Years ago, Windward Music Teacher and Chromatics Director Daniel Koh found himself moved by the message of “Esto Les Digo”, or “This I Say to You.” Waiting for the right opportunity to introduce the song to the Windward community, Daniel found an unlikely marriage of circumstance in 2020—a particularly strong Chromatics roster combined with the desire to lift spirits in challenging times.
Initially slated to serve as part of the Chromatics’ Spring showcase, Daniel and the Chromatics used the move to a virtual model as a way to further unite for a common goal. The resulting virtual piece, which you can view here, represents the culmination of hours of practice, as well as the hard work and labor-intensive audio and video editing process.
For his part, Daniel is thrilled with the final result. “Of course we can’t duplicate the experience of singing live with each other in the same room—that can’t ever be duplicated online—but we certainly did our best to create a unified final experience in spite of our physical separation.” He went on to laud the enthusiasm to which students approached this final performance. “The video feels genuine and vulnerable and human, which is entirely the point. Its text and message is particularly poignant for us right now. After this time of quarantine is finally over, I don’t think any of us will ever take for granted again the power of gathering with friends and loved ones in the community, which is what this piece is about.”