Musicians have had to practice a very different way since the beginning of COVID. Trying to stay within the governor’s restrictions but still focusing on making music and doing what they love in a hard time in this pandemic. 

    Music for most kids a way of expressing how one is feeling. It can be simple as playing/singing a song that is a minute to one that is five. They have had a good way to express how their emotions through COVID and were able to focus on their music more even with the limited resources they had. 

Junior Samantha McDonald said, “Music has provided a good distraction throughout everything and was one of my primary comforts.” Musicians having this comfort has helped them in immense ways, so without it, the quarantine would have been more upsetting

The restrictions for group gatherings are hard to follow in a big ensemble especially now having to social distance with a length at a minimum of 6 feet or much as 12 feet for even safer distancing. Following that will make practicing with the whole ensemble very difficult for most groups. Online students also do not get to play with their ensemble making it very difficult to play and connect with. 

 Sophomore Adam Long Explained that “ We’ve changed our practicing to one hour after school on the days we are present at school, so half the choir is there.” All ensembles are only practicing at half capacity following the restrictions.

     Music kids will now have to wear masks either playing or singing. This is a major adjustment from normally playing without a mask to now playing with one is a hard adjustment to make. 

Junior Alexis Schmitz explained that it would be distracting having to wear a mask while playing but also trying to work on your technique and notes. Which is a major part of playing is seeing were your technique can be improved and having a face-covering makes that a lot harder. 

 Most kids get music through the schools or a private lesson teacher. Getting access to music had been another struggle some of them had to deal with. Not so much which expressing the music it’s getting their hands on a piece of music that would let them do that. Now with schools not really giving out music to slow the person-to-person touch ratio most music has been online.  

 Teachers have had to figure out a way to make these kids keep loving music but also making sure that everyone is safe and follows the restrictions. That means practicing in large ensembles for doing in-person concerts in nearly impossible without having the space for all kids at a proper social distance. Finding spaces to accommodate a large group of people with being equally social distance has been hard for time for every musical ensemble.

Music kids have definitely had their advantages and disadvantages with COVID. Music has had helped them have an outlet for their music. That’s the wonderful thing that kids have been discovering is music can help in immense ways.