2021 WINTER NEWSLETTER: Update From Artistic Director

Like all of you, I am continuing to watch the vaccine rollout and gradual decline in COVID-19 cases with great hope. While I am delighted with the hard work our team of conductors, collaborative pianists, vocal coaches, and teaching assistants have done to craft a meaningful and musically rich online program, we are all eager to sing together once again as soon as it is safe to do so!

Our work towards reopening is proceeding together on two fronts. The first is the continued development of our virtual program. In February, we ran our first pilot session with a software called Jamulus, which reduces the latency (Internet lag) and allows us to sing together in real time. The pilot was a great success - what a joy to hear everyone singing together again! We are currently working hard to bring both Ancora and Ensemble onboard, with the hope of expanding to Ecco and Concert Choir as we work out the bugs.

You can check out a screen recording of us singing Homeward Bound together here.

The students shared that:

Jamulus brought back the feel of being together in person, and hearing the harmonies almost brought tears to my eyes because it brought back what I missed so much!

It was absolutely mind-blowing and beautiful to finally hear everyone singing together again.

At first I thought I was singing to a recording because the thought of singing with everyone felt completely absurd.

If you have any questions regarding the technical support for Jamulus, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me (etuan@piedmontchoirs.org). We are very committed to providing the support singers need to participate fully in the program regardless of the technology they have available.

The second, of course, is keeping our reopening plan fully updated with the input of PEBCC’s COVID-19 committee, the Alameda County Public Health Department, our Board of Directors, and the broader community. We are currently working to identify outdoor venues for possible in-person gatherings, and are cautiously optimistic about holding a hybrid day camp in the East Bay this summer. If you have any suggestions or contacts for outdoor venues that might be able to host us, we welcome your feedback! Please email Heather Saulnier (hsaulnier@piedmontchoirs.org) with your ideas.