3 Tips to Better Your Marching Band during COVID-19
Marching bands are a hallmark to any American high school and are some of our favorite people to serve. They grace every football game, spirit rally, and major school function with wonderful music. But, this last year, these performers were upstaged by something much bigger: the Covid-19 pandemic. A lot of important things were lost during the outbreaks, which shuddered many countries when they first hit.
Among them were school marching bands, which took a heavy hit as schools shut down and everybody had to go online. Nearly a year and a half after the initial emergence of the Coronavirus, some of the nation’s band programs are coming back with their schools and their socially-distanced students. Though now- there are so many new challenges presented- leading many to wonder how school marching bands can work, let alone exist, in today’s world.
As school bands are looking forward to this year, they still face a worrying reality. Many remember how marching bands were left high and dry when the pandemic first began canceling events. Thanks to things such as the vaccine and lower-infection rates, it has become safer for bands to come back. This is great for the performer’s spirit that has been quieted by the pandemic, but there are still drawbacks. Mainly, the risk of infection due to performing, such as seen at one Cleveland high school recently. Because of the continued fear of infection, many will resort to the tried-and-true method of staying online.
Even though marching bands face an uphill battle, there are still ways for students to enjoy the extracurricular they’re ecstatic for. Performing artists like band members and teachers have always been very resourceful, and when it comes to their craft- they’ll find a way to keep doing what they love. We here at Original Breath Builder want students to keep learning music and chasing their interests- even in the middle of a pandemic. So, here’s a few tips from us to you as we all try to navigate these weird times:
Remember to adhere to the social distancing guidelines. While many instruments can’t be played with a mask on, many marching formations can easily spread out to have six feet between members, keeping each performer and spectator safe.
Another common solution is to switch classes to an online arrangement. Some schools may be wary about letting students back in the classroom, so bands may still have to use online learning for the time being. However, as we can see from last year, online learning isn’t as bad as it may seem. Many band teachers have also been teaching online since before the pandemic, and have strategies that can be used at home.
But the most important way to become better at band is to practice regularly, which for many now takes place in the home. Practice can appear in a variety of ways, from continuing online studies to practicing breathing exercises. As you can see from our many customer testimonials, good use of practice is essential not only for bands, but for all types of performing arts.
We here at The Original Breath Builder know how important the musical arts are for our students, schools, and communities. Even though things may look tough, nothing will ever truly keep bands from playing forever. We know that the love of music and performing will prevail thanks to the continued resilience and innovative ideas of both students and teachers.
