ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County A+ Teacher is not only being recognized for the passionate way he teaches his students how to hit the right notes, but like a songbird this holiday season, his students’ voices are striking a chord. 

Evan Powers’s students at Avalon Middle School in Orlando really pour their hearts into it. His students push themselves.

"I always get so nervous in front of crowds,” student Juliana Velazquez said. “I definitely feel like it's worth it in the end, with all the joy you can bring to people."

That joy is no longer confined to the walls of Avalon Middle School either.

Thanks to Powers, his students train for a special program called Songbird, which is based on a national program titled, Music and Memory that he adapted for his students. They also watch the documentary Alive Inside and spend time preparing for how to interact with people with memory loss.

"They learn about the music of the '40's and the 50's and the 60's," Powers said.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the students would go out on tour a few miles away to Encore at Avalon Park Assisted Living and Memory Care Community to sing for residents with memory disorders like dementia and Alzheimer's.

"They see the kids and they light up and smile, and the kids start playing the music and the residents are singing along and dancing along and it's just awesome." Powers said.  "And they remember all of the words to these songs and they're singing together and dancing with the kids, and it’s just a really wonderful experience."

It's been a life changing experience for students like Bruno Brandao, one he said he will remember for the rest of his life.

"This one guy came out and he was shaking like a maraca and everything, and we were all having a great time,” Brandao said. “These three years were honestly one of the best years I've had, especially with Mr. Powers."

The COVID-19 pandemic means no more in-person visits to Encore at Avalon Park Assisted Living and Memory Care Community for now, but Powers and his songbirds aren't letting it ruffle their feathers. They've recorded special Seasonal Sing Along videos of themselves that include Christmas and Hanukkah songs, complete with subtitles for the residents to follow along and enjoy. 

"I think that sometimes everyone can be a little down, especially with this year, and I feel like it's important for us to build each other up in these hard times and bring each other joy," Velazquez said.

Added Brandao, "They don't get visitors nowadays, and what we noticed is that bringing them joy from us is huge."