"I Really Liked The Way You Conduced"
Peter and the wolf, as most kids know, belong in the musical tale which has
enchanted generations since Prokofiev composed the opus.
The MAD Factory is a nonprofit group offering young people opportunities for
cultural expression--including a chance to dance onstage.
Shawn Charton '97, a vocal-
performance major, was astonished to find himself suddenly conducting a 28-piece
orchestra of his peers.
Nancy Roth '58 is a professional dancer, who taught the childeren creative dance movementsfor their interpretive-dance roles.
They all came together when Sharon Anderson,
MAD's director, and her husband, Richard Anderson, professor of singing at
the conservatory, initiated a 1996-97 Winter Term project that engaged MAD
Factory kids and Conservatory of Music students.
The proposal to dance with the orchestra was scary for most of the children,
who had never been close to some of the instruments before. Intently watching
a conservatory student open a bassoon case, one disappointed youngster cried,
"Oh, look! It's broke!" After 10 rehearsals, the youngsters had learned to
readily identify each instrument and were blissfully confident of their performance
skills, as they became creatures of the woodlands, moving to the music between
narrative portions read by Richard Anderson.
Shawn Charton, trained as a singer, learned new skills, too. He discovered
that the clothes he wore made a difference--the white baton showed up best
against solid black--and that conductors require specific techniques and a
sustained air of friendly command. One of the most rewarding moments came
when he opened this fan letter from a tiny member of the MAD group: "Dear
Shaum, I really liked the way you conduced. I liked the way you moved your
hands. Was it hard to memorize all those motions?"
In retrospect, Shawn says, "No, not at all, not at all."
--MC