Script & Score
MOT deeply values educational initiatives that make a difference, and part of that is becoming part of the school’s culture. Nathan not only teaches musical literacy through this program, but deepens their understanding of their core curriculum. To help each child remember this experience and strengthen their feelings of ownership and confidence, they are given a printed score of the musical. Students who participated in previous years of the program are often able to remember the songs they helped create years later, Nathan tells us, pointing to the impact this program has on their learning. We are proud of the longevity of this program: as it happens every year, students can look forward to when it is their turn to participate.
Radio Milwaukee’s article on our program can be found here: https://radiomilwaukee.org/stories/uniquely-milwaukee/2018-04-25/script-score-mps-youth-opera
Every child deserves to have their talents celebrated and acknowledged. Part of the “why” behind this project is connecting with kids who love music more than classic academics, and showing them the ways that the two can connect. Script & Score is an education initiative intrinsically tied to our beloved Board Member and teaching artist, Nathan Wesselowski, who has been producing the program since 2003. Script and Score is a collaboration with MOT and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s ACE Program.
Each year, Nathan converses with sixth-grade teachers at Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts to find out what the students are currently learning in their social studies classrooms. He then guides students in writing and performing an original musical theater piece based on that learning— previous themes have included Ancient Greece, the Medieval period, mythical creatures, and body systems. Embedded into the school, Nathan's classroom visits first focus on writing and acting workshops before transitioning to teaching the songs the children have written and staging the full performance.