After months of restrictions, Quebec's youth orchestras want to play together again

For many young musicians, the pandemic has meant not just disruption to their studies and social life, but also to their participation in community-run youth orchestras. 

Under the current rules for amateur orchestras that aren't run by schools, only 25 people can practise together indoors with a conductor, no matter the size of the room. But a standard youth orchestra is made up of at least double that many musicians.

The Montreal Symphony Youth Orchestra, for example, has between 80 and 100 musicians.

That's why the Quebec Association of Youth Orchestras is asking the government to allow them to rehearse together in larger numbers.

Jean MacRae, president of the association and artistic director and conductor of the Mount Royal Youth Orchestra, explained that because they aren't professional musicians, their activities fall under the category of sports and recreation activities.

If they were professionals, they'd fall under the jurisdiction of the province's workplace health and safety board, and they don't answer to the Ministry of Education because they're not associated with any school.

MacRae told CBC Montreal's Daybreak that this leaves them in "a bit of a grey area."