Being COVID-19 safe in the Band Room.
This 5 minute video explains how MicraMusic provides Covid-19 Compliance the UP Band room.
Blended Learning and Covid Compliance keeps young musicians safe and learning in Band.
The HKIS Upper Primary Band COVID response plan.
Covid compliance in the Band Room.
The forthcoming school year will present many challenges, however, the importance of music and the impact it has on children’s lives has not changed. Rather, we will adapt, be flexible and will continue to offer convenient and quality Instrumental Music Education.
Music learning creates opportunities to learn skills necessary for being successful later in life. Creative problem solving, self-expression and personal management skills are developed and enriched alongside the learning of the musical skills of learning an instrument and playing in a band.
Our goal is to make music in a safe environment, and to give young musicians the confidence, skills, and enjoyment of being in Band.
Is playing an instrument safe?
What the research suggests.
The following studies relate to measuring aerosols and wind movement while playing a musical instrument during COVID-19 outbreak :
● A recent study hosted by the Vienna Philharmonic revealed “when playing an instrument they (the musicians) faced no additional risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus when performing” and that “we should not expect air exhaled by artists to reach more than 80 centimeters distance”
● The United States Army Band and West Point states “there is agreement between all of the research collected, that wind instrument playing seems to present about the same risk as normal breathing and talking.”
● The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra commissioned a study to measure aerosol emissions and determined their “investigations revealed hardly any measurable breathing air movements with woodwind and brass players”.
● A collaborative study completed with the Odense Symphony Orchestra and the University of Southern Denmark concluded “the emission of aerosol measured from brass and woodwind instruments was very low, and almost at the same level of background concentrations”.
Making modifications
to make music.
Even before the Covid situation, MicraMusic had adopted sanitation and hygiene awareness embedded into class routines and program aims.
Students are expected to bring their instrument and music book to each class.
Band Basics students will return the instrument at the end of each rotation, and will have their ‘new’ professionally cleaned and sanitised instrument at the start of the next instrument rotation.
All Band Loan Levy instruments are professionally cleaned and sanitised at the start of the year.
The rules are that sharing of instruments is not permitted in the class or home. Students are given advice on how to clean and care for the part of the instrument mouthpiece too.
Although carefully sourced and acquired for their robust attributes, the instruments should be handled with care, and damage reported immediately.
Policies
Personal Behaviours
Personal Behaviours
We aim to support students to become proactive participants in maintaining healthy and safe environments.
Students must not attend Band classes if they have a fever or are unwell.
Sanitisation liquid is used on hands when entering and exiting the Band room.
Using masks when entering and moving about the room.
Sterisol spray is provided for each student. Alcohol swabs, tissues, paper towels are readily available.
Students use a washable cloth for collecting condensation or moisture from their instruments during the lessons. The cloth is washed in hot water and suitable disinfectant.
Students are also not allowed to share any musical items, including oils, and also should use their own pencil, music (one stand each student) and avoid any physical contact with the teacher or students.
Classroom Layout
The EBD gives guidelines for the Social Distance aspect of Covid management in Hong Kong Schools. To keep ‘distant’ does require some innovative practices to reinforce the space distances for students. In our recent Band Camps, ‘islands’ of 1.8m square were given for each student to use. Masks must be worn when off their island.
Inventive themes, like the Army Boot Camp theme, can unobtrusively create walkways, barriers, and spaces for students’ individual areas, that are appropriately distanced, but still make students feel part of a larger group.
Floor markings, like tape and engaging posters help students meet the distance rules, and also clearly establish the expectations.
Cleaning of Musical Instruments
Several disinfectants can be used for killing the coronavirus in the average home. However some can’t be used with musical instruments because those chemicals could harm them. For instance, any bleach or alcohol will harm wood instruments and could severely damage the lacquer on brass instruments.
Professional cleaning is almost always the best solution because the Ultrasonic cleaning systems are in place and also can perform an annual cleanse routine and disinfect during the summer break.
MicraMusic maintains a collection of musical instruments for rental and use by enrolled students in the Band Basics, Beginner Band and Rising Band at the Upper Primary at HKIS.
The health and safety of everyone using school instruments is our priority. The possible transmission of communicable diseases is an ongoing concern.
To reduce the possibility of infection, each instrument in the school’s collection receives a thorough inspection and cleaning process at the start and conclusion of the academic year.
