In reality, the arts world is not static and is frequently challenging and uncertain. My life has been in the classical music world. I’ve seen orchestras fold leaving long term musicians with no job, multiple years-long strikes at major orchestras, educational programs fold or endure major budget cuts requiring employee cuts, nation-wide financial downturns that require families to discontinue private music lessons leaving teaching studio income decimated, changing “tastes” for the classical arts and commitments to funding arts, I could go on and on with situations that friends and colleagues have faced. Today’s students will have a taste of uncertainty earlier than many who completed school in healthier times. Hopefully, they will be stronger, more resilient and more creative because of it.
Frankly, no one knows what the situation post-Covid will be. I am hopeful and am also encouraged by some of the ideas being tested by arts organizations. But I would not assure my offspring that we are in a simple “this too shall pass” situation to be followed by a “life will be rosy” renaissance. We do not know.
I will say a temporary adieu to this thread for the time being; one of my other children is having a serious surgery next week and I will be spending time in the hospital with her and helping with many weeks of recovery. Have to move up travel dates now to get my D moved in so she can quarantine, so caught between the urgent needs of two kids out of the four right now. Can’t really spend too much time analyzing a decision we’ve already made. The way things stand now, D is safer in MA than she is here in CA. My planned 5 days of moving her in and showing her the ropes is down down to a single drop off, but we both know flexibility is a must this year, so she will have to learn by doing.
@coloraturagirl Don’t know when you’ll see this but best of luck to you and you D with her surgery. I have to say I certainly can relate as my D was born with special needs and she has been through many surgeries when she was younger. BUT, not while I was moving another D to college and NOT during a pandemic! Oh yeah and having two other kids??? Can’t even imagine the anxiety. ?You rock mom! Thoughts and prayers to you and your family that everything goes smoothly.
The article is very interesting and sounds like what my D’s college is working on with the aerosols. It’s really crazy, and sad what we are living through right now. And our musicians are really getting the brunt of it all. We can only find solace knowing that this will not be forever.
@coloraturagirl wishing you all the best with your child’s upcoming surgery. I live right outside Boston if your D needs anything at all. I’m getting my house ready to sell so have lots of extra stuff too!
@coloraturagirl , I want to add my best wishes for your daughter’s surgery to go well, and for a full recovery in as little time as possible. I can’t begin to imagine your stress right now–please remember to take good care of yourself as well.
I also just wanted to mention that we just got notification that Berkee will be fully online for fall…not too much of a surprise, and it won’t affect my son as he’d already decided to stay home, but people like his girlfriend (who JUST rented and moved into a studio apartment in Boston) and others are going to have some feelings about it all, no doubt. This whole thing…ugh.
BIG news - Berklee has decided to go 100% virtual.
@coloraturagirl best of luck with surgery, recovery and move! I believe our kids are at same school (NEC). It’s nervewracking but I think they have great measures and plans in place.
@ClassCompMom - I have a kiddo at NEC also, about to start junior year! She has a studio lease to start Sept 1. We have struggled but we feel NEC has done a good comprehensive job and we are hopeful it will all go well.
@coloraturagirl - I wish you the best with your rough upcoming season and your child’s surgery. BTDT so I feel you.
Not sure this allowed because it’s more general Covid info, but someone posted on the other school in the fa thread, an article about a study of how the virus is spread indoors, and I thought it was promising that the researchers are working with the Minnesota Orchestra to figure out how to mitigate aerosol spread in a performance setting.
“Yang and Hong recently began working with the Minnesota Orchestra to measure aerosol concentrations and flow while instruments are played onstage at Orchestra Hall. Eventually, they hope to provide the nonprofit with a plan to minimize the COVID-19 risk in Orchestra Hall.”
I’m so glad someone is thinking of how music can go in the age of Covid!
Observing recent cases and college trends, I was preparing myself for bad news from my son’s school which usually comes on Friday, probably for students / parents to have some shock absorbing weekend. And it did come yesterday. His school decided not to open campuses. All online semester with P/F grading policy but a gap-year / leave-of-absence request deadline is extended to mid August. It was a disappointment for everyone but we imagined the situation before apartment hunting. Having own apartment and travel plan, my son is less disappointed but more grateful being able to get going on with his life and music with his friends nearby. Most of his friends will be returning to near campus.
A jazz department director who lives a few blocks away from campus sent out a follow-up email to all of his students to inform that there are some local community and businesses that are willing and ready to help out his jazz studies program. So, some outside of campus activities and live music / collaboration seem happening, informally. It’s nature of jazz…musicians improvise to survive. A great example, Louis Armstrong survived 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic as a 17/18-year-old.
@JeJeJe, I’m glad your son and his classmates will be able to play together, even if their classes are online. A group my son plays with - one of my favorites - did a two hour livestream tonight. They’re all being pretty careful and with the incidence of new cases in NYC at a low level, they felt comfortable getting together to play. The joy in their music and their faces was palpable. Even if playing for a live audience still isn’t viable, it’s important for musicians to be able to play together.
Belmont just announced they will begin the fall semester on August 19th as planned, but all classes will be fully remote through September 4th. Then they will switch to a hybrid plan if students can be safely moved back to campus.
NEC pulled the plug on their dorm and food service yesterday. There’s a Town Hall tonight. I’ve heard rumors that it will go 100% remote but those are unsubstantiated. Also learned that you can defer 1 semester at NEC. We’re looking at apartments in Boston, all of his options and will make a decision this week. Turns out mostly only performance classes are in person/hybrid. Sigh. Talk about frustrating timing.
I was wondering when NEC would be next. Fyi some apartment situations int he area seem to be 25% lower due to COVID. A lot of Harvard grad students won’t be in town, along with Berklee and others. For once, the rental market isn’t as competitive.
My D just got her first paying gig since March (classical VP). I wanted to share something positive here.
I don’t know any solid details besides…it’s a national effort with small opera companies to do opera “vignettes” all related to social justice. It will be for a virtual audience. It will be short and quick for each company but it’s paid. She was actually asked to do a “vignette” for a regional company in another state (where she did a YAP) but declined due to the need to travel and stay at a hotel…plus she was worried about the social distancing (or not). They were not very clear. In this case, she knows the local singers and feels more comfortable singing while in her home city. She was quite excited to FINALLY have something to do (besides a few virtual instagram performances and a virtual play - all unpaid). She expects to be waiting until at least Spring or later to perform live.
She is taking part in a “virtual studio” for performers to band together weekly, perform and comment, like a studio in college. It is performers that she has met in college, at summer programs and professionally. They are nationwide with a few intl performers. So that has been a positive too. Getting used to all the “virtual stuff” has been necessary…and has allowed her to work with old friends worldwide!
So again something a little positive while we still all work through the pandemic. Stay healthy and safe everyone!
News from Mass - hopefully won’t affect more schools. Mt. Holyoke and Smith changed to 100% virtual. But here is part of announcement from Gov Baker:
Gov. Baker postpones next step of reopening phase amid uptick in COVID cases
By Colin A. Young, State House News Service Posted at 2:16 PM Updated at 4:29 PMBOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker has had enough of people holding large private gatherings and disregarding COVID-19 mitigation strategies like social distancing. So on Friday, he indefinitely paused the state’s economic reopening, lowered the outdoor gathering limit and empowered the police to enforce coronavirus-related orders. Amid reports of large parties and unauthorized gatherings, Baker said “some residents feel a bit too relaxed about the seriousness of this virus.” He said he was putting the tighter restrictions in place in response to the uptick in COVID-19 cases that Massachusetts has seen in recent weeks. “People need to understand that big groups — especially if people don’t distance and don’t wear face coverings, and don’t do any of the things that have been talked about and discussed time and time again — create, in many cases, spread,” Baker said during a State House press conference. “And that’s a big part of why we’re enhancing enforcement for local police and State Police, and why we’re lowering our gathering limit for outdoor events, and why we’re also, at the same time, going to engage a multidisciplinary effort around public health and public safety with the communities that have demonstrated that they are, in fact, higher-risk here in Massachusetts. ”The number of active COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts rose nearly 25% between July 29 and Aug. 5, and has been steady or climbing for nearly a month as new COVID-19 infections are once again outpacing recoveries.
The infection rate is still below 2% in MA. (The 25% increase figure is a little
misleading). We need more enforcement of quarantine of those coming from out of state, and of mask-wearing, as well as of large gatherings. If everyone behaved, under 2% is enough to keep things controlled. The usually calm Baker is getting frustrated. Given human behavior, online may be the only safe way to go.
CIM update: My son moved to CIM last Thursday. He is in the new dorm(apartment) with six other boys. I must say I am very impressed with the administration, building and his room. They have AC , full size kitchen, laundry etc. All the kids took Covid test. If one of them has a positive result they need to quarantine all together. Kids are all required to wear masks in common areas, and most of the common areas are closed. They take out their masks only in their apartments. His classes are online with the exception of his studio class. They need to reserve practice rooms and practice rooms needs to be wiped down and next student can’t practice right away. Room needs to be aired out first. Everything is brand new.
So far he is enjoying talking to his roommates and cooking together, and he remembers to call mom. ? Case only allowing freshman, international students and senior students in the dorms. Junior and sophomores are all virtual. This brings down the student population.
My understanding there will be some random Covid tests and he is back home by November 20th unless it changes. So far not much happening around. They do not even see the other kids around. I guess it is better than being home with mom and dad. The County they are in red and I would not be surprised if they call us to come and get him but so far so good.
Case only allowing freshman, international students and senior students in the dorms. Junior and sophomores are all virtual. This brings down the student population.