With August fast approaching and the ‘rona still running loose, our district has seriously started discussing our plan for schools for this year. If students are allowed to return to school buildings, there’s a high chance if social distancing being required. Which, yes, I agree we have to take all necessary precautions to protect our students and staff. However. My band room comfortably sits 575 musicians, with enough space for the entire ensemble. If we cramp it up, it’ll seat 650. Yes, we’ve tested these theories. Following the social distance guidelines, I might be about to fit 50. That’s just barely 10% of the band’s capacity for this season. I feel like I’m in between a rock and a hard place, banging my head against a rusty nail. Having 50 students in the band room is simply not an option (what am I supposed to do with the other 450??). Going to the administration, I get the answer “oh they can go outside! The marching band spends time outside anyways!” Yeah but that’s a poor solution too when the winter time gets here and it’s -20°F and icicles are hanging off their noses. My favorite answer was “Oh! They can use face masks! No big deal!” I will pay good money for a single person who plays at a high school level play well using a face mask in between the face and the instrument. Believe me... we’ve tried it. I might as well collect the geese from the lake so they can honk to make music. It’s frustrating. And I get the position that they’re in. If we remain home school, people are going to be ticked. If we go back, people are going to be ticked. If we cancel student athletics, ticked. If we have sporting events without spectators ticked. They’re in a lose-lose situation and I feel that, because I’m in the same situation.
If push comes to shove, I am FULLY prepared for a virtual marching band. Everyone makes their video on the field, and then we splice it together. The biggest take away honestly? Please be kind to teachers and school staff. We don’t have answers and we’re not ok.
Speaking as someone who's a huge misanthrope, I hope we don't have to go back to school. Being a faceless, silent classmate on Zoom was very enjoyable during the remaining month and a half.
I feel you. The situation really is between rock and hard place. Not doing things that we enjoy takes a toll, social isolation too, and the virus takes a tragic toll.
Yeah my wife is kind of freaking out about it, she teaches special ed and those kids don't handle change very well if at all. The distance learning or virtual classroom just doesn't work for some of her students at all. I suppose band is tougher since it requires people to do a lot more breathing, except for those percussion people who could just bang on anything if you let them.
It’s not to say the virtual music can’t be done. Eric Whitaker is set to premier another edition of his virtual choir. 17,000+ musicians from 129 countries all singing. But there’s a massive difference between that and trying to teach music virtually. In that case, musicians are provided the music, they learn it and send in a video of the completed product. It’s hard to do a learning environment the same way because part of that experience is the ability to learn from each other. One thing that we talk about in music education is the ability for the ensemble to “play to itself”. It can tune to itself, it can follow itself, it can listen to itself. Here’s an article about the subject Because of lag and what not, it’s hard to get that online. Most often it requires a point of reference before others can jump in.
