Hybrid Learning Creates Challenges for the Arts Curriculum

mask-wearing yields creative responses from the arts at riverdale – Lucia zambetti/The riverdale review

The Arts Department is facing one of the most profound challenges within the Riverdale community. The arts classroom, normally vibrant with collective energy, is the place where ideas are born, where mistakes are made and corrected, and where students have learned to challenge themselves. Both students and faculty alike have had to adjust to the absence of music and handcrafted creativity on campus. The stimulation of group activities and the magical synergies that result from interpersonal interaction have been reimagined and reworked for remote learning during the CO- VID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Jason Curry, Head of the Department of Music, explained the initial rationale for students in the performing arts not being able to perform on campus for safety reasons. “A lot of it has to do with the initial mitigation of aerosol distribution. Earlier in the pandemic there was a lot of concern scientifically of when you’re playing an instrument or singing that there are more droplets coming out in the air than if you were just casually speaking,” he explained.

Mr. Curry also mentioned the challenges of implementing in-per-son classes for each grade. “Changing the schedule to two days a week would slowly be taking kids away from Zoom where they can play and perform,” he said. “You sign up for chorus because you want to sing and you sign up for band because you want to play.”

With the arts, one learns a lot by creating alongside others, and not being able to have that opportunity is tough. One of Mr. Curry’s greatest concerns was that students could potentially lose their interest in music and look to pursue another artistic path. He also remarked that there are still ways for teachers to support their students because, as he mentioned, “Ultimately, music teachers are agents of artistic experience for students.”

Mr. Patrick Romano, the Choral Director, has worked tirelessly to engage his students in-person and via Zoom. However, students are not allowed to sing on campus, which has certainly taken a toll on the fun and the technical advancement of each choral group.

“One of the challenges I’m facing is trying to be creative enough to keep the students engaged remotely. In the performing arts especially, trying to teach this way you really have to be creative,” Mr. Romano remarked.

Mr. Romano has pushed for students to be able to socially distance in the Jeslo Harris Theatre and in the classroom so that there could be some sense of normalcy on campus. For example, the Vocal Arts Ensemble students are given the opportunity to record themselves singing the music that they are be- ing taught. The recordings will then be compiled together to mimic how an ensemble would sound if it were sung in person.

“Although we do not sing when we’re in the classroom and theatre, the students do enjoy it more than singing over Zoom,” Mr. Romano said. “It’s just different. It’s a hard way to make music.”

Prior to coming back to school, the visual arts department collectively decided to order supplies and materials for each student who participates in an art class. Ms. Betsy Fields, a visual arts teacher, explained that every arts student received a bag of materials that was put together for their specific visual arts class. Regardless of the class a student has chosen, be it ceramics, painting, or sculpture, every student was provided with the necessary materials at orientation to try and recreate their “art workshop” in the comfort of their own homes.

“In some ways it’s a silver lining because this way of learning makes students and teachers add a layer of creativity to how they are going to approach making art while thinking critically, but also learn- ing skills,” Ms. Fields claimed. “It hasn’t been a hindrance, but rather a challenge”.

The arts teachers at Riverdale have put tremendous time and effort to ensure students can still engage with the arts during the pandemic. Arts are, by nature, interactive, and students benefit by sharing creativity, experiences, and emotions. To paraphrase singer and songwriter John Denver, these educators have creatively and resourcefully found new ways to ”fill up our senses,” and we are grateful that these arts programs continue to be a part of our curriculum.