in focus

To the Tune of Tradition

Alexa, play Amazing Grace

For Pickerington high schools Central and North, the schools’ bands and choir groups didn’t let COVID-19 disrupt their longtime music traditions earlier this year.

The organizations’ directors and students adapted their traditions to fit a new normal that requires physical distancing and virtual engagement.

For instance, one of the band traditions is to play Amazing Grace as a warm up before performing. At the end of the school

year this spring, more than 100 students from both schools joined forces to record a virtual performance of the song in an effort to keep the tradition alive and the community’s spirits high.

Emily Baldwin, a 2016 North alumna, watched the performance from home and says it struck a chord, helping her to remember her time as a member of the band.

“I definitely felt nostalgic about my years in the band,” she says. “It was great to see that the Pickerington band family was able to come together to create something that could touch the lives of so many people during such a difficult time.”

The other music groups are no exception. Both the orchestra and choir at each high school enjoy a number of traditions and special moments shared with each other and the community.

Many of these traditions center on celebrating the seniors during the final performance of the year. This spring, those performances were canceled, so the directors adapted the traditions to make sure the seniors still received the recognition they deserve.

Jordan Koogler, orchestra director at North, rose to the challenge.

“I still wrote a hand-written note for every orchestra senior, made them a video message and delivered their senior plaque to their houses as I played our school’s fight song, Panther Victory,” he says. “It was not the best substitute for our banquet, but it was something for all of us.”

Central choir director Heather Wilkins hand delivered roses and awards to each senior’s home and hosted a virtual senior night with a slideshow highlighting each senior and their future plans.

True to tradition, the song Friends played in the background of the slideshow and Wilkins created a virtual choir of the students singing How Do We Say Goodbye.

“It wasn’t perfect,” she says, “but it was important for the seniors to know that we loved them and wanted them to experience our traditions regardless of our circumstances.”

North choir director Lori Vance made sure senior roses and goose pins were included with their diploma at graduation and also hosted a virtual senior night to recognize the students.

The roses are an important tradition at both high schools. Before the split of the

Pickerington High School North choir virtual performance

high schools into Central and North, past choir director John Long began the tradition of handing the seniors a white rose upon graduation.

In 2016, Vance created a new tradition at North.

“We switched it to an orange rose because of Lu Oliphant,” she says. “She was a choir member that passed away from cancer. She passed away in 2016 and would have graduated in 2017. And so, because her colors were orange and gray, we switched it to an orange rose.”

The traditions of senior night stick with students long after graduation. Baldwin fondly recalls her own senior night when students dressed in costume to perform on the field.

“A lot of my favorite traditions were during my senior year of band,” she says. “The seniors were always celebrated so well and appreciated for the hard work they put in over the years.”

Another true mark of a strong bond through tradition is the number of alumni that are involved in music and in the Pickerington community to this day.

Pickerington High School North Orchestra

“Many orchestra alumni are still performing in churches, college ensembles and for their own wellbeing,” Koogler says. “I think the fact that so many orchestra alumni still gravitate What’s in a pin? to their instrument is a huge accomplish ment.” Throughout the school year, each North choir traditions center on one odd high school puts on concerts and perforsymbol: the goose. mances, often sharing the stage with each This tradition began in 2003 after Vance other. One tradition that’s a crowd favorread a story about how geese work together. ite for students, audience members and They fly in a V-shaped formation because directors alike are the holiday concerts it’s more aerodynamic and they don’t when groups perform together on stage leave the side of a sick or dying goose. for grand performances of the HalleluShe decided to bring a decoy jah Chorus, Carol of the Bells and Do You hunting goose into the classroom for Hear What I Hear. the students to discover. “This performance always ends up “It was hilarious to watch the reactions presenting some really cool collaborative as (the students) noticed it,” Vance says. works and is so well attended by our comStudents named the goose Jack and he travels with munity,” Koogler says. the choir wherever it goes, whether it is onstage or outside durThough each high school and organiing fire drills. zation practices its own unique traditions,

“I knew it had made its impact they share the same opinion that music when we had a fire drill and I got students deserve to be celebrated. my stuff and I go out and there is “They do some really good things for (student) Ben Moore, who says, our community,” Vance says. ‘Don’t worry: I saved the goose!’” While there’s no guarantee that the Vance says, laughing. “And he was organizations will be able to return to the standing there in the fire drill with old traditions for the class of 2021, the a goose!” music directors will work harder than

Jack began accompanying the ever to ensure their students are celebratchoir on trips to concerts and pered well. formances, and students volunteer “I am committed to finding creto take him home over the summer. ative solutions and providing a new way

“You know, we take a goose evof keeping these traditions alive for the erywhere with us,” Vance says. 2020-2021 school year,” Wilkins says.

She knew that Jack and the goose story had made such an impact that she wanted to order a goose Sarah Robinson is a contributing pin for every graduating senior. editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@ The tradition has stuck and cityscenemediagroup.com. Jack even made it to graduation this year, dressed in his own cap and gown.