TromboneChat

A wind ensemble south of here has begun rehearsing. They have limited their number to fifty, and still take up an entire field with their distancing. It seems kind of silly. I do miss playing with a group.

Sept 21 - first rehearsal since early March coming up tomorrow.

A few changes since. Requirements: a mask, a bell cover, hand sanitizer, social distancing, hour-long rehearsal. No hanging around bs-ing.

I found by pure happenstance a perfectly sized bag that will work perfectly as a bell cover. A soap dish from my gym bag, filled with paper towel, spritzed with hand sanitizer for condensates.

The positive is that my chops are in pretty good shape after months of consistent practice.

StevenC wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:04 pm A wind ensemble south of here has begun rehearsing. They have limited their number to fifty, and still take up an entire field with their distancing. It seems kind of silly. I do miss playing with a group.

That is sort of dumb. The room is half the equation.

Got to play with one Jazz Band last Friday. Played outside in a park, socially distanced, and bell covers. Felt good to play, but it was cold and windy. In fact, one of the older guys in the band got blown over.

Looking forward to rehearsing again this week.

Not a paying gig, but at least I'm playing with others.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 21, 2020 8:22 pm Got to play with one Jazz Band last Friday. Played outside in a park, socially distanced, and bell covers. Felt good to play, but it was cold and windy. In fact, one of the older guys in the band got blown over.

Looking forward to rehearsing again this week.

Not a paying gig, but at least I'm playing with others.

Good to hear rehearsals are back!

I've been asked if I want to rehearse with all bands that I played in before Corona and also the choire has started now, but I have rejected all. I think I will start somewhere next year in January or February when vaccinations have started. I have turned down two payed gigs too. It's not worth the risk and I have another job and there are plenty of starving musicians who need those gigs. I sure hope I am welcome back next year in all those bands. I played in four bands; tenor in two and bass in two bands, and I also sang In a choire. I was occupied every evening before Corona, right now I'm doing nothing, except keeping shape at home.

/Tom

"before Corona" could be the new "BC". So 2018 could be 1 BC. I guess we are in 2 AC, anno corona?

Meanwhile, listening to stories about aerosol transmission, our favorite activity seems like perfect cluster material. A Swedish epidemiologist described the spread as "from cluster to cluster". My horn is working better than ever (in spite of the not narrow enough rim hr), and nothing to do with it. And I think I will yet wait even if opportunity presents.

These are the BC Covid provincial guidelines for band practices:

Band and musical instruments

Anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID or who has symptoms of COVID-19 should not participate in band activities in-person

Public health recommends that people who are more likely to experience complications of COVID-19 – including older adults – should avoid playing instruments with others in person, especially in large groups.

Adults and children who are not ill should play instruments in groups that are no larger than 50 and follow appropriate COVID-19 precautions (e.g., physical distancing, recording the contact information of participants, and regular hand washing) and Orders of the Provincial Health Officer.
Playing instruments outdoors is best, or in a large indoor space with good ventilation.

Avoid sharing equipment. If sharing instruments is unavoidable (such as for a piano), items should be cleaned and disinfected between users.

Consider the placement of instruments based on their risk of release of droplets (for example, flutes could be placed where exhalation would not be directed at other musicians).

Brass instrument condensate should under no circumstances be released on the floor (as is often the case with spit valves) – this condensate should be captured in a container or on an absorbent cloth. Remember to practice hand hygiene each time after handling condensate and touching spit valves.

For more information on choirs and bands please see Guidance for Choirs and Bands + FAQ and an evidence review by the NCCEH, COVID-19 Risks and Precautions for Choirs.

Bach5G: Sounds good except for one problem. People who are contagious can be asymptomatic so it's possible that people will join a group since they don't feel sick and still spread the virus.

The poor ventilation problem is a major issue. Prolonged contact with aerosols can be as bad as short exposure to droplets. And the aerosols travel much further than 2 meters.

I'm hoping the vaccine can be found and some level of immunity created.

Well, stronger measures may be on the way, given increases in Covid rates this fall. I’m comfortable with these precautions and compliance in the group is 100%. But if stronger measures are needed, so be it.

The drive home was pleasant. The CBC radio show Ideas ran an hour on historian Richard Evans, an expert on epidemics, particularly a cholera epidemic in Hamburg at the turn of the century.

Richard Evans: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/series/the-gr ... resent-day

We've been lucky at school and we have in person ensembles and lesson though the ensembles are limited to 15 people.

I guess i’ve been even luckier. My school has rehearsal in class every other day with about 40 kids. We have a big enough room to follow florida guidelines. Out side we have about 200 kids, a little less. Probably not the best thing, but that’s ron desantis decision. I don’t like ron desantis

Big band - One of my big bands has rehearsal next week. The other four? Before the end of the year.

Concert band - I play in three concert bands. Who knows? No time soon.

Unclear. Supposedly in 2 weeks but I doubt it will happen.

It looked like we were about to return to rehearsal in a new space. However, after initially agreeing to have us, the facility changed its mind.

I have asked the band organization to provide me with a copy of its Covid plan. It hasn’t done so; indeed, it hasn’t even replied to my two requests. I suspect it does not have one.

I cannot imagine any facility agreeing to provide rehearsal space to us without our having a Covid plan in place. The plan has to assure observance of the public health guidelines and provide for bell covers, social distancing, appropriate mask wearing, contact tracing, and hand sanitizers, etc. It seems like a lot of work to go through, but I’ve rehearsed with a band that has taken the steps and, as a result, is up and running.

At this point, I think next summer at the earliest, if I'm lucky (although our brass quintet has done a few outdoor rehearsals, just for fun, sitting about 10 feet apart.)
The members of the groups I rehearse and perform with (used to, that is) are mostly aged 50 and over. The conductor of one is in his mid-70's, and the vast majority of our gigs were in retirement communities.
Trying to stay optimistic, but will just have to wait and see.

Were supposed to come out of lockdown this week but I doubt that will happen. If I had to guess, then I'd say not for atleast a month at the earliest.

My quartet started playing last week. We meet in a park under a picnic shelter, and just play for a couple of hours. Some people wander through the park, and so far we haven't offended anyone greatly. It does feel good to play with others again. You don't realize how social music is until that aspect of it is taken away from you. That first cancelled rehearsal back in March really felt like "the day the music died". So glad to be back at least in this small capacity.

hyperbolica wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:43 am It does feel good to play with others again. You don't realize how social music is until that aspect of it is taken away from you.

That first cancelled rehearsal back in March really felt like "the day the music died". So glad to be back at least in this small capacity.

For about two months, I have also been playing weekly – outdoors and spaced apart – with a brass quintet. Not great music, but still wonderful to do. The disappointment again hit me hard today when our session was canceled due to illness, with no idea of when we'll reassemble. I'm tired of practicing alone! Music should be made with – and appreciated by – others.

For me Broadway will reopen next year. When?? I'm guessing May/June or possibly not until September. All of the other freelance work that I do is also on hold. Some because venues and groups will not do performances with reduced audience sizes. I've played 1 gig since March 5. Usually I play 400-500 services per year.

I sympathize with all of you, this pandemic is unpredictable. I am lucky because some parts of Norway are almost free of the virus. And right now I'm playing "The Man of la Mancha" for 3 weeks. Norway had a strict lockdown in March, and it paid off, but now it seems to be out of control again in the big cities. Norway does not have many people, and in some places the population is scattered without corona. What surprises me is that there is a trend here where young people no longer care much. The students have parties as before and do not follow the rules. And it causes the virus to spread more and more here. Many musicians here suffer, especially freelancers. I hope we follow all the rules and we have a more predictable future.

Leif