NCB COVID Chronicles, Part 1: A New Journey
On March 11, 2020 Northshore Concert Band suspended all operations for two weeks in response to the nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases. The band’s original plan was to resume rehearsals on April 1, but as circumstances worsened it became clear it would not be safe for us to meet in a traditional sense for quite some time. The remainder of our 2019-2020 season was subsequently canceled.
In early May, a small group of NCB members began meeting to discuss the next steps for the band. We identified it was important for the band to do something. The void of our weekly rehearsals and making music together was taking its toll. We quickly identified the need and desire to maintain our musical community despite the circumstances.
NCB COVID Chronicles documents the behind the scenes work of a core group of band members to formulate a plan on returning to safely making music in person. Along the way, you’ll hear from participants in these rehearsals to get an insider’s perspective into what it was like to rehearse in these outdoor venues, the experience of playing in an ensemble again, and how the pandemic has changed how they approach their instruments.
A snapshot from the band’s first rehearsal of the 2020-2021 season at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome in Northbrook, Illinois.
“The last time we were together at [Northbrook] Junior High School, we really didn’t know how long we would be apart,” starts Mallory Thompson, NCB Artistic Director, in a one-on-one interview with NCB Clarinet Tyler Holstrom. “I knew the April concert was off from the beginning … and it was just this cascade of more and more depressing details.
“My concerns about the band were threefold. Number one, I wanted to make sure we took care of everybody’s health. Number two, I wanted to try to care for the membership in some way. And number three, I wanted to make sure the organization would be viable after we came out of the pandemic.”
Taking Care of Everyone’s Health
Northshore Concert Band prides itself on deep longevity in its membership. Many members played with the band for over fifteen years, some as long as forty or fifty years. The pandemic underlines our health concerns for each other and a sense of responsibility to our peers. It was critical from the beginning we empowered the membership to make their own decisions about returning to rehearsal.
“I said to the band, ‘If at any point in the future we plan anything and you feel [uncomfortable attending], then you fully have the right to make the decision it isn’t the right thing for you.’ I feel right from the beginning I modeled the importance of everybody being able to take ownership for whatever the upcoming experience was going to be for them.”
Our return to rehearsals (which will be discussed in greater detail in a future installment) began with a series of questionnaires distributed to the band by NCB Personnel Manager Becky Van Donslear. The initial survey gathered member interest in our first rehearsal at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome in Northbrook, Illinois. Accompanying the survey was an email with many details and images of the velodrome - many of us likely had never heard the term “velodrome,” and really did not know what it entailed!
“I wanted to make sure the band members felt they had full information and full agency over the choices they made and their degree of involvement,” says Thompson, reflecting on member questionnaires. A follow-up survey was distributed to the band regarding subsequent outdoor rehearsals at The Grove National Historic Landmark in Glenview, Illinois, allowing members to plan ahead, do their research, and make the decision to attend rehearsal with confidence.
Caring for the Membership
When it became evident our time apart would be much longer than we originally planned, Mallory began to pen weekly emails to the band - updating the membership on her current feelings, funny stories that came to mind, and the goings on of her puppy, Rosie, who always seemed to be getting into trouble. “I tried to think of things that would be fun or funny or engaging, but believe me, some of the times I wrote those emails I did not feel fun or funny.”
Mid-pandemic, there were many efforts to sustain some sort of community among the membership. “I was afraid some people were going to get lost, and I just wanted various ways to connect,” reflected Thompson.
NCB trombones pose for a group photo with Artistic Director Mallory Thompson following the band’s first experiment with social distanced music making, July 2020.
Our first experiment with a socially-distanced rehearsal included Dr. Thompson and the NCB trombone section. They met in the parking lot of a local high school to rehearse and record “Make Our Garden Grow” from Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. “I didn’t really know what to expect, but that left me feeling very optimistic. It could be a positive musical experience, even though it was under difficult circumstances.” Later, members of the clarinet section gathered at Northfield Community Church to play clarinet trios and quartets (which led to an enthusiastic birthday recording for Mallory).
These efforts gave the band forward momentum. The board of directors was keenly aware of the membership’s desire to pursue music making in some form, acknowledging a traditional rehearsal with all members of the band present was not a possibility. The trombone rehearsal, in many regards, accelerated the process of solving the “pandemic puzzle,” which made rehearsal at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome in late August a possibility.
Sustaining a Viable Organization
Arts organizations and music venues have been hit hard by the pandemic in more ways than meet the eye. When revenue streams are primarily fueled by ticket sales and you cannot sell tickets due to canceled concerts, there is an immediate strain on the budget. Coupled with a reduction in individual and corporate giving, the revenue stream runs dry. But, of course, there is more to it than money.
Any performing ensemble benefits from continuous, sustained time together. It takes time to craft an ensemble’s sound, and even more time for members to learn to play well with their section mates. Weekly reinforcement of musical standards and ideals from a conductor allow musicians to continue growing musically, well into adulthood. Without this sustained time together, it is hard to predict what an ensemble will sound like when they reconvene post-pandemic.
The viability of NCB manifested itself in many ways in the eyes of Dr. Thompson. Financially, it was important for the board to identify rehearsal locations we could afford on a tight budget, while retaining funds to support future operations of the band. Musically, any rehearsal we are able to have would help us sustain a musical standard among the members. With regards to the NCB community, it was critical we provided social outlets for band members, empowered them to take on more responsibility and, in essence, asked everyone to recommit to the band and each other.
“I really do believe [this experience] is going to make the group better,” says Thompson. “If we can keep finding a way to navigate things in a positive way, I think it’s going to better us in ways I can’t quite visualize.”
A glimpse into a recent rehearsal at The Grove National Historic Landmark in Glenview, Illinois.
Next Week: Part 2, The Search for a Venue
Our next installment of NCB COVID Chronicles will feature an interview with NCB Board Chair Peter Gotsch reflecting on how we chose our outdoor venues for the first nine weeks of rehearsal. Subscribe to our newsletter in the footer below, or find us on social media to make sure you don’t miss a beat!