As a teacher with 31 years of experience, Mary Ruth McGinn has always sought innovative ways to meet the needs of each of her students. She has spent her entire career in schools where a majority of students speak English as a second language and where poverty significantly impacts the...
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Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company experienced a musical awakening. Pianist, Henry Dehlinger, opera singer, Danielle Talamantes and US Army Chorus member, Kerry Wilkerson opened our ears, eyes and souls to the power of music. Playing and singing songs from the operas, The Magic Flute and Porgy and Bess, they collaborated beautifully to share their craft and expertise as professional artists. Henry’s interpretation of a Spanish composition left us wanting more. When you wish to achieve a goal, you practice, practice, practice to make it happen. This was evident in the performance. Now we take what we have learned from this trio and use it not only to inform all aspects of creating our original opera, but also to empower us to realize our own hopes and dreams through practice and perseverance.
“Henry was an inspiration. He inspired me to practice a lot because his piano playing was mind blowing. My jaw dropped to the fluency of his piano playing.” Sana
“The way Henry played, the way the piano sounded, the way they sang, popped my head with thoughts and thoughts.” Taliyah
“Just hearing the music and seeing Henry play that beautiful piece, put me in a new, wonderful, mysterious place.” K
“Passionate. That is the only word that comes out of my mouth. I loved how the music made this kind of energy, flowing through everyone.” Sonia
“I heard amazing voices!” Claudia
Danielle and Kerry’s duet from Porgy and Bess
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About Mary Ruth McGinn
As a teacher with 32 years of experience, Mary Ruth McGinn has always sought innovative ways to meet the needs of each of her students. She has spent her entire career in schools where a majority of students speak English as a second language and where poverty significantly impacts the learning experiences and opportunities of students and their families.
Nineteen years ago she had an experience that changed her life and altered her professional path in a profound way. She attended training sessions at The Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York City, spent nine intense days living the process of creating an original opera and learned how to replicate the experience with her students. She then began creating opera with her students and using the process of creating the opera as a vehicle to teach curriculum and life skills. The authentic purpose for learning coupled with the arts provided the perfect stage on which to construct a love for life-long learning.
The profundity of the work, the transformation of the students and a desire to “bring to light” new ideas in education, inspired Mary Ruth to share this way of thinking and learning. In 2006 she was granted a Fulbright Scholarship, sponsored and funded by Teatro Real and Fundación SaludArte in Madrid, and a sabbatical from Montgomery County, to travel to Spain to develop and implement a similar program there. She lived there two years training teachers and working side by side with teachers and students in their classrooms. The reception of the project was overwhelming. Mary Ruth returns to Madrid every summer to train a new team of educators and artists in the process. In the summer of 2018, she joined forces with The Kennedy Center to offer the opera training for teachers in the Washington Metro area. She currently teaches third grade at Stedwick Elementary School in Montgomery Village, Maryland where she is implementing a classroom curriculum based on the principles of authentic learning.
Read more of Mary Ruth's blog Learning for Real.
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