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We’re partway into another Golden Ticket hour (the next will be at 3:00), though our posts may slow down a bit as our teaching schedule ramps up this afternoon. So to get us through those hours, we rely on outgoing senior Callie, whose video “Why classical voice is important” was our entry into the Valley Gives video contest this year. She also wrote up this wonderful statement of support earlier today:

“Whenever I talk about Act Too Studio Opera Workshop, I never know what to say because there is so much I feel. I started out as one of the first members of the workshop when I was 14 years old. I am now about to be 18 and I am about to be off to college to study classical voice. None of that would even be close to possible if it wasn’t for this workshop. Over the years, I have learned so much about myself as a performer and a person.

When I first started I had no idea that opera would be something I could even do, nevermind fall in love with. And because of all the experience I’ve had from being able to be a part of the workshop for this long, colleges took notice. I had a couple professors I took trial lessons with tell me I would be very well off in their program because of all the experience I have that most kids don’t get. The workshop has helped me feel confident in so many ways. It has helped me take on challenges that I never knew I could face, and it has helped me find the confidence to follow my dreams. I could never thank everyone involved in this program enough for all they have given me. It has truly been another home to me and it has made my summers of long rehearsals for our operas something I crave. That is actually how I realized how much I love what I do. I was in a long rehearsal for The Medium a couple years ago and I looked up at the clock and realized it was over and I had felt like I had just gotten there.

Opera has allowed me to discover myself and I would have never even been introduced to it without this program. Opera workshop has made me push myself more than I knew I could and I wish that I could give it everything it deserves. Please, donate to this program. I promise you, you will not regret it.”

Please consider Callie and all our teens today during Valley Gives! DONATE NOW!

We’re in another Golden Ticket hour, and it’s time for another student story! This one comes from 14-year-old Carina (sister of Milena), who is in her second year with the workshop!

“The Opera Workshop is an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. The program has taught me about a whole new genre of music. When I’m older and have had many more memories crowding my brain, this Workshop will be with me forever. Not only does this program teach you so much, but it also gives you a family. The Act Too Studio teachers (Jan, Bob, and Melinda) are some of the most inspirational and generous people I have ever met. They are AMAZING teachers and I’ve found, not only an incredible place of learning–but a family. They are so deserving of this money.

Another reason the Opera Workshop is so amazing is how unique of a program this is. Since when do you see teens singing opera? And learning about it? Where is that kind of program available? At Act Too Studio!! This is an incredible learning experience for everyone involved. We get to learn about the history of magnificent works of art, learn about their composers and learn how to perform these beautiful pieces. Please support this workshop, any amount helps. Thank you!!”

Please consider Carina and all our teens today during Valley Gives! DONATE NOW!

We’ve said often recently that our teen opera program is not intended only to (or even primarily to) create the next generation of performing artists, and Abigail represents this truth so well. Though she’s a lovely singer, her heart leads her to share her love of music in ways other than performance, and we’re so proud of everything she does. Thanks for this wonderful video, Abigail!

Please consider Abigail and all our teens during Valley Gives! DONATE NOW!

We’re coming up on the first Power Hour in today’s Valley Gives fundraiser, which means that your donation, no matter how small, between 10:00-10:59AM could help us win $1000! This brings us to our second student plea for the day, from 14-year-old Milena, who is in her second year with the workshop!

“When I was younger, I had the stereotypical connotation of high, off-key music, sung by old people in languages I couldn’t understand. Now, if you say the word ‘Opera’ to me, I think of thousands of wonderful memories, from the loving social environment, to the incredible skills I’ve learned. Act Too Studio’s Opera Workshop is truly a life changing experience. I have grown so much as a performer from just a year, and I can’t wait to continue for as long as possible. We really need donations to continue this program, and believe me when I say, it’s a worthy cause. Please donate to this freaking AMAZING program!!!!”

Please consider Milena and all our teens today during Valley Gives! DONATE NOW!

One of the things we’ll be doing today is sharing words from the teens who have made this workshop what it is, and the first this morning comes from new member Isabelle, who will be participating in the summer opera for the first time this year. Here’s what she has to say:

“My name is Isabelle, I am fourteen years old, and this is my first year in the Opera Workshop. However, my love for classical music goes way back. Both my parents love it, and I have grown up listening to and appreciating it. It always played a role in my life.

But as I got older, other genres pushed aside classical. Teenagers just don’t listen to classical, let alone sing it, right? Wrong. At Act Too Studio, not only is it ‘cool’, it proves that teenagers can, and do, love opera. I go in every week and watch teens my age singing from the heart in powerful, well-trained voices. They show what young people are capable of, and I feel so honored to be able to sing alongside them. They push me to work hard and believe in myself. We are a team, and we cheer each other on and support each other. Melinda works endlessly to teach us what we need to know to fully appreciate and be able to sing such beautiful music. We are so lucky to have such a dedicated and passionate teacher. Act Too Studio has created a safe haven for those who perhaps don’t quite fit in with the stereotypically ‘cool’ kids. Opera Workshop is a place where we can be vulnerable, and expressive, and learn and grow. Other kids ask us how we got our voices to be so good, and to their shock, we answer, “opera.” Teens who have maybe ridiculed opera in the past begin to see how wonderful it really is. We open young people’s eyes to this beautiful art form, and they — we — become stronger and kinder and more creative because of it. I think *that’s* cool.”

Please consider Isabelle and all our teens today during ValleyGives! DONATE NOW!

Those of you in the Pioneer Valley will know that Tuesday, May 2nd is Valley Gives day, an annual day of giving sponsored by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, in which people of our community support local causes they care about. If you’ve participated in Valley Gives in the past, you may know that there are quite a number of prizes offered for various achievements during the day, as well as a number of random prizes awarded for donations at various times, etc. Here, we’d like to mention a few of those, at what the best strategies are for helping some of those prizes come our way.

Strategic Giving During Valley Gives 2017
Many of the prizes offered require feats of fundraising that are really beyond our reach, so here we’ll focus on a few to which we can reasonably aspire.

Time-based prizes:
These prizes include “Power Hours” and “Golden Tickets,” which are drawn randomly based on donations made during particular time periods. The more donations made for Act Too Studio Opera Workshop during these hours, the more chances we have of winning one of these prizes. Here is a list of the times of day when your donation might make the most impact! All times are Eastern Standard Time.

Power Hour ($1000): 10:00-10:59AM; 10:00-10:59PM
Golden Tickets ($500): 7:00-7:59AM; 9:00-9:59AM; 12:00-12:59PM; 1:00-1:59PM; 3:00-3:59PM; 4:00-4:59PM; 7:00-7:59PM; 8:00-8:59PM

Donations made during these time periods will automatically enter us into a drawing for the two prizes awarded each time, so if you’re able to make a donation, no matter how small, during these hours, it could end up being a much larger gift!

Demographic and volume-based prizes:
A few other prizes we think we might have a reasonable shot at include “Most unique donors,” which awards prizes to organizations who attract the highest number of individual donors, regardless of the donation size, “Most donors under 40,” and “Most new donors to your organization,” which pretty much speak for themselves, and “Donors by decade,” which enters an organization in a pool for a prize if it has received donations from donors in at least four of the decade categorizations on the donor form (with the caveat that two must be in the 30-39, 20-29, or 19 and under categories).

The value of these prizes is that they favor organizations that receive a large volume of small donations, which means that even the smallest amount has the potential to reap much greater rewards. If you are able to donate even the smallest amount ($10 is the Valley Gives minimum), and/or encourage your friends to do so, you could help us have a more successful day than you might imagine.

Thank you for your help! We are grateful for any help you can give us during Valley Gives day this year, and we’ll be posting updates throughout the day on our Facebook Page, including new videos and stories from our teens. We hope you’ll join us!