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Zombie teacher brings choir program to life
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Darren McCoy is Whidbey’s “Best Teacher” of 2012, voted by the readers of the Whidbey News-Times. His dedication to broadening the horizons of his students through music and performance has made a big difference at the school and in the community of Oak Harbor.
Whidbey’s best teacher is more than a high school choir teacher. Darren McCoy, Oak Harbor High School choir director, is an inspiration to his students, a hard worker and also a zombie. “I think teaching is not just something you want to do. It’s something you’re called to do,” McCoy, 28, said, adding that teachers can’t say they love teaching because they love kids -- “give it two or three weeks,” McCoy said with a laugh. Teachers also don’t teach because they love the subject matter; they repeat the same topics year after year. “I think it has to be something you want to share how utterly amazing classical music is,” McCoy said of being a choir teacher. McCoy’s passion for music is undeniable, a fact obvious to 2012 Best of Whidbey voters. He said he plans to hold public lectures and recitals later this year to educate about music from different periods in a fun way. He’s also responsible for one of the most exciting choir events on Whidbey, an event that brought community-wide attention to the choir program: “Thrill the Island,” a student-created music video inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Students and community members dressed up like zombies and stormed local hotspots like Pioneer Way, Deception Pass Bridge and the Coupeville Wharf to film their exciting dance scenes. Production wrapped up in June and the short film is available to view on the “Thrill the Island” Facebook page, and is being shown on Wildcat TV Channel 21. “And when you see it and see how many community members are in it, it’s mind boggling,” McCoy said, adding that especially with the school district levy coming up in February 2013, it’s important for students to
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be visible in the community so voters can see what their funding achieves. “Students won’t take education seriously unless the community also takes it seriously and puts their money where their mouth is,” McCoy said. With worries about the levy hanging over McCoy’s and his students’ heads, McCoy wasn’t about to sit still and wait for something to happen. Instead, he took some of his students to Oak Harbor School Board meetings to speak about the value of the choir program.
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By REBECCA OLSON | Staff reporter
I think teaching is not just something you want to do. It’s something you’re called to do. Darren McCoy
“High school kids are misjudged. They’re very loyal and way more creative than I am,” McCoy said. But McCoy has found no shortage of creative ways to improve on the choir program at the high school over the past four years he has taught there. One change he made was getting the girl choir members matching outfits. “That may not seem like a lot but imagine the football team not having matching jerseys. There’s a certain amount of self-respect in what you’re wearing,” McCoy said. The girls now wear flowing, satin dresses and the
See McCoy, page 5