As I dive deeper into Mozart and his opera The Magic Flute. I have really thought through how important communicating is to all music. The goal is to communicate an idea, story, feeling or mood as we set out to sing or play. I have created a plan that bridges the story and the music of The Magic Flute. The classic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was presented in storybook fashion by a number of artists.
There is one in particular that dives into the irreverent spirit that I see Mozart using in this opera. The Magic Flute replayed by Chris Raschka has ambiguous art and almost a comic book representation making it an easy choice to connect the frames with music.
Practicing the skill of storytelling is an important process and is recommended at all ages. As we get older we are told to reflect and think back. Imagine telling a story about when you were growing up and what memories, feelings and ideas come from that. My favorite ways to practice story telling in my studio are:
Write down a short story from the day.
As you sit waiting work to tell a story as a group, using one word, one sentence, one event at a time.
Plan a very bad day.
Plan the best day ever.
What was your favorite trip?
Tell me about your ____ day. (birthday, recital day, holiday...)
Use Story Cubes or Story Cards to have a visual prompt
Campfire story time (set up around a campfire - real or pretend)
Have a story notebook for your family or your studio and have each person contribute after reading the story to that point!
Let me know how you connect to story? What are your favorite games to play with story?
Here is The Magic Flute Story and Song Guide.