Are your bands starting up?

[b.williams]

I live in Massachusetts. My bands are not starting up. For selfish reasons I wish they would. If they did I probably would want to go to rehearsal. I would have to get clearance from my wife.

[bort]

I wonder what college/University bands are doing?

Or what about marching bands? At least that is outdoors?

I think it's going to be a pretty quiet fall. And I wouldn't count on many TubaChristmasses either...?

[humBell]

One group i play with has started concert band rehearsals kinda like marching band style, in a parking lot well spread out, and most folk are smart enough to have a water bottle next to the stand.

It is in prep for a possible community access tv concert. So we got the obligatory video remind not to do things like tending to nasal hygiene.

This week's rehearsal was cancelled due to thunderstorms.

[tofu]

Our conductor has been chomping at the bit. He seems to think that somehow we're essential to the happiness of the community. I'm rather glad that since the city owns our Performance Center and the Park District owns the park it's in - their guidelines are what will be followed and they've been very science based. Officially we're still not performing until the 16th of July. Even though my state has done a good job getting the numbers down there is still concern. Personally I'd be ok with outdoor concerts if people in the band who didn't feel well for any reason stayed home. But, with a 95 member band we've got a few that regardless of their health would still show up and hack and cough. They do it during flu season and they'd do it during this - especially the "deniers" and every group has some of those and that's what puts the damper on jumping right back in it for me.

[dopey]

The community brass band I play in stopped rehearsal early April. They tried to keep extending the 'start up' time a couple weeks at a time, but by end of April took the decision to suspend until after summer break.

It is quite common to take off part of the summer, since 4-6 week vacations are normal during that time.

Current plan is to start up again August 10th. Will see if that holds true.

While I do miss playing in a large group, the average age in our group is quite high. I would rather have an abundance of caution.


My work 'Dixieland' group has not had a rehearsal since first week of March. Our work has announced already that it'll be 'optional' and total occupancy allowed greatly reduced for the rest of the year. Will see if we decide to resume rehearsals after summer vacations or not. One of the 'band mates' lives within walking distance of me, so we've had some two person sessions these past couple weeks. He'll compose a couple pieces for soprano/tuba duet and we'll run through them. Last week we played from my balcony (overlooking the city center in my town). No one booed or threw anything at us, so we'll probably continue to do that once a week or so

[hup_d_dup]

The way to start up is to start small. You can find people to play if the group is small. I am in two quintets; one was formed from members of a brass band, and the other from members of a local symphony. With a quintet it is easy to properly distance. We also rehearse outdoors which keeps risk of contamination very low.

The symphony mentioned above is planning a concert in August, but it will not be performed by the symphony as a whole. Instead the concert will be presented by small groups of players from within the symphony.

Hup

[MN_TimTuba]

All the bands in my neck of the woods are waiting on school approval to use the facilities; however tomorrow afternoon several of us are getting together for our 2nd Dixieland band rehearsal. We have a couple of outdoor performance opportunities in July and August, and are really looking forward to them.

[WC8KCY]

The last remaining uncancelled 2020 gig for my summertime ensemble (the infamous Scottville Clown Band) just got cancelled.

[Radar]

Only one of the bands I play in is going to start rehearsals, the Concert band rehearses in schools and that stopped when the schools closed early on, the Big Band I play Bass Bone in hasn't rehearsed in the same amount of time. Western NY where I live has leveled off, and ou marching band has scheduled a few outside music rehearsals spaced out in a large area. We start this coming Sunday afternoon.

[marccromme]

We have started rehearsals in our brass band some 5 weeks ago, first only group meetings with at most 10 players, the last three rehearsals with full band, but more spaced seatings. It was a joy and relief to play together again. Now we have summer vacation, and plan to start up early August again. Infection rate is quite under control in Denmark, but it is still unclear if we will have our usual championship battles with 25 bands at the beginning of November.

[roweenie]

I'm very encouraged to hear of musical groups starting up again!

A big question (to which I have no ready answer) is - even IF we can start up playing again, will our audience(s) feel comfortable about returning too?

I hope they will....

[Birdo]

I’m 1/3 when it comes to groups starting up again. Outdoors rehearsals with the aim of doing one outdoor concert in August. I feel pretty good about it as this group was the first to cancel everything back when things seemed a lot more optimistic. I trust we’ll all be careful/considerate and make the right decision if the state/county gets another surge.

The other two don’t really have the means to rehearse outside.

[funkcicle]

75% of my gigs this summer were outdoor camping festivals and municipal music events... of the ~40 or so I had on the calendar only one has not been cancelled (late September in northern VA) and I'm not expecting that to happen. In my main band three of the 5 of us have continued working together through the pandemic on production and writing projects, but "starting back up" almost seems like distant fantasy as the timeline changes every day. What's booked today might be gone tomorrow, the whole industry is in disarray. My band is my primary source of income and most of that income is between March and September, so this summer has been a real kick in the pants to say the least. Of the handful of less ambitious (but often more fun) local bands I play and sub with, none are trying to start back up yet - I think age plays a large factor, and the fact that holding events for the purpose of gathering large groups of people doesn't seem like a good idea right now.

[MaryAnn]

Nope. AZ is a hot spot and I think even if they did, given my age and health status, I would regretfully abstain. AZ opened up too soon, had to partially shut down again. People are not taking the mask thing seriously.....I wear a respirator, which protects ME as well as THEM. The two groups I play in, the (same) conductor just turned 83 and he was not ready to retire. I hope this is not his enforced retirement as this goes on and ON. The little orchestra is doing those cell phone video projects, and I participated on horn(s) and viola in one. Better than doing nothing.

[Heavy_Metal]

Ours won't be rehearsing till schools reopen- and that will be 2021 at the earliest.

I miss our three-Alexander section............

[MaryAnn]

The venues we rehearse in are not accepting any groups (which includes the local symphony) until the first of the year. We'll see where we're at then. Meanwhile.....more thumb twiddling.

[humBell]

Tonight's rehearsal is postponed to Thursday to catch upper 80s and less humidity than today (upper 90s)

If it isn't one thing, it's another...

[humBell]

Tonight's rehearsal is postponed to Thursday to catch upper 80s and less humidity than today (upper 90s)

If it isn't one thing, it's another...

Outside rehearsals?

In the northeast no less???

Anytime you want to trade weather, I'm game.

Man, if weather could be traded...

I'd have one heck of a tornado collection!

Probably don't have enough room (or the drainage) for hurricanes.

[tbonesullivan]

Some are, some are not. Some of the smaller local groups have held outdoor only rehearsals and outdoor only concerts, which has worked. However as the weather turns colder, or when it rains, that is not an option.

There's also the issue of practice space. Many groups rehearse in public facilities like schools and civic centers, which are still closed.

[dopey]

Mine offiically started back yesterday, but I was still out on vacation.

To be perfectly honest i'm a bit torn about attending. The median age group is certainly a 'risk factor'. Personally I am in my 30s, healthy, etc. While I have taken things fairly serious I am out'n'about.

I am tempted to sit out the first few to see if the restart of community bands causes any spikes/spread which subsequently stops them again.. I respect everyone's *decision* to go, but personally I am not comfortable attending a group event with so many people over the age of 60+.