Matt Ingelson - Creating a Virtual Concert Band

One of the biggest developments during the crisis is the growth of the number Virtual Concert Band projects. We have seen many of these projects highlighted on local and national news broadcasts. But many of you are wondering how feasible this project is and even asking, "Should this be something I'm doing with my band?"

Just as there is no one solution to the crisis for every band program, the answer to this question is complex and multi faceted.

Matt Ingelson, band director at Desert Hot Springs High School (CA), and his team of band directors developed the Coachella Valley Virtual Concert Band and they were recently featured on the Palm Springs NBC affiliate. I had the chance to talk with Matt about the project and ask him about what was involved in creating a great virtual performance of Holst's Second Suite in F. As you can imagine, putting together something like this is a HUGE project.

Some of you will watch this and say, "No. That's not for me." However, some of you will be intrigued and possibly take steps to develop something like this for your students or the students in your area.

One of my biggest takeaways from this interview was finding out how many people were involved in the project. This is definitely a big project and not one for any single person, however the outreach and impact on a community has been significant.