Musical Practice in Music Students During COVID-19 Lockdown.

The pandemic situation has forced students in higher education to use alternative learning routines due to reduced activities at universities and educational facilities. Especially music students needed to adapt their musical learning to this particular situation. Mostly affected by the lockdown was the musical practicing behavior, especially when practicing at the University of Music was not possible. In this study, music students in their second and third semesters were asked to provide information on their practicing situations during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. They were required to fill in questionnaires about the practicing time and concepts of self-efficacy and self-regulation for musical learning. The data of 18 music students were collected. For the analysis, they were compared with the answers of 15 music students who were asked the same questions half a year earlier before the pandemic situation occurred. The results showed that the music students relocated mostly to their parents' homes for practicing during the lockdown. In the amount of practicing, the bachelor of music students practiced less during lockdown compared with before the lockdown. The mean self-efficacy for musical learning did not differ between before and during the lockdown. For the self-regulated musical learning, the music students showed significantly higher values in the subscale on reflecting and creating a framework for the progress of musical learning during the lockdown. The findings indicate that the music students developed certain self-regulated learning skills during the lockdown and managed to find suitable solutions in continuing with their musical learning without reservation.

Social contact, practice, organization and technical knowledge: Experiences of music students in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For music students, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact, forcing them to adapt to certain coronavirus regulations laid down by the state. In this study, the experiences of music students in three consecutive semesters under different coronavirus-related conditions are investigated. At the end of three semesters, the lockdown semester [SS (Summer Semester) 2020: April - July], a partially opened semester [WS (Winter Semester) 2020/21: October - February] and a mostly opened semester (SS 2021), a total of 152 music students at the University of Music Freiburg were asked to fill in an online survey. A mixed-methods approach was used, with results showing that the qualitative statements of the students support the quantitative data. The results of the cross-sectional study demonstrate that self-regulated learning improved during the lockdown semester, through new time management and focused practice with regular breaks. During the partially opened semester, the use of blended learning formats led to organizational problems, such as travel time and change of locations. Furthermore, music students were challenged by the social distancing, which improved during the partially opened, and mostly opened semester. New technologies regarding digital communication formats were emerged, which have evolved over the course of the three semesters. Concerning the overall experience, students stated that the partially-opened semester was most challenging, since distances and change of locations had to be combined with quickly changing public COVID-19-regulations. These findings during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic provide constructive starting points for future teaching.

Coronavirus vaccination rates in cultural areas in Germany.

Vaccination is a significant preventive measure to contain the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Vaccination rates can provide useful information on the potential spread of infection in a given population. In this study, vaccination rates and attitudes towards vaccination in cultural sectors, specifically the music sector, have been investigated. In total, 4341 persons in four different areas, including visitors to performances of classical music and musicals, as well as professional and amateur musicians, have participated in this survey. Results show rates of 86% recovered from the COVID-19 virus or vaccinated at least once, with 54.5% fully vaccinated. These vaccination rates were considerably higher compared to the general population. An attitude of hesitation towards vaccination found in 6.4% of those sampled was half that of the general population. These findings drawn from a large sample indicate that in the field of music a high vaccination rate is to be found, as well as a low rejection rate of vaccination on the part of the audience and performers. The results can be used to provide insights into the vaccination status to be found at cultural events and, importantly, to assist in consideration of whether cultural events should be permitted to continue under pandemic circumstances.