They are hundreds of thousands in France not being able to exercise their passion for some, their job for others, as they would like. How to practice singing in times of Covid-19? In Bouaye, near Nantes, Bernard Keller decided to look into the seemingly innocuous question. It must be said that the members of the choir of which he is the president, Mélodie en Retz, initially tried to sing with a traditional mask... "Between the humidity, the contact of the lips with the fabric, and the lack of breath , it was very difficult, he recalls. We needed something less embarrassing, which offers us a sufficient air bubble in front of the nose and the mouth”
The 50-year-old, at the head of a forced shutdown event company, then had the idea of designing his own mask. And it was to a bra manufacturer (!), located in Lyon, that he turned last summer. After two prototypes, he launched the production of this “Grand Mask”, which has the merit of being very soft and adapting to the shape of the face. The news is spreading among the choirs of France who all want to equip themselves with this funny accessory in thermoformed fabric, and with a “very good filtration rate”. As a result, in barely a year, the milestone of 50,000 sales in France and Europe has just been exceeded, according to its creator. With a resurgence of orders in recent days (as during the previous deconfinement), at a price of 6 or 7 euros per unit depending on the quantity requested.
Commissions for opera singers
It must be said that among professionals too, the ingenious mask seduces. Because if the performances were interrupted, the rehearsals continued behind the scenes, without obviously escaping the barrier gestures. Many operas have therefore placed orders to try to improve the comfort of their choristers. “A singer must feel comfortable to perform well, he needs a breathable mask that alters his vocal quality as little as possible, explains the health and safety manager of one of them. The Great Mask fulfills these specifications for some singers, even if we must not lie to each other: it is always experienced as an embarrassment. »
In Bouaye, this activity will have allowed Bernard Keller to “go through confinement without incident, and without seeking any aid from the State” for his business. If the Ministry of Culture has announced the resumption of singing lessons on July 1 (and since May 19 for individual lessons), distancing and wearing a mask should remain in force for some time. “I hope that this activity will remain ephemeral, confides Bernard Keller. All I wish is that we don't need a mask anymore! To be able to sing all together, as before. »
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