With the continued onset of COVID-19, many programs at Arcadia High School (AHS) have been needing to adapt to the new environment. One such program adjusting to this new wave is the music department, which has bright minds continually coming up with new ways to solve the numerous challenges that playing music in a pandemic causes. With groups such as Choir and Band usually needing to take off their masks to produce music, adjustments have been made to keep everyone safe. This has been done  through ways such as the addition of masks with slits in them for Band students or a possible microphone for Choir students which can go around and outside the mask to ensure the utmost protection.

Playing or singing outside has also been readily available and utilized, as many groups either work within a large, open space with students spaced apart or distance themselves outside so that air circulation is best. Arcadia has then added on a separate coronavirus screening procedure to help keep things moving along, as any student who may play music indoors is subject to COVID-19 testing, which may be weekly if necessary. As cases go up, so must safety precautions, and this is reflected in the music department’s vision for the rest of the year.

Though situations may be tentative, the many groups have been doing their best to work with what they’ve been given, and so are doing incredibly well given the circumstances they are in. Students have also had to adapt, learning when it’s safe to get close to one another and when it’s not. One such band member, freshman John Bee, commented on what interacting with his peers during his music periods is like.

“It feels the same, but just so much more safe,” he explained. “We’re allowed to use some of our time as we see fit, but it’s all toward the goal of playing while staying out of harm’s way.”

Mr. Kevin Sherrill, one of the band directors, acted in accordance with the district and so felt that this was another step towards keeping the safety of all in the Band program.

“By using covers and special masks, we can more effectively prevent getting the virus and so minimize breakout cases.”

The Choir department, as always, has been smooth in reacting to new ways to protect themselves. This sentiment is then echoed by the Choir teacher, Ms. Connie Tu.

“Students always will have their masks on and are spaced out on the risers, so that the rates will get lowered,” Ms. Tu said. “This minimizes the effect of coronavirus spreading, and so keeps everyone protected.”

Many students believe that this sixth wave of the pandemic will eventually slow down, as traveling during the holiday season most definitely contributed greatly towards the steep rise of cases. The music department may just need to wait things out and see if things eventually calm down. This is highly evident in the current postponement of the Marching Band’s annual fundraiser, the Spaghetti Dinner. The event is currently set for sometime in mid-March, allowing for just enough time for cases to go down and students to show off their skills to fund next year’s program.

While these specific parts of the music department have needed to make some possible changes to the way things are run, the AHS Orchestra has seemingly been adapting quite well as time goes on. With playing taking place both outdoors and indoors, this group has figured out an effective way to flatten the curve and still let students keep the many Orchestra productions going. If any group can figure out what to do, it’s Orchestra. In light of this safety, freshman Evan Yen explained what happens to keep everyone safe.

“By limiting the number and size of the events, we as an orchestra are able to stay more safe,” Yen clarified. “We always keep our mask on no matter what and usually play outside.”

This set of values is especially important to Ms. Pin Chen, the director of the AHS Orchestra.

“With masks always being kept on to play and proper spacing set up when needed, the Orchestra is taking the proper precautions to fight against COVID-19,” Ms. Chen said. “Groups rehearse outside and practice their playing while stopping cases before they show up.”

All of the music department has needed to recheck ways to run classes during the pandemic, and all are currently doing their best to ensure protection from this virus. Safety is their top priority and they are smartly changing things up so that coronavirus has a much lower chance of spreading.