Starting with graduation rehearsal in 2021, the Riordan band began wearing special masks and using instrument covers made to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while they play their instruments. Although there is a slight difference in sound quality, the members seem to be okay with the change in masks.

There are different types of masks for all of the instruments. Each instrument has to have its own instrument cover and there are some instruments that have to have specific musician masks. Wind instrument masks, for example, have a slit that allows the musician to put the mouthpiece in and play it.

Jalen Woods ’22 stated, “There’s a bit of a difference in the sound quality as the mask does muffle it just a bit so you do need to play out more to really get a clear sound, but it’s not bad at all. I definitely don’t feel like the masks make it more difficult to play my instrument.”

Due to the size of the group and in order to be able to play safely at various events, it was necessary that these masks be used. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been trouble with getting the band to play at events as they used to do.

The instrument covers are a requirement in the state of California and in San Francisco. Before the masks and instrument covers, the band was not allowed to perform inside at events like Riordan basketball games. They just got done performing at their second basketball game this year thanks to the purchase and use of the masks and covers.

Band Director Kyle Hildebrant stated, “We were actually pretty excited to be back performing inside for the basketball games because without the masks and covers we wouldn’t be able to be in there.”

With COVID-19 having the ability to spread through breathing in air when close to an infected person who is exhaling small droplets and particles that contain the virus, the need for the new masks and covers was clear. The band is glad to be able to play inside again and are overall feeling good about the change.

However, the band does not have to wear the masks in San Francisco as long as members are vaccinated and keep a 3 feet distance between each other. They only need instrument covers, which cover the area where the air exits out of the instrument. These mainly affect the sound of bass instruments.

Daniel Galvan ’22 said, “Honestly, I really like them. They allow us to play inside, which is a lot better than having to play and set up in front of the school in the freezing cold.”

Although the band had these masks for the 2021 graduation, only returning members had them and nearly 80 percent of new members did not have these masks until the beginning of this year.

The actual masks were only purchased for flute players. These masks, along with the covers, were purchased through various suppliers, but mainly through Amazon. There was an instrument cover shortage during the first part of the school year due to other schools being allowed to play inside with covers on.

Hildebrant expressed, “It’s been a wild journey with COVID and everything else. The band was able to purchase the masks for no more than $2,000. Being outside and now coming inside, we’ve had to change a lot of what we do. And we’re just now coming back to a sense of normalcy being back inside.”

He added, “As things change, we’ll adapt and keep going. We’ve had a lot of challenges along the way but we’re not going to let those keep us down. We’re going to keep charging on and playing on.”