By Shelby Siegfried
for the Register
Annabelle Wilson, a sixth-grader from St. Patrick School in McCook, has been chosen for the prestigious Opera Omaha Poetry & Music Project for the academic year 2023-2024.
Her poem, “My Home,” stood out among 102 submissions from K-12 students across 12 counties in Nebraska and Iowa.
The annual project, aimed at promoting creativity and artistic collaboration among young writers and composers, is a collaboration between Opera Omaha and professional composers Amber Vistein and Sidney Marquez Boquiren. Wilson’s poem caught the attention of composer Boquiren, who will craft musical accompaniment to Wilson’s words.
Pat McEvoy, engagement assistant at Opera Omaha, expressed excitement about Wilson’s selection.
“We were so excited to read Annie’s work as was composer Sidney Marquez Boquiren, who selected it to be included in this year’s concert, and is now hard at work crafting the music that will accompany the words,” McEvoy said.
Wilson’s English teacher, Shaelin Stiver, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing Wilson’s dedication to her craft.
As part of the project, Wilson will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual music workshop with Boquiren and other musicians, allowing her to provide feedback and ask questions to ensure her vision is captured in the final performance. A poet from the Nebraska Writers Collective will also be present to offer guidance and support.
Reflecting on her creative process, Wilson said she was excited to find out her poem was selected.
“I asked my classmates to help brainstorm single words that could be a theme for a poem,” she said. “Someone shouted out ‘home’ and from there I just started writing about the feelings of home.”
Although Wilson has had other poetry published, she said she is looking forward to the unique experience of having her words set to music.
“I have no idea what it will sound like,” she said, but “I’m excited to work with the composer and hear how it turns out.”
Wilson’s poem, once set to music, will debut at The Poetry & Music Project Concert Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m. at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. The concert, which is free to the public and will be live-streamed, promises to showcase the talent and creativity of young poets like Wilson.
Additionally, all submitted poems will be included in the Poetry & Music Project book, distributed to poets, teachers, concert attendees, and available online. The project’s book is also part of the Omaha Public Library’s Zine collection, ensuring that these young voices continue to resonate within the community.
Sr. Mary Gabriel, C.K., curriculum and teacher formator for the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, commended Wilson and her school for the honor.
“Poetry is the music of the soul,” she said. “Because it has the capacity of expressing the truth of human experiences through beautiful languages, poetry can open the mind and heart to God who reaches us through the transcendentals of truth, goodness, beauty, and unity.”
