Treat others as you wish to be treated.

That is the message Natchez Festival of Music organizers are hoping to pass along to area students in this year’s children’s opera, “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

The festival’s annual children’s opera offers a free show for students at area schools. The children’s opera is one of the most important components of the festival, President Mary Lessley said.

“Statistics show that children who are exposed to the arts at an early age … excel in life more than those children who are not,” Lessley said.

The festival of music works with schools in Adams County and Concordia Parish as well schools in Brookhaven, Meadville and St. Francisville, La., among other cities to present the children’s opera.

Prior to the shows, the festival supplies worksheets and other materials to teachers so students can learn about the production as well as become familiar with opera.

“We send them materials on musical terms … so they can learn what a conductor, is or the difference between a whole note and half note, or the different types of singers like sopranos and altos,” Lessley said.

Familiarizing the students with opera ahead of the show enables them to interact more with the production, Lessley said.

“They learn things like to say ‘Bravo’ when you like the performance,” Lessley said. “It makes it all worth it when you see the kids enjoying it and knowing it is enriching their lives.”

The children’s opera reaches anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 students every year and is made possible by a single donor.

“To do the children’s opera, the cost is about $10,000, so it is a very generous donation,” Lessley said.

The children’s opera runs until April 30 and will begin its road show next week.

For more information about the Natchez Festival of Music, visit natchezfestivalofmusic.com.