A Coronavirus Regulation-Compliant Band Concert: Pipe Dream or Reality?

Of course, with the pandemic raging on around the world in countries surrounding us, certain regulations are in place to prevent the virus from spreading in China. Mask-wearing and social distancing are prevalent parts of these regulations. Therefore, activities like wind instrument-playing were not allowed until a few months ago, because, after all, you can’t play a saxophone with a mask on.

However, despite being able to practice instruments together as an ensemble, having a real, in-person concert was still a distant dream for the band. Especially for the seniors of the ensemble, it was tough to face the fact that they’d most likely miss out on a concert during their last year.

“I’ve been in band since middle school, and the most enjoyable experiences are always the performances,” said senior Sanshiro M. “Just that feeling you get after you perform and know that all your practice and hard work was worth it.”

However, luckily for the band, the school got the green light to host a concert for choir, band, and orchestra that was open to parents to come watch (albeit socially distanced with masks on).

“I heard there was a lot of things that the teachers and faculty had to do to get it sorted, so I’m happy that it worked out and we still got a concert,” said sophomore Sophia P.

Particularly for the seniors, this was a relief.

“I was definitely happy that I’d have one more concert in my final year of high school,” said Sanshiro. “Before it was announced officially, I was definitely resigned to the fact that we would not have one this entire semester.”

Overall, the concert was a massive success, considering the fact that it was able to be staged whatsoever. It also marks a step in the right direction as we move towards school life as normal amid the pandemic.