Ottawa music teachers want wind instruments back in classrooms

Music teachers at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawasays it's time for wind instruments to return to classrooms.

The Ontario Ministry of Education allows wind and brassinstrumentsto be played inside, but the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) continues to permit outdoor play only at the recommendation of Ottawa Public Health.

Extracurricular sports have returned to schools and teacher Lani Sommers saidwith the right COVID-19 precautions, the full scope of instruments could too.

"Band creates a sense of community and belonging for these students. They've lost a very valuable and creative outlet and an important source of wellness," Sommers said.

Some school boards across the country arerelying on HEPA filters in classrooms, increased distancing measures and mask-like bell covers to reduce the risk of transmission, but Ottawa Public Health (OPH) saidit's not enough.

"Concern remains that air escapes through finger holes and around mouthpieces," it said in a statement Monday.

String instruments and percussion can be played indoorssince the musicians can wear masks, but woodwind and brass instruments are too risky, according to OPH.

Ottawa's English Catholic school board has similar rules.

Cold weather will end students playing together

For now,music classes at Lisgararehappening outside, something Sommers admits is better than last yearbut still not ideal.

It's harder for students to hear each other outside and instruments don't tune as well in the cold, she said.

The cold is what's worrying eleventh grader Luke Farha, who has been playing the oboe for five years. He saidit's already uncomfortably cold to play outside and it isn't getting better any time soon.

"There's definitely an issue of lack of motivation to practice and strive for better when I know I'm not going to be playing in a month's time," Farha said.

For Grade 11 percussionistIsla Rennison, being in a classroom means having access to a whole cabinet ofinstruments, while being outside means she's limited to what she can carry out.

"It's really demoralizing," she said.

"Music in my opinion is a little stale, as a percussionist I tend to play lots of instruments but right now music is centred towardthe academic side. It's not fun anymore."

Sommers saidwithout the ability to play together, the music program has seen a large drop in enrolment.

"They've been incredibly resilient, but being resilient over time gets hard.They are absolutely ready to see some safe return to normal activities in school," Sommers said.

WATCH | Students lay out problems with outdoor classes:

Students describe demoralizing reality of outdoor band class

3 years ago

Duration 1:13

Music students Isla Rennison and Luke Farha say playing outdoors is challenging. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is not allowing wind instruments to be played indoors due to concerns over COVID-19 transmission.

Vaccinations needed to make in-class play safe

Whether a safe return is possible depends on more than distancing measures, according to Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. He also plays trombone.

"Wind instruments, of course, present what looks like a pretty ugly risk," Furness said. "They're exhaling much harder than if you're just sitting still."

He noted that some of the earliest COVID-19 superspreader events were choir rehearsals and other times people gathered to sing.

Furness said if everyone was vaccinated in the classroom and it was equipped with high-quality air filters that would be one thing, but schools aren't there yet.

"Without rapid testing, without vaccination status being known putting a whole bunch of kids in a room blowing through instruments is not a good idea," he said.

"I'm not going to tell you that [COVID-19 is]going to spread for sure because we don't know. But I would be unwilling to put my child in that situation."

Keeping kids out of regular activities is also harmful, he said, which is why he advocates for vaccination and testing in schools so activities can resume.