How Far Does The Spray From A Tuba Travel? Rice Researchers Study Social Distancing For Musicians
When the Houston Symphony opened its 2018-19 season with Mahler's 2nd symphony, they brought in a choir and extra artists, packing 250 musicians on the stage at Jones Hall for the piece's finale.
But now, with the recommended six-feet of social distance for COVID-19, things are a little different.
"With the six feet we can fit between 35 and 40 musicians on the Jones Hall stage," said John Mangum, CEO of the Houston Symphony. "Some of the big pieces that we'd announced for chorus and large orchestra are probably impossible until there's a vaccine."
But Mangum said he and other orchestra members also started to wonder if 6-feet of social distance is sufficient for musicians and if it applies to all instruments the same. Do air particles from a tuba travel the same distance as particles from a flute or someone singing?
Read more: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/in-depth/2020/09/07/381312/how-far-does-the-spray-from-a-tuba-travel-rice-researchers-study-social-distancing-for-musicians/