Dear Hawkeyes,
I hope this finds you and your loved ones doing well and keeping healthy. Fall has definitely arrived in Iowa City, and students and faculty are beginning to anticipate the start of fall break in just a few weeks.
In last spring’s ROLL ALONG, my message highlighted information about the successful Symphony Band performance at the CBDNA-North Central Division Conference at DePaul University in Chicago in February, and I shared plans that were being made for the Symphony Band’s performance at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference on May 15. However, during the week before our spring break in March, the decision was made to pivot all instruction to virtual after break, and we did not return to campus until August.
It has been an interesting journey both on and off campus since the pandemic impacted Iowa in March. The Voxman Music Building has been eerily quiet and void of people much of the fall semester, but we are having live ensemble experiences. In the band area, the Hawkeye Marching Band has been busy with various recording and engagement projects this fall, and our three concert bands are functioning as more than 20 different chamber ensembles. We are following a set of strict protocols in order to offer the safest experience possible for our students and faculty, and they include: (1) groups of no more than 15 players, (2) bell covers for wind instruments, (3) 12 feet spacing between wind players and 6 feet between percussionists, (4) conductors use voice amplification equipment during rehearsals, (5) sanitizing spray and wipes are provided in every rehearsal space, and (6) rehearsals may last no more than 30 minutes and must be followed by 30-minute breaks for air cleansing. Also due to our circumstances, we are not able to present live concerts but rather the performances of each chamber group will be recorded and streamed. The dates the streamed performances will be broadcast are December 7 at 7:30PM for University Band and Concert Band ensembles and December 10 at 7:30PM for Symphony Band ensembles, and the concerts can be found on the UI School of Music website.
The protocols we are using have created numerous challenges, but I am confident we are offering the safest possible experiences for the band students with the knowledge we currently have about coronavirus and the Voxman Music Building. The School of Music was fully prepared for the “new normal” from the outset of the fall semester, we had developed excellent plans for the ensembles, and so far we have had very good success under the circumstances. Our students have followed the procedures, and they have been impressive in how well they have handled their responsibilities. It has been wonderful having the students back on campus, and many of them have remarked how much they appreciate being around their friends and making music again. Everyone understands the limitations imposed on us by the pandemic, but we’re moving forward and doing the best we can to operate as close to normal as possible.
We all anticipate the day when we can get back to living in a normal fashion, but the spring semester promises to be much like the fall. We will be in chamber ensembles following the protocols listed above. Our major annual events such as the Iowa Honor Band, Band Extravaganza, and Iowa Dinner at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago have been cancelled for this year. However, they will be back as soon as it is appropriate. Students and faculty alike continue to strive to uphold the tradition of excellence that has come to be associated with Iowa Bands. I hope you will be able to attend our virtual concerts in December. I think you will agree that we all are making a gallant effort in the face of overwhelming difficulties. I look forward to the day when I am able to once again see many of you in person at concerts, conferences, or Hawkeye football games in Kinnick Stadium. Until then, I wish you and your family a healthy and happy conclusion to 2020. Let’s hope 2021 is a bit kinder to us all!
Go Hawks!
Richard Mark Heidel
Director of Bands