The Covid-19 pandemic may have put the brakes on spring concerts, but the music teachers and student performers didn’t let that stop them from joining in song even though they were apart.
Several schools hosted virtual recitals that included dozens or even hundreds of participants in Zoom meetings listening to their student musicians take turns performing solo from their living rooms, back porches or bedrooms. Hosted by the music teachers, these concerts offered the students excitement of performing in front of an appreciative audience, even if the audio and streaming video quality wasn’t always the best.
Neshaminy Virtual Orchestra, “Over the Rainbow“We can’t think of a nicer way to end the weekend than with this beautiful orchestra compilation of “Over the Rainbow” collected by music teachers Andrew Tanicello and Carly Lewis. All three middle schools and the high school are represented in this group.
Posted by Neshaminy School District on Sunday, June 7, 2020
“Over the Rainbow,” combined secondary school orchestra musicians
Another creative way that musical groups joined together was by assembling online orchestras out of pre-recorded individual sections of choral and orchestral pieces. Each musician recorded their part while listening to a base accompaniment. Using the WeVideo application or other video editing software, these individual pieces were then synchronized into a single video. The secondary music teachers even created an all-District orchestra with representation from the middle schools and high school with a beautiful rendition of Over the Rainbow.
“A Million Dreams” by the 4th grade at Joseph Ferderbar Elementary School
For the Class of 2020 Salute to Seniors graduation video, which was premiered on June 27, members of the Neshaminy High School choirs performed remote group renditions of the National Anthem, the Neshaminy High School Alma Mater, and We Are One, a beautiful song that has been sung as a Neshaminy tradition for many years.
“We are One,” Neshaminy HS choir members