Dueling Audiences in the Performing Arts: In-person vs. Livestream

We are living in the “New Normal.” That term was used extensively as the world and education slogged its way through the COVID pandemic. Freely admitting that life would not be the same after the pandemic gave us all the sense that there was an end in our future.

What is this ‘New Normal’ and how will it affect the way we teach, the way students learn and the many traditions that every performing arts program cherishes. Much of that is to be determined as the mitigations required for classroom education to safely continue are either reduced, modified, eliminated or made palatable enough to become part of our teaching day. Because of that, the “New Normal” may not resemble the past as much as we would like or hope.

One tradition that every performing arts program has is live performances. During the height of the pandemic, many music departments either opted to cancel their scheduled performances or to livestream them through one a web-based connection such as You- Tube, Zoom, Microsoft Teams or NFHS Network. Those livestreams not only allowed folks who would normally be audience members (parents, teachers, students) to attend, but also allowed interested parties who could not or would not attend to do so – essentially from anywhere in the world. The convenience and broad reach provided by livestreaming concerts was enticing and often easily countered the limitations of the presentations. As a result, many individuals expect every event – concerts, sporting events, award ceremonies, graduations – to be livestreamed.

So, should performing arts programs provide both a live and a livestream version of their holiday, spring, pops, Christmas concerts? Is that to be expected in the “New Normal”? Many school programs are doing just that. While encouraging as many people as possible to attend in person, a livestream option is being offered for those who cannot make the journey or feel more comfortable viewing from the safety of their home.

One might be concerned that by offering a livestream version of a performance that more and more people will decide to save the drive, avoid having to dress up, and enjoy your groups’ performances from the comfort of their couch. Whether that happens or not will be a part of this discussion moving forward. One would think (and hope) that attending in person is still the preferred way to support your students and your program.

The temptation to over-engineer the technology used to livestream a concert can turn that process into something that will overwhelm efforts to prepare your groups for their performance and provide the true purpose of playing in the first play – to have fun making music. Multiple cameras, microphones in key locations, video mixing with captions, PIP and video enhancement are all possible with a small investment in equipment and manpower; however, is that the performance experience that your live audience is receiving? Should the livestream audience get to hear and see the third clarinet section up close and personal when the audience can barely see those individuals? While a documentary on your group might include those sights and sounds, a livestream of your concert should not. Keep it simple and share it from the audience’s perspective.

The simplest way to do that is to enlist the help of an audience member to livestream the concert using a single device. A parent with an iPad or iPhone, a tripod with an inexpensive mount, and a solid WiFi signal in your performance site will let you easily share your concert live on FaceBook or YouTube. Put them where they have a clear view of the performing group, can swing the device if needed to capture other performance locations, and are close enough that the zoom feature on the device allows the image to be a complete, but tight one. Make sure the device is close enough to pick up quality audio or add the single stereo microphone (mounted forward of the tripod) to make sure you get the best sound.

You can use a school account or channel for FaceBook or You- Tube or a personal FaceBook account. Links to that can be posted on your school website ahead of the performance to make sure that those who you expect will use this service will know where to find the stream. The advantage of both services is that the concert is then recorded and can be viewed later (being aware of copyright concerns and guidelines). Copyright laws restrict the sharing of the recording for decades or with anyone with web access, but does allow for use by you and your parents for educational or archival purposes. And of course, selling the recording without paying the music’s copyright holders is not allowed.

Performing in front of a live audience is still one of the many inspiring and thrilling parts of school music programs. Adding a livestream component should not alter nor affect the pride that you and your students have in your music performance. Having long-distance grandparents and supporters be able to share in that effort and having a recording to then use to help your group improve are benefits that a live performance cannot provide. And with the “New Normal,” live streaming will be a part of many of our high school events, music, sports, etc., for the foreseeable future.