8 Weeks into 2021-2022-Continuing to Rebuild and Re-energize!

Tomorrow is Monday, 9/20/21.

It is the start of Week 8 of school for our students here in Atlanta.

It's flown by.

I've been very intentional and committed to my rebuilding efforts after my choir, like so many, shrunk during the 2020-2021 school year.

I started sharing what I was doing to rebuild in January of this year in this post.

Here is where we are and what we've been doing during this 8 weeks and some information about the things that are coming up soon.

#1-

I started over with S-Cubed Sight Singing Program for Beginners with ALL of my choirs.  I knew the 7th and 8th grade boys whose voices had dropped would be a challenge, and I wanted them and me to be able to focus on getting their pitch in line and their ears trained.   It felt like "back to basics" was the space I should be in, and it is working.   

My motto has been "low stress with maximum results".

#2-

The week before the kids came back to school was when the Delta Variant caused the CDC to change the guidelines.  I had already planned my concert calendar, and so far, I'm sticking with it.  Of course, I am carefully navigating the changing landscape regarding audiences.  Read on for more info...

#3-

Back in mid-July, I decided to bring a cast member from the National Tour of Hamilton to my school to do a masterclass since the show was in town starting August 22 to help "jump start" the year.  We were able to secure Stephanie Jae Park, who plays Eliza, and I knew the students would lose their minds...and they did.  It stoked their passions in a way I haven't seen since before Covid.  Here is a video of the masterclass.  We had to move mountains to make it happen...especially with the Delta surge...but we did it, and it was 100% worth it.  

It was outside on a tennis court.  

I timed it for 9/13/21 because I knew that by week 7 of school, the kids have settled in, and they need a shot of something special. 

#4-

Our first "mini-concert" happens this Friday.  

This is a sample of what it normally looks like pre-covid.

That's not happening. 

Parents aren't even allowed in our building yet.  

So, I'm airing them on YouTube "LIVE" unlisted, and I've sent the links to the parents.  

They need this.  They need the goal.  They need to remember what it's like to perform.

Instead of 3 songs, we are doing two.  For the 8th graders, I simplified the rep.  For the 7th grade boys, they won't do a song alone.  They just aren't ready yet.  

...But they will all get a performance experience that the parents can watch.  I think that is SO important.  They listen to their parents even though they pretend they don't.  So, when their parents say "This is awesome...".... Or, "Wow...you guys have been working", the kids hear it, and the dots connect in all the ways that are good.

I wanted to make sure the kids had a "novelty" piece as one of the two songs, so we are doing "Dweller of the Cave" by Teresa Jennings.   

#5

The auditions for our spring musical revue that we custom build around the talents we have each year happen 9/27...three days after the mini-concert and two weeks after the masterclass we hosted.  I displayed the sign up sheets for the audition times on Friday, 9/17, and allowed students to begin to sign up...the Friday after the masterclass.  I intentionally left 5 minutes at the end of class so the sign up would be "public".  I intentionally left two weekends between the start of "sign ups" and the Monday of the auditions so the kids who might be on the fence had time to jump off.  

----

I am carefully and methodically building the momentum to get back what these kids deserve to experience.

----

I hope that you are doing ok.  

If what I've written here inspires you to do X, Y or Z, then great.

If you don't have the resources or even the energy to do the things I am doing, do NOT beat yourself up.  

This is definitely the hardest thing I've experienced, and I have taught for 30 years.

Just get up tomorrow and do your best for the kids.  

Make sure you leave space, time and energy to be who you need to be for your own children and for your spouse.  

Forgive yourself when you fail to meet any of the high demands and expectations you place on yourself.

I've had to learn that, so I am speaking from experience!  :-)

Have a great week.

Sending love and light.