Pittsburgh Capa's Opera

Hello! My name is Emma Hicks, I am 15 years old, I live in Pittsburgh, PA and I attend a Creative and Performing Arts School as a vocal major. Going to a school for the arts has exposed me to a diverse cross section of people. I go to school with theater majors, instrumentalists, singers, writers, dancers, visual artists, and those in production technology. Being a magnet, my school requires an audition to get in, and its student body isn't determined by where you live, but what you are passionate about and what you love to do.

Because of this, I am exposed to a range interests and talent, but we are all connected by our shared love of the arts. I am reminded of this every year in vocal when we put on our opera. For some, its their fourth opera and 18th production they have been in, and for others its the first time they have  ever been on a stage. 

I love our opera because it gives those of us with limited resources and a lack of access a chance to learn about, and be apart of, an art form that is considered too "elite" for most people, let alone highschoolers. Last year was the first opera I have ever done, and aside from learning the most I ever had about the art form I love, I also had the time of my life, made an entire army of friends who love exactly what I do, and had a blast doing it.

Part of our opera experience is rasing funds. The arts are extremely underfunded (I know, shocker) and my school is stretched especially thin trying to grant each department the caliber of resources it deserves. Because of this, the vocal department pays for its own opera via a fundraiser. Last years fundraising did not go as planned, and while we put on a fun production, we were forced to draw on funds made from previous operas. This year I have decided to take matters into my own hands, and give my peers the opera they deserve. I would so much rather us focus on the art of putting on an opera instead of worrying about the finances of it, and I hope that with the go fund me page I can at least eliminate some of the stress that comes with being a school for the arts.

This August, I am riding my bike 345 miles from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington D.C. in order to raise funds for my opera! Any donation, no matter how small, helps me to acheive my goal.   Per mile, or just one donation will help us raise the money we need for
-costumes
-set
-licensing
-director's salary

Thank you so much, and pictures are to come! I'll be updating while I'm on the trip so you can track my progress on the way to D.C.