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enables the transmission of complex ideas and emotions by creating a story in
several different modalities simultaneously, thereby evoking affect. The perfor-
mance enhanced the children’s curiosity and motivation to also read the book
of the story of Kekec lately as they pointed out in the questionnaire, where 74%
of children answer positively to the question of whether they would like to also
read the story in the book. That is a clear sign that the effect of the artistic work
was complex and could promote reading as well.
The effect that the dynamics of art have on us is difficult to describe, but
when it is effective, listeners or viewers are moved when they experience the
nonverbal messages of a painting, film, or performance. Something in the
flow of music, dance or gesture directly communicates and evokes emotions
and sometimes physical movement, accompaniment (Trevarthen & Malloch,
2009, p. 83). What is this ‘something’? How do we translate and share it? In
our case it was clear that the narrative of the opera managed to meet the flow
of children’s emotionality and understanding and to broaden their understan-
ding and curiosity. When we talk about creativity, art, and especially art for
children, the question arises as to whether and why art for children is impor-
tant, and what it is in the child’s development that is most responsive to arti-
stic language, and what it is in artistic language that has the most impact on
the child’s development (Kompan Erzar, 2015; 2016). The contemporary sci-
entific view of child development emphasizes the importance of an emotio- Katarina Kompan Erzar, Katarina Habe ◆ THE CAPACITY OF YOUTH OPERA TO ENHANCE THE EMOTIONAL SKILLS OF YOUNGER ADOLESCENTS
nally safe, experientially calm (predictable, stable), yet rich (diverse and lively
environment for the holistic development of the child’s brain (Siegel, 2011).
It is becoming increasingly clear that a child’s direct contact with nature, its
rhythm, art, free play, and improvisation, all within an emotionally rich and
safe contact with an adult and peers, is essential for holistic and healthy develo-
pment (Miranda, 2013). Contact with art and creativity is one of the areas that
can provide indispensable experiences that help shape both mental and other
cognitive abilities that would otherwise be impaired (Siegel, 2023).

RO2: Do children have the ability to recognize musical aesthetics, defined as
the structural and emotional qualities that contribute to a composition’s
perceived beauty and appeal?
One of the most surprising results was the precision with which children were
able to detect even the smallest slips in performance, either musical ones or
technical ones. They expressed disapproval when the performances were in-
terrupted by other spectators or by mistakes made by performers or technici-
ans. They also highlighted that the most beautiful thing in the whole experi-
ence was the singing, especially the song about the wish to see nature and loved
ones sung by a blind girl (Mojca). The features of this song were the most melo-
dic and written in ¾ time. Nieminen et al. (2011) states that aesthetic processes
are usually seen as pleasing and rewarding and are, thus, important and valu-
able experiences. The importance of aesthetic experience could be seen also at

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