Lyric Opera 2019-2020 Issue 8 Madama Butterfly

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 80 Backstage Life: Todd Snead WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT LYRIC, AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU HELD THE POSITION? I was appointed director of learning programs in May 2017, but have been a part of the Lyric family for six seasons. Previously, I served as the school engagement manager and was primarily focused on overseeing Lyric’s residency programs in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In my current role, I oversee all of Lyric’s K-12 programming (as well as Family Day), and engage with schools all across Chicago, the suburbs, Indiana, and Wisconsin. WHAT’S LED YOU TO WORK AT LYRIC? I’ve always been passionate about arts education and I’ve always wanted to work at a large company at the forefront of artistic endeavors. I have a Ph.D. in music education and my career path included being a public-school teacher, professional performer, university professor, and arts administrator. This position allows me to draw on all that experience in a dynamic way. WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU? I don’t really have a typical day because the work I do involves a wide range of programs. I spend a lot of time communicating with teachers and district officials, fostering partnerships, managing logistics, and developing or revising our student programs. But on a day when I’m out in schools, I might be witnessing how our programs are serving and impacting students and teachers, observing teaching artists and evaluating their work, meeting with new potential school partners, escorting donors who want to see our programs in action, or meeting with other arts partners in the city to discuss current trends in our field. I try to visit schools every couple of weeks, so I’m out in the community a lot. What I love about my job is that it can take me to a school on the very far south side at 124 th and Halsted and to the north side of Rogers Park all in the same day. I get to journey out of the office, see what’s happening in our communities, and collaborate with dedicated teachers. WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? Creating programs to serve all the people we work with in authentic ways. We can’t create a “one-size-fits-all” program and expect it to work in every situation. With our residency program, or any other community partnership, we meet one on one with people and try to learn about their needs and potential ways Lyric may collaborate with them. Then, we try to tailor the program in a way that will best serve those needs. Collaboration takes more time, but I find it is ultimately more creative and rewarding. WHAT KEEPS YOU COMMITTED TO THE WORK YOU DO? Seeing the positive impact it has on children. Most of what I do involves working with students, teachers, or families. What commits me to the work is when students have that “lightbulb” moment, when they have a positive experience with the arts, that changes their lives. Many schools have little to no arts programming and sometimes our programs are the only opportunities students have to sing, act, or experience a creative process in school. Taking children through that process, seeing them be successful, and sharing in their excitement is extremely fulfilling. WHAT’S SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR JOB THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW? The extent of Lyric’s involvement in Chicagoland schools. More than 33,000 students participate in Lyric programs every year! We have residencies in 74 CPS classrooms, Opera in the Neighborhoods gives 30 performances at 15 venues across the metro area, and students from all over the country take backstage tours. Some people think we only have events here at the opera house, or that we only produce opera. I don’t think many people know how connected we are to the community or that we have that broad of an impact on students and teachers. A FAVORITE LYRIC MOMENT? One of my favorite moments is when we created The Message in the Music , which was inspired by Lyric’s Chicago Voices initiative. The program featured four singers from different musical and cultural backgrounds showcasing how they use their voices to convey stories and emotion across different genres. Students heard the “Toreador Song” from Carmen , a Chicago blues standard, vocal jazz improv, soaring gospel music, and a local hip hop artist. It was both informative and entertaining. Seeing students enjoy and appreciate that artistry was incredible! BEYOND OPERA, WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER PASSIONS? Being outdoors and hiking. Almost all my vacations involve getting out into the world. I love travel, and architecture is another huge passion of mine. That’s one fascinating thing about living in Chicago: there is a lot of exciting architecture here. Outside of opera, my other musical passion is drum and bugle corps, which is a youth performance activity similar to marching band. I taught drum corps for 10 years and was the executive director of a corps in Atlanta before moving here.