How Chorus Sings Despite COVID

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Graphic made by D. Khan

Chorus perseveres and pulls off a concert mid-pandemic.

Teaching virtually is difficult for anybody, but it’s an even bigger challenge for the arts department. Mr. Olson and his chorus classes are no exception. They’re in a strange situation where they have to sing together, separately. But they’ve found their own way to share their songs–even if it can’t be in person.

Chorus had its first all-virtual concert on November 7th. Although it was a new experience for Mr. Olson, his classes, and their audience, the concert went very well. “Singing alone and by yourself is 10x harder than what we normally do, and [the students] absolutely triumphed through that challenge,” Mr. Olson said. “The amount of support and kind words I’ve received about the concert has really surpassed anything I could’ve imagined, so I’m very thankful for the arts community we’re growing here at Green Level.”

Organizing the concert wasn’t easy. First, the students had to learn their music and individually record themselves. Then professional editors hired by the arts department put it all together. Despite the difficulty of relying on technology, each student rose to the occasion to perform. If you didn’t see the concert in person, a recording will be updated to the Green Level Chorus website in the next few days!

The next chorus concert will be on Thursday, January 7th, at 7:00 P.M. Preparation has been going smoothly–in fact, the second time around seems to be even better than the first! “We’re now at the point where we have the process nailed down, so we’re able to focus on the music a lot more than the tiny logistical details, and that’s exciting,” Mr. Olson explained.

Despite their difficulties, our chorus is still singing strong. Although it’s difficult to make music virtually, Mr. Olson insists that it isn’t impossible. He’s been working hard to help his students have a positive experience with the setup and is making sure the classes revolve around them. The staff may be working hard, but the students are too. They deserve credit for adapting to new circumstances so well. Mr. Olson summarizes it nicely: “It’s really all about working on a team at the end of the day, and I think we have an awesome team in chorus!”