Our Holland Community Opera Fellowship (HCOF) is committed to being a creative and artistic resource to our community. Usually this takes many forms and Opera Omaha's HCOF Fellows (Gwenna, Jared, Kate, and Kaitlin) lead creative workshops and programming for all ages. Since we can’t be in the community in person, we’ve adapted and created a few of our #HCOFCreativityPrompts for your use at home. Each weekday we’ll post a different prompt on our blog and share on our social media platforms. These activities can be done alone or with others. Creativity is not just for kids, and these prompts are written for a wide variety of audiences so feel free to modify as needed!

Today's Creativity Prompt

Weather Music

Description
A creative way to enjoy an outdoor view and look at current weather patterns with a new perspective.

Time to Complete
5-10 minutes or repeat for as long as you’re inspired!

Materials
Paper and a writing instrument (pen/pencil/marker, etc.)

Instructions
Grab a writing instrument and a piece of paper. Find a place to sit by one of your favorite windows or spend a few moments outside.

Look around. What is the weather doing?

If that type of weather were a piece of music, what genre would it be?

What instruments would be included in that piece of music? What do you like about this music?

If you would like to dive deeper, think about the rhythm, is it upbeat or slow? Is it loud or soft? In what parts is it louder, and in what parts is it softer?

Perhaps the weather reminds you of a specific piece of music or song that you have already heard.

Write down your musical ideas.

Get creative and use the weather as inspiration!

Example
Today, it’s sunny and around 60 degrees. I was able to turn off the heat! It’s absolutely lovely. If this weather were a type of music, it would be a beautiful and simple symphonic work. The instruments included would be that of a standard orchestra: violins, violas, cello, etc. I especially hear the cello and viola sections in my head. Although it is not super complicated or dramatic, it is soft, simple, and beautiful. The slow beginning tempo reminds me of the pleasant and relaxing weather I am seeing. It is pleasing to listen to, especially on a sunny day like today. I am reminded of Elegy for Dunkirk by Dario Marianelli.

Sharing Suggestions
Share your weather music with a family member or friend. Comment on this activity’s Facebook post or tag @OperaOmaha in an Instagram Story with #hcofcreativityprompts.

Additional Resources
Elegy for Dunkirk by Dario Marianelli
Peter Grimes Storm Interlude 4 by Britten
Reflets dans l’eau [Reflections in Water] by Debussy

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