The UW Symphony had to cancel its second concert, which was scheduled for this week, after university administration decided to move to phase 4 ahead of schedule.
“I was pretty disappointed,” said Ginger Crow, Orchestra member and Music Education and Music Performance student.
“This is my last semester in the symphony orchestra. When I heard the news there was definitely a shock but I understand the reasoning behind it,” said Crow.
“We have been working really hard on this music but I’m really glad I had the opportunity to at least work on it,” said Crow.
Dr. Micheal Griffith, conductor of the UW orchestra, said their first concert was “very very different” than concerts in the past.
“We have to be socially distanced on the stage. For most of the players that means six feet apart like everyone else, but for any wind instrument players—flute, French horn, trumpet—they have to be 10 feet apart,” said Griffith.
“We could rehearse for a half hour, but then we have to leave the stage for 20 minutes so the air circulation can completely exchange the air,” said Griffith.
“I divided the orchestra into three small groups, because with all the social distancing I couldn’t fit very many on stage,” said Griffith.
Griffith said there were few opportunities that students could rehearse together before the first concert. They had to meet in small, socially distanced, or meet on Zoom.
“Zoom is not instantaneous, so there is always a delay. They can’t play together listening to each other because it wouldn’t be together,” said Griffith.
“The section leader would be unmuted, and the others would play along with the section leader but the section leader couldn’t hear the other players. They didn’t have that unifying experience,” said Griffith.
“It was not as helpful as an in-person lesson, because there isn’t great sound quality. Your teacher can’t really hear some details in your sound that they could normally,” said Jessica Caviness, graduate student and Concertmaster of the Symphony.
Saúl Fuego, orchestra member who plays the violin, said it was difficult not being able to always rehearse in person.
“I think it is very important to play together and to do that we have to meet in person,” said Fuego.
Crow said there were multiple rehearsals when they didn’t have everyone.
“You might be missing some people at one rehearsal or the next because they might be quarantined,” said Crow.
Griffith said wind instrument players have to take extra precautions, since droplets could spread more easily while playing those instruments.
“The wind players have very special masks that have a slit in them so they can put their mouth piece through the flap and still play. There can be no extra space to the sides of the mouth and when they are not playing they are completely masked,” said Griffith.
Crow plays clarinet and bass clarinet. She had to wear a “music mask”.
“It takes a lot longer to put your instrument up to your face. You have to open the mask, make sure you don’t chip a reed and make sure you’re in playing position,” said Crow.
Griffith said he was impressed with student leadership in the orchestra.
“I have to say they did an incredibly good job. Even though I couldn’t rehearse with them as much as I usually do, given these limitations. They were really well prepared,” said Griffith.
“It is possible we can do some of it when school start in January, but I can’t do all of it because some students are graduating,” said Griffith.
