Horn covers let Burrell musicians play safely

Burrell School District’s chairman of the music department, who was recently appointed president of the Westmoreland County Music Educators Association, continues to make beautiful music with students while trying to outsmart the pandemic.

Brian Querry, a music teacher at Burrell’s Huston middle school, is embracing new ways for the district’s students to jam on when it comes to singing and playing their instruments.

“Things are different and the times are unprecedented,” said Querry, who has been a music teacher at Burrell for 23 years.

The coronavirus can be spread by singing and projecting aerosols while playing brass and woodwind instruments, which has stopped or changed the dynamics of live musical performances.

“Kids are used to playing instruments, singing and dancing around. Now we’ve had to change the tools and the methods, but the big thing is not to change what we are doing.”

Public school districts have their own plans for music education and performance, and most are dividing student musicians into smaller groups that are socially distanced and that use covers for their instruments, he said.

Music teachers such as Querry are changing how and where to learn music.

“The choirs at Burrell have been practicing in the auditorium, but in the seating area, dispersed throughout the auditorium,” he said.

Burrell is not presenting in-person concerts as it normally would. Instead, the district has allowed smaller ensembles to practice and perform.

“We try to work through the theory of the music and trying to use every technique possible to learn the music itself,” Querry said.

When the weather was milder earlier in the school year, the district held instrument lessons outside to practice safely.

With the colder weather, music teachers are trying to adapt.

Instrument covers, known as “bell caps,” are saving the day, allowing musicians to play their instruments live around other people, Querry said.

The CDC recommends “bell covers,” cloth covers that fit on instruments to minimize the spread of droplets and aerosols when they are played.

Bell covers remain in high demand since summer at Murphy’s Music Center in Allegheny Township.

Burrell is one of a number of school districts that have been ordering the instrument cover and a special mask with a flap allowing the musician to still play an instrument, said Nate Insko, an instrument repairman at Murphy’s.

“We’ve had to place multiple orders for the bell covers, and the companies we are buying from are pumping them out,” Insko said.

Burrell also is using special “singer” masks, which are roomier and cut down on the potential transmission of the virus.

Querry is seeking other venues for the students to play, such as virtual learning and concerts. He wants to bring more musical experiences to students virtually, such as holding sessions and other opportunities to play live on Zoom and other platforms.

“I’m looking forward to the spring, hoping we can return to spring give concerts in some fashion,” Querry said. “Whether it’s inside or on the football field, we’re thinking creatively of what we what we can do within the restrictions.”