The Yellow Board

How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by Little Help? on 12/3/2020, 7:59 am

My district has had a policy of no indoor music rehearsals for band/choir since returning to school this year, which I get and understand.

However, we've got wrestling, volleyball and basketball going full out in the gym w/o masks. The district also has a policy of no outdoor rehearsals if the temperature is below 39 degrees, which it has been often lately. As we approach the spring semester, I'm wondering if it isn't a bit hypocritical to allow the indoor sports--with full running up and down court, full contact defense--and you should see what wrestling is doing!
On our campus, Band seems to be the most Covid-cautious by far: our band hall is set up for 6-foot distancing, all students have 2 band-issued masks (with flaps to play through), we've got bell covers, plus we've got "puppy pads" for brasses to empty water on then throw away.

I'd like to ask: how many of you have been rehearsing music indoors this fall and has it had a significant effect with regard to Covid cases? Would you mind doing the survey please?

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by BDSO on 12/3/2020, 7:10 pm, in reply to "How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

3C MS
Playing every day, but not all classes meet everyday and not all kids come on the the day their band class meets (it's a totally FUBAR schedule). We keep the kids 12 ft apart, mask on as much as possible when not playing, we disinfect every chair and stand used after every period, and don't share any materials. We've had at least one kid a week be prohibited from coming to school for two weeks. Sometimes, multiple kids in a class. Some kids have not been back since they were prohibited from coming. Most of the kids have told me they have tested positive for COVID-19, but there is no way to tell if they got it at school. Because of this, the district not only maintains no cases have happened on campus nor do they actually report any cases.

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by DudeBro on 12/3/2020, 2:34 pm, in reply to "How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

2C MS
Our district has no official regulations. We have been rehearsing inside, and we're split across the limited space we have, but that still doesn't get us 6 feet apart.
It hasn't caused a COVID increase, but on the occasions that a band student tested positive, they did send the students who sit within 6 ft of them in band home for risk of exposure. None of them ended up testing positive, but it was taking out several students so we shut down playing operations for a couple weeks. We're back at it now with one room being a distanced sectional room and the other being a theory/music activity/whatever music related thing I can find for them to watch room.

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by Why? on 12/8/2020, 8:21 am, in reply to "Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

They were obviously exposed outside of your classroom, (those that were actually being sent home), and those in "close" contact didn't come down with anything so there obviously wasn't a transfer of Covid happening in the band hall. Why would you force kids to watch tv when there wasn't transmission happening in rehearsals?

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by business as usual on 12/3/2020, 9:32 am, in reply to "How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

We are business as usual, not sure if rehearsals have caused an increase, we've had problems as a District all year so I have my suspicions. It's hard to tell since so many of our kids are also in sports and folks aren't being careful in regards to socializing in our neck of the woods.

No bell covers, no distancing, but the brass do use puppy pads.

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by 4A BD on 12/3/2020, 9:06 am, in reply to "How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

We split brass and woodwinds between the band hall and our cafe area (closed off overflow cafeteria). Everybody is 8' to 10' apart. I only have room for 28 kids in the band hall at a time if we are playing.

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by No problems on 12/3/2020, 9:03 am, in reply to "How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

6A suburban school here with 200 students participating this year. We've been rehearsing indoors, 7.5 feet apart with masks, bell covers, and towels to empty water onto since Day 1 of the school year. We don't use chairs, and we disinfect stands between each class. We also limit how many students are at their lockers at the same time. We have not had a single student test positive since then.

Have we had to stay on kids about keeping their masks on when we aren't rehearsing? Absolutely. Do we have to remind them to keep their distance on occasion? Yes. Do they also seem to ignore all of our procedures when they step outside of the band hall and rejoin the gen pop? Some do. We still haven't lost a single kid to a positive case.

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by And... on 12/3/2020, 9:39 am, in reply to "Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

Same here...except we're a 2A with 80 participating 6-12 that's not too far away from a major metropolitan area.

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by Awesome on 12/3/2020, 9:24 am, in reply to "Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

Awesomeness!

Way to go! Keep it up!!!!!

Re: How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?

Posted by 2C MS on 12/3/2020, 8:33 am, in reply to "How many of us are prohibited from indoor music rehearsal?"

Beginner classes and advanced kids all inside.
We go outside twice a week advanced classes weather permitting.
All distanced 6x6 or more.
Band playing masks and bell covers. Blue shop towels to collect spit. Swiffer in between classes.
All doors are open including exit to outdoors and to the hallway.

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