Hybrid Solutions for a Live Art Form
Poof - and just like that, our world opened up.
When our Province announced a 3-tiered plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions, we immediately formed a Return-to-Rehearsal task force (R2R) charged with creating plans and protocols for safe return to the risers this coming September. This team, composed entirely of members, includes medical professionals, legal professionals, mental health professionals, as well as members who are tech-forward, event/venue savvy, planners, doers, and advocates of safety, inclusion, and equity for all members.
On Jul 1, 2021 the Provincial Health Authorities lifted many restrictions–more than expected. We immediately saw an opportunity to pursue an outdoor hybrid rehearsal as an interim solution until September when singing together indoors is anticipated to be safe with caution. We asked our R2R team to shift focus slightly and make plans and recommendations for a safe hybrid option. They were up to the task and quickly turned around a safety plan and guidelines for live attendees.
While we would love to say it went off without a hitch, the truth is it was a mix of smooth and rocky.
Safety Protocols.
Keep in mind that at the time of writing, in British Columbia, 78.8 percent of eligible people 12 and older have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 44.6 percent have received their second dose. This factor contributed greatly to our comfort and willingness to engage in person and offer an online option.
Safety considerations (for live attendees):
Outdoor location
Pre-registration
Sign-in at location
Masks required when singing unless standing away from the group
Hand sanitizer provided
Pens sanitized between uses
Coloured stickers to indicate comfort level
Extended spacing while singing (comfort-driven)
When choosing a location, the following were also considered:
Large, public area (outdoors)
Hill or incline to act as natural risers
Restrooms available in the vicinity
Parking
Not too far from our regular rehearsal hall
Technology.
You might have guessed that technology was our greatest hurdle and a giant that we did not defeat this first time around. An outdoor public setting with uncontrollable ambient noise is not ideal for inexpensive to mid-range A/V equipment purchased for rehearsal hall use. Our external mic was pointed at the group in attendance so that the at-home attendees could hear the harmonies. There were some sound issues and due to the nature of - ahem - NATURE, we had some breeze issues. We only used one cardioid mic facing the group in attendance and had an amp on our director’s headset mic. We tried to balance that headset mic with the cardioid on the group in attendance for the Zoom participants to have the best experience, as such the group in attendance could not hear the director well. We know that this problem will be minimized when we move to our gym space in September.
Tech considerations (live attendees / online attendees):
Camera (Zoom) on the group in attendance on tripod
Camera (Zoom) on the director on tripod
Mic the group in attendance
Unlimited data plans (members)
No power drops or generator (device battery only)
Amplify the director
Spotlight the director and the group in attendance (zoom)
Someone on-site with Zoom logged in but not audio/video that was in contact with the remote Zoom host to handle questions in chat (and text). Text worked best to get work done.
That extra Zoom participant on-site also was able to use that extra camera to handle other speakers if they were not standing at the director’s camera spot. (Had to text the host to get spotlighted)
A diagram of our set-up will be included at the bottom of this article and we are open to your input, feedback, and suggestions as to how to improve the A/V for at-home attendees.
Membership Coordinator considerations.
It was rather a scramble to receive confirmation from Guests, particularly from Meetup* as some only wanted to communicate through that message medium. Information about the venue, the Health Consent form, and Zoom login information (in case they chose that) was being sent up to the last minute as Guests decided to attend. They needed to read and sign the waiver so needed to be informed like the rest of us.
The number of Guest Music Binders was based on the guest RSVP's, as we didn't want to print too much music. As it happened, 2 more guests came than expected (yay!!!) meaning that they had to "share" music, which was not ideal in light of our Covid safety plan.
Having a Guest stand beside a Member to sing was also not thought through as Members were not consulted in advance as to whether they were comfortable having a Guest beside them. Our normal pre-Covid guest procedure includes pairing guests with seasoned members on the risers as a ‘riser-buddy’.
Being that we were in a public space, having a few business cards on hand for those who approached us with interest (yes, there were several) turned out to be useful, and they were kept close at hand throughout the evening!
*Meetup has been a very successful tool recently as we have been re-vamping our presence. It has brought us guests weekly.
The at-home experience.
From a Zoomer’s perspective, there were upsides and downsides to the experience! The upside was seeing everyone laughing and socializing, and being able to hear four-part harmonies being sung live! And to watch Sandy (our director) in action interacting with real live people again - priceless! However…..the downsides were the lack of consistency in the broadcast, the sound disappearing or parts of the sound disappearing (were the basses actually singing the hangers?), and the frustration of trying to sing along with sound that kept slowing down or speeding up. It was hard to hear those who were speaking, including Sandy, so we missed a lot of the instruction or direction. It did emphasize for me that singing barbershop is a full-contact sport! You have to be there and participate live and in person! I can’t wait for us to be able to be back together on the risers singing as one!
The live experience.
Oh, how the rehearsal fed my soul! There’s nothing like singing live, with real people creating real harmony. Having Sandy direct us again felt like coming home. As a member of the Management Team, I had a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at some of the planning that went into the evening. The committee did a phenomenal job of minimizing risks and making everyone feel as comfortable as possible. From ample sanitizer supplies to room to spread out, nothing was overlooked. Singing is still a riskier activity, but in this case, the reward was worth it for me (I’m fully vaccinated, but still very cautious). I personally chose to wear a red sticker to indicate that I’m not yet comfortable with physical contact, but for those who welcomed it, it was a chance to connect physically (and musically) with our village once more.
Highlights:
Guests!!!!!!! (we had 5)
Meeting members who joined during the pandemic (live attendee)
Group vocal warmups
Live coaching feedback
Creating 4-part harmony (live attendee)
Hearing 4-part harmony created live (at-home attendees)
Setting up - putting our hands to use for our chorus (live attendee)
Social time (live attendee)
Seeing faces (live attendee)
The director’s experience.
It was glorious to hear some of my singers’ beautiful voices for the first time since early March 2020, and even more so to hear actual chords in person! This is such a live art form, and the visceral feeling we get from creating harmony together is unbeatable. I had tears in my eyes multiple times from hearing the magical sound they create. I can’t wait until we can ALL be back together again on the risers in our rehearsal hall and hearing the shimmering overtones that raise the hair on our arms! There is truly nothing like it.
As mentioned above, here is a simple diagram of our A/V set-up. Please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments that might help us (and others) improve the at-home experience!!!
This article represents a collaborative effort in order to bring as many perspectives as possible to create a useful article for any singing group stepping into the hybrid rehearsal arena.
Written by Stacey Rose - Marketing Coordinator
Technical input provided by:
Kat Webster - Technology Manager
Sue Elder - Chair, Return to Rehearsal Task Force
Glenda Bisig - Membership Coordinator
Perspectives provided by:
Cammi MacKinlay - Zoom Participant
Meghan Fell - In-person Participant
Sandy Marron - Director
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