The following are our plans for reopening in the fall. As you know, live music making is quite complicated during this time; regardless, we are committed to offering you the safest environment in which to learn and make music.
Latest Updates
As of September 28, 2020
These are the new guideline updates as of September 28 and supersede earlier guidelines. IMPORTANT: If there is an outbreak of coronavirus on campus then we will revert to our earlier protocols.
New updates can be found below in bold.
Reopening Plans and Protocols for Musicians
Regarding academic classes, we are assessing the classroom spaces to determine the maximum number of people a room can hold while maintaining social distancing. Some classes have been moved to other locations such as Olin Auditorium and the Conservatory Performance Space. We are working closely with each individual faculty regarding how a class is taught: either in person, a mix of in-person and remote, or less frequently, exclusively on-line.
We have secured two outdoor tents which will serve as an alternative space for classes. We hope that this will allow us to spread out somewhat to avoid the density of our spaces.
We are consulting with Nuvance Health, which is reviewing our plans for musicians. We have also created four teams who are advising us on how to best make music in-person. The four groups are addressing larger ensembles, chamber ensembles (including jazz), private lessons and practice rooms. Additionally, we have assembled a team exclusively for vocal music, both private and ensemble. Each group is made of faculty from all undergraduate and graduate programs with the goal being consistency in our health practices across all the music programs at Bard.
Finally, these guidelines will change as new information becomes available and as new health regulations are put into effect.
Our Priorities
Our first priority in creating these guidelines is the health and safety of the students, faculty and staff. We follow three core principles in making these guidelines:
Prioritizing as much as possible in-person music making and teaching in smaller gatherings, and minimizing as much as possible elements of the curriculum that require large gatherings of people.
Creating a safer physical environment in the music teaching studios, performing spaces and practice rooms. (e.g. increased ventilation, physical barriers, sanitization processes etc.)
Changing the way we work to reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus to one another. (e.g. altering work and teaching schedules, specific rules for wearing of masks by musicians, changing rehearsals schedules and procedures, streaming of live concerts etc.)
General Guidelines
Students will need to complete Bard College’s online health screening everyday before taking part in music classes and activities.
Social distancing of 6 feet will be required at all times.
Masks will be required at all times when in the building. Specific guidance for winds, brass and singers is below.
Concert audiences will be limited in size. All concerts will be streamed.
Windows are to remain open during use of rooms whenever possible.
Students and faculty will wipe down high-touch surfaces before and after studio use. (e.g. music stands, keyboards, door handles, etc.)
All common seating/lounge areas and water fountains in music facilities will be closed.
To reduce the building occupancy, music staff will work remotely as much as possible. However there will be representative staff in music buildings during normal teaching hours.
We will be adding two tents near Bito/Blum for additional socially distanced spaces for rehearsals, lessons and coachings.
No outside visitors will be allowed in music facilities.
Brass and woodwind layers will use bell covers whenever playing on campus.
Cleaning
There will be a hygiene station in Bito and Blum with cleaning supplies and masks available for students, faculty and staff.
There will also be cleaning supplies in teaching studios and practice rooms.
There will be general cleaning and sanitization of music spaces by Bard Environmental Services once per day.
Students, faculty and staff will be asked to wipe down rooms before and after use— specifically, music stands, piano keyboard, chairs, door handles. Supplies for this will be available.
Music staff will disinfect high-touch surfaces in common areas at regular intervals throughout the day.
Brass players will be required to empty spit valves into a cloth or disposable absorbent pad, which will be provided by the college. Cloths should be cleaned after each use. Absorbent pads should be disposed of properly.
Sharing of auxiliary instruments will generally not be allowed unless there is sufficient time for cleaning and sanitizing of instruments between use.
Orchestra
Limited numbers of woodwind and brass players (4-6 players) may be added to orchestra with the following stipulations:
1 hour 15 minutes rehearsal limit with wind and brass then 60 minute gap
Daily deep cleaning/fogging of rehearsal space daily.
Woodwind and brass players must be masked with slit for mouthpiece, and with bell covers
Brass players must be socially distanced more than 10 ft. from each other and everyone else in orchestra.
Woodwind players must be socially distanced 15 ft. from each other and everyone else.
String players, harp and percussion will remain at 6 ft of social distance.
Pianist Collaboration Guidelines
Collaborative pianists may play for singers with the following stipulations:
Both must be masked
Socially distanced 25 ft.
Only one singer at a time. No duets or larger vocal ensembles.
Collaborative pianist may play for brass players with the following stipulations:
Pianist masked.
Brass player masked with slit for mouth piece, and with bell cover
Socially distanced greater than 10 ft.
When playing for larger groups of brass players, all players must be socially distanced greater than 10 ft.
Collaborative pianists may play for woodwind players with the following stipulations:
Pianist masked
Woodwind player masked with slit for mouth piece, and with bell cover
Socially distanced 15 ft.
Private Lessons
Private studio instruction will be offered through a mix of in-person and remote lessons. The precise balance between in person and remote will be determined by each studio faculty member.
Students who in the past have traveled off campus for their lessons will be required to have their lessons on-campus or online.
There will be gaps between lessons for ventilating of teaching space.
strings/piano/percussion/composition: 60 minutes on, 30 minutes off
Winds, brass and voice: 30 minutes on, 60 minutes off
Face masks are mandatory for all and at all times, with the exception of wind and brass players.
All singers will take lessons with masks on.
For all except winds/brass, social distancing of 6’ with floor markers, with face masks on.
For winds/brass, social distancing of 15’ with floor markers, with face masks on except when playing.
All wind and brass players will play with bell covers.
Remote lessons can take place either in the high speed video conferencing room in the Blum Music Building or in specially outfitted rooms in the music facilities. Students may also take remote lessons from their dorm room or off-campus apartment.
For remote lessons, faculty and students may, if they like, use special software (“Hi Maestro”), which is being provided free of charge to Bard music faculty and students. This software is optimized for better audio quality and is designed specifically to be used for private music lessons.
We have purchased three computers equipped with external microphones and ethernet cables for streaming lessons.
Practice Rooms
Wind, Brass, Voice musicians may practice by themselves for two hours at a time with one hour of gap time to allow room to ventilate. Strings, Piano, Harp and Percussion players may practice by themselves for two hours at a time with 30 minutes of gap to allow for ventilation.
Singers
Unmasked singing is allowed with the following stipulations:
Singers may sing unmasked when singing alone in a practice room or in the video-linked teaching studios.
Singers may sing unmasked for up to two hours with a 60 minute period afterwards for ventilation; or 30 minutes with 30 minutes of ventilation time.
Masked singing is allowed with the following stipulations:
Socially distanced 25 feet from pianist
In a classroom setting, everyone else must be socially distanced 40 ft.
Classroom should be ventilated for one hour after class ends.
Outside group singing is allowed if singers are masked and distanced 10 ft. Group singing indoors is still not allowed.
Woodwind Solo and Ensemble Playing
Woodwind players may play solo in classroom setting with the following stipulations:
Classes may only be held outside or in our larger performance spaces (CPS, Olin Hall, Sosnoff Theater)
Masks with slits and bell covers required
Socially distanced 40 ft from classmates.
Woodwind chamber groups of no more than 5 players are allowed with the following stipulations:
Players must use masks with slits for mouthpiece and bell covers.
Players outside may be unmasked but must maintain social greater than 15 ft.
Players must be socially distanced at least 15 ft.
Players must sit back to back or side to side. They may NOT play facing each other.
Players may rehearse for 60 minutes with 60 minutes of ventilation time.
Indoor spaces must be fogged/deep cleaned at least one time per day.
Outside playing and rehearsing is ALWAYS preferred whenever possible.
Brass Solo and Ensemble Playing
Brass players may play solo in classroom setting with the following stipulations:
Classes may only be held outside or in larger performance spaces (CPS, Olin Hall, Sosnoff Theater)
Masks with slits and bell covers required
Socially distanced 40 ft from classmates.
Socially distanced 25 ft. from collaborative pianist.
Classroom should be ventilated for one hour after class ends.
Brass ensembles of up to 15 players may play inside or outside with the following stipulations:
May only play outside or in larger performance spaces (CPS, Olin Hall, Sosnoff Theater)
Players must use masks with slits for mouthpiece and bell covers.
Players outside may be unmasked but must maintain social greater than 10 ft.
Players must be socially distanced greater than 10 ft.
Players must sit back to back or side to side. They may NOT play facing each other.
Players may rehearse for 60 minutes with 60 minutes of ventilation time.
Indoor spaces must be fogged/deep cleaned at least one time per day.
Outside playing and rehearsing is ALWAYS preferred whenever possible.
Applying to the Program
How to Apply
To apply to the undergraduate Bard Music Program, apply through the Bard Admission Office. Applying to the Bard Conservatory of Music requires a separate application to the Conservatory. Apply to the Undergraduate ProgramApply to the Conservatory