WARNING: The following post is NOT a political one; it is a questioning of the practical applications of recently issued CDC guidance. Please click on the button below BEFORE reading to get you in the right mindset.
Fifty years ago, in a small studio in New York City, Stevie Wonder wrote and recorded his landmark work, Superstition. Exactly one half-century later, his prophetic words foretell the situation we find ourselves in today.
Very superstitious,
Wash your face and hands,
Rid me of the problem,
Do all that you can.
I am not a superstitious person. I don't knock on wood for good luck, black cats don't bother me, and for the life of me, I do not understand the fact that building elevators pretend they don't have a 13th floor. It's not like it's not there. If you count the floors on a building, there it is, and it's located right where you think it would be, between the 12th and 14th floors.
What about you? Are you superstitious?
Superstitions are most prevalent in sports, where the "Curse of the Bambino" reigns supreme. Stephen Dubner (Freakonomics author) explains it best, "The curses emanated when Ruth's original team, the Boston Red Sox, decided to sell his contract to the New York Yankees. Before the trade, the Red Sox had routinely won World Series; the Yankees didn't have a single championship. After Ruth was sold, the two teams' fortunes reversed. The Yankees, with Babe Ruth jump-starting their success, would win eight World Series over the next 20 years. They've since won 19 more, making them the winningest baseball team ever. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of letting Babe Ruth go, the Red Sox went 86 years without a championship. Their misery finally ended in 2004."
I'll ask again, are you superstitious? If you are, you are not alone. A recent poll conducted by YouGov found that nearly one in three American's are superstitious to some degree.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, superstition is "a practice or action based on an unjustified belief in supernatural causation." In other words, believing that there is a causal relationship between an action and an outcome without any evidence to support it.
With this in mind, it makes me wonder if the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a superstitious agency! Do they avoid the number 13 and throw spilled salt over their left shoulder? Do they avoid walking under ladders and only open umbrellas outside? Do they respond to every chain email and shudder at the thought of a broken mirror?
Based on their recent guidance, I think they just might be superstitious.
This past Monday, the CDC issued guidance urging schools to shutter football, choir, wrestling, band, and any other "high-risk extracurricular activities [including] those in which increased exhalation occurs, especially when conducted indoors."
So no band? No choir? For me, this doesn't make sense. As a music educator impacted by this new guidance, I have some questions: ( Before we begin, How are you doing? Need another puppy dog fix?)
I am not a scientist, and the CDC knows FAR MORE about this new variant than I do. But, I suspect that I know FAR MORE about schools than they do.
Is there a study that shows that music students have a higher rate of Covid than non-music students?
What about the fact that a typical music room housing a 45 piece ensemble allows for an average of 53 feet per student, while a regular classroom with 25 students in it only provides for around 40 square feet per student?
Does the guidance acknowledge that music rooms (more often than not) have multiple (and oversized) doors and hallways better designed to have socially distant traffic flow?
If we do cancel music - where do we send these students? Classes are already too full, and space is too small.
What about other activities that increase inhalation, i.e., drama, debate, dance, cheer, P.E., etc.?
What shall we do with Foreign Language classes where entire classes are speaking/reciting at out loud at the same time?
What about in-class discussions, presentations, and debates? Should we tell ALL teachers and students to calm down and keep it down? Passion and enthusiasm for the content will NOT be tolerated.
How does canceling music address our crowded lunchrooms, hallways, locker rooms, doorways, stairwells, etc?
To clarify, the new guidance cancels the halftime show but leaves the 80,000 screaming fans three inches apart in the stands. (I watched the playoffs this weekend, and there was A LOT of "increased exhalation" going on. Especially at the end of the Dallas/49ers game.)
More saliently, how much does canceling music mitigate the risk of catching Covid when all other school risk factors are considered?
My family and I are fully vaxed, boosted, and wear masks when needed. We take appropriate precautions and are mindful of the times we live in. But, both of my boys also play instruments AND sing. And they are where I want them to be, doing what they love to do.
Why music?
Because kids are isolated and lonely. Because for two years their emotional growth has been stunted. Because they lack joy, creativity, and collaboration in their day. Because shutting down music won't change the hallways, classrooms, or lunchrooms. It won't change stairwells, handrails, or faucets.
As it applies to the Omicron variant, you can mitigate risk, but you can't eliminate it. With music, I feel the same, you can mitigate it, but not eliminate it.
It won't change the hugs, high fives, or Friday night hangs that are going to happen (in and out of school). In my opinion, following the guidance would profoundly impact my sons without providing a profound benefit. The cost is far too great and the benefit far too small.
NOW, more than ever, music matters.
My stance from the beginning of the pandemic has been consistent. Twenty months ago, I publicly stated, "I am not interested in eliminating what you think is not safe. I am interested in discussing what is important for students and figuring out how we make them safe."
So before making these drastic recommendations, we pause, take a breath (not an increased one), and figure out how to make this work. TOGETHER!
Stevie said it best in the final verse of his song:
When you believe in things,
That you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way,
No, no, no.
I support what is best for students, but what the CDC issued Monday isn't a recommendation; it's a superstition.
And I am not superstitious.
Have a great week.
- Scott
p.s. Just two more editions of the weekly newsletter before it becomes monthly. Become a Patron to keep the weekly version coming to your inbox and the monthly version coming to everyone's inbox.
Scott Lang Leadership 505 South Camellia Drive Chandler, Arizona 85225 United States