Covid-19 Concerts

It seems like schools are changing schedules on a weekly basis. In person, virtual, A-B block, 4-day school weeks -- there seems to be a rotating door of options for how school instruction should work. How on earth can you try to prepare and perform any kind of concert under these circumstances? This is the question I proposed to my directors. What follows is their feedback.

I only have a couple of school districts that see all their students together five (sometimes four) days a week. They have the easiest road to performing concerts. Clint Brown at Moore High School already went through the process of performing a concert in October. Students were able to bring only immediate family members, and only for their child's band. The auditorium was maxed at 25% capacity, and there was a break between bands to clear the auditorium and circulate the air.

Some in-person schools moved the location of their concert. Carl Albert and Guthrie plan to perform in the gym because there is more room for the performers and audience to spread out. They also plan on doing temperature checks at the door.

Caitee Harouff at Oakdale still has school five days a week, but the school has prohibited them from having traditional band classes. Students come to the band room in groups of five. Directors are video recording these small groups playing a line or two of a very easy holiday tune. When all the groups have been recorded, Caitee will take the footage, edit it into a "concert" with each cohort playing separately, and send to the parents.

Schools on an A/B block have a unique set of challenges. Brad Coker at Edmond North will be having separate A and B day bands with the younger students. Each band will perform their own repertoire. Piedmont High School will rehearse the two blocks together one or two times before performing.

Some of my A/B schools are opting not to perform live concerts. Darby Cassaday at Deer Creek is planning to schedule a few combined rehearsals together outside the school day in large locations (cafeteria, gym) so the students can social distance. Then they will record each group performing one or two selections and share the video with the school patrons and families. Kevin Zamborsky at Stillwater had a similar plan before their school district went virtual for the rest of the semester. Students would perform on the stage, six feet apart all facing the same direction. There would be no audience, instead the concert would be live-streamed. Each band would have a scheduled time to perform so family and friends would know what time to "tune-in" to watch their student perform. Students were only going to be allowed in the building long enough to unpack, warm up, perform, pack and leave. No non-performers would be allowed in the building, so parents that drove their kid would have to watch the live stream in their car, which is not ideal.

So what about schools that are totally virtual? Do those students just lose out? KG Robinson at Perkins-Tryon schools came up with an innovative solution. Using the app "Acapella", he assigned each student to a quartet. Each quartet was assigned a Christmas song from one of the many Christmas ensemble books available. Students would submit their individual parts and KG would edit them into a performance. Every few days a student ensemble would be posted to the band's Facebook page, with the names of the performers included in the caption. The "Christmas Concert" would be spread out over a several week period, giving viewers enjoyment for longer than just the time it would take to play a concert. One note of caution -- in order for this system to work, it will be necessary for the instructor to purchase the upgraded version of Acapella.

These methods are attempts to make the best of a less-than-perfect situation. My directors all agree that one of the main goals (perhaps THE main goal) for this school year is to keep kids in the program. Performances help keep the students engaged and interested. Hats off to the teachers who are constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas to survive this crazy school year!

Do you have great concert ideas that I didn't address here? Send them to me at charlie@palenmusic.com. Let me know what worked (and what didn't work). If I get enough responses, I will compile them into another QuickNotes article in January.

Charles Bartrug retired after 33 years as an Oklahoma public school band director. The last thirteen years were spent as High School Band Director and Coordinator of Instrumental Music in Yukon, OK. Before coming to Yukon, Mr. Bartrug was band director at Midwest City HS, Guthrie High School, Owasso Junior High, and Collinsville Junior High. Bands under Charlie's direction have earned twenty one OSSAA Sweepstakes Awards and three Double Sweepstakes Awards. The Guthrie High School Symphonic Band performed as an honor group for the OMEA Convention in 1999, and the Yukon High School Wind Ensemble performed in 2014. Mr. Bartrug is a 2014 inductee into the Oklahoma Bandmasters Hall of Fame. He earned National Board Certification in 2004, was the 2005 Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Band Director of the Year, the 2005 Yukon High School Teacher of the Year, and a 2009 OMEA Exemplary Teacher. The highlight of Charlie's career was teaching band alongside his wife Nancy for 26 years. Charlie now serves as store manager for the Oklahoma City location of Palen Music Center, where he enjoys serving the school band and orchestra community. Charlie was named MVP of Palen Music Center in 2017.