Masked Instruments Still Make Sweet Music

This school year is about can, not can’t. Though instruments are masked, our students still make music!

How do you maintain COVID-19 mitigation protocols when making music — an art form that requires exhaling breath forcefully to play wind instruments? You get creative, like our Adelson Arts Chair, David Philippus, who discovered that everyday objects can effectively block air flow.

MacGyvering Safety Solutions in the Band Hall

Schools returning for face-to-face instruction are navigating several challenges -- one of which is developing masking protocols. This is especially important for band classes in which blowing air is fundamental to the art form. For our string players and percussionists, band class is mostly business as usual: they simply put on their masks and play their instruments. But for our woodwind and brass players, maintaining COVID-19 safety means masking the instruments to prevent breaths blown into clarinets, horns, etc. from moving into the surrounding airspace.

Our intrepid band director and Performing Arts Chair, David Philippus, crafted a variety of unusual masks -- including draped cloths and elastic food storage covers, with each mask custom-fitted to its own instrument. Dave’s creative thinking and can-do problem solving shows that masked instruments still make sweet music at The Sheldon Adelson Educational Campus — and they can do the same on your campus! We're curious to see the creative solutions devised by other band directors... please share!