PUSD Music Teachers Collaborate For Remote Performance

PLEASANTON, CA — Amid uncertain times, 15 Pleasanton Unified School District music teachers came together to uplift the school community with a joint performance filmed remotely.

Harvest Park Middle School music teacher Paul Perazzo came up with the idea and soon PUSD teachers grabbed their instrument of choice — be it a piano, trash can, pot or spoon — and filmed themselves jamming out to "Jungle Dance" by Brian Balmages.

The video took Hart Middle School music teacher Andrew Lu more than 36 hours to produce. At the end of the video, teachers took a moment to share words of encouragement and take students behind the scenes of the music video.

The video seems to have reassured past and present students who find respite from the chaos in music, Lu said in a statement from the district. Lu, a first-year teacher, said the whole experience has made him feel especially grateful to start his career at PUSD, with inspiring and hardworking colleagues.

"I think we just wanted to provide some light in these tumultuous and confusing times," he wrote. "We are all longing to return to our classrooms in the fall, and make music with our students once again."

Perazzo said he was proud of his colleagues and wants the PUSD community to know that they are in teachers' hearts. Teachers are looking forward to being reunited with their pupils to play music soon.

"Music transcends everything, and we all have a connection through music," he said.

Watch above the video featuring PUSD teachers Mark Aubel, Jason Borris, Sharolyn Borris, Patrick Dandrea, Thomas Dwyer, Ariana Fillips, Jonathon Grantham, Cecile Henderson, Efrain Hinojosa, Andrew Lu, Sarah McClimon, Erik Nishimori, Paul Perazzo, Jonathan Pedroni, Carolyn Slous.