With School Year And Trip Canceled, Retiring Lake Forest High School Choir Director Has Virtual Triumph
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- The Lake Forest High School choir's trip to Europe and the school year were both canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But as CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reported Monday night, their choir director decided to bring the choir together in a different way, by using their passion for music.
One hundred eleven members of the Lake Forest High School choir sing the song, "Light in the Hallway" – together virtually, with each of them at home.
"I listened to many, many songs and I wanted to find a song that was slow with the words that would convey the message of all of us having to be at home 24/7 and a song that was hopefully meaningful to all of us," said
Lake Forest High School Choir Director Tim Haskett.
Haskett taught the song remotely, and he had three high school teaching assistants and the high school choir department accompanist help him.
"We spent two weeks teaching, and then the kids had one week to record their individual part on a program called Flipgrid," Haskett said.
A total of 170 video clips were turned in to create the collaboration.
Haskett is retiring on June 5. Le Mignot asked him how it felt to have this project be the last thing he'll be doing with his students.
"This is something that hopefully they'll see, when they're in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, with their grandkids and maybe their great grandkids, at the same time," Haskett said. "I'm lucky. I found a job that I love and for 37 years, going to work every single day, has been a blessing to me. It really has."
Haskett said what he'll miss the most during retirement is not seeing his students and co-workers each day after 37 years on the job – with 33 of those years as choir director.
