Lately, G. Ray Bodley teachers have been working hard to not only put out material, but also reach out to students one-on-one. Many students in GRB's Concert Choir have worked to do the same for their choir director, Mr. Nami, who is retiring this year. Alexis Barth, with the help of Kaylee Foster (both seniors at GRB), spearheaded the creation of a video collage for their teacher.

Alexis Barth said, "I've known Mr. Nami since seventh grade and that man has always gone above and beyond for everyone. It just seemed fitting to do the same for him." Barth said she actually got the inspiration from "some Facebook videos" and other "various things" online.

You may know Barth from her appearances in Oklahoma!, The Addams Family, Annie, and her lead role as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. She is also principal second violin in GRB's very own Symphonic Orchestra and a French Horn player in the GRB Concert Band. She will be attending SUNY Fredonia for Musical Theatre.

Videos such as the one Alexis made have been going viral on platforms such as Tik-Tok and Facebook. In Alexis' video are approximately 30 students, most of whom are from Mr. Nami's Concert Choir. However, there are some special appearances from his students in Quirk's Players, Treble Choir, and Music Theory 1 and 2.

Barth's partner in crime, Kaylee Foster, said, "I wanted to take part in this project because Mr. Nami means a lot to me as a teacher and as a person. When I transferred into GRB he was one of the first and only people who made me feel truly accepted and welcomed, right off the bat. He has given me so much support through sharing his music, support, and friendship. I wanted to help with this project so that I could give some of that [support] back!"

Foster is a senior member of Concert Choir and was previously in Treble Choir. You may know her from Annie as Grace Farrell. She also attended the very selective NYSSMA Conference All State in December as a member of the Treble Choir.

When asked why she felt it was important to participate in this video, junior Katie Everett said, "Mr. Nami is always there when I need him, whether it's helping my with my music work or just listening to me talk about the day. He is so supportive of everybody and is a great part of my day. I'm glad that he was able to be a part of my high school career and I wanted him to know that."

Everett is a member of the GRB Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band where she plays saxophone. She is also enrolled in Music Theory 2 and Concert Choir. She also has attended Area All State where she performed with the Wind Ensemble.

Click the link below to watch the video.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G20bo1XxNgBTuFwFzxdY2y_HKVQa0Hqy/view

Thank you to the following students who were involved in the production of this video:

Kaylee Foster, Maddie Delano, Donald Austin, Noah Cordone, Kelsey Caza, Charlie Stoutenger, Gabby Tomarchio, Alex Blaine, Sean Hein, Dominic Fischel, Andrew Smith, Ronde Wood, Callie Smith, Olivia Hawthorne, Kira Whitehead, Abby Pawlewicz, Jaidyn Perry, Katie Everett, Griffin Marriner, Wesley Van Buren, Mitch Foster, Anthony Lucas, Emily Sohoski, Marcus Wornick, Paige Kingsley, Jacob Hahn, Mary Jared, Macy Middleton and Alexis Barth.