How Choirs at Utah State University are still rehearsing with COVID

Choirs at Utah State University are taking new precautions to keep students safe while still giving them the opportunity to perform.

“We’re a choir separated with masks, no audience, making videos to broadcast,” said Dr. Cory Evans, the director of choral activities at Utah State University. 

During the fall semester, the choirs rehearsed in a tent outside the engineering building, but they had to move inside due to the weather.

“We finally stopped rehearsals last year when there was snow blowing into the tent and the kids’ music was flying,” Evans said.

New precautions had to be taken as the choirs moved inside. Now only half of the choir can come to Monday and Friday rehearsals. The entire choir meets on Wednesdays in the concert hall, but all rehearsals are only half an hour. The students wear masks while singing and sit six feet from each other. 

Though it’s safe, singing in these conditions has its downsides. 

“When you’re sitting next to someone, you can hear your part,” said Cassidy Noor, a student in the University Chorale. “You can blend better. But when you feel singled out, it’s hard to judge if you’re singing loud enough or soft enough.”

“Tuning is hard, being together is hard and just the community feeling has been hard,” said Rachel Worthen Grob, who sings with the Utah State University Chamber Singers.

Though it’s difficult to rehearse together with COVID restrictions, students are still grateful to be singing.

“I’m glad that it worked out in the end because it was something I was looking forward to,” said Dallin Clark, another student from the Chamber Singers. “It was a relief to learn that they were gonna find a way to make it doable.”

All choir performances since the beginning of the pandemic have been recorded. Evans said he loves the challenge of finding new ways to share music. 

“We’re forced to do things that are engaging and keep you going,” Evans said. “The worst thing we could do is just stop.” 

*Photo by Bailey Rigby

Darcy Ritchie is a second-year journalism student at Utah State from Idaho Falls, Idaho. Outside of writing for the Statesman, she loves to DJ for Aggie Radio, eat french bread in the Walmart parking lot, and tweet.

—darcy.ritchie@usu.edu

@darcyrrose