{"id":56757,"date":"2020-10-22T05:00:49","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T10:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=56757"},"modified":"2020-10-21T08:13:02","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T13:13:02","slug":"fhsu-comes-together-to-make-beautiful-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=56757","title":{"rendered":"FHSU comes together to make beautiful music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\ncan\u2019t think of many things that provide so much joy, build community, improve\nmemory, and help people \u201ctap into\u201d their feelings than music. Music has even\nbeen known to reignite memories in Alzheimer\u2019s patients. As a true believer in\nthe power and gift of music, I must say that I have really missed the marching\nband, the theatre productions, and the many ensemble performances of our\nstudent musicians at Fort Hays State University this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed,\nthis year has been hard on our music and theatre department because of COVID-19\nconcerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe\npandemic has changed the way we make music and perform on stage, and has\naltered how we rehearse with ensembles,\u201d shared Dr. Ivalah Allen, associate\nprofessor of music and theatre. \u201cAll recitals, concerts, and plays have been\ncanceled for the semester. We have recent graduates who were in the process of\nauditioning around the country when auditions were put on hold. Some musicians\nhave not had incomes since March. Despite all of this, our music and theatre\nfaculty feel grateful to be able to share their craft with our students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr.\nAllen noted that vocalists have had a lot of fear instilled in them. It isn\u2019t\nsafe to sing as they have in \u201cnormal\u201d situations of the past. As we learn more\nabout Coronavirus being transmitted mostly through aerosols, this helps\nmusicians better navigate these uncertain times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For\nexample, we started this semester with all applied voice lessons being taught\nonline. While students typically come in and out of faculty studios many times\na day for lessons, now faculty remain alone in their studio space while a\nstudent, in another location, sings with his or her phone, IPad, or laptop\ncomputer (with masks on). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While\nit is not ideal, the students are learning that they can still be successful through\nthis new format. They have to rely more on themselves and their ear for\nintonation and the specific sounds of various languages. Most importantly, Dr.\nAllen reports that the voice students have made great progress through these\ndifferent ways of teaching and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To\nthe pleasure of many of us on campus, lessons have also been conducted\noutdoors. Senior Dannielle Dickerson, a music education major from Riley, feels\nthat the music department is doing its best to rise to the occasion. Danni\nreally enjoys having vocal studio outside as \u201cit has been such a blessing to\nsing while enjoying the beautiful weather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is\nit working? Dr. Allen said that every one of her FHSU continuing students\n(sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students) returned to campus this\nsemester. In addition, she has a large number of freshmen, giving her one of\nthe largest applied voice studios she has ever had as a college voice\nprofessor.  The department as a whole had\nvery few students who didn\u2019t return to campus this semester. \u201cThis is a true\ntestament that musicians just want to make music any way they can,\u201d Dr. Allen\nsaid. \u201cCreating music is like breathing air for them \u2013 a true necessity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior\nmusic education major Gavin Blehm from Abilene believes that the ways in which\nthe department has responded and adapted to meet the needs of its students is\nrather remarkable. As a woodwind and brass instrumentalist, Gavin told me that\none of the biggest concerns was how those instruments may allow water vapor and\nair to potentially spread the virus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instruments\nnow \u201cwear\u201d bell covers, which prevent any water vapor or air from leaving the\ninstrument uninterrupted or unfiltered. The students wear masks with holes cut\nin them so that their instruments can contact their faces while limiting the\nair exhaled. \u201cWe are lucky that the department is still allowing us to\npractice. Like many things these days, there are inconveniences, but the\ndepartment has adapted and is continuing to provide us with the opportunity to\nlearn and grow as musicians,\u201d Gavin shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strings\nand orchestra professor Brian Buckstead shared that innovation has become a\ncentral part of our musicians\u2019 professional lives. For Brian, that translates\nto a strings-only orchestra, reduced rehearsal time, social distancing, masks,\nand a thorough cleaning of music stands and chairs after each rehearsal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven\nthough the format of what I do has been reconfigured and reduced, the essential\nexperience, the communal joy of music making, has remained intact,\u201d Brian said.\n\u201cWhether that means meeting with students on Zoom for online performances, or\nin carefully controlled in-person environments, the act of making music\nsupersedes any and all environmental limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian\nis not only working hard for our students. In order to get community and\nregional musicians involved, he has created the \u201cHays Symphony At Home\u201d concert\nseries. During this period of social distancing and canceled concerts, Brian\nhas invited Hays Symphony players to create videos of themselves performing at\nhome. While the musicians cannot perform together as a symphony, his hope is\nthat these individual performances will bring joy and inspiration to our\ncommunity. This series began in early October and is available on the Hays\nSymphony Facebook page, as well as hayssymphony.org.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nfor theatre, \u201cthe show must go on\u201d \u2013 just without an audience. \u201cGiven the\nresilient spirit of my colleagues, to have students actively create and produce\ntheatre remains a priority,\u201d shared Director of Theatre Tomme Williams. So,\nfaculty and students will perform Ibsen\u2019s \u201cHedda Gabbler\u201d in full costume with\na set and lights, safely wearing masks, socially distanced, and to an empty\nroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile\nthe wearing of masks and maintaining safe distance from acting partners\npresents challenges, it also has impacted us in many positive ways,\u201d Tomme\nsaid. \u201cTheatre is about human connection \u2013 that once-in-a -ifetime moment of\nexchange. The improvisational spirit of \u201cyes, and\u201d lives as an opportunity to\nreach out, to create connections despite differences, and to find new ways for\nour emerging theatre artists all to perform together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMore\nimportantly, students will have that chance to socially connect once more. If\nwe can find ways to turn social distancing into social togetherness, then we\nwill have done a great deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\ncannot agree more with that sentiment and the spirit with which all of our\nfaculty, staff, and students are embracing the challenges of this academic\nyear: determined to grow, learn, and rise. As Roger Crawford said, \u201cBeing\nchallenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tisa Mason is president of Fort Hays State University.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n