We Can’t Wear Face Mask in Band Class
The ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic in the area of instrumental music are beyond what anyone ever imagined. Recently, the CDC recommended face coverings to slow down community spread. Cities like Los Angeles and New York have already mandated that all their citizens wear face coverings. Walmart also mandated their employees to wear masks and United Arlines is requiring flight attendants to wear masks. Passengers could be next. It seems that one of the ways we will be able to return to schools this fall will be by adhering to strict social distancing guidelines while students, faculty, and staff are required to wear face masks at school.
Students can not wear face masks during band class though. Woodwind and brass players have to blow air into their instruments to produce sound. String players and percussionists can produce sound while wearing masks and could begin rehearsals relatively quickly while constantly sanitizing shared equipment. However, wind players will have to figure out an alternative to keep the music going in case face masks are required.
Categorizing wind instrument sections as high-risk or low-risk areas of contagion was not a topic of conversation or research three months ago but it should be today as a result of this pandemic. In bands (and also full orchestras) the most at-risk section of contagion might be the flutes. Flute players have to blow a significant amount of fast and directed air across a tone hole to create a split that produces sound. Some of the air travels into the tone hole and some air travels out into the room. Consequently some droplets travel into the tone hole and some droplets travel out into the room. Directors will need to consider this when sitting flute players together in ensembles while we are still fighting a pandemic. Ideally, flutes should not have anyone sitting less than six feet in front of them. A second row of flutes should be avoided.
There might be a possible solution to minimize the forward explosion of droplets by flute players in a band rehearsal though. It is called the Wind-D-Fender, an attachment to the tone hole originally designed to block obstructive wind gusts during marching band flute solos in outdoor competitions. This product could minimize droplets as a reverse effect to its original purpose. Even though there is no formal study that corroborates this theory yet, it is worth investigating.
Win-D-Fender LLC has no prior connection to this article or the author.
Band classes and band halls around the country will not go back to normal any time soon and directors will need to think of ways to keep everyone healthy in their band rooms. In places like Texas, many band programs have over three hundred students in their bands resulting in very crowded band halls throughout the school day, especially before and after school.
Perhaps band student leaders can sanitize music stands between rehearsals, just like grocery store employees sanitize shopping carts between customers. Small practice rooms may have to be off limits to students for a while. The risk of contagion in a small practice room is no different than being in a small elevator. Seating charts for the band class might look different this fall in order to create more distance between players. Band concerts might have to be live streamed for the entire school year if large audiences are not allowed on campus.
It is not possible to know exactly what returning to band halls around the country will look like in the fall, but schools will likely be open. If the conditions to re-open are strong social distancing measures and face masks, bands might be one of the last classes to achieve a new normal.
