Let our High school Choirs and all Music programs perform #LetThemSingCA #LetTheMusicPlayCA

As parents and supporters of music in K–12 schools in California, we were very excited to see that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently revised guidelines to allow indoor and outdoor sports to resume with safety protocols in place. Now, it’s time to do the same for choirs and the arts, including:

• Revising singing guidance to allow for indoor singing 
• Revising guidance to allow in-person music and theatre rehearsals after school

We are so proud of all that music educators and school administrators have been doing to follow the science to safely and creatively provide learning opportunities for students in band, chorus, and orchestra.

Now that there is more definitive scientific evidence on how the virus spreads, we are asking that CDPH to revise restrictions on full indoor music ensembles and theater rehearsals with safety measures in place, as well as allowing for singing indoors.

CDPH recent revisions informed by the latest scientific research to allow indoor sports practices and games such as basketball shows that safety protocols can be put in place within each school to allow high aerosol activities to take place indoors after school hours. This petition calls on CDPH to equitably revise similar outside-of-school time guidelines to allow full choir, chorus, orchestra, and theater rehearsals to take place indoors after school with safety protocols in place. 

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHSA) has released their recommendations for singing based on the most recent results of the Colorado State University aerosols study. The study’s results have made recommendations that will allow for singing safely in schools indoors. 

Based on the CDC and NFHS recommendations from the aerosol study, singing can occur safely in schools with the following mitigation protocols:

• Masks at all times
• Social distancing
• Singing can occur outdoors or indoors

Much like athletics programs, music provides critically important social interaction, personal development, mental health benefits as well as pathways to scholarships and future vocations. We are pleased that CDPH has revised restrictions for student athletes, now it’s time to do the same for student musicians.