If you pay for school music lessons.. what has happened during the crisis

[absolutelyknackeredcow]

Just that really. Our child has had school lessons - nothing has continued - and we have been charged full amount with no discussion (state school).

They also have private piano and singing and these have continued over Zoom.

This is not a discussion about income for those teachers - I know they would have lost loads of cash and I feel very sorry for them. I am just interested in what other schools have done in this situation

our lessons are provided by the local music hub, which receives no council funding and operates on offering paid lessons and contracting some staff to schools for days here and there.

They initially spoke about offering Zoom lessons, but when the furlough scheme was announced they advised that this was best for the long-term viability of the service, so we've have no lessons and (no fees to pay) since March. They've not announced yet what things will look like in September but are exploring Zoom lessons for when schools feel they can't offer peripatetic teaching safely.

We pay for 3 lessons.
2 in school 1 external.
2 teacher have managed zoom/FaceTime lessons well and we are continueing 1 over the summer.
The 3rd in school was an elderly gentleman who was shielding. So I didn't really expect to do anything virtually with him.

Still very unclear what will happen in Sept.

We were refunded the money. Then we were asked after about a month if we wanted Zoom lessons, which we did, so we paid for them. They haven’t worked brilliantly as our WiFi is apparently the second worse the teacher had come across as our son took great delight in relating to us. We were also offered lessons over the summer but didn’t take that up.

All music lessons at school are delivered by external teachers who come in, there is a huge music program. Teachers invoice us independently. DD's voice teacher offered to use Zoom which DD didn't want. I chatted to her and she was actually really happy to cut her workload as she was homeschooling her own two primary age kids. She credited us the lessons I had paid for and she resumed a few weeks ago face to face (we're in Aus). Tbh I wouldn't have asked for the credit as it was only three lessons but she offered. Whether you can be charged for lessons you didn't get depends on the agreement you had.

Guitar and piano continued on Skype and Zoom. Guitar is continuing over summer, not sure about piano which is continuing until the end of July.

DD does violin and singing. Both have continued via Zoom. It has worked great for us (but our broadband is fast and reliable).

DS2's singing lessons via school continued through Teams. We don't pay as DS is doing A level music, but other people would have paid as normal. Out of school private lessons for trombone and piano also delivered through Teams

Our local council music hub which provide the lessons have continued over Zoom, and they plan to keep doing it that way during the autumn term.

DS1 got taught over zoom until the school prepaid lessons were completed, then offered a private arangement for those that wanted to continue over zoom.
DS2, silence. So we technically still have credit with school, but dont know if we will see it, or if it has kept the teacher fed over lockdown. I guess we find out in Sept.

We had a message from the organisation that provides instrumental lessons offering zoom classes. Ds wasn't keen, he is year 11 and was leaving to go to college anyway and had been planning on finding a new teacher specialising in jazz. The organisation emailed offering to carry over any unused lessons already paid for into the next academic year but I emailed them pointing out that ds won't be at school next year so we will be getting a refund.

His private singing lessons have been running over zoom fine.

Both have had Zoom or Wattsapp lessons

One had zoom lessons via the music service. One continued with the teacher who works direct for school via skype. It seems the first few weeks of September will be the same.

Y7 has violin lessons at school, delivered by an external teacher who comes in to deliver sessions - we’ve not been paying and not been offered any virtual lessons. I know her teacher has small children, might be a factor!

School music lessons (provided by the county council music service) continued online via Zoom. They switched from small group lessons to 1:2, which worked really well.

(The above post refers to a state primary school)

Zoom guitar lessons until he went back to school on the day he has his guitar lesson. Nothing since, although I could arrange it if I emailed his teacher.
See what happens in September. We were at the end of a block anyway helpfully!

Lessons have continued via Zoom.

We had to sign an agreement first, setting out all the terms and conditions for the lessons to be able to take place this way.

We were also given the option to drop lessons until September if preferred and receive a refund.

One Child we paid and got zoom lessons other child nothing was offered and we didn’t pay. I would be very unhappy to have paid and got no provision!

They have been ongoing at the usual time on video call.

My sons school piano lessons (run by local music trust) were held via zoom- we paid as normal. They were with a different teacher as his usual one was furloughed but they were very good and we were happy with the teaching.

Piano lessons via zoom. And grading going ahead online too next month

No music provision through school so private teacher who normally travels to students’ homes. Went to Skype and am happy to say it has worked quite well.

We weren't invoiced for the summer term and were refunded for the couple of lessons DD missed at the tail end of the spring term. Instrument hire is free for the next term but they're unsure if the teachers will be in school. They might offer online lessons but these will be more expensive....

My daughter plays a brass instrument and her lessons continued online. They use Flip grid and she would record herself playing and send it to the teacher and he would send videos back. He would also email her music to play.

We’re in Scotland and school finished at the start of July. I think when we go back in August lessons will continue like this for the foreseeable future.

My daughter has a weekly lesson on google hangouts. She hates it and probably won’t take her exam next year as planned as she’s made little progress.

It’s a shame but I think this is the beginning of the end for her music. She definitely won’t want to continue if lessons aren’t back to normal in September. I’ll be gutted too as I enjoy the orchestra she plays in and the concerts at Christmas and summer 😢