This summer, COVID-19 all but stopped my usual concert activity. But creativity found numerous ways to manifest itself, even as the pandemic kept us all apart.
The incredible creative energy of our profession was channeled into finding a way through our social distance reality. Among others, the College Band Directors National Association and the American Bandmasters Association came up with responses to the COVID-19 crisis.
On my own, through about the end of July, I compiled a COVID-19 reading list. It includes links to and summaries of scientific studies, news articles, opinion pieces, guidelines, and more.
I did manage some actual music-making via the Backyard Flex Band of Upstate New York, which was inspired by a brass quintet rehearsal that I hosted at home in July. This group met in backyards around the region (well, Oneonta and Oxford) with a rotating cast of local players at a 6 foot minimum distance, always outdoors, with as much PPE as we could muster. We relied on the findings of the Colorado Aerosol Study, which continued to evolve as they got further in their investigation. Here is just some of what we looked at:
Heaven’s Morning Breaks – Brooke Pierson
Closure – Tyler Mazone
we’ll find our way – Tyler Jones
Dusk (5 part adaptable version) – Steven Bryant
Arith-metric 1 – Brian Balmages
So much more is available through Creative Repertoire Initiative.
The events of this summer inspired the addition or change of four important tags, which are essential in navigating the growing resources on this site. First, I added a tag for Social Justice for music that directly addresses an important social issue. Second, I changed the former African-American Composer tag to Black Composer. This change was designed to encompass Black composers both inside and outside the United States, and to match the language of the important #BlackLivesMatter movement. Because I believe, and I want my music choices to reflect, that Black Lives Matter. Finally, I added a Flex Band tag to encompass the new and welcome profusion of music for flexible and adaptable ensembles. This had the added benefit of introducing the 2020s tag for the very first time. Look for all of these tags to grow.
As I write this, the pandemic is beginning to rage with extra intensity in my little college town, with 500 cases at the college next door. I am nervous, but tentatively hopeful, for what the future may hold. I’ve begun to tell my students the following, in an attempt to believe it myself:
“Be safe. Be kind. Be patient. Better days are ahead.”