Notre Dame band uses Facebook to overcome COVID and make music

This story is part of the Southeast Missourian's 2020 Senior Salutes publication sponsored by The Bank of Missouri. To read other stories, visit www.semissourian.com/graduation2020

Necessity, Jim Hindman knows, is often the mother of invention.

Hindman is director of Notre Dame Regional High School's band.

Like the rest of America, Hindman's music students lost their chance to finish the 2019-20 school year because of COVID-19.

The 26 Bulldogs musicians were supposed to play in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) State Band Festival, scheduled for early March at Southeast's River Campus.

The performance was scrubbed when schools were abruptly closed by the pandemic in March.

The school's own spring concert was also cancelled.

Thank you, pandemic.

A month ago, Hindman said he watched a YouTube video featuring a virtual vocal performance.

The 57-year old Chaffee native got an idea.

"I thought [Notre Dame] might be able to stage a virtual concert, too," Hindman said, "to give students a way to put out a final, year-end [musical] product."

Hindman not only is a musician but can produce recordings, as well.

"I've got a studio in my basement, and my own Southern Gospel quartet has laid down tracks for four CDs down there," said Hindman.

The longtime music educator with 28 years of experience at Notre Dame and St. Mary's Cathedral is a self-proclaimed "tech guy."

"At St. Mary's, in addition to my music work, I teach a computer class," Hindman said, "plus I do all the computer maintenance and installation."

Hindman sent each of his students the instrumental tracks of two musical selections to listen to while they played along and recorded themselves playing their various instruments.

Band members uploaded their work to Hindman, who began the arduous job of piecing it all together.

"Turning 26 separate recordings into one took more than 50 hours," said Hindman.

The end result went out on Facebook on May 6 at just about the same time the original in-person concert was to have been played.

"Normally, 300 to 400 people show up at Notre Dame to hear a band concert," said Hindman.

By 5 p.m. May 7, the concert had more than 2,800 Facebook views.

"It's been really neat to do this," said Hindman, who noted he has already received an email from Iowa.

A Hawkeye State viewer of the virtual performance asked technical questions about the production.

"It would take a lot for me to do this again," said Hindman, "because nothing beats a real [in-person] concert."

The Notre Dame band band played Wednesday the two selections it was slated to play at the state festival: "Torch of Liberty," by Karl King, and "Accolade," by William Himes.

Four Bulldogs senior band members were recognized in the virtual concert: Arjun Sahai, trumpet; Victoria Collom, percussion; Nick Karnes, baritone horn; and Connor Missey, bass clarinet.