Tag Archives: Opera

TELL-TALE SIGN…

Posted on September 8, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

  Something’s coming…   Something murderous, mad, musical…   A pale blue eye…   Cellos signing;  moaning;  screaming…   His hideous heart…   It’s all returning…   But not the way it was…   It will take on a whole … Continue reading →

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Another Year, Another Trio of First Grade Operas.

Posted on March 29, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

Three first grade operas have performed in their classrooms in front of an audience of parents, grandparents and loved ones.  In three consecutive days 1-3’s “Diamond Kids”, 1-2’s “The Alicorns” and 1-1’s “Imagine” regaled audiences with stories, dialog, lyrics and … Continue reading →

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Notes on Myself

Posted on January 17, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

Sometimes I am asked, in applications for grants or music competitions for example, to write about myself.  It is a certain special torture to have to act as your own greatest champion in writing (or in person), but that is … Continue reading →

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KINDERGARTEN’S POWERBALLADS

Posted on June 6, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

The Unlikely Occurrence of Kindergartners Composing Two Soaring Love Songs (and Their Perfectly Rockin’ Antidote) Usually five year olds consider overt declarations of love yucky.  So when kindergartners create their own original fairy tales operas, these don’t tend to end … Continue reading →

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K-2 Presents: THE WIZARD’S REVENGE (featuring the Garbage-Throwing Machine)

Posted on June 1, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

The Kindergarten K-2 class of the Brooklyn’s Children’s School just presented their original fairy tale opera, for which the children created the story, the lyrics and the melodies: Once upon a time there was a king, a princess and a … Continue reading →

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NafC Classic: 5 X FUN with LUDWIG’S 5th

Posted on May 23, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Let’s have some fun with Beethoven!   Specifically the 1st movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, easily the most famous piece of classical music in the world.  The indelible Duh Duh Duh DAH motif that opens and shapes the movement may … Continue reading →

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AXS INTERVIEW

Posted on February 2, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

The on-line magazine AXS has published an interview with yours truly.  The questions delve into the evolution of Speakeasy as well as musical influences in my childhood and advice to aspiring playwrights and composers. The article is excerpted below: Interview … Continue reading →

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FIRST GRADE OPERAS: New Similarities and Differences

Posted on November 5, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

When all three first grade classes chose “Magic” as the theme for their original operas I worried that the three pieces would all end up being too similar.  However, the three “Theme Sentences” (for 1-1: “Magic can control people’s minds”; … Continue reading →

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FIRST GRADE OPERAS: It’s MAGIC time, times three!

Posted on October 23, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

It’s a whole new season of First Grade Operas at the Brooklyn Children’s School.  The three first grade classes have all begun the process of creating their own original opera, or musical, with performances set for the end of March.  … Continue reading →

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WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY when he makes his Kindergarten debut? – The Fairy Tale Opera 3

Posted on August 19, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I’ve discussed how certain characters are most likely to make the cut when the Kindergartners vote on their three chosen Fairy Tale Opera protagonists/antagonists.  Dragons are extremely popular, being regularly featured, and populating two of the three Fairy Tale Operas … Continue reading →

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THE ENDURING POPULARITY OF DRAGONS IN KINDERGARTEN – The Fairy Tale Opera 2

Posted on July 18, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Every year when I start the Fairy Tale Opera project in Kindergarten (at the Brooklyn Children’s School), I ask the class to make a long list of characters that appear in fairy tales.  Then the kindergartners choose three characters around … Continue reading →

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MERMAIDS AND WIZARDS AND DRAGONS: The Kindergarten Fairy Tale Opera Project

Posted on June 20, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I have already written about how First Grade Operas are created by the students at the Brooklyn Children’s School, and posted one, two, three examples.  If the First Grade Opera Project is the creating original music theater equivalent of riding … Continue reading →

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5 X FUN with LUDWIG’S 5th

Posted on June 1, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Let’s have some fun with Beethoven!   Specifically the 1st movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, easily the most famous piece of classical music in the world.  The indelible Duh Duh Duh DAH motif that opens and shapes the movement may … Continue reading →

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FIRST GRADE OPERA #3: Mermaids and Blue Sharks and Red Sharks, Oh My!

Posted on May 19, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

“And when a mermaid bumps Into a blue shark They kiss” Class 1-3’s opera this year opens with a rather prettily moody song* (for first grade) about the Mermaid Castle and the Mermaids and Blue Sharks who cavort merrily within … Continue reading →

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More fun with FIRST GRADE OPERAS: the King, the Queen and the Wacky Witch

Posted on May 3, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

KING COFFERN (looking through his special magnifying glass): “I want to find a queen who is beautiful and kind.  Let’s see what Queens I can find with my magnifying glass.  All right let’s see … here’s a Queen … hmmm, … Continue reading →

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FIRST GRADE OPERA #1: Astronaut Alice and the Moon Aliens

Posted on April 25, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

ALICE: I told Lollipop I would never ever forget him or leave him and now he is gone.  I  can’t find him. DIGGER: Alice, we will find him together, just like we found the moon rocks. Don’t give up, we … Continue reading →

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