Dear BC Music Educators,

First off, I hope that you all are in good health, both mentally & physically, and that your loved ones are safe. We are indeed living in tumultuous times, where in the span of three weeks, we went from being a part of a thriving community to one (1/9)

where we must keep a safe physical distance from each other. Some of us are still smiling, but we are all confused and uncertain of what may come.

Our profession as music educators lends itself to be in large groups, tight quarters, and constantly sharing ideas (2/9)

face-to-face. But we now face a time where we are hyper vigilant about where our hands have been (not on our faces!) and where the nearest hand-washing station or bottle of sanitizer might be. And we are also faced with the dilemma of how to deliver our passion for (3/9)

music and music education to our students - virtually.

Many of us are hoping that we can continue with our rehearsals via online platforms and to continue with the same cadence of life as we had before. But the reality is, we can't. We can no longer continue with (4/9)

the same rhythm as we had, nor can we hope our students to do the same. We have to take a step back and take a look at the whole picture of the city, the province, the country, and of the world. We have to make peace with what once was our "norm" and adapt to our (5/9)

current situation, while helping our own friends, colleagues, family, and students to do the same. As an undergrad clarinetist at the UVic Wind Symphony, I remember Dr. Gerald King always telling the ensemble to "lean into the dissonance [chord], and the resolution [chord] (6/9)

will follow." We all know that our dissonant intervals (in music) can only last so long, and this (our current pandemic) too will resolve. We just need to be patient with ourselves, with our community, and with the world. (7/9)

Over the last few weeks, we all have seen many ideas floating around social media from our colleagues from around the world. Cindy Romphf, our current Past-President, has compiled a non-exhaustive list of resources for all of us to share, which are listed website. (8/9)

Remember, YOU are not alone. We, the collective of BC Music Educators, are all here for one-another. We might not be able to go for a walk together, or go out for a coffee, but we are only a phone call (or facetime!) away.

#StayHealthy #StayStrong #StayHome

Mandart Chan (9/9)