This year, the halls of Rocky Mount Elementary will not serve as a parade route for the men and women in uniform who are normally honored each year with an in-person Veterans Day tribute. Students will not be able to escort the visitors in their dress uniforms or combat boots—the visitors they are so proud to call mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, or just friend.
Although there will be no in-person salute to the veterans this year, Rocky Mount students still wanted to say "thank you" to those who took an oath to serve.
The Rocky Mount Choir came together virtually to perform the song “Veterans We Love You” by Teresa Jennings. The students worked on their musical piece for weeks. They may not have been able to meet in person for practices like in the past, but they wanted to keep the music alive. They did not want to miss the opportunity to say “thank you” to those who gave their all.
The harmony of 35 student voices includes third, fourth, and fifth graders. The choir bridges virtual and face-to-face learners. The entire choir meets virtually on Wednesdays to practice with Rocky Mount music teacher Andrew Geocaris who provides individual feedback for each student.
The students submit their solo performance through FlipGrid, which their teacher uses to compile the final video with minimal audio and video editing to maintain the most authentic performance possible in the virtual medium.
“I love the enthusiasm our students show when they have the chance to be a part of something new,” Mr. Geocaris praised. “Time and again, when a new club or opportunity arises, our students are eager to be a part of the next exciting moment at Rocky Mount. I often find that our students’ enthusiasm feeds my own, giving me both the energy and inspiration to come up with new ideas for the classroom and for chorus.”
Although the Rocky Mount music teacher helped his student choir go virtual in the Spring, he wasn’t sure if students would participate in a virtual choir in the new school year.
“I was worried that our students might be feeling a bit of screen fatigue after the months of virtual learning. When students started asking me about chorus, I figured I would put the virtual choir option out there and see who was interested,” recounted Mr. Geocaris.
So, he was thrilled when even more students signed up for the choir than had joined in for the first virtual choir last spring.
“Their attendance at rehearsals has held steady since that first day,” he added. “It really shows that, even if it means one more Zoom call, our students crave the feeling of connection and community that the fine arts provide.”
As the students have been sharpening their music skills, their music teacher has been improving his use of new technologies to help the students succeed in their new learning environment.
“By using the tools in CTLS, and by using CTLS as a gateway to other tools, I have found ways to stay connected with students beyond what I was capable of last Spring,” Mr. Geocaris explained. “I frequently use FlipGrid for asynchronous music activities and assessments. Student participation in these activities has greatly improved because I can post the information in CTLS alongside students’ other classes. Using these two tools in conjunction keeps me connected with students and able to assess their musical development.”
