Autumn Quarter 2021 — Last updated September 17, 2021
The Department of Music is wholly committed to keeping student musicians as safe as possible during all rehearsals and performances. The following rules and guidelines will be in effect for all instrumental ensembles during the Autumn Quarter 2021.
- Musicians will be seated with approximately 3 feet between them whenever possible. Rehearsals that are over 90 minutes in duration will include a break of at least 15 minutes at the halfway point.
- String players, percussion players, pianists, and harpists will be required to wear face masks at all times, in accordance with University of Chicago policy.
- Woodwind and brass players will be required to wear masks whenever they are not playing their instruments. Wind and brass players are strongly encouraged to wear specialty musicians’ masks – which will be provided by the Department – while they are playing their instruments. If that is not possible, vaccinated wind players may lower their masks temporarily in order to play.
- While the format of this program allows for vaccinated participants to lower face coverings temporarily while actively playing their instrument, the University does not allow any exception whereby unvaccinated participants may remove face coverings. Therefore, unvaccinated players of woodwind and brass instruments will not be allowed to participate in Department of Music ensembles during the 2021-22 academic year.
- All ensemble members are expected to self-monitor for COVID-related symptoms, per UChicago protocols. Students who are legitimately experiencing such symptoms should inform the ensemble director in advance, and should not attend that particular rehearsal.
The above protocols will be amended as University policy dictates.