Buncombe County Schools’ performing arts programs
Photo by Ben Rickert
SHINE ON
By Laura Mitchell Arts Education Specialist, Buncombe County Schools
U
nder the adversity of a pandemic, the arts must be resilient. They must be a healing force, bringing students, families and communities together with peace and purpose.
“Our kids are starved for beauty and creativity more than ever,” one parent noted.
In Buncombe County Schools, students have found new ways to develop their artistry, creativity and gifts without live performances — and their resilient teachers have learned new skills while juggling the challenges of teaching both online and in classrooms, wearing masks and maintaining six feet of social distance. Bands, chorus ensembles and theatre troupes have learned to work together through Zoom. Some teachers have used specialized music apps to piece together videos of individual student performances. Band directors are safely utilizing outdoor rehearsal spaces and using bell covers generously donated by Dogwood Health Trust. Fairview Elementary School music teacher Cheryl Lewis has added shower caps to her classroom’s drumheads, allowing her to sanitize them while maintaining the integrity of the instruments, so that her students can practice rhythm while using the meter of poems as inspiration. By innovating and adapting to the changing world, students and teachers were able to connect and engage with the 22
