Blog Post: May 26, 2021

“Years ago, when my son went away to college, he entered a music conservatory to study music composition. At one point he had a roommate who was also studying music composition. In a conversation about our boys, that young man’s mother told me that her son had never really found his niche in high school. But when he got to the conservatory, he flourished, she said because he “had found his people.”

 I remember thinking that it was the same for my son. He made it through high school with Cs and Ds except for his music classes, where he excelled. I really wasn’t sure if any university would accept him based on his overall grades. However, he had kept a portfolio of music that he had composed throughout high school. The music advisor at the university took one look at his compositions and offered him a scholarship. My son had found his people.

I’m sure there are many similar stories of college students who have excelled once they discovered their passion and peer group.

But this can happen even at a younger age. Back to middle school students and the best camp ever.

I have had the privilege of teaching at a summer camp for kids through Opera Theater of St. Louis for many years. I hesitate to say “teaching” – it’s more like facilitating creativity. At this camp students learn about the art of opera and create their own mini performance. The camp has been in person in a physical classroom in our local St. Louis area. But this past year, due to the season of weirdness caused by the pandemic, the camp was virtual via Zoom. Opera Theatre offered a virtual camp last summer and a virtual spring-break camp this past March.

 One beauty of the virtual camp is that it allowed students from several different states to come together to make music, learn about opera, and create their own performance video. The camp was held for one week with three-hour Zoom sessions each day.

 On the first day of spring break camp students in fourth through seventh grade were introduced to each other, the staff, and the current production at Opera Theater of St. Louis, which was Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Students participated in singing and theatre games that were adapted for the virtual venue.

 On the second day the creativity was flowing. Students were having a great time creating their own opera, which they titled “Pirates of Puns’ance.” They were laughing at puns and having a good time writing those jokes into their own script and then discovering how to sing the words.

 By the third day, the synergy was palpable. Participants were totally engaged in the process. At mid-morning, I announced that it was time for our daily ten-minute break away from the computer screen. Students responded, “Aww, do we have to take a break? Can’t we just stay here and hang out?”

 I admit my first thought was that if students didn’t take a break, then I wouldn’t get one either!  But I told them that of course they could stay. I decided to be like the fly on the wall and just listen and observe to make sure that the conversation remained appropriate.

 I expected the students would talk about a TV show, or some electronic game they were playing, or some other topic typical of middle schoolers. But, no, – they were focused on the arts.

 One young man in sixth grade told the group that he wouldn’t be able to make the “watch party” because he had to go to ballet dance class. (At the end of the week we were planning a family Zoom to view the video students had created.)  Most middle school boys would be mortified if their peers knew that they were taking a dance class! But this group embraced it, telling him that even though they were sorry he would miss the watch party, dance was a cool thing to do.

 One of the girls asked if anyone would mind if her sister joined our group. Her sister was in high school and older than the intended age group of the camp. She had heard about what we were doing and was eager to participate. She hung around with us the next two days.

 Another young man in sixth grade told the group that at his school he was told that he “learns differently.” I wondered if he had been diagnosed ADHD, or if he was on the autism spectrum. He possessed a wonderful singing voice and expressive acting skills. Perhaps he’s artistically gifted. Like Einstein, maybe he had difficulty in school, but excels at the things that interest him.

 On the last day of camp students were exchanging emails with each other, wanting to keep in touch. When asked what they liked most about opera camp, that is when several indicated that it was the best camp they had ever attended.

 Wow. Best camp ever.

 I would like to think that part of it was because of the enjoyable and engaging activities that we had planned. And the fun of dressing up in costume and makeup and acting and singing. And of course, there was the opera – who doesn’t like Pirates of Penzance?

 But what really made it the best camp ever is this:

 This group of middle schoolers had found their people.”

-Amy K. Miller, OTSL Opera Camp Faculty