Choir members made and distributed a virtual Veteran’s Day Concert last week. The video showcased choirs from the middle school and high school choirs and photos of veterans.

Students feel that the concert did not show their full potential as a choir, but still feel as if they did their part for Veterans Day. 

“There was much less energy for the Veteran’s concert but it was nice to sing a very important piece of music as a group again,” junior Avery Williams said. 

They will continue to show off their hard work and talent with an in person Winter Concert on December 15 in the Performing Arts Center. Willis Unplugged featuring students from guitar class is schedules for December 10th.  Seniors, who have already had to miss the normalcy of their senior year, try to see the positive in their last Veterans Day concert and are thankful for the opportunity to a somewhat normal Winter Concert. 

“With this being my last winter concert, I’m anxious and scared,” senior Jillian Berger said. “I just wish it could have been something more, but I’m grateful for the chance to perform at all.”

First time choir members are excited for the opportunity perform in person in the Performing Arts Center after the success of the Veterans Day concert. 

“ I feel that we did a good job on our first ‘concert’,” freshman Colin Linton said. “Our future in-person winter concert will be more like a regular concert but still have some limitations based on COVID.”

Choir members are hopeful for the opportunity to have a normal choir concert, while also maintaining proper COVID-19 precautions. 

“For our Christmas concert I hope we will be able to sing without the face shields so we can make the best sound possible,” junior Avery Williams said. “I hope we can fill the house as much as we can with families.”

The normal routine for learning and rehearsing music has also changed due to the new protocols and limitations due to the risk of COVID-19. 

“It is more difficult because we cannot have any combined rehearsals with all the choirs,” JV Choir Director Laurelyn Korfhage said. “Having to prepare students and family members for COVID protocols is definitely something new we have to prepare. Our normal field trips including caroling at the mall and at the nursing home have been cancelled, which is our preparation for the concert. But, we have had more solid time to work on the music in class which is a huge plus.”

While the virtual Veterans Day Concert is different than the normal, it brought new benefits for future community members to enjoy.

“It is really cool to have a concrete video of the experience that we can look back on for many years,” Korfhage said. “It’s not something that we have ever had before, meaning a solid video that we can distribute.”

All in all, the directors and students are glad they got to share a gift with the Veterans beyond their community.

“It’s definitely different, but with a little grit this year, we can show greatness,” Choir Director Ken Labonski said. “We do what we can with the tools and limitations we are given. We showcased our art with a purpose and intent for the Veterans Day concert, and I think we achieved that.”