“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” - Marie Curie (1867-1934)

Next week, Vivace Youth Chorus will make its return to in-person rehearsals. As much as we would like to say that everything will be back to “normal,” there will certainly be some noticeable differences. We have not yet emerged from the pandemic; in fact, we are very much still in the middle of it, and will be until all ages are eligible for and receive vaccinations. However, we have learned so much in the last year and a half about who we are and what is possible for us.

We celebrated the retirement of our founding Artistic Director, Peggy Spool. We moved entirely online and our singers recorded themselves from their bedrooms, living rooms, and offices. We welcomed our new Artistic Director, Kristina Nakagawa, held three weeks of in-person rehearsals and performed an outdoor concert at Bramhall Park. We have perseverance, and above all, confidence in ourselves. We have a gift that is meant to be shared with others, and with our planned mitigation strategies, we believe we can do that safely.

Our safety plan includes the following:

All staff, students, and volunteers will wear well-fitting face masks at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
All windows and doors will remain open to ensure proper ventilation.
We will be running multiple air purifiers in each rehearsal room at all times.
Students will sing for no more than 50 minutes at a time while indoors. Rehearsals that last longer than 50 minutes will include a break outside before returning to sing for even better air circulation and filtration.
Any staff member, student, or volunteer who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, or who believes they may have been exposed will be required to stay home, and is encouraged to quarantine and/or get tested in accordance with recommendations from the CDC and California Department of Public Health.
Everyone is strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are able. For more information visit https://vax.sccgov.org/

If you have any questions about this plan, please reach out to a member of our staff. Thank you for helping us to keep our community safe. We can’t wait to help our students find their voices once again so we can continue to spark the light of song for many years to come!