We do alot with our local schools. We bring students in for concerts and workshops and special mattinees. Every opera company worth its salt in this country does. Why? Because we understand that if our audiences continue to grey, we will eventually be forced to shut our doors. We invest. In a future. A future we may not live to enjoy. But we care deeply about the art form, so we invest nonetheless.
I like to sit in the back and audit some of the workshops we offer. Not because I need to be reminded of the origins of Puccini's genius or the direct line from Monteverdi to Verdi, but rather because I like to listen to the kids. And it seems to me, they are getting a bit more musically savvy these days. We spend a lot of time and energy complaining about the lack of music education in our schools. And believe me, the problem persists. But I'm noticing more and more little hands shooting up in the air these days to answer questions like: "What do we call a song in an opera?"
"Aria! Aria!", a little girl squeals with glee.
And I feel just a little bit more hopeful.
