The Millard South Choir Department has decided that it will be having rehearsals outside so that they can help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our school. When singing inside, they would be taking a 30-minute break between half an hour of singing. However, they are able to circumvent this regulation by having a portion of their rehearsals outdoors.
It was decided that the location outside will be across the street from the school at Walnut Grove. There, the students will be able to sing in the shade and not have to worry about sunburns or excessive heat exposure. The trees not only fill the park with much-needed shade but also provide a level of beauty to the surrounding area, along with shelter for various wildlife.
Changes like this are the reason why our school is allowed to have choir this year in the first place. Many states have already prohibited choir in their districts due to the perceived dangers of singing during a pandemic. Millard decided against such action when a study was brought to light by the American Choral Directors Association. It provided an image that displayed what was spread in the air while singing with or without a mask for 30 minutes. The conclusion? It’s safe for choirs to sing for continuous thirty minutes with masks on if they follow that with a 30 minutes break to allow air in the room to circulate out through ventilation.
The choir is also no longer able to practice in the choir room due to social distancing concerns. To remedy this, all of the choirs will now be meeting in the auditorium with 3 seats between each student so that 6 full feet are maintained. The Millard South Choir Department is determined to do all that it can to ensure that its students can feel safe and comfortable while enjoying the wonders of music.