June 14th may be remembered as ‘the day the music came back to Glendale High School’ after its first in-person, full-house music program concert in 910 days.
“In March (2020) the pandemic hit and we never got our spring concert or festivals, and the rooms went dark, and we went online from there,” said John Lam, head of Glendale’s performing arts department.
“It was traumatic for some of these kids to lose that sense of community. And it was actually traumatic, too, for us as teachers because it’s not just a subject, it’s a lifestyle. So it’s nice to be back.
“When we were setting up today, I have to admit I was a little emotional and a little bit nervous,” Lam admitted to a packed O’Rourke-Ross gymnasium audience. “It’s been quite a journey. We’re really starting from scratch.”
Back in December 2020, after canceling the Tillsonburg high school’s annual Wassail concert due to the pandemic, and the spring concert earlier that year, Lam recalled having a packed house in 2019 – and every year since they started the Wassail tradition. The spring concert matched it.
“We get good crowds to our concerts,” Lam had said.
In December they were still ‘not sure’ about the 2021 spring concert, which was later cancelled.
“I swear, the minute they tell us we can, I’ve told the kids I’m having a rehearsal…”
Eventually that day came and on June 14 Glendale’s junior and senior bands, solos, and guitar group once again performed live.
“To play different notes in harmony, while beside each other, is something that they missed,” said Lam.
