Expression Through Music at the Omaha Children's Museum

Nov 16, 2015

very person is born making sound – just think of what that means! When our new-born voices first cried out to the world, we took steps towards being able to communicate with one another and to express ourselves. The voice is a powerful instrument – not just as a tool for communication, but also for musical expression! It’s no wonder that we find music to be so emotionally powerful, as sound is something that we can manipulate from such an early age.

Actually, sound is an amazing conveyor of feeling in more than one way. Firstly, sound can be physically felt. Maybe you’ve heard of how elephants use a very low, deep pitch to communicate over long distances. This is called a “rumble” and the elephants don’t hear this with their characteristically large ears, but rather feel the sound through the bottoms of their feet as it travels through the earth! Some dance-artists have also made use of the physicality of sound – by changing the levels of audio output, deaf dancers are actually able to feel sound patterns and choreograph movement to music that they are otherwise unable to hear.

Secondly, sound can be used to express personal feelings and even character! If you pay close attention to orchestral music, especially that written for opera, you might discover that the music ebbs and builds both in volume and the number of instruments playing at one time. You might also notice that certain melodies or rhythms will reoccur at certain points in the music. All of what you hear is meant to represent and supplement the meaning of vocal text and the actions of performers on the stage. In fact, emotions can often be presented in music without anyone acting out the meaning. Particular sets of musical notes, which musicians name the Major and minor modes, are often interpreted as sounding happy, sad, or even triumphant!

At Opera Omaha we find the emotional characteristics of music and sound very exciting. As part of National Opera Week, we partnered with the Omaha Children’s Museum on a children-oriented workshop led by Opera Omaha’s Resident Music Director J. Gawf on October 25. Our “Musical Explorers: The Magic Flute” allowed children to learn how singers use their voice to express feelings in song, and give them the opportunity to try a few things out for themselves. Music from Mozart’s The Magic Flute provides wonderful material for young and old alike, as this heroic opera contains narratives of love, sadness, hope, and, of course, good triumphing over evil. Throughout the month of November the Omaha Children’s Museum is offering children a chance to create puppets and other crafts relating to the colorful and beloved Magic Flute character Papageno!

Have you ever thought about the benefit of the arts in the growth and development of your children? Arts projects and performances provide children with fun opportunities to develop their creativity and self-expression, but here are some additional and lesser known benefits of introducing the arts into your child’s life. Arts practice and performance promotes self-esteem and fosters communication skills. It also encourages creative and analytical thinking, as well as problem solving and self-expression. The fall events offered at the Omaha Children’s Museum offer a perfect chance to introduce the arts and music into the life of your child. Let them try out the opera—perhaps singing will spark new ideas and provide a fun method of emotional expression!

If you’re looking for more ways to interact with The Magic Flute, join Opera Omaha and Omaha Children’s Museum at Film Streams on Saturday, December 12th at noon for a live screening of Mozart’s classic from the Metropolitan Opera. Children who bring along their colorful Papageno puppets from the Omaha Children’s Museum will receive free popcorn—a perfect treat for the child who likes to munch along to the music! Purchase tickets for the whole family at http://tinyurl.com/qdguc44.

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