SDHS Choir’s Winter Concert Now Streaming

While the looks may be different, the joy and spirit of the San Dimas High School Choir concert will stay the same this December. The determined students and teacher have been preparing for a wonderful performance despite the trying circumstances. This year has brought many challenges for everyone to face, but it hasn’t been able to stop the committed choir from doing what they love.

Instead of an in-person show, the high school choir’s concert will be a pre-recorded video that will premiere on Youtube the week before Christmas break. “It will be this thing where students and parents alike can watch the Youtube video,” San Dimas High School Choral Music Teacher Jared Pugh said. Pugh is the brains behind the whole operation. He has made it possible for the students to be able to continue to sing their hearts out.

Pugh later said that he has the students turn in pre-recorded videos and then spends countless hours editing. “It’s a lot of them turning it in and then me having to edit and compile and make it all look and sound pretty,” he said. “Now I have to, you know, do a lot more work to make it happen.” While it seems close to impossible, Pugh is trying to make “lemonade with the lemons that we have,” which sounds like it’s working.

“Honestly I think it’s really cool that despite the pandemic we’ve still been able to make music as a group,” Senior Miranda Wilson commented. She continued by saying that she believes Pugh has done a lot of hard work, “to make this year good for us by doing things like this, and I’m super appreciative.” The other students, like Wilson, appreciate their teacher for working as hard as he does to make things work out.

While it would seem hard, especially for the seniors, the hard-working students all try their best to continue to look on the bright side like their teacher. “I like to try and keep a positive outlook on all of this, so I like to tell myself ‘this is something that only a couple of graduating classes will experience’ and it sort of makes it special,” Senior Oliva Peña said. Peña makes a great point in that very few seniors will get to experience this version of their last winter concert.

Pugh later commented that, while the seniors feel “robbed of their senior year,” they will continue to participate in the traditions. “For example, our senior men and women get flower crowns and boutonnières that they wear during the winter concert,” he said. The continuation of traditions makes it easier for seniors to be excited about this winter concert, even if they did not get what they originally thought they would.

While this year has thrown many unexpected hurdles at the San Dimas High School Choir, they have been able to push through and persevere. It has taught them and everyone else how to be strong and optimistic when times are hard. This holiday season will be one to reflect on and remember for years to come for all of the students and teachers.