Adjusting to a New Normal

by Amy Lui

CMEA Secondary Music 6-12 Representative

Although the effects of COVID-19 are still lingering and we now have a better understanding of its transmission and prevention, the physical, emotional and social toll that this pandemic has taken on us as educators and as musicians is insurmountable. When schools went into distance learning, music making - a largely physical and social experience - was downsized to being in a bedroom and in front of a computer. For students in lower socioeconomic communities, that bedroom may be shared with a number of siblings in a small apartment with disgruntled neighbors, and the computer may not have had a reliable internet connection. Unfortunately, this was a time when many of our students realized that the fun music class that they had initially signed up for is not for them.

But with the return to being fully in-person, educators have had to adapt to constantly changing policies at the state and district levels, and sometimes with little to no advance notice. After speaking to some of our secondary education colleagues in the field, here are some of their struggles and how they have been adjusting to their new normal.

How was your first year back to being fully inperson last year?

“Though I was thankful that our district required weekly COVID PCR testing for all students and employees, it meant one day a week of interruptions to instruction and learning, as various individuals would leave and miss part of class and then return at various times. We were required to mask indoors for most of the year, and then in the spring when the mask mandate was lifted, most continued to mask indoors. It was difficult to hear students singing through masks. I was pretty sure some were not singing, as I didn’t see their mask move one bit. For those who were singing, the mask would muffle their sound. I didn’t feel very effective in improving their volume and tone quality, as I tried constantly to remind them to open their mouths more and properly shape their vowels, but I could never see if they actually did it.”

- Monica Chi, Choral Director at Francis Polytechnic High School and 27 years in education

a large part and was noticeable when we returned to campus. I discussed with educators in and outside of [our district], many with 20 or more years of teaching experience, and all agreed it was one of the most difficult years behavior-wise we have experienced. There was also much more apathy among students. Several colleagues either left the teaching profession or retired.”

- Jeffrey Zeh, Instrumental Music Director at Olive Vista Middle School and eight years in education

“Last year was challenging with outdoor rehearsals, having to haul everything outside and back in every day. Practice was a little noisy being near the PE field, and on some days, jackhammers for road construction! [Our program] also had a reduced enrollment since many students were not aware of the band’s existence after nearly two years of not touring the feeder schools or having public concerts. Fewer beginners returned to band because music was less fun over the internet.”

- Brian Blanchard, Instrumental Music Director at Ernest Lawrence Middle School and 17 years in education

“The 2021 - 2022 academic year was one of opposites; full of joy and frustrations, successes and challenges, old and new landscapes. Masks, instrument bags, social distancing, sound shields, puppy pads, and MERV-13 filtration became commonplace vernacular for the students and directors. [Another] common struggle for teachers and students in our program was the ever-changing policies and procedures… [and these] rapid changes kept everyone on edge and caused some very severe emotional swings in students and the directors. I had many days that would begin hope-filled, only to end with a new hurdle that had to be addressed immediately to keep the program alive [and] I never knew how my day would begin or end [where] providing my students with a safe place to create art was seemingly undermined by COVID on a regular basis. In my preceding 32 years as a teacher, I have never worked harder to resolve issues that were well outside of my education and experience.”

- Thomas Slabaugh, Director of Bands and Mariachi at Davis Senior High School and 33 years in education

“Returning to the classroom for the 2021 - 2022 school year was a welcome return to the classroom for me. I was grateful for the skills developed during my time away, but I was ready to get back on a podium and in front of my students. The biggest struggle had to do with the dual classroom setup needed to accommodate the band and strings classes. Safety protocols required that all wind classes be held outside. In addition to setting up my regular classroom daily, I had to set up an outdoor one too. This was a tedious task [but] I was fortunate enough to count on homeroom students to help set up the eight EZ-ups, four rows of chairs, a piano keyboard, and the portable sound system in the morning. My 6th period class was just as amazing at striking it all down and bringing it back inside, every day.”

- Juan Rodriguez, Instrumental Music Director of Robert Frost Middle School and 14 years in education

“One week before the first day of school last year, my district was still trying to figure out if the band could actually rehearse and what it would look like. Band ended up being able to take place outdoors, which required all instruments, chairs, and stands moved outside daily and then moved back inside. Most of my prep was spent moving equipment, and it was hard not to have the room ‘ready to go’ for Monday mornings. Another hard part of last year was dealing with the disappointment of unpredictability. Our first concert of the year was canceled in October by the district because they had not set guidelines and protocols for concerts, despite the band coming up with a spaced out, outdoor performance. Thankfully, we worked together on a plan for the rest of the year and were able to have the remaining concerts as scheduled.”

- Jonathan Pwu, Instrumental Music Director of Dartmouth Middle School and ten years in education

“Initially what felt like struggles ultimately transformed into successes. Due to the ever-changing nature of COVID, my first concert back was for the student body only. However, we began to record those performances and offer them on a private YouTube channel for parents. Later, this former workaround turned into common practice because for our spring concert, we filmed it, even with parents in attendance. This way we could still send home the links for the parents that could not be there otherwise. This is something that never would have occurred to me [and] made me better at reaching out towards our community… Ultimately, our school community gained from this new practice, because our music can now reach more listeners, the students have the chance to perform more, the school has a chance to attend a concert, and the parents can still see their child shine on stage.”

- Keith Cerrato, Instrumental Music Director at Irving STEAM Magnet Middle School and fifth year in education

What are some things that you have learned and what do you look forward to in this new school year?

“The positive from last school year was the population of students who were focused on their academic goals, and we celebrated their achievements. The biggest takeaway for me was a realization of the importance of social-emotional teaching and learning. This year, in addition to teaching music to the state and national standards and introducing students to the joy of playing music, each day will consist of modeling and discussing kindness, respect, perseverance, empathy, self-control and other habits of the mind.”

- Jeffrey Zeh

“Despite these trials and tribulations, we were able to make beautiful music with every group. We all witnessed a renaissance of how music making is a profound human experience, one that became fleeting for nearly one and a half years. [Our booster program] had the most dedicated group of parents I have ever worked with… Overall, the year ended with everyone recognizing what a wonderful triumph could come about when we allowed music to work its magical wonder! This coming Fall, I think we are excited to see what the year brings. Ensemble enrollment is strong despite shrinking school enrollment and we are preparing to make this coming year fantastic!”

- Thomas Slabaugh

“Many emotions have been experienced since March 13, 2020. I look for the silver lining in the hardest of situations. I was thankful to have the opportunity to continue to work with my students. I was able to ‘pivot’ to the online mode of teaching and even though