Band and choir proceeds during a pandemic

This school year has seen a lot of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Havre High School and Middle School music programs have had to adapt to the changes as well.

That includes the Havre High School band concert tonight and the choir concert Tuesday having limited tickets, and the middle school not planning a live holiday concert at all.

Havre High School Choir Director Danielle Stoll said the biggest challenges have been the loss of instructional time, having parts of the choir at a time for practice, masked singing and social distancing. 

Stoll sees her choir students two days face to face and the rest of the days are remote learning days. Her classes are split unevenly, having most of one section one day and a few the next, she said. 

Masks make it hard to hit the high notes and absorb some of the sound. Social distancing makes it harder to hear the student’s neighbors, making some students self-conscious and less likely to sing out, she said. 

To adapt to the new way of practicing Stoll has changed a few aspects of how the choir program is usually ran.

“In some cases, I’ve chosen easier or less music because that’s what we can realistically handle with time constraints and split classes,” she said. “I’ve gotten better about making practice materials for the students to access online. We just started an online sightreading program, so I’m looking forward to helping students practice that skill more consistently.”

The choir specialty programs have also seen changes. Hi-Liters sometimes has students attending via Zoom due to quarantine and will be recording its caroling this year instead of going around and singing for people. 

A Cappella is split unevenly among the in-person days. This makes it harder for them to learn their parts without hearing all of them on a regular basis, Stoll said. 

“I’ll often play the missing parts or make a recording of the other class, but it’s not as good as having everyone together,” she said. “The students realize this, so they asked for more combined rehearsals days when we’re allowed to have the other day’s students, plus remote learners come in and practice for the class period.”

Stoll said, for some students, there was a grieving period at the beginning of the year. 

“They expected to sing in this big, loud, amazing choir, but the reality was that it was smaller and quieter. Some kids were shell-shocked by all the changes and didn’t sing very loud. As they’ve gotten more used to singing with COVID-19 restrictions, they have gotten louder and more confident,” she said.

Stoll had to quarantine herself for two weeks.

“It was really not fun” to teach her classes via Zoom and a substitute’s help, but the kids were flexible and did the best they could, she said.

Stress levels are manageable, she said. 

“I’ve adjusted my expectations and am not stressing about factors that I can’t control. Taking care of myself by talking to loved ones, exercising, and praying helps too. Teaching choir in a pandemic is a challenge, but at the end of the day I’m still doing what I love, and each day I can step into the classroom is a gift,” Stoll said. “Hopefully, we’re keeping things fun and they’re experiencing enough success to want to stay in choir.” 

Holiday concerts start tonight with pandemic restrictions in place.

The Havre High band concert is tonight at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium while the choir concert is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

Each performer had two tickets to give to people to attend the concerts, and the performances will go with similar guidelines as for the previous concerts while taking into consideration the new directives from the governor.

All people attending will be asked to wear masks at all times while at the concerts. Helpers will be seating people so that they are socially distanced throughout the auditorium as well. Band and choir students are socially distanced on the stage to help with the spread as well. The concerts will be filmed for people that are unable to attend.

Due to the small size of Havre Middle School’s programs, the school will not be holding in person concerts at this time.  The school is currently preparing the students for a virtual concert which will be filmed during the school day and made available to families. 

Havre Middle School has purchased high-quality sound recording equipment locally and are working with qualified professionals to ensure that the end product is the best it can be, Havre Middle School Activities Director Jeremiah Nitz said.