Singing and choir practice highly increases the risk of spreading the coronavirus infection. Thus, school children should listen to music and learn music theory instead of singing, declared Alexandru Rafila, the president of the Romanian Microbiological Society. As students and teachers are obliged to wear protective facemasks at school, singing would be impossible anyway, he added. The music teachers that the maszol.ro news portal interviewed pointed out a few possibilities for organizing lessons and choir practice during this unusual school year.
The school manager and choir director of the Reformed College of Kolozsvár, Árpád Székely, told maszol.ro that it is not allowed for students to play the flute or sing near each other in music class. Those supervising music education are still debating which types of activities could be held in class, and there are some suggestions for keeping choir practice. One is that the members of the Reformed College’s choir can practice in church by keeping a distance of two meters between themselves, explained director Székely. If this cannot be managed, then the choir could still sing somewhere outdoors or in a larger indoor space, he noted.
Music teacher and choirmaster Zoltán Szakács works with hundreds of children and students daily, wrote maszol.ro. As he emphasized, music and singing greatly influence the psychosocial development of a person. The consistent improvement of a child’s vocal and performing skills in music class is a key element to a healthy upbringing, detailed the choirmaster. He is of the opinion that listening to and analyzing music scores is important, while learning about the history and theory of music helps too. Nevertheless, he cannot imagine real musical education without singing. Thus, until the legal provisions related to the coronavirus pandemic change, music teachers urge their students to record the songs heard in class, or download them, and practice at home, said Szakács. Student’s lack of practice is already perceptible, with younger generations passively listening to music rather than singing or playing an instrument, he noted.
Title image: Singing and choir practice is considered to be a risky school activity in terms of spreading the coronavirus infection. The photo is an illustration.
Source:Kolozsvári Református Kollégium/Facebook
