November 27, 2020
With the recent resurgence of CoViD-19 and continued uncertainty about when we might be able to meet again in person, we are continuing to hold our chapter meetings online via Zoom. This type of playing "together" is not ideal but it allows us to see and greet one another in our little windows on the screen and experience the same music simultaneously under one director, thereby maintaining a sense of musical community.
At this time we are enlisting professional conductors to present music for our enjoyment online until such time that we can meet in person again. If you have had the opportunity to partake of the online classes presented by SFEMS, Voices of Music, Amherst, EMA, or other leading organizations, you've seen that there is quite a lot to be learned and much playing fun to be had using this online format. We've had teachers from all around the country and some teaching from Europe - something that would not have previously been possible without an airplane trip and great expense.
In keeping with the current norm, we will be holding the December meeting online. If you are not an SFRS or SRS member, please contact me and I will add you to our mailing list and be invited to our virtual chapter meetings.
We have really been enjoying our partnership with the Sacramento Recorder Society (SRS) during this period of distanced participarticipation. To help cover the fees for our conductors, we ask a small, voluntary fee from non-members. Preparing materials for online teaching requires considerably more time and labor than in-person meetings, and these teachers need to be compensated fairly. We also want to support our professionals now more than ever due to lost revenue they are experiencing during CoViD-19 with no live engagements.
Hopefully you are all connected - albeit remotely - to music and friends via the Internet. The online meeting platforms such as Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, and others, have become very important as a way to stay in touch. And of course, we can spend more time practicing! If you haven't read it yet, an excellent article and perspective by recorder professional Anne Timberlake, read her blog post titled "Recorder in the time of COVID-19". She also helped to author the latest ARSNova article about online lessons (for both teachers and students), which you can find HERE.
To all: Keep informed, use trustworthy sources, and follow the guidelines. We hope this will all settle down enough for us to meet again in person. We will continue to update you and offer news or tips when possible.
Let's all do our best stay well and keep playing.
Greta Haug-Hryciw
President, the San Francisco Recorder Society
American Recorder Society Board of Directors
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