TeachBand
I want to welcome everybody to what is a very unusual band year. This week I talked to the students about what is involved in participating in the band program. I would like to share this information with you and also talk about how we will be dealing with the health and safety of the band members.
We are going to be taking several precautions to limit the spread of airborne particles. The best precaution we can do is spacing. We are fortunate because we have a rather small band and a rather large gym. Probably the most important thing we can do is sitting 10-12 feet apart.
We are also going to need a special band mask and bell covers. You can purchase these on line or there are some very simple YouTube videos that show some DIY versions that don’t require any sewing skills.
The drummers are lucky. They can use their regular mask. The flute players need to purchase a flute shield. They are $10 with free shipping and mine arrived in a few days. There’s a link below. Flute players do not need a special mask. All the other woodwind and brass players need to use a mask with a small slit across the mouth so they can wear it while we play. You can purchase these on line but they are pretty simple to make.
A simple way to make the mask is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8ZIc8nWmUY
We are also going to need bell covers. This is a mask for your instrument. They are fairly simple to make. Here are a few videos that helped me.
A very simple way to make the bell covers is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoaarM_CHcU&t=283s
A more involved bell cover can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeucHFmoVnM
To purchase a flute shield go here:
https://www.fluteairshield.com/fluteshields
This is going to be different but I know we can figure out a way to have fun, and improve on our instruments. We might even make some music while we’re at it.
Please let me know if I can help and hopefully I’ll see you at a concert soon,
Jeff Jenkins