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Beyond melodies Acclaimed violinist Vijay Gupta sees music as a powerful tool of inclusion
FDA OKs vaccine for ages 5-11 (The Center Square) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID19 vaccine to be administered to children ages 5 to 11. Earlier this week, an FDA advisory committee recommended the vaccine be approved for the age group. “The FDA has determined this Pfizer vaccine has met the criteria for emergency use authorization,” the agency said in a news release. “Based on the totality of scientific evidence available, the known and potential benefits of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in individuals down to 5 years
of age outweigh the known and potential risks.” The vaccine given to children ages 5 to 11 will be one-third the dose approved for those 12 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must still give its authorization before the age group can begin receiving the vaccine. That approval is expected next week.
MORE ON SUNDAY Local medical experts talk about COVID-19 in Sunday’s News-Press.
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5-11 could get final approval from the CDC as early as next week.
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Violinist Vijay Gupta performs for music students at the Karl Geiringer Hall.
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Vijay Gupta sees the violin as something that’s more than an instrument. “The violin is the mirror,” Mr. Gupta told the News-Press Friday. “It keeps me honest in a way nothing else can.” And the acclaimed violinist sees music as something that’s more than melodies. He sees it as a way to scale the challenges of social justice and build a bridge with those who have experienced homelessness, addiction and incarceration. Mr. Gupta talked about music as a tool for inclusion to music students Thursday afternoon at UCSB Karl Geiringer Hall and later to a broader audience during a conversation with author Pico Iyer at the university Campbell Hall. Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the evening talk was called “The Healing Power of Music.” Both were part of a full day for Mr. Gupta, founder of Street Symphony, which engages the Skid Row community of Los Angeles through music and conversations. “Yesterday (Thursday) I had a chance to speak with arts leaders from the Santa Barbara
Symphony and the ballet. There’s such a drive and hunger and passion to make art and music and make our world a more beautiful place,” Mr. Gupta said. “It’s about who we are making music for, who we are trying to welcome to our spaces and who may not have access to those spaces.” He told the News-Press he talked to the music students about “why we are making art in the world and the role of artists in the
world today. “I started off by presenting a piece of work by Reena Esmail,” he said, explaining the IndianAmerican composer’s piece begins his violin album, “Breathe,” which is available on iTunes. “It’s about grief and forgiveness and creating spaces of reflection, which I think all of us need in this time of continued pandemic. “My approach, my hypothesis around the purpose of art, is to
create belonging, contemplation and reflection, to look forward and transcend difficult moments, to genuinely find meaning in what might be pain,” Mr. Gupta said. He said all of that marked the beginning of his conversation with UCSB music students. “That moved into conversations around cultures and diversity and composers that we have loved, composers we sometimes Please see VIOLINIST on A4
FYI For more about Vijay Gupta’s work, see www. streetsymphony.org.
Vijay Gupta talks to his audience about the role of music in the world. FOLLOW US ON
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By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
The Santa Barbara Unified School District reportedly plans to place unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave. “We do have a handful of employees who have declined to become vaccinated, and they will be placed on unpaid leave beginning Nov. 1,” Camie Barnwell, chief of district communications, said in a report at keyt.com. The News-Press emailed Ms. Barnwell on Thursday and Friday for confirmation, but there was no response. She couldn’t be reached by phone Friday evening. According to a district website, 91.9% of its staff is vaccinated. That equals 1,547 employees. That site also said vaccinations are in progress for 2.3% or 39 employees. The district is requiring all staff to be vaccinated unless they qualify for exemptions for medical or religious reasons. According to the website, 5.3% or 90 employees are requesting exemptions or deferrals. And the district is waiting for a response from 0.4% or seven of its employees. The district’s vaccination numbers were described as “cumulative data of Oct. 21, 2021” and were represented at COVID19 Report No. 30 at Tuesday’s school board meeting. You can
The district is requiring all staff to be vaccinated unless they qualify for exemptions for medical or religious reasons. According to the website, 5.3% or 90 employees are requesting exemptions or deferrals. find all of the district’s reports at go.boarddocs.com/ca/sbunified/ board.nsf/public#. Then search for “vaccinations.” Besides the district staff, the report addressed figures among students. The district found that among secondary students, 33.9% or 3,124 have been vaccinated. The district is waiting for a response from 66.1% or 6,091 students. According to the data, there were 0.5% or 15 positive COVID19 cases found among all students who were tested. email: dmason@newspress.com
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