Music Through Masks: How the Choral Department Finds Their Voice Amidst Isolation
Wearing a mask while singing is not something that would normally be recommended. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, universities around the country are getting creative with what “normal” looks like.
Southern Virginia University is committed to gathering students and lifting them to academic success, but what does that look like for the music department this semester?
Katelyn Roll (‘22), a music education major, says that FDA level-one masks are worn at all times during practices, and spatial distancing is key. Brightly colored tape marks up the music rooms around campus, signaling to students that in order to sing, they need to be standing at least 10 feet apart.
Sydney Petersen (’21) explains, “I’m in Accolade, so it’s a very small group and a cappella, so we don’t use a piano or anything like that. You rely heavily on listening to everyone around you… we have to sit super far away from each other, and also with the masks it’s muffled, so it makes it even harder to hear each other and know if we even sound good.”
However, not all music classes are indoors. The University’s short video introducing the Healthy Campus Plan features Assistant Professor of Music Kyle Nielsen conducting a choral ensemble in an outdoor classroom, standing in the middle of a small group of vocalists, all wearing masks and distanced apart.
“I’m in the chamber singers, so we sing outside together when we want to meet up as a total unit,” Matt Buongi (’23) says. “We wear masks and we are socially distant while we sing. It’s fun to just be out there with everybody and just sing together.”
Even with additional resources to manage during the pandemic, being a vocalist at this time is a challenge.
“I miss really getting into singing,” says Petersen. “You come in, you can only be in the class for 30 minutes, and you don’t really get to interact with anyone. I definitely feel less connected to the group. Music is emotional for everyone. And having COVID-19 take away the emotional part of it where you get to experience those emotions with each other has been really hard.”
Although in-person concerts are still not in the plans for this semester, Southern Virginia vocalists have continued in their musical endeavors with innovation and creativity. Virtual concerts are scheduled for later in the year, and with the Apple technology, including the addition of Airpods Pro this semester, students and teachers are taking advantage of the resources available to them.
Roll mentions that the app Marco Polo has been a “saving grace” for students and teachers to use along with Zoom video calls to get one-on-one feedback. “It’s been so great to get instant feedback from our professors and have it in real-time,” says Roll. “It’s been so great to still progress even though we are not in person.”
Buongi adds, “Airpods have been super helpful because I feel a lot more mobile with them, especially when I want to listen to practice tracks or recordings and things like that. In past semesters I would have to lug around a headphone jack and headphones…this is much more convenient.”
