In times of turmoil and uncertainty, we can always find comfort and hope from the common language of the world: music. In Music We Trust (IMWT), a student-led community service group at Choate established in 2015, hopes to spread the joy of music by sharing Choate musicians’ recorded performances with senior homes across the state of Connecticut.
In November, leader of IMWT Nick Madon ’21 and members Julian Hurley ’22, Tiffany Xiao ’23, Jessica Zhao ’23, and Lauren Kee ’24 videotaped themselves performing for the first installment of their virtual concert series, which is now available on the official Choate Rosemary Hall Vimeo account. Over the summer, IMWT collaborated with the Happiness Project — a similar student community service group at The Hotchkiss School — to explore the capabilities of the new digital format. The Happiness Project aims to create a wide network of musicians in various schools, including Choate, in hopes of sending out weekly virtual concerts to senior homes and facilities around the country.
During a normal year, Choate musicians commute to the Regency House Health & Rehabilitation Center in Wallingford once every term to perform for the residents there. Whereas in previous years, IMWT members could not visit the center multiple times per term due to logistics, they can now perform more frequently with the flexibility of the virtual concert format. “Anyone can record themselves playing on their phones, anytime, anywhere. As long as I have enough videos, I can create a concert and send them out,” said Madon.
In addition, the online arrangement now allows IMWT to include musicians who play less travel-friendly instruments such as percussionists, pianists, and bassists. Students can also easily provide backing tracks or piano accompaniment to singers without having to transport heavy speakers and keyboards.
“The breadth of what we’re able to offer, with both modern and classical performances, has expanded since we’ve gone virtual. We have more people who want to and are able to participate who wouldn’t be able to if we were in-person,” said Madon.
While virtual concerts offer the group greater flexibility, the digital format comes with several drawbacks. Xiao, a member of IMWT since her third-form year, shared that emotions and technique don’t always come across the same way in recordings. Xiao also felt less connected with the audience performing online and misses seeing their enthusiastic faces. However, she also felt less pressure with her performances since she’s allowed to practice and re-record her part until she is satisfied.
Another unexpected challenge that comes with the recorded format are potential legal issues with copyrighted music, since the performances are released into the public domain and can be replayed infinitely. Madon works closely with Ms. Melissa Koomson, the Director of Community Service, and the Choate Communications Office to avoid legal complications.
“I edit all the footage together before sending them to be checked and made ‘Choate-official’ by the Communications Office,” said Madon.
Despite the new challenges the virtual format presents, Madon believes the positives outweigh the negatives. Since performances are all just one click away and easily accessible by all, he hopes to reach a larger audience with the group’s music this year.
“People can now watch our video more than once, whenever they want. I’m exploring new performance opportunities to send our videos to different groups of people,” said Madon. “Not only including people in senior homes, but also those in community centers and hospitals.”
Xiao also has suggestions for the club to expand its outreach within Choate. “It would be fun if we could collaborate with some other student performance groups on campus, like a cappella or dance groups. Although the club currently focuses on musical performances, the inclusion of other performative arts like dance, acting, or even comedy could be super interesting,” said Xiao.
“Music transcends all cultural and generational barriers, and everybody can appreciate it. If we can make a difference through In Music We Trust, no matter how small, we’ve done our jobs as musicians,” said Madon.
Student musicians of In Music We Trust performed percussion and string instruments in their first virtual concert. Photos courtesy of Lauren Kee
