Okay, teachers, let’s talk real talk. Being a teacher isn’t just about showing up, handing out worksheets, and grading papers. It’s about growing with your students, and that means you gotta keep growing too!

Studies show that teachers who keep learning new stuff actually help their students learn better. Like, a lot better. A study from 2021 found that teachers who took extra training had students who rocked their tests! So, yeah, it’s not just about making you feel good; it’s about making your kids smarter.
Ícono de la fuente

The world is changing super fast. New tech, new ways to learn, new kinds of kids – it’s a crazy ride. If you’re not hopping on the learning train, you’re gonna get left behind. Imagine trying to teach kids about computers without knowing how to turn one on! That’s basically what it’s like if you’re stuck in a teaching rut.

So, how do you level up your teacher game? Two words: eLearning and on-site training.

eLearning: Think online courses, webinars, and all that digital goodness. The cool thing about eLearning is you can learn at your own pace, in your pajamas if you want. Plus, there’s a ton of stuff out there, from tech tools to classroom management.
On-Site Training: This is like a teacher’s playground. You get to hang with other teachers, share ideas, and learn new tricks. Plus, you get to network and make some awesome teacher friends.

The best thing? Mixing these two together Boost Teacher Retention! Online learning gives you the basics, and in-person training helps you put it all into action. It’s like having the best of both worlds.

Bottom line: Teachers, you’re amazing, but don’t stop there. Keep learning, keep growing, and watch your students soar!

Source: Journal of Teacher Education, 2021

Are replica watches of the same quality as the originals?

Replica watches have always been a topic of fascination for many. They offer the allure of luxury timepieces at a fraction of the price. In this article, we’ll delve into the world of replica watches and explore whether they truly match the quality of their original counterparts.

Understanding Replica Watches
Replica watches are imitations of high-end luxury watches, often created with the intent to mimic the design, appearance, and functionality of the originals. They can be found in various price ranges, from cheap knock-offs to more sophisticated replicas.

Differences between Replicas and Originals
Replica watches may look strikingly similar to their authentic counterparts, but several factors set them apart:

Material Quality
Authentic watches are typically crafted from premium materials, such as high-grade stainless steel, precious metals, and sapphire crystal. Replicas, on the other hand, may use less expensive materials, resulting in differences in durability and overall quality.

Craftsmanship
The precision and craftsmanship of luxury watchmakers are renowned. While replicas attempt to emulate this, they often fall short in terms of intricate details and precision.

Brand Authenticity
Original watches carry the brand’s authenticity and legacy, making them highly sought after. Replicas lack this unique connection and may not hold the same value.

Mixed Precipitation Theater announces Escape from Alcina’s Island: A Picnic Operetta. 

This years performance is a guitar-swinging retelling of the 1735 Handel opera, Alcina, performed throughout Minnesota in August and September. An edible opera adventure for the whole family, the Picnic Operetta marks a seven-year tradition of celebrating the harvest with a unique blend of music, horticulture, food, and storytelling. This year, The Picnic Operetta is moving beyond the Twin Cities metro area to perform in farms throughout Minnesota.

See the dates below.  RESERVATIONS ON BROWNPAPER TICKETS BEGIN on JUNE 1st.  

Sunday, August 16, 2pm (preview)

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Rd, North Branch, MN 55056

Wednesday, August 19, 7pm (preview)

Northeast United Methodist Church, 2510 Cleveland St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Thursday, August 20, 7pm (opening)

Dodge Nature Center, 365 Marie Ave West, West St. Paul, MN 55118

Saturday, August 22, 4pm

Food Farm, 2612 County Road 1, Wrenshall, MN 55797

Sunday, August 23, 4pm

Falcon Heights Community Garden, 2050 Roselawn Ave W, Falcon Heights, MN 55113

Friday, August 28, 7pm

JD Rivers’ Children’s Garden, 2900 Glenwood Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55405

Saturday, August 29, 4pm

Bakers’ Acres, 36861 Co. Rd. 9, Avon, MN 56310

Sunday, August 30, 4pm

Skidmore Park Community Garden, 1085 4th St, St. Paul, MN 55106

Saturday, September 5, 2pm

Alexis Bailly Vineyard, 18200 Kirby Ave S, Hastings, MN 55033

Sunday, September 6, 4pm

Squash Blossom Farm, 7499 60th Ave NW, Oronoco, MN 55960

Saturday, September 12, 4pm

Eat Street Community Garden, 2416 1st Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404

Sunday, September 13, 4pm

Muriel Sahlen Arboretum , 2525 North Dale Street, Roseville, MN 55113

Saturday, September 19, 4pm

 Robbinsdale Community Garden, 4239 Halifax Ave N, Robbinsdale, MN 55422

Sunday, September 20, 4pm

Swede Hollow Park, 657 E Beaumont St, St. Paul, MN

Reservations

Please call 1-800-838-3006 or visit mixedprecipitation.org for reservations. Reservations will be avilable on June 1. Seating is limited and reservations are strongly encouraged. The suggested donation is $10 – 20 per person. Donations are a critical source of funding for The Picnic Operetta and can be made with your reservation or collected at the end of the performance. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs.

Access

We are prepared to provide reasonable accommodation to patrons with physical disabilities and those who require access services. Our performance is designed for an outdoor garden venue. A sighted guide is suggested for visually impaired patrons. Please call Tour and Company Manager Rachel Wandrei (617-543-5770) for parking suggestions and access to each unique venue. Find additional info about access services, ASL, captioning, and audio description at mixedprecipitation.org. The opera is sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Make the Opera Reach Every Corner with the Help of TikTok

Welcome to our blog post on how social media, specifically TikTok, can be a powerful tool in making opera accessible to people from all walks of life. In today’s digital age, social media platforms have transformed the way we connect, share, and discover content. With its vast user base and creative potential, TikTok offers an incredible opportunity to expand the reach of the opera world.

The Power of TikTok

TikTok has taken the world by storm, becoming one of the most popular social media platforms globally. It allows users to create and share short videos, often accompanied by music. The platform’s algorithm analyzes user preferences and tailors content to individual interests, making it an ideal medium for promoting opera to a diverse audience.

Opera, often seen as traditional and elitist, can benefit greatly from TikTok’s ability to break down barriers. By leveraging the platform’s features, opera houses and performers can showcase their talent, share behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engage with users in a more casual and relatable manner.

Reaching New Audiences

TikTok’s immense user base consists of people of all ages and backgrounds. By using creative storytelling and captivating visuals, opera professionals can capture the attention of individuals who may have never been exposed to this art form before. By making opera content easily digestible and entertaining, we can ignite curiosity and encourage users to explore this rich cultural heritage.

To enhance your TikTok presence and reach even more users, you can buy tiktok services from themarketingheaven.com. They offer tailored strategies and promotional packages to help your opera content gain visibility and engagement on the platform.

Fostering Community and Participation

TikTok is not only a platform for passive consumption but also encourages user participation and engagement. Opera houses can organize challenges, invite users to duet with professional singers, or create tutorials to help users understand different aspects of opera. By involving the TikTok community, opera can become more approachable, interactive, and inclusive.

Additionally, opera enthusiasts can form communities and share their love for this art form on TikTok. User-generated content, such as reviews, reactions, and recommendations, can help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment for opera lovers worldwide.

The Future of Opera

Embracing platforms like TikTok can revolutionize the opera world by widening its audience and making it more accessible to all. By breaking down stereotypes and showcasing the beauty of this art form through engaging and innovative content, opera can find a new generation of passionate supporters.

So, let’s seize the power of social media and use TikTok to spread the magic of opera to every corner of the world. Together, we can make this timeless art form thrive in the digital age.

SAVE THE DATE:

 

Here are some of the operas that we like!  Check out the links below to see clips and hear the music!

La Wally by Alfredo Catalani

The Faerie Queen by Henry Purcell

Here’s an example of zarzuela!

The Tender Land by Aaron Copland

The Who’s Tommy

Ruslan and Lyudmilla by Glinka

Don’t forget to share your thoughts on this survey!

CLICK HERE!

AGENT FIDELIO: A PICNIC OPERETTA

This 1805 opera of revolution and liberation is retold in the colorful and festive style that Picnic Operetta audiences adore.  Emerging from the garden will be secret agents, covert operations and undercover antics–all mashed-up with many musical surprises and served with a sampling menu of locally-sourced bites!

August 10th Opening at Eat Street Community Garden

2412/2416 1st Avenue South, Minneapolis

August 11th  Falcon Heights Community Garden

Cleveland Avenue & Roselawn Ave, Falcon Heights

August 16th Dodge Nature Center, Farm Education Center and Community Garden 7pm

1701 Charlton St, West St. Paul

August 17th Skidmore Park Community Garden

1085 E. 4th St Saint Paul, MN  (East 4th Street and Earl Street)

August 18th Caponi Art Park   *** 6:30 performance

1120 Diffley Road, Eagan

August 23rd JD Rivers Children’s Garden 7pm performance

2900 Glenwood Ave N, Minneapolis MN (Glenwood and North Washburn Ave.)

August 24th Loring Park Garden of the Seasons 4pm

August 25th California Street Farm 4pm

2205 California Street NE, Minneapolis

August 31st  Stone’s Throw Urban Farm 4pm

September 1st  Alexis Bailley Vineyard 4pm

18200 Kirby Avenue, Hastings

September 7th House of Hope Church 4pm

797 Summit Ave, St Paul

September 8th  Bronx Park Community Garden 4pm

2500 Georgia Avenue at Cedar Lake Bike Trail, St. Louis Park

September 14th  Women’s Environmental Institute

Farm and Orchard at Amador Hill 4pm

15715 River Road, North Branch

September 15th Swede Hollow Park 4pm

Beaumount and Drewry Lane, St. Paul

(one block from Payne Ave. and E. Minnehaha Ave.)

Picnic Operetta Seeks First Violinist, STAT!

FFI please contact Marya Hart, music director  maryahartmusic@gmail.com

Paid Position

Performances August 8 through September 15

Mixed Precipitation’s Picnic Operetta, now in its fifth season, is seeking a first violinist.

We are open to subbing out or splitting the position, if a candidate has some conflicts with the performance schedule. In other words, IF YOU’RE INTERESTED AND CAN ONLY DO SOME OF THE PERFORMANCES, GET IN TOUCH!

This year’s production is a mash-up of Beethoven’s “Fidelio” and the music of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff.

We need a player with these attributes:

Strong technique and good ensemble skills. Experience in chamber groups and theatrical experience is helpful.

Improvisatory skills, familiarity with popular music and ability to make creative adaptations.

Reliability.

Ability to work in a changing environment. (Performances are outdoors, in community gardens throughout the metro area.)

Good leadership and interpersonal skills.

Fun-loving people who like good food, gardens and the outdoors.

Performance schedule:

August 8th FINAL DRESS 7pm

August 9th PREVIEW 7pm

August 10th 4:00

August 11th  4:00

August 16th 7pm

August 17th 4:00

August 18th 4:00

August 23rd 7pm

August 24th 4:00

August 25th 4:00pm

August 31st 4:00

September 1st 4:00

September 7th 4:00

September 8th 4:00

September 14th 4:00

September 15th 4:00

Rehearsal schedule

Weekly, commencing June 24

No rehearsal the week of June 30

Two rehearsals week of July 28

Tech week: band joins cast for run throughs commencing ca. Aug 4

We have posted our auditions and were excited to meet singers, actors and dancers of all ages and abilities!

For our unique adaptation of Mozart’s Idomeneo, We have a special need for classical singers and risk taking physical actors who love to work outside!

Auditions will be held MARCH 7th (5:30 to 9:00) and MARCH 10th!  (3:00 to 7:00)

More information is posted on Minnesota Playlist!

CLICK HERE to access the info.

The Return of King Idomeneo: A Picnic Operetta

Performing in community gardens and farms throughout the metro area.

The Fall Season Brings New Adventures!

      
photo credits: Travis Chantar and Brooks Peterson

April Seller’s presents
The Erratics
October 21st and 22nd at 8pmPatrick’s Cabaret
3010 Minnehaha Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN

Alice in Wonderland: Story Time and Cookie Decoration
10:30am Saturday
November 5th 2011

Minneapolis Central Library
300 Nicollet Avenue,
Minneapolis

Upcoming events to enjoy! 

Many in our company have been hard at work preparing music and pageantry  for the annual BareBones Productions Halloween puppet extravaganza.  Check out this years’ production, A Fistful of Dirt: Or How the Death Was Won, performs at Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul, October 22nd through 31st.  Check out the link here!

BareBones Productions
A Fistful of Dirt: Or How the Death Was Won
7pm October 22nd through 31st
Hidden Falls Park, St. Paul

Our fiscal agent, the Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts, is presenting a Joy: A Holiday Cabaret!  (November 18th through December 17th) at the Lab Theater in the Warehouse District.  This award winning company presents original musical theater with a mixed cast of artists with and without disabilities in a spirit of “radical inclusion”.  Mixed Precipitation’s artistic director, Scotty Reynolds, has called Interact his artistic home for seven years.  We hope you can come check out this festive show, featuring Kevin Kling and Eriq Nelson!  Check out the link here!

Interact Theater Company
Joy: A Holiday Cabaret
November 18th through December 17th
The Lab Theater, Minneapolis

Also, our Alcina, Laura Hynes Smith, is singing the wonderful role of Despina in the University Opera Theatre’s production of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte at the Ted Mann Concert Hall November 17th through 20th.  Check out the link here!

University Opera Theatre
Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte
November 17th through 20th
Ted Mann Concert Hall, U of M West Bank

And everyone’s favorite “friendly lion” Paulino Brener has received a Jerome Fellowship for performance art, and he’ll be presenting a new piece at the  Pillsbury House Theatre for Naked Stages December 7th through 10th.  Check out the link here!

Naked Stages
Paulino Brener’s Don’t Cry for Me
December 7th through 10th
Pillsbury House Theatre, Minneapolis

If you are in our audience, please say hello!

And if you’re hungry…

Don’t forget the amazing sponsors who helped us make the Picnic Operetta happen.  The fresh local taste lasts all year long at these great establishments.  Stop in for a tasty bite and say hello.  Let them know you love opera… and trucker songs!

And if you want to get cozy with a trucker… 

Watermelons may be out of season, but the watermelon truck from Alcina’s Island is still a hit!  Textile artist Annabella Miller Sardelis has created a special pillow to commemorate the production.  You can find them at local boutique, I Like You and on etsy. Or you can buy directly from the artist at her studio! Click on the pillow below to find out more!

A Midsummer Swig 2011

Come to this festive benefit supporting the 3rd annual Picnic Operetta!
August 8th, 2011 6:30 to 10:00

Wise Acre Eatery, 5401 Nicollet Avenue South,
next to Tangletown Gardens

Suggested Donation:  $25

Join us for music, food, drink and camaraderie as we toast the opening of another season presenting opera in the Urban Eco-System. The amazing chef Nick Schneider will assemble a loco-vore nosh table and we’ll feature great music by The Hummingbirds (your favorite ukulele quartet) and our singers bring down the house with a sample of music from Alcina’s Island: A Picnic Operetta

© 2011 Clare Pix Photography www.clarepix.com

Check Nick Schneider’s Menu for A Midsummer Swig!

And a menu of refreshing signature drinks crafted by a dandy bar staff!

Your support will help us bring a free community event to community gardens throughout the metro area. Help us bring musical excellence and shared deliciousness to these amazing green spaces.

ENJOY FOOD, DRINKS, MUSIC and GREAT COMPANY!

We are so excited to have Wise Acre Eatery as a partner presenting this benefit and celebrating our commitment to music, food and the joys of the Minnesota harvest.  Many thanks to owners Scott Endres and Dean Engelmann.  We hope you will stop by this beautiful restaurant, enjoy a bite, meet the friendly staff and relax on the fabulous patio.

Many Thanks to our presenting partners!

It takes a lot of people and groups to make the picnic operetta happen!  We are so glad to have the continued partnership of Gardening Matters, the Seward Co-op, the Wedge Co-op, the Lindon Hills Co-op, and The Aliveness Project!

What is Mixed Precipitation?

We are performance group dedicated to exploring text, space and form in theatrical events that create opportunities for social engagement.  We are excited about work  that bends genres and brings together communities to honor the spaces and the times that we share.  

This Alcina is rowdy and delicious!

It’s time to kick up your heels!  Yee-ha!

In our colorful re-imagining of Handel’s 1735 opera, the garden becomes a truck stop on the American highway.  Scheming sorceresses Alcina and Morgana become truck stop waitresses luring brave truckers astray.  We combine Handel’s early baroque with trucker songs and classic country.  The magic of this Island will be all the more savory, with Chef Nick Schneider’s five course sampling menu of locally sourced treats created especially for this performance.  And, of course, the glory of love and music conquers all!

Check our awesome listing of gardens for the 2011 Picnic Operetta!

All performances are at 4pm unless otherwise noted!

We can’t wait to sing for you in the garden!

This performance is made possible, in part, by Metropolitan Regional Arts Council  and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4th, 2008