This year, as students return to in-person schooling, staff and administrators have wondered about the best way to do so. What is the best way to contain the spread of COVID-19? How can schools maintain social distancing and still provide a proper learning experience? Should schools even return to in-person learning at all?
Due to the risks posed by the pandemic, everyone is required to wear a mask and reasonably social distance. However, this is not easy to adhere to in music classes, like band. Woodwind and brass instruments, such as trumpets, must blow directly through a mouthpiece to generate sound. This means that these musicians cannot wear masks. To change this, special face masks, which have a closable flap in the middle, have been required for all players. This way, they can still play their instrument while limiting aerosol transmission.
Along with this, to further limit aerosol transmission, bell covers have been required for all woodwind and brasswind instruments. Bell covers are filtering fabrics that are stretched over the end, or bell, of the instrument.
Besides these safety precautions, students have also been affected by the lack of performances, difficulty in learning and the disconnect that came with online learning. Still, some new opportunities arose.
Dr. Peter J. Perry, instrumental music director and band teacher at Richard Montgomery High School, spoke on how the pandemic affected his classes, both online and offline. “Never take the ability to sit with others and play for granted,” he said. He also spoke about how the pandemic did offer some new opportunities. “Typically, we don’t have enough time in the school year—because we’re constantly preparing for performance after performance—to learn music technology. Instead, we did digital workstations where students learned to mix and produce tracks.”
Richard Montgomery High School sophomore Nitya Donthi spoke on her experiences learning online. “Last year was difficult because it was hard to pay attention online since I could barely focus,” she said. She also conveyed her difficulties in not just staying engaged, but in learning and making friends. “It was a struggle because we couldn’t really talk in class, so it was hard to meet new people,” Donthi said.
Even with all the compromises necessary for the return to in-person learning, both Dr. Perry and Donthi expressed their happiness at being able to return. It is the hope of many that circumstances keep improving.
Article written by Akshya Mahadevan of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo courtesy of Mabel Amber