To view the general guidelines and latest updates for the University, please visit carolinatogether.unc.edu.

Updated on September 15, 2022: Please note that the information found here is subject to change as conditions change. Please check back for the latest information regularly. Any changes will also be communicated to students and faculty via email and social media.

Preface

(March 7, 2022)

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community Members,

I’d like to share with everyone my support for our community in anticipation of the campus’s move to an optional mask policy starting March 7. For many, this transition is an exciting time, while for others it may be difficult.

Whether in class, studio, rehearsal, or on stage, let’s all demonstrate compassion, respect, and understanding for our fellow music students, faculty, staff, and community members. Some will choose to continue wearing masks for either their comfort level and/or health concerns, while others will feel more comfortable not wearing masks.

As our department’s Mission Statement states, we affirm music’s importance as an expression of humanity across differences. We value each student’s as well as each staff and faculty member’s well-being. Let’s transition together into this new phase of our shared work in the department by enacting daily all of our shared values.

The following safety guidelines were approved by the Provost’s office on July 20, 2021. Updates to masks follow the Chancellor’s communication dated March 3, 2022 and are effective March 7, 2022.

Getting your COVID-19 vaccine and booster is the best way to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus and its variants while contributing to a typical, in-person experience at Carolina. For updates on the Carolina Together program, please visit here.

If you have concerns about the vaccine, UNC Healthcare has shared some important facts.

Based on CDC guidance, we urge everyone who is eligible for the COVID-19 booster shot to receive this extra protection. You are eligible for a booster if:

• You are 16 or older, and
• You received your second/final dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines more than SIX months ago, or
• You received your Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than TWO months ago.

COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are available on a walk-in basis at Campus Health Pharmacy and Student Stores Pharmacy for faculty, staff and students. No appointment is necessary. Bring your insurance card (Medicare plans not accepted), and if receiving a COVID-19 booster, your COVID-19 vaccination card. You can find off-campus vaccination clinics in your community at vaccines.gov.

David F. Garcia
Chair, Department of Music

Effective March 7, 2022

General Guidelines

The Department of Music will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our community. To do this, we are following UNC’s Community Standards.

Masks

Masks are optional inside our buildings.

Handwashing

Please wash your hands frequently and utilize the hand sanitizer stations available throughout the buildings. Please sanitize your hands before touching/using any shared materials such as opening doors, sitting at desks in classrooms, or playing the pianos in practice rooms.

Distancing

Because the university no longer requires distancing in classrooms, classroom capacity for teaching will return to normal. However, distancing of students (e.g. wind players and singers) for lessons, rehearsals, performances, and in classrooms (when sufficient space is available) will be left to the discretion of instructors.

What to Do When Symptoms Appear

Before leaving home for classes each day, students, faculty, and staff should check for symptoms. Anyone who is experiencing any symptom(s) must not go to class or work and should contact their health care provider. Students who develop symptoms or feel sick should immediately self-isolate and contact Campus Health. You can view their COVID-19 resources here. Do not go to an asymptomatic testing location.

For faculty and staff, Environment, Health, and Safety have created COVID-19 resources, which can be found here.

Testing and Tracing

For complete details and the latest updates on the Carolina Together Testing policy, please visit here.

Performances and Live Audiences

Following the safety guideline updates most recently announced by the CDC, Performing Arts Aerosol Study, Governor Roy Cooper, and Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz and Provost Robert A. Blouin, the Department of Music will safely host live audiences in Moeser Auditorium, KMB 1201, Hill Hall 107, and Person Recital Hall.

Performances may also be live-streamed and/or recorded and posted on the department’s YouTube channel at the designated times found on our events calendar, here.

Safety Guidelines for Indoor Performances with Live Audiences

Live audiences are permitted indoors in Moeser Auditorium, KMB 1201, Hill Hall 107, and Person Recital Hall with the following safety precautions taken:

• All equipment (music stands, seats, etc.) must be sanitized before and after each use
• Distancing of players is at the discretion of the instructor
• Brass players (regardless of vaccination status) must use puppy pads to capture spit valve release
• Concert organizers must ensure that hand sanitizers are accessible for all participants, audience included

All people attending and/or participating in the performance should monitor their symptoms prior to coming to campus. If they have one of the COVID-19 symptoms, they should contact their health care provider and should not come to campus.

Practice Room Guidelines

Cleaning

There will be cleaning materials available in practice room areas, and we need everyone’s help in creating a safe environment. When you are done using a practice room, please use these materials to wipe down surfaces in that space.

Brass players are required to use disposable absorbent (“puppy”) pads beneath their playing area to collect spit, water, and condensation. These will be available outside of rehearsal and lesson spaces.

Piano Cleaning

The guidelines for using a piano are as follows:

1. Use the wipes provided by the department to wipe down the keys and commonly touched areas around the keyboard and music desk.
2. Discard the used wipe — There are trash bins placed near the CPE stations.
3. Sanitize your hands.
4. For your health and safety, as well as the health and safety of others, repeat steps 1-3 once you are finished using the piano.

Private Lessons

Applied Registration Forms

Students will not use printed Applied Registration forms for MUSC 100-106. Please contact the instructor of the class if you are interested in taking lessons to get registered, and use the online registration form found at https://music.unc.edu/register-for-applied-lessons/.

Lesson Format

Please check with your individual instructor about the format and safety precautions being made for your individual lessons.

Brass players will also be asked to use disposable absorbent pads beneath their playing area to collect spit, water, and condensation. These will be available outside of rehearsal and lesson spaces.

Ensembles (i.e. Class Meetings)

Please check individual ensembles pages here for audition and rehearsal information. Some ensembles may hold virtual auditions and have modified rehearsals, including outdoor rehearsals, chamber music, and the use of multiple rehearsal spaces connected with low-latency, high-quality audio.

Printed Materials

To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Department will avoid using printed materials as much as possible. Syllabi, course materials, programs, etc. will be released in digital format whenever appropriate.

Music Library

The Music Library will be open Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5 pm.

The Library staff invite you to contact them if you have any questions at musiclibraryinfo@unc.edu. You can find detailed information about the Music Library’s resources at https://library.unc.edu/music/.