Making music together again
School band program moving forward with safety precautions in place
Members of the Siloam Springs High School band are finally making music together again with some safety precautions in place.
The 200-member high school band was only able to practice a few marching drills over the summer and wasn’t able to resume playing instruments until the week before school started because of the pandemic, according to assistant band director Melissa Lesso. Now students are practicing together again for performances this fall.
The high school band has been divided into three smaller pep bands, which will take turns playing at home football games, according to assistant director Alex Evans. The smaller numbers of students will allow musicians to spread out in the stands and follow social distancing guidelines, he said. Each of the three pep-bands will have all of the instruments represented.
In October, band directors also hope to schedule several performances of the whole band
together in the football stadium during away games, which bands are not allowed to attend, so parents have a chance to see them play together, he said.
Meanwhile, middle school band students made their first sound together last week, Lesso said.
“It was the first time I have heard those kids play in six months,” she said. “It was awesome to hear them play together again. … They were so excited to make a sound together again, it was really cool.”
Safety precautions
The program encompasses 650 students in grades six through 12. Many of the safety precautions the school’s band program is taking are the same ones in place for school, Lesso said. Students must wear a mask and stay at least six feet apart while playing their instruments.
However, there are some additional measures the band program is taking. Students who play instruments with their mouths wear two masks — one with a slit to play their instrument through and a second to cover the first mask while they are not playing, Lesso said. Horns are required to have bell covers, a double layer nylon veneer that functions as a mask for the instrument to filter the air coming out of the horn, she said.
Brass players empty condensation out of their horns onto a piece of cut up puppy pads and then throw the pads away rather than releasing the liquid onto the ground, she said.
Initially, bands were restricted to practicing outdoors and at least 12 feet apart, but now they are allowed to practice indoors as long as they stay six feet apart, except for trombone players, who are required to stay nine feet apart, Evans said. All high school rehearsals are still outdoors, he said.
High school band students are naturally spaced 7.5 to 15 feet apart on the football field and now they are assigned spaces to make sure they stay apart, Lesso said.
“They have handled it so well, even from that very first rehearsal,” she said. “They know things are going to be different and they have a fantastic attitude and are so happy to be there. They have followed all the rules and directives without complaining.”
Younger band students are practicing inside as long as they are spaced six feet apart in every direction, Lesso said. Band directors have measured and placed tape on the floor to show students where to stand and students take it very seriously, she said. While playing inside, the band takes breaks every 30 minutes and vacates the area for at least 20 minutes to allow time for any aerosols to disperse, she said.