The incredible American singer-songwriter John Denver once said, “Music does bring us together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: We are the same.”
To say the least, the current atmosphere we live in is a difficult one. Amid a global pandemic, an upcoming election, a courageous fight for social reform, and more, our nation and our communities are experiencing more division than most of us have ever experienced or understood. In times like these, positivity is more powerful than anything else, and music has been one of the most effective ways to spread it. Whether it be through an instrument or a voice, music maintains the power to spark unity and togetherness amongst any community, no matter how diverse or divided.
Bringing Hope During Trying Times
Dir. Ronald Houston, the Adjunct Associate Professor of Viola and Violin at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Meadows School of the Arts, grasps this idea remarkably well. He stated that
“The Coronavirus, among other things, has caused a very challenging time for everybody.”
However, rather than dwelling on the negative aspects, he decided to see the positive opportunities posed by the circumstances.
“I realized early on that my students were in great need of a sense of normalcy in their lives, so I immediately sought to give them a chance to thrive and learn new things despite the status quo,”
Houston continued.
Shortly afterward, his group, ViolaPower, consisting of amazingly talented students aged 14-20, released a video of Elgar's Nimrod Variation in tribute to healthcare workers and first responders all around the globe. He explains,
“ViolaPower had always been a group that was designed to bond our class and promote a collective sense of identity and teamwork. Not only did playing the Nimrod virtually teach them several things, including how to play as if in a recording studio, but the video was also dedicated to those on the front lines of the pandemic, and thus, gave the students in ViolaPower wonderful pride and a sense of contribution during the worst part of the crisis.”
Weeks later, more videos similar to the Nimrod had followed in a series completely devoted to healthcare heroes, and Houston and ViolaPower hosted a “parking lot” concert at the Carrollton Health and Rehabilitation Center. There, worship music was performed to a group of grateful and socially distanced senior citizens and staff. Resident Rollin MacDuffie said, "I just enjoy it. I enjoy the music and I enjoy people."
Finally, guest artists from all over the world (most recently, the worldwide famous violinist Rachel Podger) have been enlightening students in his JDR Music Academy through virtual masterclasses and activities as often as every other week. Mr. Houston concludes that
“Music in COVID-19 is all about giving back to people and continuing our journey through life.”
He continues to serve as a role model for countless students, musicians, conductors, and teachers, and his group ViolaPower continues to take their talents to multiple places with the purpose of spreading joy.
Music in Our Community
Plano’s music programs are huge, boasting some of the most talented musicians across the United States, including students who gain both state and national recognition annually. Despite this, large obstacles may stand in the way for obvious reasons.
Music, in and of itself, is an art-- and as a result, requires careful timing and precision of every note or rhythm played or sung. Even with a live presence, this is already a challenge that music programs face every day, meaning that a virtual learning style only makes everything unbelievably harder. Latency, bandwidth, internet speed, and a variety of other factors may affect a student’s learning capabilities. Let’s take an in-depth analysis of how PISD’s music programs are adjusting.
Band
Band not only includes indoor concert performances, but also outdoor marching band rehearsals and competitions. Marching band is all about the physical movements taken on a field, such as choreography and formations, and is therefore impossible to host in an online setting. As a result, many schools have shifted towards in-person marching. To counteract the risk of getting COVID, PISD collectively passed a set of guidelines to follow at all times:
Different times for corresponding instrument groups to arrive.
Sanitizer stations are present to clean instruments and other musical equipment.
All marchers must be wearing masks.
All marchers must stay 15 feet away from each other.
Before arriving at the marching field, marchers must engage in self-screening procedures.
However, all of these safety provisions may not be enough to protect the students from COVID. For example, it is impossible to wear a mask and play a wind instrument at the same time. How the band programs in Plano will fix these problems is yet to be clarified, but it is clear that PISD, students, and band programs should treat safety as their number one concern.
Choir and Orchestra
While minor practices can differ from school to school, the following list demonstrates general choral and orchestral practices that many schools in Plano follow:
Students will follow along with the majority (either the asynchronous or synchronous group).
Recordings are assigned often (usually weekly) and to be submitted outside of class time.
What We Can Do
Overall, it’s become abundantly clear that a group activity in a virtual environment is inherently difficult to accomplish. For that reason, it's important to look at things from the most positive outlook possible, especially in a pandemic. While group work may not be possible, learning in a virtual format has opened the door to unique teaching styles that provide not just students, but also teachers, with a brand new perspective.
Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, “Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” In these trying times, the music that we produce and spread creates more positivity across our entire community-- and that’s one of the most powerful things we can do.
Written by: Julia Duan, Abhinav Chellury, Amit Konda, and Patrick Lu
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