The COVID pandemic has caused a great many changes in schools, including music education.
“At Christmas we have always gone to the nursing homes to perform our Christmas show for the residents,” said Tina Bennett, the choral and vocal instructor at Clarion-Limestone High School. “Unfortunately with COVID we can’t do that this year.”
That is when Bennett got creative.
Bennett said Jefferson Manor alone has 96 residents.
“It breaks my heart to think that some of these people have not seen their families since March due to the COVID quarantine,” she said.
“Even my crankiest kids have done one of these. No one can say no to a senior citizen. The kids have really stepped up,” Bennett said. “Some of their videos are silly, they are dancing around, some are very uplifting and some are sincere, genuine, kind and loving. Some of them bring me to tears and some of the make me laugh,” she added.
“After the kids have done the videos they are pretty proud of themselves for having done it,” Bennett said. “When it is their person’s birthday they will ask me if they got it.”
About 140 students from eighth through 12th grades are taking part in the “Adopt a Senior” program.
“My students each get on their own devices and they make a video,” Bennett said. “They talk about themselves and what they do. It is a private message to the resident. Sometimes they will talk about their grandmother in Florida or something like that. It has been so touching,” Bennett added.
The videos serve another purpose.
“It is good for my students to get off of their cell phone and do something kind for someone else,” she said. “This all stemmed from our inability to do community service. I believe community service is a valuable lesson for my students.”
The program won’t be limited to birthday greetings.
“There are two residents who are going to be 100 years old – one in August and one in January. The whole choir is doing those videos,” said Bennett. “We are going to dress it up and make a pretty long video for them. We are also working on another surprise for the residents for Christmas.”
Bennett said the response from the directors of the facilities has been “wonderful.”
Teaching music in a pandemic hasn’t been easy.
“We are just getting our feet underneath as far as the virtual goes,” Bennett said. “We are getting the kids functioning at a better pace.”
Bennett said C-L won’t present a live Christmas show this year due to COVID, but she hopes to stage at least one live concert in the spring.
“It could be outdoors maybe at the (Moonlite) Drive In,” she said. “I don’t know yet.”