2020-06-15
Updated 2020-06-16
From The Virtual World, Back To The Real World!
It’s so good to be able to resume in-person lessons!
Things will be a little bit different for the moment (side by side pianos, and a sneeze guard!).
There’s new music, new challenges, and more!
Return to the old timetable...
After much correspondence and many comments, we will simply be returning to the old timetable.
There may be the opportunity to change your lesson time, but I would ask your for patience.
I’ve lost my former naivety that I can predict and make allowances for every upcoming situation! I’ve done my best to prepare, but I’m sure that there will be myriad issues over the next week, so I will yet again ask for your understanding - thanks!
My offer for an alternative lesson in the first week of the holidays still stands...
Should you need an alternative lesson during the first week of the holidays, I will do my best to accommodate you, time permitting!
Safety Is A Concern
I want everyone to be safe!
It isn’t possible to be 100% contact free: door handles, chairs, and the piano (obviously!) will all have to be touched.
However, I would hate to think that I was responsible for any transfer of COVID, so I’ve removed many items that can’t be cleaned (goodbye leather chairs!), and I’ve set up little “Sanitizer Stations” for parents and students, as well as foot operated bins.
I’ve also fitted a paper towel dispenser in the bathroom, so washing hands can be very safe.
I’m also concerned about my own health.
Unfortunately during the last two months my health has declined, requiring X-Rays, CT-Scans, ECGS... turns out the family curse of heart problems did not skip me.
So I’m keen to minimize risk for everyone, including myself!
I spent overnight finishing rebuilding the downstairs studio with two beautiful, top model Roland digital pianos side by side, and a sneeze screen between them:
Maximum Visitors = 4 People
I’m blessed with a massive studio, large enough for 8 people under the 4m2 guidelines, but I think we’ll limit it to four visitors (for example, two students and two parents).
For years I’ve encouraged parents to ‘sit-in’ on lessons, and now this might need to be necessary, as the smaller waiting room is only rated for 4 people (on the 4m2 rule), so if the next family has arrived for their lessons, there might not be room in the waiting room. So come in and join the fun!
I’ve also replaced tea, coffee and sugar with single serve packets, although there’s not much I can do about the kettle or milk.
My suggestion, if you’re concerned, would be to bring your favourite brew from home in a small thermos!
Preparing For In-Person Lessons
1. Have a music bag.
Keep all your music things in one place, ready to go! Also, it keeps your gear from getting touched, so you don’t have to clean it!
2. Make sure you have a pen or pencil in the bag (so you don’t have to share).
It is polite to share, just not whilst COVID is about!
3. Have at least one clipboard (two or three might be better).
Normally I have several for students to use during lessons, but obviously in a zero-contact world, that’s not possible any more...
If you don’t have any at home, Officeworks have a cheap perspex clipboard that’s strong and super easy to disinfect (and, cheap!)
A better suggestion is to use a “RondoFile”, so you can write on your music without the music falling off the piano.
You can get Rondofiles from me, if you’d like one.
4. Wash your hands when you arrive!
You can use hand sanitizer (convenient), or anti-bacterial soap and paper towels (safer) when you arrive.
5. Sneeze into your elbow, then sanitize!
There’s a bin, tissues, and hand sanitizer next to the piano, and on the table for parents!
Online Lessons Will Continue
There are adult students, and several immunocompromised students who will want to continue online lessons.
Also, it’s foreseeable that people might get the flu (or “flu-like symptoms” and not be able to go to school or work (or music lessons!).
Rather than miss out, you can still do lessons online.
In order to do this, I’ve been ripping out all the furniture from my lounge room upstairs, and putting in a piano, controller keyboard, desk, table, stand, lighting, changing the roof lighting...
I will try my hardest to be ready to go Monday morning, but I will ask for your enduring patience and forgiveness if I am not...
Update:
I’ve finished the new online studio (and there’s still just room for a chair and my TV, so good work Stephen!)
And Now, a MASSIVE “Thank You”!
I want to thank all the parents and students that have made online teaching such a wonderful experience.
I’ll admit I was stressed about teaching online. Just how do you teach a musical instrument in an online environment?
I listened to all the students that had started doing online lessons: the good points, and the many difficulties and problems. I read every blog I could from teachers that were already teaching online overseas. I asked questions of teaching professionals.
And so I drew up a plan.
I thought I was soooo smart, and that I had considered all the issues, and that I had a solution (or at least a work-around) for everything.
If you’re interested, you can read my original plan here:
Unfortunately...
By then end of the first day’s teaching, I realized just how wrong I was! I had several pages of issues to resolve.
Of course, many in the world had the same problems, and fortunately, I have many incredibly kind and clever students. I received so many creative, helpful and encouraging suggestions, that I was able to improve systems (and therefore the quality of my teaching services) almost every day.
A special extra thanks to Mandy and Anna, for all their advice and assistance.
Things like adding a scanner next to me so I could send documents at the end of the lessons, using a blog, making changes to online bookings, re-configuring lighting (several times), and custom tailoring software all made teaching easier for me, and better for students.
The studio changed, and grew... and grew! Eventually, most of the room became dedicated to providing the best possible online experience for students:
A big improvement came with finally taking the plunge and investing in a new microphone (an excellent Quad-capsule Blue Yeti-Pro-X), and software to enhance online audio ($600, but worth it).
So as I said, “Thank You!”
Here’s a reminder of some of the many online lessons students have had...
Which reminds me: thank you for taking the time to set up your own equipment! Look how good it looks! This made it so much easier for me to help you. Thanks again!
I’ve cropped these photos. Can you identify yourself by just seeing your fingers and keyboard?
