When the pandemic hit, many musicians were forced to take their work home. 🏠 🎼

For an industry that needs both an audience and close collaboration to survive, this was particularly hard. So when Mele Willis from the Minnesota Orchestra wanted to find a safer way for musicians to return to the stage, she turned to the study of fluid dynamics to try to get some clear guidance, joining forces with Associate Professor Jiarong Hong from the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering. 🎺 🎷

Their research team studied how far wind and brass instruments spread aerosols before modelling patterns of airflow and exchange. They found that wind instruments do not spread aerosols farther than a foot which helped them to establish new protocols for rehearsals and performances including social distancing, using portable air filters, and putting masks over instruments. 😷 🎵

Discover this and other stories on #RAZOR​​ Youtube channel, the science & technology show you need in your life:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPxSZWJo7MVrWR7bLC45FQ

#RAZOR​​ is on TikTok to take you on a science journey: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeMvAa1a/