CINCINNATI, Ohio—It doesn’t seem like a dangerous activity, but in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, it could be one of the most high-risk things for you to do. 


What You Need To Know


  • Doctors believe singing in a group can easily spread COVID-19

  • The Cincinnati Youth Choir has been rehearsing remotely since March

  • The choir is looking into singing with masks so they can be together again

Seeing a choir perform in a group was a normal activity just a few months ago. But now for the Cincinnati Youth Choir, they have to rely on technology to create music.

“I guess you kind of take it for granted after doing it week after week for 28 years," Robyn Lana the Managing Artistic Director and founder of the Cincinnati Youth Choir said. "But when it gets ripped away, you really, really notice the difference.”

For Lana, she’s worked hard to use technology to make it as normal as possible for her singers.

“To get them to sound like themselves is a lot more work on my end than it ever was before," she said.

Many doctors believe singing in a group is actually quite dangerous right now, since COVID-19 is known to be an airborne illness. Lana says without a vaccine, her singers will need to wear masks in order to be able to perform together again.

“The benefit of singing together in a room will far outweigh the being uncomfortable with a mask," she said.

For high school Junior Katherine Jones, singing alone just isn’t the same.

“There’s nothing else like it," Jones said. "Like I sing on my own, but it’s not the same. Singing with everyone, there’s just a feeling you can’t get anywhere else.”

Lana says her singers individually record their part of the song and she edits each piece together, to create music for their upcoming virtual concert.

“It takes the fun out of it," Jones said. "Like I know sometimes it can get annoying to have to do the same song over and over again but I love that way more than recording myself and not hearing anyone else or the harmonies or anything.”

For Lana and Jones, it’s not easy being apart, but they look forward to when they can finally come together.

“I feel like it’s going to be way more powerful than it was before," Jones said. "And I feel like we’re just going to want to hug each other and keep singing.”

“There’s nothing that will make me give that up," Lana said. "And I don’t want them to give that up too and miss that moment. Because that is going to be a tear-filled joyful moment.”