When the planes hit the twin towers 19 years ago, I was teaching at an elementary school in a suburb just north of Boston. Because of the school’s proximity to where the planes took off, we immediately went into lockdown. Parents came to school at 10am frantically asking for their kids, and most tall buildings in downtown Boston were evacuated. Faculty gathered around a small television in the faculty room to try and make sense of it all. No one knew the right thing to say or do, and no one could talk about anything else. We felt confused, scared, uneasy. It was all consuming and exhausting.
It strikes me that this coronavirus pandemic brings about the same sorts of feelings for me. As a world we are all struggling to wrap our minds around something that we don’t fully understand. And, while trying to manage our own fears and anxieties, as educators we are challenged to also manage those of our students.
How do we as humans process all of this in our bodies? How do we attempt to answer the “unanswerable?” To this, I ask you to recall what Congress chose to do on the night of 9/11. As a music teacher, I was particularly surprised to see that they stood on the steps of the Capitol and sang. I am of the belief that there’s a real honest connection to our soul when we sing, play an instrument, or listen to music. (Which is why I believe in the saying, “when you sing, you pray twice.”) Something special happens with music, and it’s something I don’t believe we fully understand yet.
So, what did I do last Friday after the school cancellation announcement? I bet you can guess. My students came into the music room full of discomfort, worries, and questions. When I answered as many questions as I could we sat in silence (a rare thing in the choir room!) It was then that I shared with my students that over the past couple of weeks, I had noticed that I couldn’t stop singing. I told them I didn’t even realize it until yesterday evening when I was making dinner and my kids begged me to stop. I literally have been humming or singing something constantly since the news about coronavirus became more serious. I was once again reminded that singing is my body’s way to cope. It is the way I process, express, and often distract myself. When I asked my students if they felt the same way, most nodded. (I figured they might! After all, they are choir kids…just like me!) That’s when I shared with them that, somewhat ironically, a piece of music they wanted arrived that day: Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.” When I asked if they would like to sing it, they all jumped up eagerly. Over the next thirty minutes we worked together to pull the sections together. At the end of the rehearsal, our students’ faces looked calm, relaxed, and happy. It was exactly what they needed!
In times like these when our students, their families, the media, EVERYONE can’t stop talking about coronavirus it’s important for us all to remember what helps. And for me and the choir students, it’s singing. If you don’t know this song, I invite you to check out the video. And maybe…sing along. 😉
A note about the video: Yes, this is not the original. In my opinion, Elton’s version reigns supreme, but I wasn’t sure I could post the video (if you google it you’ll understand why.) So, here’s Taron Egerton’s version from the movie “Sing.”