The cancellation of Washington Middle School’s concerts this fall has forced the vocal and band directors to come up with new activities for their students to get excited for this semester.

While there have been no concerts due to the pandemic, vocal music teacher Cailee Wenger says she’s tried to keep the momentum going with lip sync videos that she has filmed and edited for the students to send to their parents, and she is planning for a livestream concert to tentatively take place in January. Wenger says they rehearse new music like normal, but social distancing and everyone wearing masks have possibly made the students stronger performers, “I would say typically the students are able to kind of stand next to their friend and maybe their friend knows better than they know it, but then the next part they know better than their friend. Now it’s where every kid has to know every part and sing it independently, six feet apart from each other. And that’s just not an easy thing to do in middle school but, you know what? I think they’re doing the best they can and we’re still making music so that’s the important thing.”

Almost all music concerts have been cancelled this semester in the Washington School District, and Wenger mentions that the pandemic has taken a lot of the joy out of choir with having to adhere to social distancing measures. She hopes to hold her annual spring talent show, which with its solo and small ensemble performances she thinks is well suited for the pandemic.