Fort Worth Opera has announced that the company’s music education program, Opera FUNatics, will soon be implemented by eight Fort Worth ISD music teachers.

Beginning in March of 2019, six elementary schools and two middle schools will teach the curriculum designed by FWO’s Manager of Education and Community Awareness, Sheran Goodspeed Keyton.

Keyton said in a press statement, “After the success of our inaugural Opera FUNatics two week intensive this past summer, I was very anxious to see how we could utilize this great curriculum to teach even more children about opera.”

The full curriculum will include 12 weeks of lesson plans highlighting the fundamentals of music theory (rhythm, melody, harmony, and the construction of music), key opera terminology, and an analysis of Western music history (medieval to the 21st century). The program will also provide students with a detailed breakdown of classical voice types, operatic styles, and an overview of famous opera singers and composers who have impacted the art form over time.

Video and audio files will be also included as part of the teacher’s orientation packet to supplement each lesson plan and FWO staff will also visit the two participating middle schools to discuss marketing, stagecraft, choreography, and the business of music, while the FWO-TCU Lesley Artists will be performing Michael Ching’s Three Pigs Remix at all schools.

At the end of the sessions, the participating schools will receive an evaluation and students will fill out a knowledge-based assessment, and participating music teachers will share with Fort Worth Opera’s education department their conclusions.