NATS COVID-19 Resources
During this unprecedented time the National Association of Teachers of Singing, NATS members and friends have sprung to action to provide a variety of resources to help the singing community adapt to the new realities facing our industry. It truly takes a community to help us navigate these times with creativity, ingenuity, compassion, and leadership. NATS is here to help you succeed during these times. If you know of a resource that is particularly relevant for singing professionals please email it to
NATS COVID-19 Resources List
- #FightTheFatigue Campaign
- Webinars
- Additional COVID-19 Resources Chart
- NATS Chats
- CARES Act Info
- Canadian Citizens Resources
- Facebook Pages and Groups
- Calendar for Live-Streamed Events
- And more, below!
#FightTheFatigue Campaign
NATS knows the fatigue is real with the ongoing pandemic. NATS has launched an online campaign called #FightTheFatigue to address these challenges and support safe singing.
The vaccines are encouraging and welcome, but we all must stay vigilant with good hygiene, wearing our masks and taking stock of our own mental health on a regular and frequent basis. It’s important.
In a show of solidarity, NATS has put a mask on its own logo.
We’re all in this together, so let’s make sure we are being good advocates for our own health and for our own mental health – whether you’re a teacher, a collaborative pianist, a student or a friend or family member of one of these groups. You matter. And you have an important role to play.
NATS Executive Director Allen Henderson gave a brief update on Facebook on Friday, November 13, 2020. Click below to watch:
If you feel inspired to share these graphics, please do. We appreciate your support. Please use the hashtag #FightTheFatigue to show your support of our message, and our mission to carry on with safety and in the best way possible to maintain our mental health. In the coming weeks, we will add to this section with ongoing messages designed to #FightTheFatigue and we invite you to #FightTheFatiguewithNATS.
VIDEO
Watch this video about taking care of your mental health featuring NATS members.
This video encourages safe singing practices.
SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS
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WEBINARS
6/23/21 Webinar — Reentry after COVID - Concerns for Singers
The webinar "Reentry after COVID - Concerns for Singers" is a sequel presented by the same team who produced last year’s well-received NATS webinar, “After COVID: Concerns for Singers.” The companion paper, published by Journal of Voice, had over 60,000 shares on social media, and broke records for readership and downloads. "Reentry after COVID" will consider new COVID-19 related concerns as teachers, singers, coaches and pianists all prepare for in-person collaboration. While private studio owners can make their own rules, reentry after COVID for institutionally-based singers is more complicated by a number of factors, including: vaccine hesitancy among both students and teachers, changing CDC recommendations, and university administrations anxious to return to in-person teaching and learning. This webinar, and its upcoming companion article in the Journal of Voice, will provide fact-based evidence to all singers, including private studio owners and other free agents, to help them safely navigate the coming changes. Topics include:
- Updated information on Aerosols, Droplets and Fomites
- To Mask or Not to Mask?
- Vaccination Issues:
- Efficacy
- Hesitancy among both Students and Teachers
- The Intersection of HIPAA, FERPA, and the Rights of Teachers
- Ventilation Issues:
- CO2 metering
- HEPA filtering
- Air change between lessons
- Psychological Factors and Lingering Pandemic Trauma
The “Reentry” webinar will conclude with a short Q&A session, and three new resources will be available as handouts for attendees:
- What Kind of HEPA Filter Unit Do You Need?
- Updated Risk Assessment Tool
- Joint Statement from the NATS Voice Science Advisory Committee, on SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinations and Best Health Practices
Co-Hosts:
Lynn Helding, MM; Professor of Vocal Arts and Opera, Coordinator, Vocology and Voice Pedagogy, University of Southern California Thornton School of Music
Allen Henderson, DMA; Professor of Music, Georgia Southern University and NATS Executive Director
Presenters:
David Meyer, DM; Associate Professor of Voice and Voice pedagogy and Director of the Janette Ogg Voice Research Center at Shenandoah Conservatory
John Nix, MM; Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy, University of Texas/San Antonio
Thomas Leigh Carroll, MD; Director of the Voice Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School
Jeremy S. Faust, MD, attending physician in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Health Policy and Public Health, and instructor at Harvard Medical School. He is also the conductor and artistic director of The Longwood Chorus, an ensemble of health, medicine, and science professionals and students in the Boston area.”
Wendy LeBorgne, Ph.D. CCC-SLP; Voice Pathologist, Vocal Athlete Specialist & Independent Communication Consultant. CEO/Owner, Professional Voice Consultants, LLC
Slides from Allen Henderson's presentation
Slides from David Meyer's presentation
Slides from John Nix's presentation
Slides from Wendy LeBorgne's presentation
Links:
Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe? (John Hopkins Medicine)
4/16/21 Webinar — Reopening, unmasking, & face-to-face teaching
In conjunction with World Voice Day, NATS Executive Director Allen Henderson gave a live update on April 16 in response to questions about reopening, unmasking and face-to-face teaching.
Slides from Allen Henderson's presentation
3/12/21 Webinar — Teaching COVID-Impacted Singers
From asymptomatic cases to what is now classified as “Long COVID,” the impacts of COVID-19 on singers are wide ranging and potentially career threatening. As teachers of singing, it is important to be an effective part of the care team for your singers who study with you. NATS Vocal Wellness Coordinator and co-author of “The Vocal Athlete” Wendy LeBorgne along with voice teacher and voice consultant at Breathe Well Physio Rachel Goldenberg join NATS Executive Director Allen Henderson for this free webinar. The panelists will discuss how we as informed practitioners can best serve our students and clients as they seek to return to performing careers.
Panelists:
- Dr. Wendy LeBorgne, NATS Vocal Wellness Coordinator and co-author of “The Vocal Athlete”
- Dr. Rachel Goldenberg, voice teacher and voice consultant at Breathe Well Physio
- Dr. Allen Henderson, NATS Executive Director
Slides from Dr. Goldenberg's presentation
Slides from Dr. LeBorgne's presentation
2/5/21 Webinar — On the Horizon
A look ahead for independent studios in the second half of 2021
Join us for a free webinar where we will look ahead at independent studios for the second half of 2021. Our panel will explore ideas and share their plans from the perspective of independent voice teaching studios. NATS will live stream the webinar from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 25 on the Official NATS YouTube channel, with the replay available immediately afterward. No registration required.
Panelists:
- Amy Canchol
- Melissa Cross
- Jason Ferrante
- Allen Henderson
- Kelly Himes
- Anna Lantry
- Dana Lentini
- Kimberli Render
- Cynthia Vaughn
2/4/21 Webinar — Summer, Fall, a Crystal Ball?
Now that 2020 is behind us and there is hope on the horizon with a vaccine, join us as we discuss planning within the singing ecosystem for the second half of 2021. Our panel will discuss what changes we anticipate in regards to teaching, casting, and school as well as our predictions for the performing arts as a whole. This free NATS webinar will be streamed live at 3:30 to 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 4 on the Official NATS YouTube channel. No registration required.
Panelists:
- Ian Howell, New England Conservatory faculty
- Matthew Edwards, artistic director, CCM Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University
- Kristin Cowdin, president and artist manager for Sempre Artists
- Alexa Smith, chief of staff and assistant vice president for special initiatives at Manhattan School of Music
- Nathan De’Shon Myers, singer/conductor
- Jenny Ravitz, casting director, Jonathan Strauss Casting
- Alex Brightman, writer and Tony-nominated actor
- Allen Henderson, executive director, National Association of Teachers of Singing
1/22/21 Webinar — Vaccines, Herd Immunity and How We Get There
We know vaccination is key for all of us to get back to teaching and singing face to face and without masks. We’ve asked a leading expert to weigh in on COVID-19 vaccine distribution and answer the burning question — how soon can we get back to it?
William John Moss, MD, is the executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center and professor at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Moss shares his expertise in vaccines and answers questions.
Links:
International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC)
John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
1/14/21 Webinar — COVID-19 Relief Act 2 and the Singing Community
Singing teachers, studio owners, singers, collaborative pianists, and associated professions are all eligible for funding from the second COVID-19 Relief Act. This is such great news! Join us as we outline the options for you and help you prepare to apply and receive funding as a small business, self-employed, or gig worker. We will do our best to boil it down to manageable parts that will help you be successful if you qualify. We will take questions as well and do our best to answer as many as we can.
Presenters: Allen Henderson, NATS executive director, and Ann Henderson, CPA
The SBA continues to issue updated guidance and forms for next phase implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program. Following is a collection of the latest links to new information, in case it’s helpful to see the content available to-date. Over the past couple of days, top-line overviews and new forms were posted. Still awaiting more implementation details on Save our Stages and the Employee Retention Tax Credits.
SBA Paycheck Protection Program Resources
- SBA Main PPP Page
- SBA Announces Opening of New PPP Programs
- SBA Guidance on Accessing Capital for Minority, Underserved, Veteran and Women-Owned Business Concerns
SBA Resources on PPP First Draw and Forgiveness:
- Interim Final Rule on Paycheck Protection Program as Amended by Economic Aid Act
- Top-line Overview of First Draw Loans
- First Draw Application Form
SBA Resources on PPP Second Draw
- Interim Final Rule on Second Draw Loans
- Top-Line Overview of Second Draw Loans
- Second Draw Application Form
Save Our Stages
Applications open April 9, 2021
EIDL Targeted Advance Grants – up to $10,000
More information from the SBA
EIDL LOANS
Information on the SBA website
9/17/20 Webinar — Mask Design 101: A Bootcamp for Masks during Covid-19
This recording of the recent bootcamp on mask design led by John Volckens and Christian L’Orange of Colorado State University. Learn about what separates a “good” mask from a “bad” one. In this 90-minute webinar you will learn about:
- Principles of mask performance and testing
- A primer on aerosols and filtration theory
- Design features (do’s and don’ts) that lead to better mask performance
- Lessons learned after months of mask and respirator testing
8/10/20 Webinar — Preliminary Study Results on the Safety of Singing
This specific session discusses the singing specific content from the preliminary study results on aerosols in the performing arts being undertaken at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Maryland. The live webinar hosted by NATS is moderated by Allen Henderson, executive director of NATS. Among the guests joining us are:
Dr. Jelena Srebric, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland and a lead researcher on the Performing Arts Aerosol Study jointly funded by leading performing arts organizations.
Otolaryngologist Dr. Lucinda Halstead, is founder and medical director of the Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is also President of the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA).
Olivia Lerwick, soprano is a graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder whose singing was measured as a part of the ongoing study.
Resources:
Webinar Powerpoint
Personal Risk Tolerance Assessment
What does the data say in my locale?
GA Tech Event Risk Assessment Tool
What about my studio/building?
The University of Colorado Boulder risk assessment tool
Harvard-UC Boulder Portable Air Cleaner Calculator for Schools.v1.1
ASHRAE Resources
6/29/20 Webinar — After COVID: Concerns for Singers
Assessing the risk of singers’ contracting COVID-19 illness typically center around only three possible outcomes:
- avoiding COVID-19 infection altogether
- contracting COVID-19 and recovering from it
- contracting COVID-19 and dying from it
Yet there is another outcome that should be inserted in this list: contracting COVID-19 and living with its aftereffects. Because these aftereffects can include reduced lung capacity and intubation injuries - byproducts with potentially devastating effects on singers - this webinar will be devoted to a frank discussion of these and other COVID-19 related concerns. The goal of the webinar is to help singers create their own COVID-19 Risk Assessment and Decision Matrix tool.
Hosted by: Lynn Helding, Professor, Vocal Arts and Opera, Coordinator, Vocology and Voice Pedagogy, University of Southern California Thornton School of Music
Co-hosts:
- David Meyer, DM, Associate Professor of Voice and Voice pedagogy and Director of the Janette Ogg Voice Research Center at Shenandoah Conservatory
- John Nix; Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy, University of Texas/San Antonio
Guest Medical Professionals
- Thomas Leigh Carroll, MD; Director of the Voice Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School
- Michael Johns III, MD; Professor Of Clinical Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Director of the USC Voice Center of Keck Medical Center
- Wendy LeBorgne, Ph.D., CCC-SLP; director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation (Dayton, OH), and The Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH).
Joined by: Karen Brunssen, NATS President and Allen Henderson, NATS Executive Director
Decision Assist Reflection Tool
David Meyer Slides
John Nix Slides
Thomas Carroll Notes
Wendy LeBorgne Slides
5/27/20 Webinar — Singing: What We CAN Do
This webinar focuses on examples of how singers and singing ensembles are producing their art now, and creating and maintaining community, as physical distancing guidelines continue to be in place. Leaders will share promising projects and technologies that keep us connected and singing. Our goal is to share inspiration, vision, and creative, practical solutions for our field.
5/21/20 - The CDC has released updated guidelines for reopening colleges and universities. They can be found here.
5/5/2020 Webinar — A Conversation: What Do Science and Data Say About the Near Term Future of Singing
The National Association of Teachers of Singing, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Chorus America, Barbershop Harmony Society, and Performing Arts Medical Association (PAMA) presented an important webinar about the near term future of singing as we seek fact based solutions in protecting our singers, teachers, and conductors during this time. The live webinar hosted by NATS was moderated by Tim Sharp, executive director of ACDA, Catherine Dehoney, president and CEO of Chorus America, Marty Monson, CEO of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and Allen Henderson, executive director of NATS.
Guests:
Dr. Donald Milton, a leading researcher whose work focuses on the interrelated areas of infectious bioaerosols, exhaled breath analysis, and development and application of innovative methods for respiratory epidemiology. Dr. Milton is Professor of Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, with a secondary appointment in the School of Medicine.
Otolaryngologist Dr. Lucinda Halstead, is founder and medical director of the Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is also President Elect of the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA).
Mollie Quinlan-Hayes is director of ArtsReady, a national initiative of South Arts and most recently served as deputy director at South Arts.
Tom Clareson is project director of Performing Arts Readiness, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help performing arts organizations protect their assets, sustain operations, and prepare for emergencies.
More information about our organizations is available at:
https://acda.org/
https://www.chorusamerica.org/
https://www.barbershop.org/
http://artsmed.org/
https://www.artsready.org/
https://performingartsreadiness.org/
Additional resources mentioned in the webinar:
Future of Singing Power Point
Future of Singing PDF
COVID 19 & SINGING - Research Articles & Guidelines List
Catherine Dehoney Power Point
Catherine Dehoney PDF
Donald Milton PDF
Lucinda Halstead Power Point
Lucinda Halstead PDF
NATS COVID-19 Resources List
compiled and managed by Deanna McBroom, MM
NATS CHATS
Recordings available to members and non-members here.
*Emergency NATS Chat: Calming the Coronavirus Crisis and Taking Your Teaching Online
*Special Edition NATS Chat: Teaching Lyric Diction Online
Guests: Cheri Montgomery, Dawn Padula, and Allen Henderson
*Special Edition NATS Chat: Taking Voice Pedagogy Courses Online During COVID-19
Guests: Joshua Glasner, Nicholas Perna, Kathy Price, and John Nix
*Special Edition NATS Chat: Protecting Your Mental Health During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Panelists: Dr. Ann Marie Roepke, Psychologist, PhD, Susan and Dr. Duce Miles LCSW
*Special Edition NATS Chat: The Collaborative Pianist during COVID-19
Panelists: Craig Terry, Rhonda Kline, Laurie Rogers, Nicholas Shaneyfelt
*Special Edition NATS Chat: Making a Professional Pivot During COVID-19
Guests: Morgan James, Tamar Greene, Alex Fletcher, Joelle Harvey, Angela Young Smucker, Mikki Sodergren, Morris Robinson
*Special Edition NATS Chat: A Singer’s Mental Health During COVID-19
Guests: Dr. Yvette Litchfield and Dr. Julio Rosario
*Special Edition NATS Chat: Tools for Self-Care to Manage Stress During COVID
Guest: Dr. Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk
NATS Guide to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
NEW! COVID-19 RELIEF ACT 2
NATS is working on resources for members, including a webinar.
1/14/21 Webinar — COVID-19 Relief Act 2 and the Singing Community
Singing teachers, studio owners, singers, collaborative pianists, and associated professions are all eligible for funding from the second COVID-19 Relief Act. This is such great news! Join us as we outline the options for you and help you prepare to apply and receive funding as a small business, self-employed, or gig worker. We will do our best to boil it down to manageable parts that will help you be successful if you qualify. We will take questions as well and do our best to answer as many as we can.
Presenters: Allen Henderson, NATS executive director, and Ann Henderson, CPA
CANADIAN CITIZEN RESOURCES
Our Canadian members also have resources available to them for relief aid.
Canada Council. https://canadacouncil.ca/covid-19-information
Global Affairs Canada has implemented the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad, which will allow Canadians to access an emergency loan of up to $5,000 to help secure their timely return to Canada and to temporarily cover their life-sustaining needs while they work toward their return.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit will provide support to self-employed individuals, including contract workers, who are not eligible for EI. It will provide a taxable benefit of $2,000 a month for up to 4 months to:
- workers who must stop working due to COVID19 and do not have access to paid leave or other income support.
- workers who are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19.
- working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children that are sick or need additional care because of school and daycare closures.
- workers who still have their employment but are not being paid because there is currently not sufficient work and their employer has asked them not to come to work.
- wage earners and self-employed individuals, including contract workers, who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit will is accessible through a secure web portal HERE.
Other possible measures:
- A one-time special GST credit payment in early May 2020 will provide close to $400 for single individuals and $600 for couples eligible to benefit from this measure.
- For those with children, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment amount will increase for the 2019-20 benefit year by $300 per child as part of the May payment.
- The tax deadline for 2019 has been moved to June 1, 2020. Canadians who have filed their taxes already, and owe money, will not have to pay until September 1, 2020.
- The six largest financial institutions will work with customers to provide flexible solutions on mortgage and credit payments on case by case basis.
Canadian Actor's Equity COVID Resources Page has an extensive list of links to the latest information for Canadian artists.
Opera Canada COVID-19 Resources fo Artists has an extensive lists of resources listed for artists in a variety of genres.
FACEBOOK PAGES
Please like and follow the official NATS FB page
We also have a variety of Facebook Groups which we hope you will join as appropriate. We feel the first three are very important and others are optional based on your specific needs:
NATS Chat for Voice Teachers
NATS Members-Only Group
Your Chapter and Region NATS Facebook pages
*NATS Does… pages
We set up several groups to assist those using a variety of specific online learning platforms during this time. Browse these groups to see if one platform is a good fit for you.
| NATS does Zoom | NATS does Skype | NATS does D2L |
| NATS does Canvas | NATS does Google | NATS does Blackboard |
| NATS does Moodle |
LIVE STREAMED EVENTS - #click4concerts
NATS is making available its events calendar during the COVID-19 Crisis for our entire singing community to post events that are being live streamed. We need art, and we crave to make art during times like these. We will be sharing events and links to the calendar in a variety of ways. They can be free or for-profit. Submit your event here. Encourage your students and colleagues to post events.
CHAPTERS AND REGIONS Online Meetings and Events
NATS GoToMeeting and NATS Zoom are available for your NATS-centric communication needs, or for holding a chapter or region event. We encourage you to engage members in innovative ways with the ingenuity we are so thankful for, much of which carries over to other chapters, regions and national levels. To set up a meeting/event, please contact . She will need to know the purpose of the meeting and a general idea of who will be there.
Publisher Resources for These Times
A number of publishers have issued statements to help us during this time.
Partner Sites with COVID Resources
NATS is proud to have strong partnerships with sister organizations that are providing a resources that may be of interest to the singing community:
Opera America COVID Resource Hub
MTNA Resource Page
American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Resource Page
National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) webinar
American Association of Independent Music extensive list of relief resources
Chorus America resource page
NOT A MEMBER OF NATS?
If you have found these resources valuable that NATS has provided during these times, please consider joining NATS. We are more than 7,000 members strong and the largest organization of voice professionals in the world. Click here for more info.<
