Dear music students and families,

As you know, hybrid students will return to in-person instruction 4 days a week next week. Minimum distancing has been reduced to 3 feet (6 ft during lunch), with masking except while eating/drinking. Many of the restrictions on wind instruments and the limits on cohort size have been eased recently. You may be wondering how all this will affect music, including the after school percussion and rhythm section instruction we started a month ago (funded by Music Boosters!).

On average, about 1/3 of students have selected hybrid, with the rest remaining remote with DLA. During class time, our teachers will need to instruct both in-person musicians and those watching from screens at home. While this will be challenging, I know Mr. Lloyd will have some creative solutions so everyone’s needs are addressed. Students at school will be permitted to play instruments (including winds) and sing outdoors, with spacing up to 12 feet between wind instruments. In addition, all instrumental musicians, including DLA and winds, now have the option to join after school as follows, effective April 19:

UPDATED! Jazz-  Monday 3:15-5pm. Winds and rhythm section from both intermediate and advanced jazz will play together for the entire time slot, outdoors in front of the band room. This area allows 12 ft spacing between winds. There will be a 15 minute break (no playing) to allow the area to ventilate. Disposable masks will be provided and a slit will be cut to accomodate wind mouthpieces. All students should bring non-slitted masks from home for non-playing times.

Band Percussion - Tuesdays 3:15-4pm 10-12th grade, 4:15-5pm 9th grade. Mr. Schlotter will be talking to the percussionists about possibly combining all grades through a longer time 3:15-5pm.

NEW! Band Winds - Fridays 3:15-5pm (3:30-5pm May 7, 14, and 21 due to AP exams) in the amphitheater. This area allows 12 ft spacing between winds. Mr. Lloyd will conduct from the stage area. There will be a 15 minute break (no playing) to allow the area to ventilate. Disposable masks will be provided and a slit will be cut to accomodate wind mouthpieces. All students should bring non-slitted masks from home for non-playing times.

We have purchased special filtering masks for wind instrument bells. Each student will be responsible for safeguarding the bell mask that they are issued. Flutes will use face shields for now.

Additional safety procedures for entry, exit, assigned seating, and handling of music stands, etc will be discussed with the students next week.

Please note, all in-person music activities are optional at this time, and any student uncomfortable with rehearsing in-person will not be penalized.

I am very comfortable as a musician, parent, and physician who lives with multiple very high risk individuals that our music protocols are sound. Having discussed procedures with our music teachers for the last year, I know how seriously they take everyone’s health and the education of our students. While no protocol is 100% risk free, I am confident enough that I will encourage my DLA trombonist to take part after school. Note, he is fully vaccinated already, and I strongly encourage all students 16 and older to get vaccinated unless they have a clear medical reason not to (discuss with your pediatrician). Pfizer is approved for ages 16+, and Moderna is ok for 18 year olds.

I’m hopeful that next school year, we will once again enjoy the sounds of our wonderful ensembles in full concerts!

Please feel free to email me or Mr. Lloyd for any questions or concerns.

Wishing you health and music,

Angela Tang
Music Booster President

Dear Music Families,
 
I would like to invite you to the October Peninsula High School Music Boosters Meeting. 

I will start the meeting with a 10 minute slide show summarizing the findings of University of Maryland, University of Colorado, the National Federation of State High School Associations, and the College Band Directors National Association study on aerosols and wind instrument/vocal performance.

We’re inviting members of the school board, PTSA Exec board, and medical professionals committee. I don’t know if they will be there, but if so, it would be great to have a good showing of music parents to ask questions and have lively conversation.
 
The meeting will be held on Monday, October 19that 7pm via Zoom. The link is provided below. I think I accidentally changed it from the prior link, which ends in QT09. Please use the one below.

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6158260500?pwd=ZDBRa1hzZ0c3QU1HZXhONDZKV1ZZZz09
Meeting ID: 615 826 0500
Passcode: music
 
Hope to see you there!
 
Angela Tang
PVPHS Music Booster President
Music Boosters is a non-profit organization established in 1991 to help support and advance the Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Music Department, in cooperation with the faculty of PVPHS. PVPHS Music Boosters is the umbrella organization uniting the following PVPHS music groups: Marching Band, Jazz, Orchestra and Choir.

Dear Music Families,

Hopefully this note finds your family healthy and thriving one month into the school year. 

1. Stay connected - It was good to see so many of you at the first PVPHS Music Booster meeting on Sept. 21. If you are interested in staying abreast of the latest, please consider coming to the next meeting Monday Oct 19 at 7pm.  Here is the zoom link:
   https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73801338712?pwd=ditnY2pYZWk2bEZaOGVobGlvMHhWQT09
   Meeting ID: 738 0133 8712
   Password: music
   
   Meeting dates are posted at https://www.pvphsmusicboosters.com/ and are generally the 3rd Monday of the month, except when holidays coincide.
   
   JOIN US to meet the most creative, fun parent group on campus (my opinion) and support your child’s music passion.
   
   
2. We’ll be keeping major announcements on the website https://www.pvphsmusicboosters.com/
3. Jazz Families: Join the parent meeting  with Mr Lloyd and Jazz President Alison Menninger on Oct 7 at 7pm. Here is the link:
   https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7668094714?pwd=WWtsNWJQdTNxblUxRWxMRWhEbHB5Zz09
   Meeting ID: 766 809 4714
   Passcode: 2rFrYg
   Email pvphsjazzband@gmail.com for more info. 
   
   Also, if you are looking for a cool jazz opportunity you can do from home, check out the Saturday Stanford Jazz Workshops coming up 10/21, 11/20, and 12/19. You can sign up for one, two, or three days. $39 for one, discounted to $89 for 3. Having done their summer online jazz camp, I will say: this is a STEAL. Also, I always point aspiring improvisers to jazzangels.org in Long Beach. They are running a hybrid experience and will start winter session soon.
   
   
4. Orchestra: Keep your ears open for a probable parent meeting with Mr. Doctor and our new orchestra president Mary Lee Henderson, coming up. Another orchestra opportunity will audition in January, pandemic permitting, with the Pacific Vision Youth Symphony. I’ll keep you posted as I learn more. 
5. Marching Band parents will probably have a meeting with president Christina Hussain and Mike Lloyd soon. 
6. Choir: The two choirs are doing well and plugging away online. Mr. Doctor is finding creative ways to do music by introducing two web based apps; Site Reading Factory and Soundtrap for Education. These apps and projects are keeping the kids engaged and encouraging them to have fun with this new way of learning music. If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out! penhighchoirboosters@gmail.com
7. Music Booster Membership: For those who have joined the music booster club by turning in the registration form for their ensemble(s), THANK YOU!  If you have not, please do so here: https://www.pvphsmusicboosters.com/registration.html
   I’m concerned that very few orchestra families completed this form, and they may miss out on communications (!) if we don’t have their parent emails. If your student wants to submit hours for a President’s Volunteer Service Award, they must be a music booster member (see #9 below). The suggested donation is voluntary. This year most groups reduced the suggested amount to account for the fact that festivals are likely cancelled and many families are adversely affected by the pandemic. ANY AMOUNT you can pitch in helps pay for everything from sheet music to music stands to the chairs our kids sit on, so please help if you can. If you would like to make an extra donation to support another student who cannot pay, we appreciate that doubly. Donations may be tax deductible (excluding amounts for uniforms: ties, t-shirts, etc.). Many employers will also match donations (Boeing, etc.), please check.
8. Participation donations and “Athletic/Activity Clearance”: this is required for any group getting PE credit (Marching Band) or going on trips (all ensembles). This is separate from Music Booster membership. It covers transportation and was turned into the Student Store with the Clearance forms in past years. It looks like this year the procedure may be online. None of this is needed just yet -- we’ll keep you posted as the procedure unfolds. Yes it’s convoluted, but we’ll be here to guide.
9. For students who do a lot of volunteering, consider getting acknowledged and applying for the President’s Volunteer Service Award! You must be registered as a Music Booster Member (see #7 above). Volunteer hour requirements are here: http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/ and more info is on our website: http://www.pvphsmusicboosters.com/community-service.html. The minimum requirement is 100 hours during a year (Jan 1-Dec 31), or 50 hours if 15 years or younger. You get a cool certificate bearing the “signature” of the U.S. President, a pin, and a nice entry in your resume. Volunteer hours need not be music, but they cannot be something you are doing for a class, compensation, or another award (like Eagle Scout). And you’ll need to keep a record of the hours and adult supervisor. Questions: pvphsmusicboosterscomserv@gmail.com
10. Seniors: if we are able to have a banquet this year, your ticket ($40 value) will be free if you are a music booster member.  Another reason to register!
11. Tri-M National Music Honor Society: sophomores, juniors and seniors take note that applications for the TriM (Modern Music Masters) National Honor Society are being accepted now through Friday, Oct. 23. Now’s the time to apply/re-apply for membership. Information is available here: https://www.pvphsmusicboosters.com/tri-m-honor-society.html
12. Summer Music Tutoring : speaking of volunteering, we had a couple dozen Pen musicians tutor younger students over Zoom this summer for the first time (it’s always been in-person). The feedback from families was terrific. Thank you for all who gave your time. One tutor tallied enough hours for a service award doing this one activity alone-- amazing! We proved the music engagement is possible virtually!
13. Music in the age of COVID: Aerosol scientists are hard at work quantifying risks of COVID related to singing and playing musical instruments, as well as studying ways to reduce the risk to acceptable levels. It appears that it is possible to do this, at least in the controlled setting of the lab. Currently, the word from the school district is No Instruments, No Singing. However it does not yet take into account the science which is rapidly progressing into a more nuanced approach, nor the fact that instruments like violin add no risk compared to a calculator in a math class. Our music teachers and I are actively trying to engage the School Board, PVPHS Administration, the Superintendent’s Music Professionals Committee, and even the Department of Public Health to formulate a plan to return to live music instruction. It is possible that we may need a little funding support to purchase needed instrument masks and supplies.
    
    You may have heard last week of the choir in Spain that had >75% of its members infected by one sick singer during a rehearsal and live concert two days later. Examining what is public knowledge, the choir did most things right. The critical lesson is that wearing masks most of the time and practicing indoors because they needed air conditioning didn’t work when they had a superspreader in their midst. The lesson for us is this: when we resume in-person music, we’re going to need 100% compliance with protective protocols (currently being developed). Please start counseling your children that 100% compliance is needed if they don’t want live music to be cancelled or to bring infection home to their families. Encourage them to RESPECT THE VIRUS if they want to be safe and remain able to be at school in-person. Lapses in respect, as we can see from current events, are what cause problems with COVID.
    
    
14. Please consider making your Amazon purchases through the Amazon Smile portal: https://smile.amazon.com/.  You can designate “Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Music Booster Club in Rolling Hills Estates, CA” to receive a small donation from Amazon (no cost to you!) each time you purchase something. It really adds up. Ralphs also has a donation program, register here to support “Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Orchestra Group” or “PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HS JAZZ BAND” : https://www.ralphs.com/i/community/community-contribution-program
15. One last word: While no one would say that virtual music is ideal, I can vouch that my son is remaining successfully engaged with orchestra and jazz  thanks to the huge efforts and creativity of Dan Doctor and Mike Lloyd. Join me in supporting and thanking them!

Angela Tang
PVPHS Music Booster Club, President