Imagine it is the beginning of the semester and it’s time for the field trip you’ve been waiting for. The trip to no other than Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Only to find out it’s cancelled due to a very contagious virus all the money you have just saved up for just down the drain. This was the very case for many Fresno City College band students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Yes, we had to cancel the trip due to the pandemic. It was a devastating reality for us, socially, emotionally, and musically,” said FCC band director Elisha Wilson. 

However, she is grateful the college was able to minimize the financial impact for students, saying that  administrators, “worked tirelessly so that we were able to repay each student 100% of all funds each student personally contributed, through negotiation with World Projects, and in coordination with efforts from our Foundation.”

Wilson said the cancellation due to the pandemic has also had an effect on enrollment. 

“Although the cancellation took an emotional toll on our students and many of them decided to not return to the band this semester, I am pleased to say that we have a wonderful group of students this semester who are excited about making music in a virtual way,” she said.

As far as future plans go for the upcoming new virtual fall semester, The band is currently working on creating a video of a musical piece with visual and audio enjoyment, along with other recording projects this semester.

“Our music faculty is committed to engaging our students daily, in each class, sharing ideas, growing our knowledge, and sparking vibrant creativity among and within our classes,” Wilson said. 

For her hopes for the future with the band program she says, “We believe that music (and all art) is timeless, and it is necessary for human survival, as well as growth and healing. 

“Music has an unspeakable power to bridge the gaps that divide society and our world,” Wilson said. “We need it now more than ever, and the FCC Music Department is in full swing, learning, creating, and sharing music, just as we always have.”

Direct statement from FCC bands:

“Yes, we had to cancel the trip due to the pandemic. It was a devastating reality for us, socially, emotionally, and musically. Dean Luna and other administrators worked tirelessly so that we were able to repay each student 100% of all funds each student personally contributed, through negotiation with World Projects, and in coordination with efforts from our Foundation.

Although the cancelation took an emotional toll on our students and many of them decided to not return to the band this semester, I am pleased to say that we have a wonderful group of students this semester who are excited about making music in a virtual way. The band is currently working on creating a video of a musical piece that was originally composed for both visual and audio enjoyment, among several other recording projects this semester. Our music faculty is committed to engaging our students daily, in each class, sharing ideas, growing our knowledge, and sparking vibrant creativity among and within our classes. We believe that music (and all art) is timeless, and it is necessary for human survival, as well as growth and healing. Music has an unspeakable power to bridge the gaps that divide society and our world. We need it now more than ever, and the FCC Music Department is in full swing, learning, creating, and sharing music, just as we always have”

-Elisha Wilson, Director of Bands, Brass, and Music Theory