Strange musical times

Earlier this year, my student’s vocal music teacher taught remotely from her home via Smartboard while quarantined. It was the only time she was actually allowed to sing this year, since singing in the age of COVID-19 is dangerous.

None of my students are allowed to sing during vocal music this year, either, which has made things strange for our vocal music teacher, I’m sure.

The quarantined vocal music teacher was assisted by our school’s teaching assistant, a former student of our school whose life-sized cardboard cutout – formerly affixed to our school’s parade float – was once placed in my home by my wife at the urging of my former principal in order frighten me in the middle of the night.

Which it did. Quite well.

Meanwhile, our instrumental music teacher just received permission for students who play wind instruments to begin playing outdoors.

When temperatures allow for it, of course.

Until now, he’s been able to teach lessons to percussionists and string players in school, but kids who play flutes, trumpets, trombones, and the like have been recording their practice sessions at home and having them critiqued during their in-school lesson.

The pandemic (and the cardboard cutout of a fifth grade student) has made for some seriously strange days.