Lots of good news this week with Pfizer vaccine 90% effective and possibly generally available this spring, and Lilly’s monoclonal antibody treatment approved for emergency use by the FDA. Hoping to hear live music in the first half of 2021!
Even better news today! Moderna’s vaccine appears to be even more effective (94.5%), but more importantly, it is storable at temperatures achieved by a doctor’s office freezers, the same temp as required by the chicken pox vaccine (minus 5 Fahrenheit), and it’s stable for at least a month at that temp. Pfizer’s vaccine requires a ridiculously low temp freezer that only hospitals and research centers might have, plus it’s only stable for 5 days at that temp!
Since the US provided the funding for development of the Moderna vaccine, I imagine that the US will have first claim on it, and at low prices. With that efficacy, stability, and storage requirement, it could be given from every doctor’s office and pharmacy. This is the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But first, we’re going to have to get through a truly horrible winter. Cases are skyrocketing, hospital ICUs are overflowing, medical personnel are exhausted. Not to mention that we have no effective national leadership right now, no coordinated transition, are facing a constitutional crisis of a defeated president who shows no sign of conceding. He not only does not lead the fight against the virus, he actively undermines the battle by encouraging non-compliance with public health measures, for his own perceived political benefit. So it’s going to be a long, dark, horrible winter, with lots of tragic deaths, until sufficient vaccine is made and distributed and administered.
But I am very hopeful that by next September, college, music, and the world will safely be getting back to normal again! Hooray!
Thank you for this great news! Two extremely promising vaccines already!
Even record-breaking COVID numbers everyday, everywhere, my son’s conservatory is still planning “hybrid” semester and considering a “soft opening” for on-campus activities in January. Dorm applications must have been sent out to students who would like to live on-campus (all single rooms guaranteed for freshmen and optional near-by hotels for some sophomore). School will keep observing COVID cases and assess community and public health in next 4 week and announce the final decisions by early January.
According to dean’s newsletter, school had a higher number of applications (12/1 deadline) than usual years (increased applications for both BM and MM) and all auditions will be virtual. They had steady and higher enrollments in 2020-2021 even though fully remote / online fall semester so they may need to consider an adjustment on 2021-2022 enrollment.
My son stayed in his off-campus apartment for Thanksgiving and may stay there entire winter break due to non-recommended traveling during holidays. He has a ticket to fly back home so he will assess all risks and and make a decision by himself. In the mean time, he had another live-streaming “non-audience” gig. Staying in his school town seems giving him more opportunities than staying at home with “Stay-at-home” order…
Stay safe, everyone!
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I watched my son’s school’s town hall meeting for “hybrid semester” that will start on 1/25. Dorm (all single) is open to all freshmen who wants in-person classes. So far, total 80 students will move into dorm very soon with quarantine and isolation plans. On-campus students are restricted by the local social distance and masking rules inside of dorm building. No pre-travel testing is required but strongly recommended. All on-campus and off-campus students are required to take twice-a-week tests on campus throughout spring semester and followed up by school health center if positive results. Results come back within 12-24 hours. Additionally, school is doing waste water testing as well.
About 1/3 students decided to take in-person classes and other decided to take all online / remote. Most online-able classes are still remote at least first in the semester. All keyboard classes are online / remote. So, I think that students need to have own keyboard. Practice room policy is same as fall semester by online reservation.
They are offering in-person large ensembles in spring semester. There are three large ensemble rehearsal rooms that meet with the current social distance guideline (his school recommend 7.5 feet apart, not 6 feet and longer instruments such as trombone needs extra 3 feet so I guess trumpet needs extra 1-1/2 feet). School is distributing bell cover and speciality masks for certain brass / wind instrumentalists and vocalists. Large ensembles except “string-only ensembles” will rehearse, 30 minutes playing, then 45 minutes break at designated areas in campus, then another 30 minutes playing, total 60 minutes of rehearsal time for proper air exchanges / ventilation.
School is supporting students who decided not to do in-person this semester. They offer more options for recitals, using recording technology.
School sounds pretty confident. But COVID numbers in the town has been showing post-holiday increase. The plan can be flexible once the town moves to phase 2 then 3.
If you want some snapshots of what quarantine looks like on campus (and what taking COVID tests looks like), The Daily Princetonian has an interesting TikTok series going → their handle is @thedailyprincetonian
Weird format, I know. I’m there in a songwriting class this sem and it’s all virtual (we’re using a couple of different softwares for audio editing).
SUNY Purchase is again having face to face for the conservatories. Approximately 900 students live on campus. Limit to 2 people per bathroom. Masks all times on campus. No visiting other dorm rooms or apartments on campus. Tough sacrifices but my kid says it is worth it for face to face. Fall semester had less than 10 cases for entire campus so protocol put in place seemed to work. Here’s hoping again for success. Opera Students sing in large rehearsal hall behind a large plexiglass wall. Only classes online are language classes. Not sure what the instrument studies are doing.
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Hi All - wondering how everyone is fairing now that were almost through March? My son is glad he went inactive this semester and has already applied/been accepted for active in the fall again. NEC has announced a return to in person learning for fall with a reopening of dorms. Ironically my son had to make a case to live off campus as he and his roommate renewed their lease commitment in January and are having a great time living together in Boston despite COVID. I’d say them rooming together helped them both so much. My son has used the academic break to work on his composition, and also his electronic composition and production skills and has been putting out work with collaboratively. He’s on his way to the ATL for a label-supported session next month. He was also teaching adults music theory and piano through zoom this spring. He’s really trying to supplement his experience and his income.
His sister and I have been vaccinated and I’m hoping to get him signed up while he’s home for a little next month. He’s been using the train and Mom to get back and forth to Boston. Only came home for Xmas.
Hope everyone is doing well!! Looks like there’s light at the end of the long tunnel.
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My son’s conservatory has been doing hybrid semester and about less than half students (BM & MM) are taking some in-person classes and ensembles. All students (on-campus and off-campus students) are being tested 3 times a week to be on campus. No spring break week. No campus closure so far since mid January. Zero new cases in last 5 weeks but the city (still in Phase-1) seems having another wave…
I heard that all students in jazz studies department, except one student, are in the town to take in-person classes / ensembles. I saw special face masks with a hole for horn players who were spaced apart. I expect they will go without a campus closure until end of this semester. I am looking forward to seeing streaming concerts.
The school hasn’t announced about vaccines for students yet. But I am very optimistic about vaccine availabilities way before Fall 2021 semester starts. I am not sure if vaccines will be mandatory at music schools but some mask wearing can be challenging for wind / voice / dance / theater students, I would think that it is important to vaccine most students.
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Interesting thread everyone…this is a huge concern for me as my son may be heading to BOCO next fall (2021)…how’s the optimism level - I’m thinking there will still be many online classes then too!
You should join the BoCo parents’ group on FB. They have tons of up to date info there. I found it helpful.
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My son has now been vaccinated!!! Very relieved.
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My son’s conservatory has been managing on-campus classes / activities very well. They anticipate “almost” back-to-normal in Fall 2021. Dorms and in-person classes will be back to normal with a two-year dorm requirement. Cafeteria may still have a social distancing / limitations. They do require all students to get vaccinated for both covid and flu (some religious / medical exemptions will be approved). International students who cannot get vaccine before coming to US, school will vaccinate them when they arrive. And school plans to continue both symptomatic and asymptomatic testing in fall 2021 (they haven’t decided how often to test all students but they have been testing three times a week in this semester). They plan to offer hybrid method on only limited classes. They accepted leave-of-absence requests in fall 2020 and spring 2021 due to Pandemic. But they didn’t mention any LOA policies for fall 2021-spring 2022.
I made appointments for my son’s both 1st and 2nd vaccines at a local Walgreens. He will be fully immune before flying back home. Vaccines seem getting easily accessible for college-age people.
Where does your son go to school? Yes mine has gotten his first vaccine and will soon have the second. I wish the schools would require it!
Attended first in person opera at FSU last weekend, Die Zauberflöte, which my son was in. Great to see live opera again. No masks on performers and audience was not required to wear masks, though many chose to do so.
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Gotta love the difference between locations. NYC only allowed in if vaccinated, everyone in audience masked, musicians all masked including winds and brass, and at some places still no audience. Hopefully that last part will end with the spring semester
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My son is applying to grad school this fall, and pretty much all are in Philadelphia, NYC or Boston. It will be quite a change for him, that’s for sure.
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We will go to watch a live opera at SUNY Purchase in Dec - entire conservatory (students and professors) is vaccinated so no masks on performers. Audience following Broadway rules - show vaccination proof and wear masks
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Thank you for the information. Do you know how the covid situation around Boston recently?