Times Observer file photo Music programs at Warren County School District may look a little different next year.

Music programs at Warren County School District may look different, but they are finding their way in the pandemic.

COVID-19 has brought change and uncertainty to many aspects of daily life.

The possibility that young people singing or playing wind instruments will contribute to the spread of droplets that can carry the virus is a concern.

The district’s music department is making some changes, but not abandoning the ship.

“We will be having these classes and students will continue to learn,” Music Department Head and Warren Area High School and Beaty Warren Middle School band and orchestra teacher Marcia White said. “We will just be doing it a different way.”

“WCSD teachers are very dedicated to providing a worthwhile experience for our students,” White said. “The WCSD music teachers have spent many hours planning and working on a plan that will work for us.”

“Students may be learning more about Music Theory, which is the ‘science’ of music,” she said. “Students may study the history of different types of music and we will talk about composer’s intent.”

“We are also talking about providing a ‘virtual guest speaker’ series where we ask local musicians, college professors, former students involved in music to join us via Zoom,” she said.

Teachers will continue to evaluate students.

“Students may be asked to provide recordings to their teacher so that their progress can be assessed,” she said.

The changes have helped provide music programming for the district’s Virtual Academy.

“The music curriculum was completely updated from top to bottom,” White said. “We then used the new update to build classes in the WCSD Virtual Academy Platform. Teachers will then use these courses to personalize their instruction to meet the needs of their students.”

The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) announced this week that it would not hold in-person events this school year.

“The PMEA State Board has made the difficult decision to suspend all in-person student events for the 2020-21 school year for the safety of the students, members and all others involved,” according to a PMEA release. “This includes the PMEA District, Region and All-State festivals, District level fests and MPAs – adjudication. As these events involve students from multiple schools and school districts from throughout the Commonwealth, it is essential for PMEA to limit any potential risk of COVID infection.”

That is a loss for numerous district students, but educators hope to be able to provide some additional experiences.

“Most of the music teachers spent most of their junior high and high school years attending PMEA festivals as a participant, myself included,” White said. “We know first-hand of the importance of providing these experiences to our students. I am confident that PMEA District 2 — which includes Erie, Crawford, Warren, and McKean counties – will continue to be dedicated to finding a way to offer our students an educational experience outside of their normal school programs.”

Research

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), and more than 125 performing arts organizations commissioned an aerosol study.

“The goal of this study from the beginning was to identify the issues of aerosol production in performing arts activities, and to find a way forward so these activities will survive the pandemic,” study co-chair Dr. Mark Spede, CBDNA President and Clemson University director of bands, said. “We are identifying ways performing arts participants can meet in person with the lowest risk possible.”

So far, the study has determined that masking participants – including instruments using bell covers – “significantly reduced the range of aerosol particle emissions” and keeping rehearsals down to 30 minutes “significantly reduces the quantity and spread of aerosol among the individuals involved.”

“While several months of research remain ahead for the aerosol study, co-chair Dr. James Weaver, NFHS Director of Performing Arts and Sports, believes the preliminary findings and subsequent recommendations have already made a great impact on the feasibility of conducting performing arts activities in the near future,” according to the study.

“We know there are elevated aerosol productions that exist in performing arts activities,” Weaver said. “We feel strongly that the performing arts field is committed to the safety and well-being of all students, with a clear desire to understand what happens when instruments are played, or people engage in singing, theatre or other expressive artistic experiences. We are beginning to understand what steps can be taken to mitigate concerns and allow students to engage in the many life-affirming experiences that are central to the arts.”