VIRTUAL VOCALISTS

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December 14, 2020; updated Dec. 21, 2020

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Notre Dame's Christmas Choir Concert premieres Monday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. on YouTube after latest pandemic restrictions alter live caroling plans.

The year 2020 has been a difficult year for the arts, especially the performing arts, where in the professional world, theaters and concert venues have remained closed since March when the pandemic first roared to life. It also has affected performing arts programs in colleges and schools around the world, including those at Notre Dame. 

But through new and creative approaches, school band directors like Joe Martin and choir directors like Dave Fazzini have still managed to bring the hard work of their students-artists to audiences who look forward each year live recitals and concerts. 

For Fazzini, that means spending lots of Zoom time practicing with his students, lots of camera time recording their singing, and lots of computer time editing their performances into virtual treats like the video that featured 92 singers — 67 current students and 25 alumni and teachers — singing a rendition of “He Never Failed Me Yet,” which debuted during Easter Week.  

Fazzini currently is putting the finishing touches on his annual Christmas Choir Concert, which typically is performed before live audiences at the school or in venues such as Varner Hall at Oakland University or the auditorium at Avondale High School. This year, however, like nearly everything else, the concert will be virtual due to campuses being closed to inside visitors. 

Performing from home
 
"Our original plan was to have a caroling concert outside at the school," Fazzini said. "We thought it would be a nice compromise given the restrictions on indoor gatherings. After the upper school closed again in November, we had to shift to plan B which basically involved taking some of the music we had learned to sing live and record videos for YouTube."

On Monday, Dec. 21, Fazzini and Assistant Choir Director Ellie Carter will premiere their Christmas offering over the internet on YouTube and their student-singers (and special alumni guests) are just as excited as if the concert was in-person and on-stage. 

Check out the choir's recent fall recital here.

"The pandemic changed how we performed choir, for sure," said Gabriella Sarti, an NDP junior and a choir member for three years. "Instead of having a large concert, we learned to put concerts online and record in our own homes. It was difficult to learn, but the concerts look and sound amazing."

Sarti joined choir because she wanted to learn how to sing so she could get better roles in the many musicals at Notre Dame. She stayed in the choir because she says the choir community has some of the best people I've ever met and through them, she's gained a lot of confidence. 

"Although I enjoy practicing, the best part of choir is the performances. Standing on-stage during normal times and giving joy to others through music is an incredible feeling," said Sarti, a member of both the NDP Women's and 9th-Hour choruses.

For Joseph Benenati, also a junior, it's all been a real learning experience since he's new to the choir program. 

"This has been my first year in any choir class and I absolutely love it," he said. "Through the vigorous training and practicing, I think I have really learned how to sing properly. I started very late being a junior and I was hesitant about joining the class but I'm very happy I did and was welcomed with open arms. Mr. Fazzini really helped me with anything I need and I am really appreciative to get a teacher like him who cares about his students' growth as singers and performers."

Proud of the students

Gaby Bendtsen, who graduated from NDP in 2019, currently is studying game design and music at Michigan State University. At Notre Dame, she served on the choir for more than seven years, beginning in fifth grade. She appreciated her time in the program and credits Fazzini and Carter with enhancing an already strong love of singing and performing.

"It was such a pleasure to work with Mr. Fazzini and Ms. Carter each and every day," she said. "Through class, they showed me how to view music as something to be enjoyed as well as how to approach a musical piece with enthusiasm. I thank Mr. Fazzini to this day for showing me the strength and persistence necessary to pursue music professionally, despite how scary that may be."

Bendtsen said she joined the choral program because she had a strong passion for music, which still persists today. She sang in NDP's Honors Chamber Choir and the Praise and Worship Ensemble/9th Hour and as a freshman and sophomore, she was part of the Women's Choir. She also took Mr. Fazzini's AP Music Theory class, which was one of her all-time favorite classes in high school. 

"I really loved being able to perform at Notre Dame's all-school Masses once a month, but I especially loved working on the jazz pieces, such as 'Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)' and 'I'll Be Seeing You,'" she added. "This repertoire not only challenged me, but our entire group. It was extremely encouraging to see our group work so hard on a piece for months at a time, then be able to share the fruits of our labor with family and friends at our choir concerts."

Now, as Fazzini prepares for Monday's Christmas concert premiere on YouTube, he's very pleased with how his students have persevered despite the major challenges brought by the coronavirus.

"It looks like we'll have about seven songs to feature this Monday," he said. "I'm very proud of the kids for how they handled the transition to virtual. They're all staying engaged and working hard. In such a difficult situation, where many might simply check out, they've stayed with it and have decided to finish what we started. And in the end, I think we're going to have some very nice performances and recordings to show for it."
 

For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, please visit the admissions section of our website here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.

About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.