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North Bay's Adam Adler talks about how singing — and teaching others to sing — has profoundly changed

Choir members and those who love to sing are trying to find ways to deal with provincial restrictions put in place. In an effort to curb COVID-19, singing is banned in restaurants and bars in outdoor seating areas, child-care settings and discouraged in places of worship. 

'We are musicians ... so not getting to sing on a daily basis with other people is a huge loss'

CBC News ·
"For some people, singing in a choir is more about community and more about family. For some people it's about averting loneliness. For some it could be one of their few, or in fact, their only social contact," says Adam Adler, founding artistic director of the Near North Voices, a choir in North Bay. (Near North Voices/Facebook)

Choir members and those who love to sing are trying to find ways to deal with provincial restrictions in place. In an effort to curb COVID-19, singing is banned in restaurants and bars in outdoor seating areas, child-care settings and discouraged in places of worship. 

The founding artistic director of the Near North Voices, a choir in North Bay says not being able to sing together is a loss of community.

"For some people, singing in a choir is more about family, for some people it is about averting loneliness, for some it could be one of their few or in fact their only social contact," said Adam Adler.

And despite attempts to sing in choirs virtually, it can never be the same as singing together, he noted.
Adam Adler makes his living with music — and getting others to sing. He's an assistant professor of music education at Nipissing University and the founding artistic director of the Near North Voices, a choir in North Bay. (Supplied/Adam Adler)

"When we sing in a group, we are literally touching the people around us inside their bodies, because we set air in motion ... [and] that sound wave goes into their ear to impact their eardrum."

Adler says it will also be a huge loss to schools when children go back to school because singing is used in helping children learn skills.

The lack of singing and real-life interaction has been a huge loss for Adler, as well.

"When you are a music educator, it's not just your your job, it's a part of your identity. We we are what we teach," he said.

"We are musicians ... so not getting to sing on a daily basis with other people is a huge loss. And when all of this is over, there will be an enormous amount of rejoicing that we're able to get back to that aspect of life that so many ... have built into their identities."

Adler says he doesn't believe anything will change until there is a vaccine for COVID-19.

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