Band #1: Semi-banded, weeks 54-58
This is what happens when you don't have band for a year: You forget about band. Oddly enough, I've actually had news to share, but that's just how off-kilter I've been for the past month and a half.
--Band is starting up again in May. Since we haven't reached Phase 5, there will likely be some creative maneuvering involving whoever wants to play. I've heard through the grapevine that, since only so many people can be on stage, the flutes may well end up in the grass in front of the stage. How on earth that's going to work, I don't know--are they going to be facing the stage? If they face the audience, will there be a second conductor? They'd taken a survey last month to see who would be interested in participating, and you got to select "yes/maybe" or "no." I chose no. I did mention in my comments that I'd had COVID-19 and strongly suggested anyone involved have their shots. Given the relative age of the group, at least half qualified for shots prior to last week, when it opened up to anyone over 16, but those of us younger than, what, 65 and without a qualifying medical condition would not be all vaxed up at this point.
--I've had contact with a few band members in recent weeks, including one, a euphonium player, who said to me, I heard you had it! I didn't ask him how he found out, but yeah, the band is gossipy. Well, it's more that we do care about each other, so when something concerning happens, we share so everyone's aware. In talking with another person--one of the clarinet players, who briefly was part of the bequeathment crew--I found out that she'd been sick, though with a mild case. Like me, she thought she'd had a cold at first, but in playing with her grandson, she got fatigued in a way that should not have happened. That's what caused her to get tested. She is doing fine now, thankfully. And, she also passed along information on another band member. This is someone I'm close to physically in the band, but also is one of the ones I'm more friendly with; she announced last month that she has cancer. I don't want to say who it is, but it was a blow as she is slightly younger than me and had school-age kids. Fingers crossed it was caught early and her treatments work. Anyway, the clarinet player said the woman had experienced unusual symptoms for one thing, but her doctor ended up testing her for something else, and that's how her cancer was caught. We're thankful her doctor had the presence of mind for doing what he did. Lastly, something was shared with me about another clarinet player--he was featured in a story done by a local TV station. I won't say which one, for his and my privacy, but it was a great story and it was exciting for me to see him doing well. He's had to overcome adversity in his life and I know he's had personal struggles. I was really proud to see him in this story.
--We got an email either late last week or over the weekend regarding...a summer season. (!) There will be some sort of Memorial Day performance, though no parade, and the email mentioned a whole list of dates and concert themes like it was any old summer. I...uh...yeah...no. So, they really want no more than 50 people onstage at this time. If more than 50 people show up to play, they'll have to be in the grass, like mentioned above. I think because flutes are so different from any other instrument in terms of air flow, that's why they got banished automatically. Anyway, I can't see this working that well. And, they're forgetting that it gets dark outside. The stage is lit up but not the grass--are they going to have to have stand lights? And it'll be buggier, too. Gross. Mentally, I'm gearing up to participate again in the fall. I don't know that I want to do it this summer, given how uncertain things still are. And I'm certainly not going to attend any of these concerts even as a spectator. I don't care if they're outside. I don't want to be around large groups of people. I don't like them when we're not in a pandemic. Our crowds tend more toward a conservative bent in terms of political preference, let's say, and that's the group that's more laissez-faire about this situation. That's not okay with me. I'm not willing to put myself around such people. Even if I get vaccinated, I'll probably stay away. I'm just not ready for this yet--and, ideally, I'd want the state to be in Phase 5. Herd immunity, large swaths of the public vaccinated, a low to nonexistent positivity rate. We're not there yet. I wish the leadership of the band got that. (That's certainly not everyone, but a particular lead director is very right-leaning and has hated this whole situation. He's basically like, let me lead my band, dammit. Not that he'd say that. But he's thinking it.)
--Band is starting up again in May. Since we haven't reached Phase 5, there will likely be some creative maneuvering involving whoever wants to play. I've heard through the grapevine that, since only so many people can be on stage, the flutes may well end up in the grass in front of the stage. How on earth that's going to work, I don't know--are they going to be facing the stage? If they face the audience, will there be a second conductor? They'd taken a survey last month to see who would be interested in participating, and you got to select "yes/maybe" or "no." I chose no. I did mention in my comments that I'd had COVID-19 and strongly suggested anyone involved have their shots. Given the relative age of the group, at least half qualified for shots prior to last week, when it opened up to anyone over 16, but those of us younger than, what, 65 and without a qualifying medical condition would not be all vaxed up at this point.
--I've had contact with a few band members in recent weeks, including one, a euphonium player, who said to me, I heard you had it! I didn't ask him how he found out, but yeah, the band is gossipy. Well, it's more that we do care about each other, so when something concerning happens, we share so everyone's aware. In talking with another person--one of the clarinet players, who briefly was part of the bequeathment crew--I found out that she'd been sick, though with a mild case. Like me, she thought she'd had a cold at first, but in playing with her grandson, she got fatigued in a way that should not have happened. That's what caused her to get tested. She is doing fine now, thankfully. And, she also passed along information on another band member. This is someone I'm close to physically in the band, but also is one of the ones I'm more friendly with; she announced last month that she has cancer. I don't want to say who it is, but it was a blow as she is slightly younger than me and had school-age kids. Fingers crossed it was caught early and her treatments work. Anyway, the clarinet player said the woman had experienced unusual symptoms for one thing, but her doctor ended up testing her for something else, and that's how her cancer was caught. We're thankful her doctor had the presence of mind for doing what he did. Lastly, something was shared with me about another clarinet player--he was featured in a story done by a local TV station. I won't say which one, for his and my privacy, but it was a great story and it was exciting for me to see him doing well. He's had to overcome adversity in his life and I know he's had personal struggles. I was really proud to see him in this story.
--We got an email either late last week or over the weekend regarding...a summer season. (!) There will be some sort of Memorial Day performance, though no parade, and the email mentioned a whole list of dates and concert themes like it was any old summer. I...uh...yeah...no. So, they really want no more than 50 people onstage at this time. If more than 50 people show up to play, they'll have to be in the grass, like mentioned above. I think because flutes are so different from any other instrument in terms of air flow, that's why they got banished automatically. Anyway, I can't see this working that well. And, they're forgetting that it gets dark outside. The stage is lit up but not the grass--are they going to have to have stand lights? And it'll be buggier, too. Gross. Mentally, I'm gearing up to participate again in the fall. I don't know that I want to do it this summer, given how uncertain things still are. And I'm certainly not going to attend any of these concerts even as a spectator. I don't care if they're outside. I don't want to be around large groups of people. I don't like them when we're not in a pandemic. Our crowds tend more toward a conservative bent in terms of political preference, let's say, and that's the group that's more laissez-faire about this situation. That's not okay with me. I'm not willing to put myself around such people. Even if I get vaccinated, I'll probably stay away. I'm just not ready for this yet--and, ideally, I'd want the state to be in Phase 5. Herd immunity, large swaths of the public vaccinated, a low to nonexistent positivity rate. We're not there yet. I wish the leadership of the band got that. (That's certainly not everyone, but a particular lead director is very right-leaning and has hated this whole situation. He's basically like, let me lead my band, dammit. Not that he'd say that. But he's thinking it.)