The 2020 COVID-19 world-wide pandemic shook El Sistema@Salty Cricket along with the rest of the world. We were forced to adapt quickly, reimagining music education for a completely virtual setting. Our time online resulted in the discovery of new topics of music education, including listening to new genres of music, body percussion, music technology and music production. The pandemic helped us to be resilient and creative, and even in a time replete with Zoom screenshot photos, glitchy Internet, and muted cameras,  we were reminded that music has the power to connect us and empower us. 

Miss Audrey, our string teaching artist, continued to teach us about our instruments. She taught us correct bow holds, how to record our instruments, and how to tune our instruments virtually!

We learned about proper recording technique, and collaborated with music producer Ashton Allen to create tracks that made us feel like we were performing together again.

Dr. Bidwell continued to diligently teach us about music theory. We learned basic counting patterns, note reading, and even some music history online.