LADY LAKE, Fla. — A Lake County A+ Teacher isn't allowing coronavirus to silence her music class. Rosemary Pilonero has found a way to keep the music flowing. 

"We're doing things a little bit differently this year but we're still making music and having fun doing so," she said.

Pilonero was nominated for hitting all the right notes with the 850 students that attend her music class once a week at Villages Elementary of Lady Lake. 

When COVID-19 prevented her from allowing her Pre-K through fifth grade students from sharing traditional instruments, Pilonero searched out a solution. She researched what other music teachers across the globe were doing to get by and she decided to make special music kits for each student.

The kits have been a real hit.

Pilonero showed them off to us and said, "They only touch what's in their own bag. There's a xylophone that we sometimes do things with and with the instruments — we have wooden dowels that they can tap together to make noise." Cut up pool noodles and plastic Easter eggs with popcorn kernels inside all make great sound for students to learn from too.  Pilonero demonstrated how they work and said about the pool noodles.

"You can scrape them  or you can clap them," she said, adding that the eggs are popular with her students too. "It's pretty loud, like mini maracas." 

It's that type of ingenuity and dedication to her students that led to the Lake County School District nominating Pilonero. We asked her how long it took for her to shop and then make the items at home.

"Well, I have to say this summer, this whole summer has been spent learning a lot online," she said. "So for two or three dollars a kit I was able to get one for every kid in the school." 

Pilonero just loves teaching and she got choked up talking about it.

"I actually was in tears when I got my first job because it was like a life long dream of mine to be able to share my love of music with everyone," she said.

Despite the changes the coronavirus pandemic has caused, she stays focused on her students needs.

"I think they really are finding joy in a time where maybe they need it the most," she said.