TunesFlow Study | The Shepherd School of Music

Musicians may need more than social distancing to stay safe on stage.

Rice-Houston Symphony study of exhaled aerosols points to importance of ventilation

Keeping musicians safe while they're on stage during the pandemic may require more than social distancing, according to preliminary research by Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ashok Veeraraghavan, Professor & Department Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ashutosh Sabharwal, Dean of The Shepherd School of Music Robert Yekovich, and President & CEO of the Houston Symphony John Mangum. Engineers used a high-speed camera and computational imaging to track the movements of exhaled air released by singers and musicians who play wind instruments. The research shows that much of the air expelled by singers and those playing wind instruments, is warmer than normal room temperatures and tends to rise and co-mix with the air currents created by the room's ventilation. The results were released prior to peer review so as to expedite recommendations that music venues employ a mix of strategies including appropriate distancing, wearing of masks and ensuring ventilation systems meet or exceed federal standards and more.

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Study results and recommendations

Houston Symphony flutist Kathryn Ladner '12 in front of the speckled background that allowed Rice's experimental schlieren imaging setup to deliver a wide field of view of airflow around performers. (Photo by Brandon Martin/Rice University)

From left, Houston Symphony flutist Kathryn Ladner '12, postdoctoral research associate Vivek Boominathan and graduate students Ankit Raghuram and Sean Farrell prepare for an experiment at Rice's Shepherd School of Music in late August. (Photo by Brandon Martin/Rice University)

Backlighting required for Rice University's background-oriented schlieren imaging experiments produced this silhouette of David Kirk, associate professor of tuba at Rice's Shepherd School of Music and principal tubist with the Houston Symphony. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

Rice University postdoctoral research associate Vivek Boominathan (left) speaks with graduate student Sean Farrell about the results of a schlieren imaging experiment with David Kirk, associate professor of tuba at Rice's Shepherd School of Music and principal tubist with the Houston Symphony. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

Backlighting required for Rice University's background-oriented schlieren imaging experiments produced this silhouette of Jonathan Fischer, principal oboe with the Houston Symphony, during experiments at Rice's Shepherd School of Music in late August. (Photo by Brandon Martin/Rice University)

Lindsay Kate Brown '18, a mezzo soprano with the Houston Grand Opera, and Sean Farrell, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, prepare for an experiment at Rice's Shepherd School of Music in late August. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

Lindsay Kate Brown '18, a mezzo soprano with the Houston Grand Opera, sings during a schlieren imaging experiment to measure exhalations and airflow aimed at developing safe-distancing protocols for musical performances during the pandemic. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

Lindsay Kate Brown '18, a mezzo soprano with the Houston Grand Opera, speaks with Vivek Boominathan '19, a postdoctoral research associate in electrical and computer engineering, prior to an experiment at Rice's Shepherd School of Music in late August. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)