I am so pleased to introduce myself to you – first here and then hopefully in person over the next few months. I’ve joined DCYOP as Interim Executive Director and am thrilled to be here.
I come to DCYOP having worked with other local arts organizations (Executive Director at Sitar Arts Center, Development Director at Arena Stage) and having served as interim ED for other youth-serving nonprofits (most recently BEST Kids). I’m also an arts educator, having taught piano and musical theater to young artists over the years. But more importantly, I come to this role knowing DCYOP, its long history, and the great music it makes. I’ve had the pleasure of working with DCYOP over the past few years in an advisory capacity, and before that, my brother Dave was a DCYOP percussion instructor.
Thanks to my prior work with DCYOP, I know that the strength of this community and our talented, committed and professional team will help me ensure a smooth transition until we welcome the new permanent ED together sometime next year.
In the meantime, I can’t wait to meet you all. I’m eager to see the excitement of our student musicians as they arrive for the first day of rehearsals – both the veterans who are back for another year with us and those who are picking up an instrument for the very first time. If you have any questions about DCYOP, the new year of music education about to start, or getting more involved with our program, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team!
Get to Know DCYOP is a regular feature that introduces you to some of the many people who make DCYOP the amazing organization that it has been for over sixty years. Visit our blog regularly to see who you’ll meet next!
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We are excited to welcome Gerald Fowkes to the DCYOP family as the new conductor of our Young Artists Orchestra! An experienced conductor, educator and performing artist, Gerald brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position. We cannot wait for you to meet him, but in the meantime read on to learn a bit more about our newest faculty member.
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Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Northern Virginia, then my wife and I moved back in 2003 to raise a family and work.
How did you get started as a conductor?
Conducting was a fortuitous path for me. It wasn’t until I started teaching in the public schools when I had to waive a stick around to conduct ensembles. I had no idea what I was doing at first! Trial and error have been my most influential teachers.
Do you play an instrument? How did you get started?
Yes, I am a cellist! I started playing in the public schools in fifth grade. I desperately wanted to play the double bass, but my parents were not keen on transporting that size instrument. So, we compromised on the cello and here we are 35+ years later.
Did you always want to become a professional musician? What was your path?
Ninth grade was a musically pivotal year for me. In 1992, Mstislav Rostropovich, the famed cellist and former music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, was a Kennedy Center Honoree. A massive cello orchestra was assembled to celebrate Slava at the event. The orchestra was compromised of members from the National Symphony and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestras, as well as a handful of students; I was fortunate to be selected as one of the student cellists. Oh, and, of course, Yo Yo Ma was the principal cellist. To say I was in awe was an understatement. Their dedication to the craft in our lone rehearsal was revelatory. Yo Yo Ma’s dedication to humanity as a musician was inspirational. I knew then that I had to be a cellist and musician from that moment, there really wasn’t any other choice.
Do you do perform or teach outside of DCYOP?
Currently, I am the director of orchestras at Fairfax High School in Fairfax, VA. In addition, I’m adjunct faculty at George Mason University where I teach applied cello as well as courses in class strings pedagogy. As a freelance cellist, I continue to play with ensembles throughout the Greater Washington DC area. In addition I perform frequently as a member of the Gunston Piano Trio through GMU’s outreach program.
What do you like most about teaching/conducting?
I love interacting with kids and providing them with a fun space to play good music. Pure and simple.
Who is your favorite performer? Why?
The late baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is, hands down, my favorite artist. The warmth of his voice and the way he shapes phrases within a given text is phenomenal. The violinist Giles Apap is a close second. He’s a wizard on the violin and so incredibly comfortable playing in most any genre, a remarkable musician.
What is your favorite piece of music? Why?
Robert Schumann’s ‘Dichterliebe’, with Fischer-Dieskau performing of course, is my absolute favorite work. It’s a song cycle about a poet’s love; I’m a sentimental sap, what can I say.
What are your interests outside of music?
I love cooking, hiking, cooking, snowboarding, and more cooking. Did I mention cooking?
What is your favorite thing to do in DC?
I love going to concerts and shows, from the Kennedy Center to the 9:30 club!
Executive Director Elizabeth Schurgin announced this week that she will be leaving her role at the beginning of August after nine years with the organization. Below is the email she shared with the DCYOP community, followed by answers to questions you may have about what happens next.
Dear Friends:
I have some news to share with you: after nine years, this is my last season as Executive Director of DCYOP.
I love DCYOP, and it will always be a part of me. I am incredibly proud of the work that we have done. During this time, we have turned around a venerated but struggling program into a thriving organization, one that is increasingly recognized as a national leader in arts education. Our students have performed with Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and for President and Mrs. Obama. They toured five countries, and performed at Chile’s Presidential Palace.
We welcomed new students through our expanded after-school programs and deepened our impact through our Talent Development Program. Recently, in collaboration with the Kennedy Center, Levine Music, and National Symphony Orchestra, we founded Washington Musical Pathways Initiative, which is committed to creating access to transformative musical experiences for student-musicians who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.
DCYOP has grown substantially and is in a strong financial position, which has allowed us to successfully weather the COVID-19 pandemic. We are already nearing our pre-pandemic enrollment. You can remain confident that DCYOP and our partnerships and collaborations are in very good shape for the transition to come.
I fell in love with DCYOP because of its drive for excellence, its commitment to its students, its boldness to challenge systemic inequities, and its willingness to accomplish big and exciting things. But what I have loved most about this role is the community of people I have had the honor to work with.
Little will change for students and families. We have a truly dedicated team and an incomparable faculty. Evan Ross Solomon will continue in his role as Artistic Director, providing continuity for staff, faculty, students, and families.
I informed the Board of Directors in the spring of my plan to leave after this season and my last day will be August 5. The Board is in the process of hiring an Interim Executive Director and is preparing to conduct a national search for a permanent Executive Director. I will be available to the organization this fall to provide knowledge and support during the transition. I am mindful of the imperative that all of our initiatives, collaborations, and the strategic plan can be seamlessly picked up by the next Executive Director.
Thank you for being a part of DCYOP’s musical community.
With much gratitude,
Liz Schurgin
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Questions About the Transition
What will happen next?
The Board is in the process of hiring an Interim Executive Director, who will likely join the team by the end of July, while the DCYOP Board of Directors conducts a national search for a permanent Executive Director. The Board will engage staff and parents in the process and take the time necessary to find the right person for the organization and our community.
How soon will the interim ED be in place?
Most likely by the end of July.
How soon will a permanent ED be in the job?
A national search will take several months, at least.
When is Liz’s last day?
Liz’s last day as Executive Director will be Aug. 5. She’ll be available to staff and the Interim Executive Director for several weeks after that to help with the transition.
What will change for parents, students, and faculty?
Nothing. Scheduling, programming, instruction is all led by Evan Ross Solomon, our Artistic Director, and the stellar program team. Most parents and students won’t notice any difference at all.
Where is Liz going next?
Liz has been with DCYOP for nine years and informed the Board this spring that she felt the time was right for her to take a breather, and explore new opportunities.
How can I say goodbye to Liz?
Call or email the office. A community gathering is being planned, probably for September, and more information will be made available in August.
Will parents/staff/faculty/students/donors be involved in the national search process?
Yes. Working with a search firm, the Board will engage in an inclusive process.
I’d like to share some thoughts/ideas for the executive search and/or the future of DCYOP.
Great! Please email info@dcyop.org and we’ll share with staff and the Board.
Riding the high of the previous night’s concert in Torremolinos, we enjoyed a leisurely morning in Granada – time to catch up on sleep, lounge by the pool, or get those last souvenirs and explore another of Spain’s historic Andalusian cities.
In the afternoon, we squeezed a quick visit to Alhambra, one of the most famous and well-preserved Islamic palaces in the world. Under the blazing sun, we strolled its peaceful gardens and marveled at the breathtakingly intricate carvings and mosaic tile work that seem to dominate every inch of the palaces that date back to the 13th century. There was not nearly enough time to explore the entire complex but it gave us all another taste of the rich and complex cultural and artistic history of the region.
Before we knew, it was time for our final concert of the tour, scheduled to take place at the CajaGRANADA Cultural Center. Feeling at their peak, the orchestra poured every last bit of energy they had into the final concert, bringing this tour to a triumphant close. It was wonderful to finish out the tour with both the assistance of our Lisbon Music Fest friends as well as the wonderfully welcoming Rotary Club of Granada, which presented the concert.
Our final day was largely spent making the long drive to Madrid, where we had a bit of time to see some of the sites and explore the area around Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor before enjoying a farewell dinner at a nearby restaurant.
We also made time to gather together in the evening to celebrate the orchestra’s incredible accomplishments, both musically and personally, and to recognize the many individual and group efforts that made it such a successful and memorable experience
And that’s a wrap on #DCYOIBERIA 2022! While friends and family back home are celebrating Independence Day, we will be making our way back home, eager to share experiences and start planning for more exciting adventures ahead. Stay tuned in the weeks ahead as we continue to share more footage of our tour performances and experiences. Hasta la próxima!
Day 5 started off with another wonderful and intense morning of rehearsals with our new friends from Orquesta Promusica.
Feeling ready and even more excited for our concert than the day before, we took a much-needed lunch break in the charming city center of Málaga. Everyone had a chance to explore its winding marble streets in search of Andalusian cuisine, souvenirs, or just a few moments of peace and quiet in one of its cultural landmarks such as the Picasso Museum Málaga (Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881), which is housed in a historic 16th century palace.
Nothing could top our excitement, though, once we arrived at the site of the evening’s joint concert: the Castillo de Gibralfaro. Once one of the most imposing fortresses on the Iberian peninsula, the Castillo was first built in the 10th century by the first Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba on the ruins of a Phoenician lighthouse that dates back to the 7th century BCE. The fortress was later expanded in the 14th century by the sultan of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.
We took a few moments to admire the beautiful cypress and fruit tree lined walkways of the grounds, as well as the incredible views overlooking the city from the fortress walls before our combined orchestra of over 100 musicians took to the outdoor stage. Well over 200 attendees filled the Patio de Armas, to enjoy works by Holst, Verdi, Offenbach, Turina, de Falla, and Emilio Lehmberg, a Malaga-born composer much beloved in Spain but virtually unknown in the United States. Maestro Solomon undertook the effort to create a new critical edition of his piece, Impresiones del atardecer, and presented the new score and parts as a gift to Maestro Javier Claudio, who is currently working on a film project about Lehmberg.
Day 6 gave us another opportunity to have lunch with our VIP tour in the Malaga city center before we headed to the nearby city of Torremolinos for our third concert at the Auditorio Municipal Principe de Asturias. The fantastic acoustics of the hall combined with absolutely stellar solos from our principals to make for what may have been the best performance of our tour program yet. We’ll know for sure tomorrow when we give our final concert of the tour in Granada…
Still riding high from our triumphant opening concert at Ruínas do Carmo, we bid farewell to Portugal and made the long drive to our first stop in Spain: Seville, the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Our first stop was a visit to the massive Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, better known as Seville Cathedral. Competed in the early 16th century, it is the world’s largest Gothic cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite the sizzling temperature, many of us couldn’t resist making the ascent to the top of its magnificent bell tower also known as La Giralda. Reflective of southern Spain long history under Muslim rule, the bell tower was actually once the minaret of a mosque that stood on the same site before it was repurposed and augmented, with the final touch – the rotating sculpture known as El Giraldillo – added to the top of the bell tower in 1568.
Joined by our VIP tour, we finished our long travel day with a special evening at Tablao el Renal, where many of Seville’s finest flamenco dancers have performed shows for over 40 years. While dining on an incredible array of traditional Andalusian tapas, we were treated to a fantastic flamenco show featuring virtuosic singing, guitar playing, and dancing, of course.
Day 4 brought us to the main destination of our tour: the beautiful city of Málaga, located on the Costa del Sol along the Mediterranean. After a quick visit to the beach for a little R&R, we went to meet our new friends from Orquesta Promusica and jump right into the much-anticipated rehearsals for our joint concert at the Castillo de Gibralfaro. Led by maestros Evan Ross Solomon and Javier Claudio, our YO students joined forces with over 40 young Spanish string players for an exciting rehearsal of works by Verdi, Offenbach, de Falla, and Turina. Despite any language barriers, the students all did an incredible job of communicating with one another to create musical fireworks in the rehearsal room. We cannot wait to perform together at the Castillo de Gibralfaro tomorrow night!
Today was our day to really soak up lovely Lisbon in all its glory. We started with a walking tour of the Belém, a district of the capital city that is home to some of Portugal’s most iconic sites.
Our first stop was the Tower of Belém, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was built in the early 16th century to protect the global maritime trade hub of Lisbon. We then walked along the beautiful waterfront to see the dramatic Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). Originally erected in temporary form as part of the 1940 Portuguese World Exhibition, it was reconstructed in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. Our last stop was the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, another UNESCO World Heritage site that is one of the greatest examples of classic Manueline architecture and took the entire 16th century to finish building.
In the evening, we made our way to the Ruínas do Camo, the site of a 14th century convent that was almost completely destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon earthquake and is now home to the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo. Here we performed our first concert of the tour as part of the Lisbon International Youth Music Festival. We were honored to perform as one of the featured ensembles in the festival’s return after two years of pandemic delays. Our musicians played their hearts out to a crowd of over 250 attendees who enjoyed a program of works by Antonin Dvořák, Kerwin Young, Aaron Copland, and Giuseppe Verdi under a cloudless night sky. We couldn’t have asked for better weather in a more gorgeous setting for the evening’s outdoor concert, and can’t wait to continue our tour in Spain this week.
Greetings from beautiful Lisbon! After a very long day and a half of travel via Frankfurt, we landed safe and sound in Portugal, where our tour officially begins.
After meeting our tour guides, Sónja and Beatriz, we kicked things off in style with a welcome dinner at Casa do Alentejo. From the outside, Casa do Alentejo looked like a plain building that blends right into the busy cityscape. But once we entered the doors, we were suddenly welcomed into a tranquil Moorish-style courtyard with more surprises to follow.
Originally known as the Palacio Alverca, Casa do Alentejo was built in the 1600’s and served as the home of the Paes de Amaral family until the early 1900’s. Over one hundred years later, it serves as a cultural center celebrating the heritage of Portugal’s southern Alentejo region, including a restaurant that serves many of its traditional dishes. This multipurpose space hosts everything from book talks and art exhibitions to cultural afternoons and social events.
We were treated to a spectacular welcome dinner in the former ballroom of the house, an ornate room decorated with crystal chandeliers that cast a warm light on the gilded wood panels and mirrors that cover its walls along with ornate frescos.
During the course of our meal, we enjoyed a truly special performance of fado, a very special traditional form of Portuguese music that is usually sung by a solitary singer or fadista accompanied by classical and/or Portuguese guitar. Named to the category of Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO , Fado can be difficult to explain to people who are not familiar with its long history and unique place in Portuguese culture. “The way to understand fado is to feel the music,” our tour guide, Sónia, told us. Everyone in the room definitely felt the incredible singing of fadista Yola Dinis, who was accompanied by both Portuguese and traditional guitarists. The entire orchestra gave her a standing ovation in appreciation of the special gift she shared with us, and enthusiastically agreed with Ms. Dinis that they would love to come back and play with her sometime!
After dinner, we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around downtown Lisbon, taking in the Arco do Rua Augusta and the Casa dos Bicos, an early 16th century house known for its unusual spiky facade that also houses the José Saramago Foundation. Some of the ashes of the Nobel Prize-winning author, who was born in a small village northeast of Lisbon, are buried under a beautiful olive tree in front of the building.
Tomorrow, we stay on in Lisbon for a little sightseeing as well as our first tour performance that will take place outdoors at the Ruinos do Carmo as part of the Lisbon Music Fest. Stay tuned for more updates!
By Sandy Choi, Community Engagement and Digital Media Manager
From Left to Right: Michael-Thomas Foumai, Clarice Assad, and Kerwin Young.
For Michael-Thomas Foumai, an Indigenous composer from Hawai’i, writing works like Paniolo Credo specifically for student ensembles is a deeply personal mission that reflects his desire to create the music he saw missing from the classical landscape when he was growing up, to draw connections between people and to encourage youth to explore and create through music.
“Young musicians are the future of music; composing for them is paramount to instilling a curiosity to explore the music of their time from the start of their musical journey,” Mr. Foumai says. “Moreover, it’s the gateway that may spark a musician to become a composer, an opportunity to think of music as a way to communicate.
Foumai’s piece is one of three pieces by living composers who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, that were commissioned by DCYOP and several partners and played this winter and spring by DCYOP students. Undiscovered Pathways, by local composer and University of Maryland student, Adrian B. Sims, was given its world premiere at our winter concert last December. Two more new works, A Retirada by Clarice Assad and Paniolo Credo by Mr. Foumai, will be given their world and East Coast premieres respectively at this month’s end of season concerts.
For Mr. Foumai, writing for young people started when he himself was a young person.
“I was 13, and it was a hobby just for myself. I created musical stories about the extinction of the dinosaurs, the Arabian Nights, the Aztecs, the wild west, and the Egyptian pharaohs. Once I gathered the courage to share my music with friends, they wanted to play it. So, I composed and arranged substantially for my high school and youth orchestra. I wrote what sounded cool and wasnʻt thinking if this music was playable—and much of it was beyond our technical capabilities—but it was music as a young musician that was electrifying. I wanted to perform it and share it. This kind of music wasn’t in the school music library; it had to be written.
“I hope my music will introduce and share the fascinating histories and stories of my Hawai’i home, cultivate curiosity to explore metaphors in music, and listen to how musical ideas are connected and developed over time.”
Clarice Assad also draws deeply from her roots to inspire young people to appreciate the full diversity of their own family traditions and cultures.
“I am originally from Brazil and have a deep sense of connection with its music,” she shares. “It is a huge country, with distinct regions, each with their own rich cultures, traditions, music, and dance. However, so little of it is known outside of Brazil – and even in the Brazil of more recent years, generations that grew up in the era of globalization have a tendency to mirror the dominating culture, which has been for decades, rooted in the pop culture of the US.”
In her opinion, the homogenization of different cultures can lead us to lose sight of what empowers us to flourish.
“In a cultural sense, when we only get exposed to one type of genre or music, we might become too narrow-minded, and never get past a set level of awareness,” she says.
Exploring and sharing her love for her Brazilian heritage with others has been one way that this prolific artist has continued to grow as a composer, especially when it comes to writing for students.
“I love engaging with young minds, and I learn a lot from every exchange,” she says. “Writing for young students is amazing because it makes my creative process a lot more conscious such as finding the balance between accessibility, and fun, for example. I put a lot of energy into making sure every single part has something interesting and meaningful to play.”
In addition to the works by Ms. Assad and Mr. Foumai that have come to us through K-12 New Music Project, DCYOP is also giving the long-awaited world premiere of Sulwe, an orchestral adaptation of the children’s book by actress and activist, Lupita Nyong’o, by award-winning music producer, educator and composer, Kerwin Young. The project was first conceived back in late 2019 shortly after the book was published.
“I wanted to write something that was relevant to now. Sulwe was a fresh book, maybe out only two weeks. I like to do things that no one is thinking of.”
Inspired by the message of Ms. Nyong’o’s book, it took Mr. Young less than three months to write his piece for full orchestra.
“I wanted to highlight Sulwe’s relationship with nature, and then capture the process of how she came to terms with self-acceptance in the book, going from self-doubt to self-love. I developed different motific ideas and had to work to link them up but still make it fun and playable for youth orchestra.”
While most people may know Mr. Young as an award-winning, multi-platinum, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recording producer for legendary Hip-Hop artists such as Public Enemy and Ice Cube, he notes that composing was always a part of his job. In addition to years of intensive self-study, Mr. Young returned to college later in life to formally study composition with Chen Yi, Zhou Long, and Bobby Watson, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, where he earned both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. For over thirty years now, he has composed and produced a wide range of original works for film, television and the concert stage. No matter what format he is writing for, Mr. Young stays true to ideas at the core of his vision for a new piece.
“Whatever subject I choose, I like for that to be the seed that I’m going to get my ideas from. When I’m sketching and writing, it’s solely based on the subject I’m dealing with but when I go to orchestrate it, then I might bring some jazz elements into how I want to voice some chords. I like a lot of crunchy stuff so I might put some ninths in there. For the most part I take myself out of it.”
Having established an incredible, multi-faceted career through passion, hard work, and determination, Mr. Young’s advice to young musicians looking to pave their own career path in music is heartfelt but frank.
“Learn all of the music. Include all the music that you’re interested in learning and learn it. Just dive into all of it and connect it. It shouldn’t be separated. Learn the business, learn about music publishing if you want to create. And don’t give up because it’s going to be difficult, there’s going to be a lot of people who put roadblocks up in your way for no apparent reason just because they can. You gotta keep at it.”
DCYOP’s Youth Orchestra and Youth Philharmonic will be performing the world premieres of Clarice Assad’s A Retirada and Kerwin Young’s Sulwe: A Musical Adaptation, as well as the East Coast premiere of Michael-Thomas Foumai’s Paniolo Credo, on May 15th at the University of the District of Columbia’s Theater of the Arts. The Youth Orchestra will also be performing Sulwe on its tour of Spain and Portugal this summer.
By Sandy Choi, Community Engagement and Digital Media Manager
Aurora Su (left) and Whitney Buch (right) will both be featured soloists during our Spring Concert weekend.
As we return to the University of the District of Columbia’s Theater of the Arts for our end-of-season concerts, two of our own violinists will take the stage in solo performances – one a veteran of the program and the other a brand new member of the DCYOP family.
Whitney Bruch, an eighth-grade student at St. Stephens and St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia, is an ISL champion for cross country with a record mile time, a regional science fair first prize winner, and a lead volunteer of a Handwriting Club for ESL students. Somewhere in between all of that, she finds the time to study the violin and play in both the DC Youth Orchestra and Young Virtuosi (YV) chamber orchestra.
“I really enjoy being part of the YV,” Whitney says. I have made a lot of friends within the group. It is one of the best parts of my week. One of my favorite parts is that Mr. Solomon shares funny stories with us, and when I ask him questions, he always fully answers them and encourages me.”
Whitney has been a member of DCYOP since she joined the Young Artists Orchestra six years ago. She currently studies with Leo Sushansky and Kim Fisher, and she began her violin studies at the age of six with Emil Chudnovsky. For Whitney, it’s a dream come true to make her solo debut performing the first movement of Mozart’s Concerto No. 3 with the YV on the May 15th afternoon concert.
“Getting to play the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 with the YV is a great honor, and I am so excited to get to perform as a soloist. Ever since I was eight years old, I have wanted to pursue music professionally, and I am so honored and thankful that Mr. Solomon has chosen me to play with the YV.”
At just six years old, Aurora Su had only been studying violin for three years when she joined the Young Artists Orchestra as one of its students this past fall. She has been studying with Magdalena Richter since she was four years old, and recently started to also take lessons with Emil Chudnovsky. Aurora will be performing the first movement of Vivaldi’s Concerto in E Major with members of the Young Virtuosi on our May 14th afternoon concert.
“I like being with the orchestra playing together with many instruments,” Aurora told us. It has been her first experience playing with an ensemble and she has really loved being able to rehearse and perform with other students.
Aurora has already won several competitions including the first and second rounds of her division in the 2022 Crescendo Competition, which gave her the opportunity to make her debut performance at Carnegie Hall earlier this year.
“I loved it!” Aurora exclaimed when asked about the experience. “I felt happy and joyful playing on the stage. The hall was so big, bigger than I expected. I loved the sound. I like standing up on a stage and performing.”
Aurora’s love of music goes beyond just violin, which she says she was drawn to because she liked its beautiful sound. She also plays the piano, and enjoys composing and improvising on both instruments. She frequently shares her love of performing on her Instagram account (@aurora_su_violinist), where she has over 3,200 followers. Aurora is also an avid artist who loves to read non-fiction books, especially about animals and famous historical figures, and write her own poetry.
