Are schools still doing music lessons?

[ncd36275]

Sorry this is a bit of a roundabout/strange question.
My STBXH is a music teacher who goes into different schools to do instrument lessons. As part of his "reasoning" (Ex cocklodger) to ask me for money, he's claiming that he's got less work in schools at the moment because of the virus. I don't have any idea whether this is plausible and if instrument lessons in schools are restricted/aren't happening at the moment. None of the schools he works at have been closed.
I'd be very grateful if anyone could give me an idea as to whether there could be any truth in this. He has form for being creative in the reasons he's given for trying to demand money.

Both my children are having music lessons for different instruments in secondary school - drums and guitar.

As a peri music teacher I can confirm that some schools are not allowing peri’s back in. Also some music services too if the schools are contracted through them... but some are allowing online lessons. Each school seems to have its own rules. Sorry to not be much help for you.

I should add, it does depend on the school. I’m back doing face to face lessons in all mine. Can you ring the schools and ask?

Depends on what instrument he teaches. If it’s wind/brass/pipes/singing then they’re not allowed back yet as they use air to make them work. Dry instruments, strings/piano/guitar/percussion are back online in some schools.

He could be telling the truth - some schools are having them in and some aren’t. Depends on the area/individual school/employment set up.

It depends on the school and the instrument.

Ours has only just started.

Thank you everyone for replying. He teaches the violin. It sounds like there could possibly be some truth in what he's saying. He's come out with such creative reasons for why he's got less work than he used to have, therefore needs financial support, that I may be being skeptical even though this one is true!

DS1 is having his violin and piano lessons as normal. Before school went back he was having them remotely over Teams. Same for DS2 trumpet (still remotely) and piano.

@doodlejump1980

Depends on what instrument he teaches. If it’s wind/brass/pipes/singing then they’re not allowed back yet as they use air to make them work. Dry instruments, strings/piano/guitar/percussion are back online in some schools.

Maybe this is area dependent as DD is back doing face to face singing lessons in school.

At our primary school, no sadly. No external visitors are allowed at school at all including the music teachers (who are freelance, not staff.) But we've made a private arrangements to carry on lessons via Skype outside school hours, can't he do that?

My DD is having lessons in school. She plays clarinet. They've been asked to put a sock over the end of the instrument to minimise the spit coming out the end and onto the floor! Lessons and band definitely going ahead....

Ds plays guitar and is doing GCSE music. Has continued with his private lessons at a local music school throughout.

My DS is having his usual keyboard lessons at primary. I am a secondary teacher and all the different instrument lessons are back on as normal too

I should add that they all must bring their own instrument and take it home on the same day and that they all store them in a covid secure way too. So there are restrictions. But lessons are in

@mnahmnah how do they do piano lessons if they have to bring in their own instruments?

I work for a music hub. It is very variable, some schools everyone is back in and some aren’t allowing visitors. Numbers learning are lower too.

It does sound as though for once there could be some truth in it. If anyone else had told me I'd have believed them but it's a bit of a boy who cried wolf thing with him.

@ineedaholidaynow

Well obviously not pianos!

My DC’s music teachers have been furloughed since lockdown. The school music service is hoping to have them make in schools after half term. DS’s guitar teacher has bern doing fortnightly lessons free of charge via Zoom though.

We aren't using any shared instruments or shared small groups.
Some have produced online lessons.
We don't have the space for storage of the instruments in the day or the rooms presently.

No music lessons at my DS's high school this term. They're supposed to be reviewing it at Christmas.

One of my best friends is a peri, and he has only been able to resume about 30% of his school work so far, and around half of his pupils have chosen not to continue private teaching at either his/their home. He has struggled a lot through lack of income, though he is trying online video lessons as far as possible, but even with this there is a huge lack of income for him.

@LindaEllen thank you for replying. I suppose whilst the lessons may still be available, parents might be deciding not to continue with them. I don't know whether a lot of children have stopped having them because of the risk/paying for them has become an issue and whether so many people actually want online lessons compared to the real thing?

This will likely vary from place to place, so it's a toss-up whether he's being entirely honest with the track record you're describing.

At my DDs' school, the Y8 and Y9s have single or shared lessons (my DD1 has shared piano, working on duets), but the Y7s haven't started on any lessons yet. There was low takeup of the online versions over lockdown and it took a couple weeks to get everything organized (had a lot of back and forth emails from instructors as things kept changing).