9
SOUND CHECK
WHAT’S PLAYING AROUND
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
FEBRUARY 16�23, 2022
Singing through a pandemic
EOU professor talks
about challenges for
the performing arts
‘WE’VE GOT YOUR
NUMBER’
Presented by the EOU
Chamber Choir and music
department
Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 26, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
McKenzie Theatre, EOU
Tickets: $8 adults, $7
seniors/students; available
at Red Cross Drug, EOU
Bookstore and online at
www.eou.edu/music. Tickets
purchased for the original
dates are valid.
By Lisa Britton
Go! Magazine
L
A GRANDE — When asked
about music education over
the last two years, Peter Wordel-
man says the challenges began
in March 2020 when all classes
at Eastern Oregon University
moved to an online platform for
spring quarter.
“We got through that. Then
it came to the next year,” said
Wordelman, music professor
and Chamber Choir director at
EOU. “You don’t want to teach
theater, music or art online.”
The EOU faculty planned
during the summer of 2020,
and started with on-campus
classes of limited size. Using
special singing masks, they
could rehearse with 12 people
in the room. McKenzie Theatre
was under renovation at the
time, so that large space was
unavailable.
But the performing arts
persisted. For instance, students
recorded an old-time radio show,
with student-designed ads, to
play on a local station.
“It was really creative,”
Wordelman said.
In the spring of 2021, EOU
Music Week was held outside
Loso Hall.
“It rained two of the three
days — we had to navigate that,”
he said.
The fall of 2021 brought per-
formances of “All Together Now”
in November, and the Holiday
Music Festival in December.
Which brings us to 2022.
“Then here comes January. I
knew this was going to be hard,
but not this hard,” Wordelman
said.
The music department
planned a production of “We’ve
Got Your Number” in early Febru-
ary. Everyone wore masks during
rehearsals, and had a COVID test
every Tuesday.
They had a few positive tests.
Then a few more.
“We got close to the show
and we had three people out for
sure,” he said.
They adjusted and rearranged
performers.
“For maybe eight hours that
was the plan,” he said.
Then he heard of another
positive test.
“When you lose people, every
dance routine is off ,” he said.
“And everybody sings a solo in
the show.”
The decision was made to
postpone the production to
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
EOU students rehearse “We’ve Got Your Number” on Jan. 26, 2022.
Performances are set for Feb. 25 and 26 at McKenzie Theatre.
Feb. 25 and 26. Tickets already
purchased for the original dates
will be valid.
“We should have a great
show,” Wordelman said.
Each song is about numbers.
The fi rst one is “For the First
Time in Forever.”
“It was a good choice when
I fi rst chose it — now it’s even
better,” he said.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. on
Friday, and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
on Saturday, in McKenzie The-
atre, located inside Loso Hall on
the EOU campus.
Tickets cost $8 adults, $7
students/seniors and are avail-
able at Red Cross Drug, the
EOU Bookstore, and online at
www.eou.edu/music. Masks are
required at performances.
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