I wouldn’t take a gig producing virtual choir project for just anyone.
The hours are intense, the work really only attracts attention when you make a mistake, and I’m still learning as I go.
So, two scenarios make me say yes. First is if it’s my students, or my wife’s students.
Second, if a brilliant student comes to me with a very special project.
This is the second type. James Pecar’s wonderful choir students at Chippewa Valley High School combined with an alumni choir to record this original piece by their former mentor, choir director, and administrator, Ed Skiba. He passed away this year and this was a piece they did each year, traditionally at their December concert. He wrote it for such an occasion.
I worked with James to write the parts (drum set, brass, strings) to match Skiba’s vision, record conducting and guide tracks, instruct and record over 130 students and alumni, mix, master, and plan a video premiere that clocked in at over eight minutes, including a slide show tribute to Skiba’s legacy.
I think the whole project came out really well. as a musician I listen first, and I think that James’ students and the alumni sang beautifully, and I worked hard to make the music come alive virtually. I ended up having to work in two separate Pro Tools sessions, as the track count was maxed out from the sheer number of singers!
But I also think that the video came out quite well. The look, the logistics of the digital “crowd control” and the layers involved in making it come to life were daunting. The final video file I uploaded clocked in at 7.5GB, and all in all I have close to 200GB in the video library.
In short, I’m proud of the outcome of this project, and hope you enjoy it too. The message alone is worth your time.