Music lessons during Covid 19

[MGMidget]

I wondered if any musical instrument teachers are able to start doing face to face lessons as restrictions ease or are lessons still going to be on video conference for the foreseeable future? I was planning to sign my DD up for instrument lessons at school for next term (year 1) but at her age I think lessons by video would be of limited value. Hence, curious to know. Her school are pretending everything will be back to normal in September to get fees/commitments/bookings in but I am wondering if they will be zoom lessons and whether it might be better to try and organise lessons at home if more likely to get face-to-face lessons?

What instrument? Stringed instruments are much more likely to be safely delivered face to face than wind instruments, especially flute.....and also probably better than piano, where there is the issue of multiple people using the same instrument over a series of lessons.

For lessons in school it will depend on if the school allow visiting teachers in, which is currently unknown for September. Private lessons out of school may be able to start up sooner depending on teacher and government restrictions.

That's true, JC. At the moment, where I work, even other school adults cannot cross bubbles, so the school is closed for a while each week to allow me my non-contact time, usually covered by PPA staff. Music teachers, who necessarily see children from across different classes AND visit other schools, may well be a no-no.

My children (6 and 8) have violin lessons at a local music centre and currently the intention is for them all to continue online lessons for at least the first half of the autumn term. Online lessons have worked for us but can vary depending on the kids, teaching quality and the number of other kids in the group. We’ve been fortunate in that our lessons have been 121 so even our youngest has made progress. I’m not sure if he would have done as well if it had been a group set up.

Our piano teacher is week after next. Some rules re hand washing and face masks but generally he is keen as are we!

Ours are still via zoom.

We’re in Wales where we’re still under the 5 mile travel rule and can only meet one other household outdoors so unless we push the piano into the garden and the teacher moves closer we’ve got no chance yet!

not in uk.
1:1 music lessons have started again, but teacher is behind a screen or 2 meters away (3meters for brass/wind)

We have a long lounge so could seat the ww teacher 3 metres away but they would both need copies of the music, which we do already. We will be having a break in a week or so for a couple of weeks, things might change.

Our music service isnt planning to re start the in school face to face lessons until january 2021 at the earliest.

That is depressing 😢

Thanks everyone for your answers. Yes, its depressing as its a long period of time trying to learn an instrument this way. I could see that an adult or older child could persevere with these revised methods of learning but I wonder if a younger child would be turned off music lessons altogether! They need someone showing them closely wat to do, correcting hand positions etc! I am considering encouraging her to try piano if our original choice of recorder is more problematic. Does anyone know if woodwind instruments can be taught face to face (one to ine) yet?

I think recorder would be easier than many instruments to do online as there are not so many technical issues like reeds and keys to deal with. I think that it is a great instrument to start on although piano is good too. Recorder has the benefit that you can play with others fairly quickly, maybe you could learn alongside her and play duets, that would help with the motivation.

I think peripatetic music lessons in schools are going to be tricky to do, sadly.

However our piano teacher has just started up 1-1 again. She didn’t do zoom at all.

The Benedetti Foundation do two free after-school sessions a week, have a look on their FB page - it's not all string-based (although they are running some paid sessions over the summer for string instruments as well) so that might be worth keeping an eye on if it will inspire her interest.

Hopefully not hijacking the thread but what measures could a private piano and voice teachers take that would reassure you parents about returning to face to face lessons?

I teach both and currently on zoom and similar. My current thinking is to purchase a digital piano for students to play which would be easy to sanitise after each lesson. They'd have to wear masks and wash hands on arrival. For singers I'm thinking of getting a perspex screen for them to stand behind. Again, this would be wiped down after each student along with anything and everything they may have touched.

So, everyone to wash hands on arrival and leave shoes at the music room door. Two copies of music and theory books. Anyone feeling under the weather would have an online lesson.

These changes won't happen until mid September at the very earliest but would you be happy for lessons to resume with the measures I've mentioned? Is it too much?

Thanks

not in uk and dc have lessons again at a conservatoire

• strictly no face to face lessons if either party has any cold symptoms.
• wiping instrument between lessons (dc piano teacher uses a cloth and soapy water)
• hand washing before lesson (was standard anyway)
• 2 pianos side by side, other instruments are taught with a screen between teacher and students. some rooms have plexiglass percusdion screens, others have a clear shower curtain on a clothes rail

Our piano teacher is saying hand gel before and after and masks during lessons. I am happy with that but I am not super worried about them and covid so seems enough, as he said it’s about the same as a mobile hair dresser requires which seemed a sensible analogy.

Would accept voice would be more difficult though!

Oh yes and no lessons with covid symptoms obviously!

@MGMidget my year one DS has been having recorder lessons online since March, and has made a lot of progress since then. He started at the beginning of reception with small group lessons, but is doing much better now he is on his own. Definitely worth a try in my view

My husband is head of singing at a vocational college. There will be no face to face singing, woodwind or brass lessons for the forseeable future.

there has been a study by the vienna philharmonic orchestra (I think).
interesting to take a look and to discuss with the teachers.