As the COVID-19 pandemic continues around us, many music schools and programs have been forced to debate how to safely reopen. Many programs have turned to the same solution as schools have – online and remote lessons. However, while there is some evidence that musical instruments, particularly woodwind and brass, do create airborne particles that could carry the COVID virus, the actual risk to both performers and their audience may be relatively low and manageable.
One hurdle in this area is that there is almost no research at all on whether musical instruments produce the airborne particles – called aerosols – that can transmit the virus. That means it’s impossible to know whether maintaining a two-meter distance from other performers is safe enough.
Given this lack of information, it’s no wonder schools started cutting band rehearsals “out of fear,” as Mark Spede, president of the College Band Directors National Association. Due to this potential threat to music education, Mr. Spede’s group and the National Federation of High School States Associations raised about $275,000 from more than 100 arts groups to help study the safety of musical performances during the pandemic.
The Studies
To actually determine if there is any danger, researchers at the University of Colorado (CU)< Boulder brought five music students – a soprano singer, and a clarinet, flute, French horn, and trumpet players – enter a “clean room” one at a time. These rooms are usually used for indoor air pollution resting and research, and are created with tight seals and multiple high-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA) that are able to remove almost all particles in the air.
Each participant was asked to perform a short solo with a wide range of high and low notes, as well as different styles of playing like a smooth chorale and staccato march. Each musician angled their instrument’s opening (or in the case of the soprano, their mouth) towards a special series of tubes connected to three particle monitors which detect aerosols of varying sizes. AN imaging system was also used to measure the airflow around each musician to see where the particles move.
In order to test how the spread of aerosols could be reduced, the researchers also tested instrument covers, like a cloth covering for the opening, or a sack covering an entire clarient. Each solution was effective in reducing aerosols – sometimes by as much as half – without deadening the sound of the instrument.
Another study, conducted by a team at the University of Maryland, College Park, utilized computer models to see if an infected musician might spread the virus under different conditions. Their modeling confirmed just how important it is to maintain social distancing to avoid infected plumes. Their work also suggested that conventional ventilation systems, where both the air supply and the exhaust are in the ceiling, are less effective than those that have the exhaust in the floor.
These results are critically important and ass to other recent work on airflow from instruments. Another study performed in May 2020 asked Vienna Philharmonic wind and string musicians to play after inhaling a mist that is illuminated by headlights when exhaled. Yet another study, this one conducted in the spring of 2020 in Germany, tracked airflow from wind instruments. Both of these studies found that instruments create less airflow than singing, but flutes produce the most airflow of all wind instruments.
What’s Next?
According to Bernhard Richter, an otolaryngology specialist and co-director of the Freiburg Institute for Musician’s Medicine, who led the German study, his team’s results could inform important safety recommendations. He says the new aerosol work can help provide even more sophisticated data. “We don’t know enough about aerosols… and the critical issue of how they are spreading.
Researchers behind the UC study will continue their work, gathering data from more instruments, singers, dancers, and actors. According to Shelly Miller, an engineering professor who helped run the study, additional data like this can help us see a more complete picture of potential risks from performance and improve the accuracy of computer modeling when it comes to the effectiveness of social distancing and air circulation.
Based on these early findings, all of the organizations that helped fun the study recommend that indoor rehearsal rooms and performance venues use HEPA filters and improve circulation. They also recommend musicians use instrument covers, maintain the recommended two meters of social distancing, and that all performers should face the same direction.
Professor Miller says she hopes more data will lead to recommendations that allow the band to play on! “It’s heartbreaking to halt these activities because we don’t know if they’re hazardous or not.”
Recommendations for Private Music Lessons
These early results show strong evidence that singing or playing wind and brass instruments can contribute to aerosol spread. However, there are several things that can be done to reduce this risk.
- Wearing a mask while singing, or using a mask with a mouth slit while playing an instrument can reduce the risk of aerosol exposure significantly. Several specialized masks or mask patterns have already been created with musicians in mind. Bell covers are also available to buy or make at home.
- If at any point, if the student or teacher does not feel their best, the private lessons should pivot to virtual until the health of both parties has returned to normal.
- Consider limiting face-to-face lessons to no more than 30 minutes to reduce the length of exposure in a confined space.
- Clear-panel room dividers between students and the teacher may help to reduce risk. Homemade versions should work just fine, provided they meet safety guidelines.
Are you looking to add more music to your life to help manage stress during the pandemic? The Music Studio is now offering a wide selection of both in-person and interactive online courses you can enjoy from the comfort and safety of your own home! With programs for children and adults of all ages and skill levels, now is the perfect time to start – or continue – on your very own musical journey!
