Choir will be holding their annual Pop Unplugged concert Friday. It will be the first of the new wave of online shows that will take place this year. The concert will be a collection of videos from Choir students and will be broadcasted live on the VHS Choir Youtube channel. 

“I’m excited for all the concerts that are coming up, even if they’re virtual,” junior Sahib Chadha said. “It feels good to be getting back into something normal.”

Choir also held an online Pop Unplugged concert last year during the spring. The final performances were compiled into a Youtube video.

“It was definitely very different having to record my performance to find out on concert day if my solo was selected,” sophomore Joylynn Jogee, who was featured in last year’s concert, said. “I was already comfortable with my piano, I didn’t have a mic to worry about and I could retake it if I made a mistake and submit the best one.”

The rules for the audition process have changed too. Students send in video submissions, and those selected are featured in the final show. 

“It was more work because each individual needs to submit a solo recording of their part,” Jogee said. “For some people, it’s scary singing by themselves.”

The transition to online brings challenges to every class, but for Choir, there’s a whole different set of problems.

“Normally in Choir, being there and being able to hear everybody sing is a major thing because it helps you learn the music,” Chadha said. “You also don’t get live feedback from the teachers, so having to learn it alone is obviously a big challenge.”

The return to in-person also brings up safety concerns. Due to new restrictions, Choir will have to completely re-evaluate the way classes are run.

“We are limited by safety,” Choir director Michael Zook said. “The amount of students in one space, the amount of time that we can sing in a room together, and the constraints of singing while wearing a mask. We’ve been coming up with solutions for each of these problems to continue having Choir at Vandegrift.”

Even through the changes and compromises being made, Choir, like many other organizations around school, is finding ways to make the most of a bad situation.

“It’s not ideal, but we’re figuring it out,” Chadha said. “The most important thing is that we’re still able to perform and do what we love.”