It was about 3:30 PM when I arrived at the school campus that day. The abnormally hot fall temperatures roasted me like a Thanksgiving turkey, and my feet ached from walking briskly on the concrete pavement--something that they haven’t done for a long time. Despite all of these inconveniences, however, I knew my trip was worth it. I entered through the side gates, met by a vacant quad. The only sign of activity was located under the Activities Office’s shade: chairs spread many feet apart, an electronic keyboard, and my choir teacher, donning a mask and looking up to greet me.
For the first time in months--even if just a little bit--life felt normal again.
Several days prior, choir teacher Mr. Butler made a proposal to the higher-ups of our school, a proposal laid out in a neatly-formatted Google Doc. He proposed the idea of in-person choir rehearsals, in which voluntary students from Chamber Choir and PDA would come to school to rehearse choir pieces for about 40 minutes. Each student was assigned to a cohort, each about 10 students in size, and these cohorts had their own respective day for rehearsals.
Knowing the skepticism and paranoia that would come from this idea, especially in a pandemic, Mr. Butler included several precautions that he and students would strictly follow. Everyone would wear masks when singing and sit at least 6 feet away from each other. Secondly, all equipment would only be handled by Mr. Butler and wiped down religiously. Lastly, all students would have to fill out a mandatory health screener. Not only that, but he also provided a plethora of credible evidence on the document that supports the fact that COVID-19 choir rehearsals--when done with masks on and outside--don’t do as much harm as people think. With this research, Mr. Butler successfully persuaded the administrators, and the proposal was approved.
I was one of the said-Chamber Choir students to volunteer for these in-person rehearsals and was assigned to the Tuesday cohort. Although there was that hint of paranoia about the pandemic in the back of my mind, I agreed to it almost instantly. With the rehearsals coming to a close by Thanksgiving Break, a few choir students and I decided to reflect on our experiences and share them with the rest of the student body in an interview-esque format.
Q: Prior to in-person singing, how did online choir classes affect you? Describe your experience with online choir classes.
When choir went virtual, it was unanimously agreed that it couldn’t capture the exact feeling of the in-person classes we once had. Instead of sitting on rows of risers and chuckling along to Mr. Butler’s jokes, our eyes are glued to Zoom screens, and Mr. Butler is forced to talk to himself for the most part. Anyone is free to turn off their cameras and stay on mute for the entirety of class. What’s more disheartening is the experience of actually rehearsing; everyone is singing with a muted mic, unable to hear their peers. It’s unfortunately easy to disengage from singing and do something else, and this fact is really discouraging.
Despite this, Mr. Butler tries his best to make choir classes as normal as he can. Ishi Saborrido elaborates, putting our choir teacher’s efforts into perspective:
“Mr. Butler tried his best to make choir as normal as possible by teaching from the choir room, doing our normal warm-ups, and continuing to direct us through new music. He even made sure to have music videos playing as we logged on to Zoom, just like how we used to walk into the choir room for class with music blasting from the TV monitor.”
While the spirit of choir is evidently still alive, many aspects of what makes the experience so fulfilling have been prohibited due to the pandemic. Returning choir members have found that many traditions are unable to be done. For Chamber Choir especially, there are many unique traditions that were unfortunately lost to COVID-19. Kristie Chau, a returning member of Chamber Choir, comments on this:
“... it felt ‘off’ to not be doing our regular traditions and participating in concerts. Online choir is really a watered-down version of the real thing, which is irreplaceable.”
Q: When you first came to in-person singing, what were your first impressions?
Although I was definitely anxious of the circumstances we were in--regarding COVID-19 and the risks we were taking--these nervous feelings were quelled as the first rehearsal of our cohort progressed. Everyone made sure to respectfully follow the guidelines put in place. Although it felt awkward, making a huge transition from muted Zoom screens to actual human interaction, choir felt full of life again.
Chau especially agrees:
“... it was really fun and refreshing to be with people and to sing with them again. I felt very safe and that all COVID restrictions were followed.”
Being introduced to in-person choir rehearsals was also very rewarding for many--if not all of--the people that went. Saborrido discusses how gratifying singing in-person feels after countless weeks of singing virtually:
“When we sang our first few notes, my heart was filled with joy from finally hearing other voices. It had been so long since I’d heard our different voices combine together in harmony and melody. After practicing my own part alone in my room for the past few months, it was my first time hearing the entire song come together, with every part coming together in unity. It was definitely a fulfilling experience.”
Q: How has this experience shaped you overall?
In the end, these rehearsals brought a new sense of hope to me and many of my peers. Being stuck at home for several months, as well as the world rapidly changing around us for better and for worse, put a damper on many people’s overall moods. Words cannot simply describe how much in-person choir has revived me from a pit of apathy and no motivation. It taught me that even though life may be blanketed in layers upon layers of darkness, there will still be campfires of light that will remind us that there are still positive moments in these uncertain times.
Saborrido has undergone a similar development. She mentions how the lack of the usual choir traditions during distance learning lowered her morale for the class, and how singing in-person changed that:
“After we made the switch to distance learning, I felt so disappointed missing out on all the choir performances that I was looking forward to. We weren’t able to achieve the unanimous superior title that we’d worked so hard for at the Choral Classic Festival; we weren’t able to say goodbye to our seniors at our last concert; we weren’t able to perform our walk-up song as a Chamber Choir at our first fall concert. At first, I honestly felt unmotivated learning music for choir knowing we wouldn’t have a concert or competition to perform for. But finally being able to sing as a choir in-person once again reminded me of why I love it so much.”
Attending her last year of high school, this experience made Chau long for in-person singing more. She promptly gives an insightful reflection of how these rehearsals have left her feeling:
“As a senior, I feel like the school year is running on borrowed time, and eventually when we get all back together, we might not have the same chemistry as we usually have in the later parts in the year. This experience has left me feeling grateful for the moments and time we do spend together because I know that in this time that it is hard to come by.”
Q: Mr. Butler mentioned that--prior to his proposal--our sports teams were already having in-person practices. Why do you think choir (and other Visual Arts too!) should be just as important as sports, in terms of situations like this?
The debate regarding Visual Arts and athletic programs is something that has been talked about for a long time, especially when it comes to what privileges and budgets each group gets. Personally, I believe that our Visual Arts program is something very unique about ACHS. It’s not just the fact that a good majority of the student body participates in this program; it is a passion for many of us. Whether it’s choir, orchestra, band, theatre, etc, these classes help students come out of their shell and help them prosper into better people.
Chau thoroughly explains the effect that Visual Arts have on students, emphasizing its importance:
“... while sports works on your physical body, the Arts tap in to your ‘soul’ and sense of expression. You can really be yourself with the Arts. You can tell a story, you can evoke emotion, you can connect with an audience or people on a deeper level. Music has the ability to truly bring people together. While our athletics programs are important on campus, the Arts are beneficial and vital to our community and students’ mental health and wellbeing.”
Being a student with a background as both a musician and an athlete, Saborrido whole-heartedly agrees that Visual Arts should be just as significant as sports:
“Doing something you love, whether it be playing a sport or playing an instrument, is one of the most important things you can do for yourself to relax and relieve the pressure undoubtedly placed on all students during this time. Every student, athletes and musicians alike, should be given the same opportunity to safely enjoy the activities they love, with the people they share this passion with.”
Q: With in-person rehearsals coming to an end, what was your favorite part of it?
For me, one memory that I’ll definitely be cherishing is the short sessions in the middle of rehearsals where we share one positive thing going on in our life. Not only does it allow us to learn about the lives of our peers, especially since quarantine isolated people from each other, but it encourages us to think about the happy memories in times of chaos, even if it is something as small as buying your favorite childhood snack (that was my positive thing, by the way).
Saborrido’s favorite moment involves something that occurred in our cohort’s first rehearsal. We had to get up and face each other in a socially-distanced circle, singing a song as passionately as we could.
“I could see the faces of my peers and hear every voice and every part unify together in harmony. It was a special moment I needed after not being able to sing with them for so long.”
Similarly, Chau enjoyed hearing and singing the pieces that the choir has been working on virtually, as well as getting to try out songs for what would’ve been the Winter Concert.
“It was great to hear it all come together and listen to the song separate from the recording.”
When Mr. Butler brought up the proposal to Chamber Choir and PDA, no one could have imagined how staggering of an impact it had on the people who participated. It raised spirits from demotivated moods, allowed us to have regular human interactions that we had yearned so long for--but most importantly, it made us remember the meaning of choir.
Choir is not just an elective, nor is it just a group singing songs on a set of risers. Choir is a class filled with joyous memories, a hotpot of students with many different backgrounds and personalities. It is a place where we are brought together by music, our bonds strengthened by the notes we sing and the harmonies we create.
Choir is a family. Even if the pandemic takes away the normal school year, the traditions, and the moments we could have shared in-person, what matters is that the spirit of choir is still alive and thriving, even in awkward Zoom calls and muted singing. COVID-19 may have separated us, but it is certain that this family will always be together apart.
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