Category Archives: The Teaching Artist

Missives from the world of teaching music / theater to the young ‘uns

BEYOND / JENSEITS – A Lullaby

Posted on March 20, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

In this fourth installment of the opera I wrote for my mother (you can find links to the first three installments on the JENSEITS / BEYOND home page), we are introduced to a new theme, a lullaby. We have just … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – A Life in Review

Posted on March 6, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Welcome to the second post about the little night opera “Jenseits” AKA “Beyond” I composed for my mother, Catherine Gayer. Helga Krauss wrote the libretto, which I translated into English. Read and listen to the first post here, and follow … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Watch “OPERA KIDS”, now on-line

Posted on August 3, 2023 by dannyashkenasi

“Opera Kids”, a documentary about “Creating Original Opera” a performing arts program I was part of defining, teaching and implementing in schools, in one form or another for over three decades, is now playing (for free) on-line on ALL ARTS … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Watch OPERA KIDS on September 5 and beyond

Posted on August 30, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“Opera Kids” is a documentary about the Creating Original Opera program that I had taught and also helped develop starting in 1990. I write about the film, directed by Max Sturm, who first experienced the program as a participating 5th … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BRIER PATCH in MADISON SQUARE PARK

Posted on January 26, 2022 by dannyashkenasi
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', The Teaching Artist, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

OPERA KIDS – the movie

Posted on April 1, 2021 by dannyashkenasi

“Opera Kids” is a documentary about the Creating Original Opera program that I had taught and also helped develop with my colleagues at the Metropolitan Opera Guild Education Department since 1990. It was directed by Max Sturm, who participated in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FESTIVAL PANDEMIC POSTPONEMENTS

Posted on July 22, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

See you in … 2021? Below is the 2020 Official Trailer for the Denali Film Festival. It’s a beautifully put together trailer, full of lovely images of the great outdoors. You get a strong sense for the festival’s overriding theme, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CLASS 1-3’s FIRST GRADE OPERA – involving a magic carpet and a family transformed into chameleons

Posted on April 29, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

    NYC’s schools closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic the week the three first grade classes at the Brooklyn Children’s School were scheduled to perform their operas, which the children had written and composed themselves.  I still held … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CLASS 1-2’s FIRST GRADE OPERA – of the moon and the earth and a celestial smash up

Posted on April 29, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

  NYC’s schools closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic the week the three first grade classes at the Brooklyn Children’s School were scheduled to perform their operas, which the children had written and composed themselves.  I still held out … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CLASS 1-1’s FIRST GRADE OPERA – in which a dragon and a tiger meet in a dungeon

Posted on April 29, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

  NYC’s schools closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic the week the three first grade classes at the Brooklyn Children’s School were scheduled to perform their operas, which the children had written and composed themselves.  I still held out … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DROPPING NAMES

Posted on April 12, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

  A Collection of Mini Memoir Memories You may have seen this going around on Facebook or Twitter:  People listing names of celebrities they have met in their life times, but including one name that is a lie.  Then people … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Cinema Scope, Musicabilia, Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DREAMS and MEMORIES

Posted on April 3, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

  A Dream Memory for the Grand-Niece   Our niece Linden is homeschooling her children since the shelter-at-home order took hold in her state, just as it has done for millions of families all over the planet. She sent an … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Literary Lyricism, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The TELL-TALE VEGAS / NYC / MOSCOW TRIFECTA that was – and then wasn’t

Posted on March 28, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

  Thanks for Nothing, COVID 19   I was supposed to watch “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” in a Moscow movie theater today, in fact precisely while I’m typing this, “sheltering in place” this Saturday morning New York time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No First Grade Operas – for now

Posted on March 16, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

  Thanks for nothing, COVID19   On Friday I received the following email from one of the first grade teachers at the Brooklyn Children’s School:   Dear Danny, The first grade operas have to be postponed. The DOE and our … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Knight Marries the Prince

Posted on May 26, 2019 by dannyashkenasi

  A Kindergarten Original Blesses a Quaker Wedding   Friday morning I heard a wedding song I realized I would have to sing that night at an actual wedding.  Class K-1 at the Brooklyn Children’s School was the third kindergarten … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FIRST GRADE ALIENS RIDE PEOPLE’S HEADS!

Posted on April 10, 2019 by dannyashkenasi

  Another Year, Another Silly First Grade Opera! Actually, another three first grade operas at the Brooklyn Children’s School, created, written, composed and performed by first graders themselves, under the direction of their teachers and their teaching artist Mister Danny. … Continue reading →

Posted in Live! On Stage, The Teaching Artist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment