J.D. Frizzell on How To Make a Virtual Choir Video

If you are a choir director, there’s no doubt that you have likely heard dozens of conversations about creating a virtual choir video. In fact, you may already be tired of hearing requests from members of your choir (or possibly administrators) who want your group to record one.

Music directors are looking for ways to stay connected with their ensemble during this pandemic, and educators are looking for ways to creatively engage their students. Issues with lag time make virtual rehearsals impossible, but a properly executed virtual choir video looks and sounds fantastic. The final product resembles a Zoom call in Gallery mode, leading many people to assume it’s a simple process. Spoiler alert: it’s not.

We reached out to one of our clients, J.D. Frizzell, Director of Fine Arts and Vocal Music at Briarcrest Christian School outside Memphis, to get his thoughts on the subject. His outstanding a cappella group, OneVoice, recently recorded a music video for “Higher and Higher” using only cell phones for recording the audio and video. As part of the project, J.D. also posted a step-by-step guide on making your own virtual choir video.

In an interview with Encore Tours Program Consultant, Jon Linker, Frizzell cautioned that a high-quality virtual choir video takes a significant amount of technical expertise as well as many hours of work.

The process of creating a virtual choir video requires descriptive instructions and meticulous attention to detail, not to mention hours of editing tracks, mixing audio, editing video, and syncing clips all together to create a seamless final product. This doesn’t necessarily take a lot of people to accomplish, but, as Frizzell explains, it is NOT something music educators or directors have been trained to do.

So why even attempt a virtual choir video? Well, Frizzell said the process provided a number of benefits for his students.

In addition, Frizzell said a virtual choir video can be a good way to bring students together and end the year on a high note.

Regardless of any benefits, however, Frizzell wanted to make it clear that in no way are virtual choirs a substitute for the real thing. Ultimately, making music together in person is what really matters, and technology can only accomplish so much.

Are you interested in viewing the full interview? Click here to view the video on our YouTube page.

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At Encore Tours, we are committed to supporting music education both at home and abroad. Have any questions for our staff? Please email us at encoretours@acis.com!