Choir class is known for its support and socialization in a full classroom. Since March of last year, COVID-19 has stepped in the way of normal, forcing Francis Parker to learn how to teach online, making a number of adjustments. Teachers had to work out agendas and curricula for the new way of learning. The adjustments for choir are seeing classmates through mini screens and singing on mute. Although the experience is new, choir teachers are attempting to make the online environment just as special as in school. 

The Upper School choir is run by Emma Castaldi. Castaldi was nervous going into this year because she felt responsible for giving her students the choir experience that motivated them to sign up. “Since this is an elective class, my students choose to be in the room for various reasons,” Castaldi said. “I felt the pressure of giving the students the same choir experience despite the circumstances, and I didn’t want my students to lose their love of singing and being in a choir.” Castaldi made drastic changes from last year’s online choir, attempting to bring the group back together for social reasons. “Last year students submitted various things to me for a website, but this year we join a zoom, warm-up, sing, stretch, learn music, connect with each other, learn about vocal anatomy and music literacy.” 

Sophomore Ryan Kershner is enjoying choir not only because of the singing but because choir is maintaining the community it has had in years prior. “We spend half the class singing and half catching up,” Kershner said. “I am talking to people I would not be talking to if choir was not a thing or I had not signed up.” Kershner later explained how the online singing is working better than he expected, especially compared to last year online. “Ms. Castaldi says there won’t be concerts this year, but we are still group singing. Of course, it is very different singing online, but each student recorded themselves singing, to be put together in a video.” Kershner thinks the difference in last year’s online choir and this years is impressive, inching its way toward a more realistic in-person choir.

“Singing and creating and sharing music is a very vulnerable activity, so to me, the bonding and social experience of a choir is one of the most important parts of the class.” Castaldi said. “Ensuring that the students feel comfortable with one another is how they then grow as singers.” To maintain this comfortable environment Ms. Castaldi created “Choir Families.” These are groups of about ten people led by a few seniors who are the “Parents.” The seniors get a chance to be leaders of the younger singers, just as they would in the classroom, and the younger singers get a chance to get to know each other and the seniors in the choir. In the beginning of class a game is played where students are put in random breakout rooms and answer questions to get to know another student. “These little interactions build a better and more comfortable atmosphere for our choir, online or in person.”

Junior Ivy Jacobs sees the bright side of online choir. “It is a great opportunity for cross-grade socialization, even online,” Jacobs said. “While we can’t hear each other when we sing on Zoom, we warm up together and record our voices outside of class.” Being online, Jacobs still thinks it’s a good opportunity for people to control how much time they want to spend singing, while other people can devote their time to other choir related projects.

Although many agree with Ms Castaldi who said, “I miss hearing everyone sing together and the energy in the choir room,” everyone is proud of how they have adapted and embraced the new challenges. “There is nothing that compares or could ever live up to what we do in-person at school,” Castaldi said, but she knows online choir is working to get near the magical normal experience. While music-making is strange and not the same, the class is finding creative ways to continue feeding the students souls with singing.