Due to the restrictions COVID-19 protocols have placed on the performing arts, KO’s select choral groups, Outlook and Voce, have had to adapt immensely. Instead of hosting their typical in-person concerts, this year, the students and staff recorded their performances to share with the KO community. Voce and Outlook Director David Baker and creative arts teacher Mark Kravetz were the main forces involved in the organization of these recordings.
The procedures for creating the recordings were challenging, as the singers had to be 12 feet apart from one another in order to sing safely without a mask indoors; therefore, the singers had to work extra hard to foster a sense of togetherness and maintain a strong sound quality. The only place on campus large enough to host the ensembles was in Roberts Theater.
Additionally, the window of time that the groups had to record while making sure to follow safety precautions was only 20 minutes. This meant that Mr. Baker, who was interested in recording many songs, had to set his priorities. After some trial and error, the ensemble was arranged so that half of the singers were positioned on the stage and the other half in front of the “audience.” Any students who were uncomfortable with removing their masks to sing were free to record individually and have their recordings blended into the final product.
Mr. Baker described the recordings as very difficult to take in one shot. “You don’t have an audience, so you don’t get the feedback that an audience can provide,” he said. “There is also the technical aspect of recording, the equipment, the remote students, and the sound quality, as well as mixing the sound. There’s a lot of layers that make it more challenging, and, sadly, less rewarding rather than singing to an audience.”
Although the recordings were challenging to pull off, mostly due to the fact that COVID-19 safety protocols had to be maintained while still producing successful music, Mr. Baker said that there were no plans to cancel the recordings due to the multitude of research that shows that groups can safely record indoors. “It’s great to see kids enjoying making music and that we can bring joy to people at this time,” he said.
Senior Drini Puka acknowledged the immense challenges of this year with regard to the performing arts. “It’s taken us a bit longer to learn music relative to last year,” he said, “but we’ve adapted and picked up our pace since the start of the year. Outlook stayed the same for the most part. The biggest change was that because of social distancing you socialize less in between practice, but it’s not a unique change to Outlook.”
As for Mr. Kravetz’s crucial technical role in the recordings, Mr. Baker expressed his gratitude for his help and guidance. “Mr. Kravetz is unbelievable,” he said. “I just want to say how appreciative I am and the music department is to have him help out, with both recording and editing the videos. He is also taking all the footage from the remote students and editing it. We’re super lucky to have him.”
Each ensemble has been able to record only one song each, but Mr. Baker is planning to record more in the spring, aiming for one recording every two weeks. Outlook recorded a song called “I Sing Because I’m Happy,” and Voce sang a piece called “One Voice.”
As for how he envisioned how the year would have gone if not for COVID-19, Mr. Baker replied that he would be looking forward to holding concerts, as the live audience offers a lot to the singers and their development. However, he also acknowledged how the singers in Outlook and Voce have been able to adapt to the situation with grace.
Despite the fact that the process of creating full-group recordings is something new for the ensembles themselves, Mr. Baker remarked that several of his singers already have some experience with recording on a smaller scale, as a few years ago, every small ensemble in the school was recorded. During that time, only one voice could be recorded at a time, and they had to build the audio. At present, however, due to increased awareness of technological capabilities, Outlook and Voce have been able to heighten the quality and the production of their recordings. Therefore, it is clear that despite having faced several roadblocks, Outlook and Voce have conquered these hurdles and have made significant progress given the difficult circumstances.
