Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, is a bit of a mess. I won’t get into details, you can go here for that, but the result of that decline in culture is this. An email from a conductor for the Cate Park Band. He’s vaccinated but promises to wear a mask, even though he’ll be outdoors.
We get a long stretch of asking band members to think of others. Options for special masks you wear while playing. Towels for the Brass players to capture moisture from the “water key” on their instruments, including baby diapers. They even ask you to consider not showing up if you are not vaccinated – the whole thing is shared below.
Related: Wednesday Overnight Thread – Principal Says, “Your Consent Is Not Required,” Edition
But I had to feature this.
As one of your conductors, please know that I will also be taking precautions. Aside from being fully vaccinated, I will be wearing a mask whenever I face you. I will take it off only to speak with the audience.
He’s outside. They are all outside. The conductor is easily more than the irrelevant six feet from people who have nearly nothing to fear from this flu, or most any flu, but here we are. You will think about these things, we will judge you for how you respond, and perhaps you should just disengage entirely.
And the basis for that is not only unscientific; it’s dangerous. It’s anti-science, and anti-public health, and anti-mental health.
And it has to stop.
Here’s the entire email.
June 10th
Dear Cate Park Band Members, As you can read in the Granite State News today, it is indeed our plan to move forward with our usual Wednesday concerts, starting with an open-air rehearsal on Wednesday, June 23rd, at our usual 7 pm.
There are some Covid precautions that we will need to have in place in order to make our summer safe, and, we hope, free from virus sharing.
The very first thing that we ask is that you consider very carefully whether or not you should participate. We are asking that if you have not yet been vaccinated to please take your fellow band members into your considerations as you make that decision. There is still time to get the vaccination if you have not yet, and while we cannot bar someone from playing with us, we can appeal to their sense of wanting to keep their band community members safe. We may each have differing understandings, but at our core, we respect and care for one another.
Along that line, we are asking all wind players to consider purchasing an instrument bell cover for your instrument. They are not prohibitively expensive (Woodwind & Brasswind has some that are very reasonably-priced), and have been shown by the NFHS study that most schools have been citing to limit aerosol droplets by great amounts. These could also be d.i.y. covers, though we ask you to consult online for the most effective one you can create. You can start here, though the internet is quite full of ideas!
There are also many kinds of masks available to fit over your face–some effective, others not so much, with openings for your mouthpiece. Would all wind players please consider purchasing one of the face masks as well. Flute players have had the hardest time finding effective masking; one of the larger aerosol-spreading instruments (oboe is another), there are some flute masks with a hole in the side… awkward, but effective.
Brass players: we will ask you to come with a “spit towel” – a rag you can use to cover your spit valve (<ahem> “water key”) as you empty the condensation. Think the swiffer wet-jet pad that locks moisture in, or even a baby diaper! It should be one that you hold TO the water key, rather than placing on the floor and aiming at.
As one of your conductors, please know that I will also be taking precautions. Aside from being fully vaccinated, I will be wearing a mask whenever I face you. I will take it off only to speak with the audience.
One of the other precautions we must consider is spreading out the band so we are not as physically close. In consulting the NFHS study to determine safe spacing between players in an outdoors venue, they are suggesting 6′ between players, and after 1 hour of playing, letting the air clear for a while–on the bay, with a breeze, this should not take more than 15 minutes or so. Bringing some of the players out from under the bandstand, with chairs on the ground on either side, will be something we will have to try to get to the 6′ distancing. In all honesty, we may or may not be able to achieve this guideline… we will have to see our numbers & how far we can spread.
In general, we KNOW that CPB members are sensing apprehension about playing together–some of us have lost near and dear friends, and are quite legitimately concerned with our plans to proceed. We KNOW that each of us approaches the equation we must solve for ourselves (and for other band members) with a differing set of variables. We HOPE you will come and play, and we will understand and support your decision if you feel you cannot.
I hope to see you all in two weeks, on the 23rd at 7PM.
Looking forward to “striking up the band,”
