlet to their busy lives where they can truly be themselves and work toward personal goals. I have also grown as a musician and artist, constantly honing my craft on a daily basis. It’s not often that opera singers are able to receive so much stage time.
Why do you think education and outreach in opera are important?
I believe that opera outreach brings communities together through its inclusiveness and its willingness to adapt to each child and their individual strengths. We work tirelessly to expand our horizons as people and citizens of the cities in which we live, and this sort of outreach literally brings everyone within reach. It enables students and teachers to utilize a whole other means of communication. Music is the great equalizer and can bridge many gaps that often separate children, such as their socio-economic and racial backgrounds.
What are some of the things that drew you to the program you’re working with?
I had long been passionate about bringing music/opera to children through various means. And when OFY popped up on my horizon, I knew it was a group I wanted to be a part of. As its mission statement says, we do our best on a daily basis to “ignite enthusiasm for opera.”
Ashley Cutright
26 years old
Mezzo soprano
What experiences have you had working with youth education and outreach programs?
This is my second time working with OPERA Iowa as a young artist after auditioning for Des Moines Metro Opera’s apprentice program in New York.
How would you describe the experience? How is it good for the community, and how have you benefited from it as a young performer?
The most significant thing I have realized is that it’s the first time for many of these young audiences to see a live performance of any kind. Exposing them to live theater is so critical. It makes it not such a scary thing to do as they get older if they have the chance to familiarize themselves with it early. And to be able to bring them opera is so great. The opportunity to be able to have access to the arts in my community definitely made an impression on me at a young age.
The thing I have taken from this as an emerging artist today is the ability to grow, build my stamina, pace myself, and learn how to adjust quickly. As far as preparing for something like this, I’ve learned how important it is to maintain good health—drink a lot of water, eat healthy, get sleep, and take care of your body as best you can.
Why do you think education and outreach in opera are important?
Most small towns we visit have never had the exposure to something like opera. There is always some kind of variation from audience to audience. It’s especially nice to see such honest reactions from people who have never seen anything like it before. There is so much excitement and such an element of surprise.
What are some of the things that drew you to the program you’re working with?
I like the opportunity of getting more acquainted with my voice and learning how to take care of myself on the road. I think it has better prepared me for a career in opera. And it’s a great experience getting to share opera with audiences who have never seen or experienced it before.
Alexander Elliott
25 years old
Baritone
What experiences have you had working with youth education and outreach programs?
This is my first year touring in the spring with OPERA Iowa, after auditioning in New York for the Des Moines Metro Opera’s summer apprentice program.
How would you describe the experience? How is it good for the community, and how have you benefited from it as a young performer?
It’s really hard to imagine something like this at the start of the tour. It’s hard to believe that some of your audience has never seen live theater. The arts are so readily available on television. It’s a wonderful feeling, bringing them something live for the first time. It’s fresh and exciting and is definitely one of the best challenges to have as a performer. Part of the mission of OPERA Iowa is to go where there is a need for this art. Those we are reaching we are reaching strongly.
Doing a program like this, touring and bringing opera into schools for so many performances, challenges you to keep the character fresh. There is a sense of energy in learning how to approach it day after day. You also build stamina and learn a lot about your voice.
Why do you think education and outreach in opera are important?
I would absolutely recommend this kind of program as a part of any young singer’s training and career building. I think it’s important to know and build your audience and have the experience of education and outreach—of being not only a student, but an educator of your art.
What are some of the things that drew you to the program you’re working with?
It is a different schedule than what I am used to. There is a lot of energy in a very close group of people you get to work with day after day. It definitely provides an opportunity for you to learn your instrument and to learn how to keep an open mind, be enthusiastic, and compromise as a colleague.
