Shelburne Middle School Band students release special performance of ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ online

By Tara Todd and Hailey Wilt | March 30, 2020 at 9:20 PM EDT - Updated March 30 at 10:29 PM

STAUNTON, Va. (WVIR) - In Staunton, a pair of band teachers have found a way to bring their students together at the same time, to share a message of unity.

“Nothing can divide us. No virus can define us. You are not alone.” This is the message for the distance learning performance project.

Shelburne Middle School 7th and 8th graders each played his or her part from the comfort of their homes.

"Even though I mean we’re all spread out, we’re all in different places, there’s still a community out there. Keep in touch with your friends. Keep in touch with the people that are close to you and I don’t know, look out for each other. It’s a little uncertain right now, but we’re gonna get through it together,” Shelburne Middle School Band Directors Charlie Nesmith and Jon Wilson said.

The video was posted on Facebook on Sunday and already has more than 22,000 views. Nesmith and Wilson hope to open up a project for the 6th graders in the near future.

Don't Worry, Be Happy (you are not alone)
DISTANCE LEARNING PROJECT COMPLETE! As we all struggle to grasp what education looks like for us now, this has been a particular challenge for music teachers who teach group classes like band, choir, and orchestra. We decided to embark on a group music project that will allow us to play together and show unity with each other and our community. Here is the result of our project “Don’t Worry, Be Happy (you are not alone)”
Posted by Shelburne Middle School Band on Sunday, March 29, 2020