(upbeat music) (upbeat music) - [Host] This week on "Expressions," we visit Tri-Cities Opera to learn about a unique community collaboration that brings students' short stories to life.

- I think this program kind of gives a little heads up to people that there are so many more opportunities for creative expression than we often realize.

♪ I'm scared ♪ (upbeat music) - [Host] "The Pocket Opera Project" next on "Expressions."

Funding for this program is provided in part by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(audience applauding) - Hello and welcome to "Expressions."

I'm your host, Adara Alston.

For tonight's episode, we are highlighting The Pocket Opera Project, a unique collaboration that includes Tri-Cities Opera, WSKG Education, No Theater, and the Binghamton University Music Department.

We talked with TCO's executive director John Azzoni, to find out what makes these tiny operas tick.

(upbeat music) - A pocket opera is essentially a mini opera and the format or the premise is that we solicit short stories from local youth and we turn those stories into 15 minute operas.

This program is really aimed at the next generation of opera lovers, the next generation of opera creators.

That word opera holds a lot of different meanings for different people, and a lot of people don't fully grasp that it is something that is right here, right now, that it is something that is for everyone.

And so to me, this project really cuts to the very heart of that sort of sentiment that opera is for everyone.

♪ Oh science project ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ We surely get an A ♪ ♪ A plus A plus ♪ ♪ A Secret Secret Formula A secret secret formula ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ We surely get an A A plus A plus ♪ - [Presenter] WSKG writing challenge was a huge asset to this production.

We don't run story competitions and so our reach in the education field, aside from music teachers, is somewhat minimal.

Having this plethora of material was a huge resource for us to really spark creativity in our composers and librettists.

- [Speaker] The WSKG Student Writing Challenge is a contest open to students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade that traces its roots back to the popular children's program "Reading Rainbow."

Each year a select group of local librarians visits the station to judge every entry.

- On the day of the judging, we come in and we have a pile of different age categories and different topic categories, fiction, non-fiction poetry, and we sit down and we get to reading.

And this is a great way for students to express themselves.

They don't always have a way to do that in an informal setting.

It's not a school assignment.

This they can choose anything that they want to write about and it's a great way for them to, to have that power of self-expression, entries range from non-fiction about your favorite animal is from the younger groups and personal essays that are really touching from older students.

- I think the diversity in stories that are available based on the age levels that the WSKG contest involves is really wonderful.

And we had one opera that was basically based on a child's picture book drawing that really led us to one of the most compelling pieces that we presented.

♪ I'm tired of this boring life ♪ ♪ I wish I could live outside this fish tank ♪ ♪ Somewhere more bright more lively ♪ ♪ Well I'm also tired of my life ♪ ♪ I don't like my cage ♪ ♪ I want to be somewhat important.

♪ ♪ I want to be somewhere quiet and colorful ♪ ♪ I'm tired of these chips ♪ ♪ But what if we swap our lives ♪ ♪ Are you serious ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Let's do it let's swap ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Hey fish by the way I the Queen of Queens ♪ ♪ How should I walk here ♪ ♪ Oh your majesty ♪ ♪ You need to swim ♪ ♪ With my little paws ♪ ♪ Yes loyal to me how should I swim ♪ ♪ You don't do that here ♪ ♪ You need to walk ♪ ♪ With my little fins ♪ ♪ Yes all my fur is getting wet ♪ ♪ All my skin it's hot ♪ ♪ Why is the ship so pointy it is hurting my paws ♪ ♪ The sun is hurting my eyes ♪ ♪ Why are the rocks so slimy gross ♪ (upbeat music) (steps plodding) (upbeat music) ♪ I miss the water ♪ ♪ I miss the sunshine ♪ - The process for the Pocket Opera Project is a long one.

We start a full year in advance, if not more.

We have some composers at Binghamton University.

They have a very strong composition program under Daniel Thomas Davis.

And it's been thrilling actually to see that wealth of talent right here in our community through BU.

(audience applauding) - When I first heard that they're gonna be based off children's stories, I was actually really excited.

I was like, this is a fun concept and it brings in a younger generation and gets them involved in making art.

(upbeat music) - Thought about it and I'm like, oh no, my story doesn't have any dialogue.

How are they going to do that without any dialogue.

The title of my piece is "August Third" and it follows a young German soldier shortly after the fall of Berlin in World War II as he battles his hallucinations and struggles with PTSD.

Well, the author of the Opera kind of took a different view of it than I did, and I thought that was really interesting seeing something I wrote in a different perspective.

(dramatic music) ♪ Waves cascading ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ This face not my face at all ♪ ♪ This face not my face at all ♪ ♪ Waves cascading ♪ ♪ The heat burning and burning cascade ♪ ♪ They tied and distorted ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ His face not my face at all ♪ ♪ His face not my face at all ♪ (upbeat music) - 'Cause a lot of these stories were three pages long about hamsters.

Some of 'em were about war.

We had some of them take places on Mars.

We really run the gamut tonight.

And the possibility of it is the joyous challenge and the reason that makes it opera.

- So Santino DeAngelo offers such wonderful sensibility around sort of theatrical production when it comes to opera.

The music becomes the focus.

But somebody like Santino really helps us keep the focus on the audience experience.

(upbeat music) (group laughing) Santino was really able to tease out the meaning, how we give clarity to what's going on, on stage, how we, you know, make it make sense even in a very minimal production.

And it brought out sort of the charm and humor, but also some of the deeper emotions that are expressed through these pieces.

(upbeat music) - I decided to write something very interesting.

I thought about, thought back about how I looked into someone's mind and thought about how someone is feeling.

That was perspective.

So I decided to write that and I wanted people to think about how others are feeling, and probably to help others who are in need.

(upbeat music) ♪ P-E-R-S-P-E-C-T-I-V-E-S ♪ ♪ Perspectives ♪ ♪ Today we will learn about perspectives ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ What is perspective Mr. Franda ♪ ♪ Perspective is about looking ♪ ♪ From another person's point of view ♪ ♪ I don't get it ♪ ♪ Me neither ♪ - This story really spoke to me, so I was like, can I please have it there?

It was a, a very contained plot of this teacher talking about a natural disaster.

There's so many possible sounds that a composer could work with for that.

So I was, that's the main reason why I was drawn to it.

(upbeat music) ♪ Imagine ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Ice the water's icy icy ♪ ♪ Whoa look at the water over there ♪ ♪ That doesn't look like pool water ♪ ♪ We tried to swim but the current the current ♪ ♪ The current is too strong we'll see ♪ ♪ The current ♪ (upbeat music) (dramatic music) - Last year we had just done flute and cello.

You know, because percussion is so diverse and offers such an array of instruments, it allowed us to bring a lot more different colors into the scores.

(upbeat music) And of course we had our wonderful music director, John Cockerill, who drove a lot of sort of the forward motion in this process and really got us to that wonderful result of the performance.

(upbeat music) ♪ After hearing that story ♪ ♪ From another person's perspective ♪ ♪ Doesn't it make you want to help that person ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Of course ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ When you encounter someone who appears upset ♪ ♪ And sad ♪ ♪ Take a moment to put yourself in their perspective ♪ ♪ To understand their emotions and experiences ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Using perspective you will understand both sides ♪ ♪ Of the story to try to solve the problem ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Do you understand ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ - I had a fun time.

I like working from other people's texts and I do want to write more opera after this.

This is my first opera.

- For me, growing up opera wasn't a thing.

It wasn't something I listened to.

It wasn't something I learned about or explored until college.

I think this program kind of gives a little heads up to people that there are so many more opportunities for creative expression than we often realize.

♪ Imagine what you might create ♪ ♪ Imagine what you might create ♪ (upbeat music) - We have more clips from these amazing Pocket Operas coming up shortly.

And a reminder that you can visit wskg.org/expressions if you want to see even more of these performances.

And please check out TriCitiesopera.com for information on this year's edition of the Pocket Opera Project.

Now let's learn about a precocious student who has created their very own fantasy world.

(upbeat music) - Okay, so, hi, I am Tilda or Patroclus Holmgren.

And the name of my story is "In The Shadows."

- So my opera is titled "Kitten King," but it's based off of the story "In the Shadows."

Actually the original title for our opera was gonna be Kitten and Kin.

But as I was typing it once I accidentally typed Kit and King and I was like, oh, that's kind of funny.

And it's little creative.

So I changed the title last minute to "Kit and King."

(upbeat music) ♪ Mama I'm scared ♪ ♪ Mama I can't ♪ ♪ Mama I hate this ♪ - [Speaker] "In the Shadows" I really loved the fantasy vibe that it brought.

There's like a longer book that this this kid was writing.

- It's actually a novel that I've been writing since sixth grade when I started putting it in a serial format in my school newspaper.

And I'm currently on the second draft of writing the novel, but I submitted about the first third of the first chapter to the WSKG Tournament.

Not tournament, you know what I mean?

Competition thing.

- We only had the first chapter to go off of and we're like, we don't know where the story goes after this.

So the story is not the original story that was written.

The first scene of the opera is more or less based exactly on the original chapter that we got.

(upbeat music) - It was long ago, but it feels like yesterday, the day of so much joy and so much heartache.

- The day I failed as your protector, the day I made my greatest mistake.

- The day I finally learned the truth.

Two days before my 15th birthday.

The day I.

(upbeat music) (group screaming) (dramatic music) - How did it come to this?

- It all began with a plague that took so many from us.

♪ Plague upon the kingdom ♪ ♪ Plague upon the king and queen ♪ - It took royalty and commoners alike, including my poor mother.

She was all the family I had.

After she died, I ventured from my country home to learn about my past and to find my father.

(upbeat music) ♪ Again one three one again five three one ♪ ♪ No you'll be the king's brother and turning 15 ♪ ♪ And to his time and you still can't handle a sword ♪ ♪ Being Prince is about helping the kingdom ♪ ♪ Not sword fighting ♪ ♪ What did I say about using your left hand boy ♪ ♪ Sorry sir ♪ ♪ You will fight like a prince ♪ ♪ And the princes' are not left handed ♪ (upbeat music) - I'm also really glad that the writers didn't scrap Taryn's, left-handedness because I felt, because that was a very important part of it to me because in elementary school I would have like friends who were left-handed and always like complained about the fact that the English language, if they wrote things, they would smudge it.

And it was like very difficult because it was a right-handed world.

So I just sort of decided to like add that into the society.

I'm so glad that they didn't scrap that.

- One, two, three, four.

(upbeat music) - It's got this fantasy vibe with an elf or maybe it's an elf.

I don't know.

It wasn't entirely clear.

- In the show, the shader who got turned as turned as an elf, which isn't really accurate.

But that's how the show went.

And I fully support that.

I think that's great how Asher had like a mother figure who may or may not have kind of abandoned her in the show.

I think that that's so great because later on in the book, I had a character written in who was Asher's sister.

And when Asher was six and Evie was like 13, she left to go find some other shaders and she said that she would come back and then she never came back.

And Asher has so many like, oh, I love her and she's great.

And also she abandoned me feelings about her and I just, I guess we were thinking along the same brainwaves or something, 'cause I really loved that that somehow parallels from later on in the book came through in that one.

(upbeat music) ♪ We ran ♪ ♪ I ran ♪ ♪ What else could I do ♪ ♪ What else could I do ♪ ♪ I was spotted by a human.

♪ ♪ Karen spotted on earth ♪ ♪ Which was of course impossible ♪ ♪ Right?

♪ ♪ Only we our own kind can see ourselves.

♪ ♪ This could only mean one thing ♪ ♪ And for the good of the kingdom I had ♪ ♪ To win Born of future King ♪ ♪ What's Ralph ♪ ♪ Your brother saw Elf ♪ ♪ But that's impossible I know ♪ ♪ But there's something I haven't told you ♪ ♪ I know how he saw her ♪ ♪ How did he see me ♪ ♪ I thought it was invisible but I even tried to hide ♪ ♪ But I can still see you ♪ ♪ How can you see me ♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ I've never seen an Elf ♪ ♪ Because we always stay out of sight ♪ ♪ Mama always said mama always said ♪ ♪ Elves see elves because we share blood ♪ ♪ And we do not share blood ♪ ♪ Then how can I see you ♪ ♪ You can't ♪ ♪ Yes I can ♪ ♪ No you can't.

♪ ♪ Yes I can ♪ ♪ Your skin is blue ♪ ♪ Your hair is pink ♪ ♪ And your eyes look just like father's ♪ ♪ And you're just telling me this now ♪ - King Amir demanded to be kept secret not even your mother knew.

(upbeat music) ♪ I never knew my father ♪ ♪ All I have is this picture ♪ ♪ That's my father's signature ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ That would mean ♪ ♪ She's your ♪ ♪ She's your eldest sister ♪ - The eldest sister.

- Indeed.

And rightful heir to the throne.

♪ No she can't be ♪ ♪ I am heir to the throne ♪ ♪ I am king ♪ ♪ Not yet ♪ ♪ I will not be overthrown ♪ ♪ What should I do of the Elf sir ♪ ♪ Shall I relocate her ♪ ♪ No I'll take care of her myself you may go ♪ ♪ Now that my parents are gone ♪ ♪ And out of the way all that stands between me ♪ ♪ And my destiny is two days in the bloody coronation ♪ ♪ And an elf ♪ - I am such a fan of collective storytelling and derivative works.

And I think that it's such an important and integral part to our society that we branch off of each other's stories and that like, 'cause we've been doing this for centuries ever since like spoken oral tradition.

It's just, it's so amazing.

(upbeat music) - I hope she really likes it.

We were a little worried because a lot of the characters that you wrote, we, they don't, they don't make it till the end of the end of the story.

So we hope that she's okay with her characters not living in our version of her story.

- I'm honestly, I'm delighted, I am so delighted.

It's great.

I just think everyone did such a good job.

Even if it was not like how the rest of the book actually goes.

They did such a good job adapting it into its own thing.

(upbeat music) - What's going on?

(dramatic music) Your majesty?

I'm going to get help.

(soft music) (upbeat music) ♪ Stay with me ♪ ♪ I'm not going anywhere ♪ ♪ I promise you my sister.

♪ (upbeat music) - You will not rule my kingdom.

Good luck, brother.

♪ Oh no sister please ♪ ♪ Mama I see you ♪ ♪ Mama I'm here ♪ ♪ Mama I know who I am ♪ (soft music) (dramatic music) - And I love tragedies.

I love it.

I love it when all the characters kill each other.

It's so great, I love this great royal tragedy that all happened.

It was just really good and I really liked it.

- There is nothing more precious in this life than our kith and kin.

(upbeat music) (audience applauding) - It is time to put this episode of "Expressions" in our back pocket.

But before we do, I need to thank the great team at Tri-Cities Opera for their help in sewing it all together.

If you have a student K through 12 that would like to enter this year's edition of the WSKG Student Writing Challenge, then please visit wskg.org/education for more information.

Until next time, this is Adara Alston.

Thanks for watching and goodnight.

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