I would like the public to know of the outstanding service the L.A. Opera is providing secondary students in the L.A. area. Two morning performances of "Madama Butterfly" were recently given to packed houses of enthusiastic students at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Teachers were given in-service training and excellent materials so we could prepare our students with plot discussions and musical themes. Gentle, but precise, instructions outlined proper opera demeanor as well. The hundreds of teens in attendance behaved extremely well, even holding their much-rehearsed "bravos!" until the conclusion.
All who performed and participated deserve our thanks. In a time when cuts in school district budgets have taken music out of most schools, these community services are to be commended. Let's hope we provide the L.A. Opera with some future aficionados.