Rocky Mount ES choir offers virtual tribute on Veterans Day

Rocky Mount choir Veterans Day tribute

In observation of Veterans Day, members of the Rocky Mount Elementary School choir came together—online—to offer a musical tribute to those serving in the U.S. armed forces.

The school is among those in the Cobb County School District that has had an in-person Veterans Day celebration in the past, so the students recorded this virtual rendition of “Veterans We Love You.”

According to a release from the Cobb County School District, the 35 students—from third through fifth grade—worked for weeks to get the song just right: “They may not have been able to meet in person for practices like in the past, but they wanted to keep the music alive.”

The district said the choir, under the direction of music teacher Andrew Geocaris, has been meeting on Wednesdays—which is a day for catch-up and independent learning this year.

He gave them individual feedback, and students submitted their solo performances through FlipGrid. Geocaris then compiled the final video with some light audio and video editing “to maintain the most authentic performance possible in the virtual medium.”

Here’s more from their teacher:

“I love the enthusiasm our students show when they have the chance to be a part of something new. 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.”

He said he was worried that after having gone virtual in March, his students might have felt some screen fatigue, but said he was pleased more students signed up for the fall virtual choir than had taken part in the spring.

“Even if it means one more Zoom call, our students crave the feeling of connection and community that the fine arts provide.”