Band class at Greene County High School will look vastly different this year due to COVID-19.

Director Wes Anderson tells Raccoon Valley Radio he is taking a three-part hybrid approach this year. The classroom phase includes small ensembles of 8-10 students throughout the school day, with individual lessons and online learning to take place outside of the classroom. He details how marching band will look this fall.

“We will probably have more of a pep band approach to it. We will probably be standing still and potentially in the bleachers or maybe on the field, we’ll see how that works. And we’re also considering having a more rock band, garage band sort of shaped ensemble where we’ve just got like 5-10 kids instead of the whole band.”

Anderson points out he will require all students to wear masks when in the band room, which he says a specially designed mask will be available for every band student.

“So my girlfriend, Victoria Chargo and I have been sewing like crazy. And we have made a whole bunch of masks that have a flap in them for a trumpet mouthpiece, a clarinet mouthpiece, whatever you got. It’s actually a really comfortable mask.”

Anderson adds, the masks will be washed daily for student use. He wants everyone to know they are following the safety recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the guidelines from the Iowa High School Music Association.