High school band camp will go on, but will the halftime show?
The video opens with text scrolling up toward a vanishing point as a John Williams score plays in an easily recognizable homage to a “Star Wars” movie.
“It is a period of global uncertainty. Countries around the world are dealing with a pandemic that has made some lose hope.
“As the world begins to open back up, we are left with many questions of what is to come. One thing is for certain ... Band Camp!”
The smile-inducing video is a clever reveal that the Trinity High School Marching Band will be performing “Star Wars” tunes this year, with the music and choreography to be rehearsed during a two-week camp beginning Monday. But the video also provides a wry counterpoint to the seriousness and unpredictability of COVID-19.
Despite the spread of the coronavirus, high school marching band camps are scheduled this summer, albeit with health and safety protocols that have become all too familiar during the pandemic — social distancing, wearing masks when feasible, handwashing, and disinfecting instruments and equipment.
Chris Snyder, president of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association, said he hadn’t heard of band camps being canceled by any of the 20 high schools in Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, Beaver, Butler and Armstrong counties. But what they will do in the fall is much less clear.
Among many unanswered questions: Will crowds be in the stands to watch football halftime shows? Will the bands perform in competitions?
“We’re all still holding our breath to see what’s going on. We all face the same struggles,” said Mr. Snyder, who also is director of bands for Deer Lakes High School.
“We’ve not had a time with this much uncertainty. I think the most stressful part of it is just not knowing. It’s a day-to-day grind of not knowing what is coming next.”
At Deer Lakes, band camp for roughly 70 members is scheduled to begin Aug. 3. It will last two weeks, as usual, but band members will be kept outdoors as much as possible. In the past, members rehearsed inside before moving outdoors to merge the music with marching. Now they’ll take disinfected music stands outdoors when
they focus solely on playing. If inclement weather forces members inside, they’ll be broken into small groups to accommodate social distancing, Mr. Snyder said.
Long before summer camps, band directors create programs with specific musical selections for halftime shows and band competitions. But COVID-19 has scuttled many of those plans. Among those making adjustments is Mt. Lebanon School District, where band camp for more than 150 members is scheduled to begin Aug. 3. The band’s first inside rehearsal was held Monday evening at the high school.
“We came up with our original plan in January,” said band director Jason Cheskawich. “We held onto it as long as we could, but we scrapped it and have selected a whole different show.
“I keep using the phrase ‘Teach for the moment’ to give the kids the best experience. If we have an audience, we want to be entertaining to them as well. I think it is a learning moment for everybody.”
Kiski Area High School, whose camp for 140 members is slated to begin Aug. 3, had planned to return in November to the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis. Kiski band director Shawn Pityk had an intricate, large-scale production planned by midApril. But at the beginning of June, after discussions with administrators, “it didn’t take very long to determine that scaling back to a noncompetitive season was by far the most prudent decision we could make.
“We tabled the show we had designed and began putting together an entirely new show. We have drastically scaled back the season. We very much hope we will have as many opportunities to perform the show as possible but also understand the reality that at any moment, this could easily come to a halt,” he said.
“There are still unknowns, such as how and if we will travel or if extracurriculars will continue at all due to rising cases.”
At North Allegheny High School, however, director of bands Todd Stefan and his 260-member marching band are planning a big competitive show. They will pivot if circumstances require, he said.
“As of right now, we’re having a full show. It’s easier to do that, and we can adjust if things change. We’ll use the show next school year if this year doesn’t work out.”
North Allegheny’s camp doesn’t begin until Aug. 10, Mr. Stefan noted, “and a lot can change between now and then . ... We’re taking it one day at a time, which is the way we have to take it. We’re planning that it’s a full go, and if we have to scale things back, we’ll scale things back.”
For example, if it’s deemed more distancing is needed during marching, he’ll add another step to the band’s normal three- or fourstep interval.
Among safety concerns for band directors are airborne respiratory droplets, known as aerosols, produced by brass and wind instrumentalists. There is strong anecdotal evidence the COVID-19 virus travels in microscopic droplets expelled from a person with the virus, even one who is asymptomatic. Some of the directors interviewed said they will be looking for guidance from a recent study at the University of Colorado and University of Maryland commissioned by an international coalition of performing arts organizations, one of several such studies. Spearheaded by the National Federation of High School Associations and the College Band Directors National Association, the study’s recommendations are expected to be released July 25.
Despite all of the unknowns with COVID-19, one thing is certain, Mr. Stefan said: “Kids and parents want to return to playing in a band. This is like family, a safe place, a place [where] they belong.
“We all want to do it safely and smartly. The health and safety of students and staff are paramount.”
Mr. Snyder said members of the marching band association are attempting to thread the needle of adequate safety measures without harming musical education. If marching band halftime programs have to become less ambitious to do that, he said, so be it.
“The primary concern of teachers is to educate the students. We want them to learn the fundamentals of music, to enjoy and appreciate their performances. We’re not taking away any of the educational value, but we’re prioritizing,” Mr. Snyder said.
“Is it more important to learn music, to love and appreciate it, or to learn X amount of drills on the field? We’re paring down the presentations, the drills on the field. The main focus is the music.”
“We have drastically scaled back the season. We very much hope we will have as many opportunities to perform the show as possible, but also understand the reality that at any moment, this could easily come to a halt.”
Shawn Pityk, Kiski Area High School band director