Iowa high school music instructors have been faced this spring with hardship of cancelled contests, concerts, trips, and musical productions for some, but an Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center teacher is grateful for respites including plans for next school year.

Vocal instructor Kelsey Moran shares the events cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns included the solo/ensemble contest which ACGC was scheduled to host, large group festival, and their spring concert. Moran adds that other annual singing opportunities like Baccalaureate and the graduation ceremonies are up in the air, “We thrive on these activities, we live kind of by the school schedule and for the school schedule. And having that just gone and with no final culmination, no final goodbye even with my seniors it’s devastating. I have spent most of March and beginning of April, it just felt like one giant emotional rollercoaster.”

For an experiential and communal class like choir, Moran says its been near impossible to try rehearsing over video conference. She and her students still had triumphant moments recently, including honors for their fall musical production of “Mary Poppins” from the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards. Moran is now focusing her attention on next fall’s musical production, but if COVID-19 somehow doesn’t make that possible, she will do whatever she can to give her students a positive, performative experience. You can hear more from Moran during a two-part Let’s Talk Guthrie County program on air today and at raccoonvalleyradio.com.