The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been felt worldwide. One organization, the Accordion Teachers Association of Massachusetts (ATAM), has worked hard to overcome the difficulties of the pandemic by transforming their annual music competition into a new virtual format. For the past 57 years, the annual New England Music Festival has been held during a weekend in April where over 600 students and their families gather to compete and showcase their musical abilities. With categories for accordion, drums, guitar, piano, voice, and violin players, there is a wide variety of musicians represented. Also, just last year, the ATAM added categories for adult musicians as well. The ATAM also distributes over $5,000 in cash awards and scholarships each year at this event. The competition includes many music studios throughout New England.

Unfortunately, the New England Music Festival, which was to be held during the last weekend of March at the Boston Marriott Newton, had to be postponed due to the pandemic. While the competition had originally been postponed to July, the members of the association made the difficult decision to convert the competition to a virtual format. This decision did not come easily, but the ATAM found it to be the safest and most effective way to hold the competition during the uncertain times of Covid-19. With this transition to a virtual competition, the students who had worked so hard to prepare their competition pieces will still be able to perform.

The ATAM has worked hard to find a virtual format that would be efficient and simple, so that all of the original contestants would have the opportunity to remain in the competition. The students will be working with their teachers and studios to record their performance and post a video for each of their categories onto YouTube. The judges will then be sent a scoresheet and video for each contestant and will score and critique each performance.

This alternative design is not the ideal way to host a music competition, but the ATAM thought it was important to make sure that all of the hard work of the students and teachers was not wasted. During the difficult times of this pandemic, it is important for these contestants to keep doing what they love, playing music, while making sure they are staying safe. The ATAM is looking forward to hosting the 59th Annual New England Music Festival at the Boston Marriott Newton on April 9th, 10th & 11th 2021, but for now they are capitalizing on the advantages of technology to continue spreading joy through music during these tough times!

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