Music teacher home visit

[aurea]

Hi all

My son is learning piano and has been with the same teacher for eight years. She is fab but hasn't taught him in person since the first lockdown in March 2020.

Zoom isn't the best mode of learning so I was wondering what other music teachers were doing regarding home visits for teaching.

Thanks!

I'm a piano teacher.

At the moment my pupils are using my piano and I play on a keyboard in lessons so we can be socially distanced. I photocopy their music so we each have a copy. I leave a minimum of a 15 minute gap between pupils and wipe the piano with disinfectant wipes between pupils. Pupils may not have a lesson if they have a cold or anything that could possibly, however remotely, be you know what.

I wear a mask with some pupils but not all and don't ask my pupils to wear a mask.

Obviously the windows are open. I leave as many doors open as possible too.

Pupils coming straight from school wash their hands in my bathroom opposite the piano room and dry on kitchen towels.

From a teaching POV, it's not as good as lessons where we're both sat together at the piano but it's much better than online lessons. Especially for the youngest children.

I'm lucky to have another reception room and a good sized room that the piano is in.

Thank you for your reply.

My DC has already done his grade 8 and is quite advanced but he seems to have lost interest possibly due to the online format or else his age (16).

I will ask his teacher what her longer term plans are. She is young and is not high risk AFAIK.

Thank you for replying.

My child started piano over zoom a year ago, and has never met his teacher in person. It actually suits us quite well, as we love the teacher, but the studio is a 30min drive away. I only picked that one because it was the only place doing online lessons, and I was looking for something he could do during lockdown.

I have actually been amazed at how well it has worked, especially considering that he was only p1 when he started.

She has been teaching in person for other pupils now for a while. I think they have a similar set up to PP with two pianos/keyboards, and wear masks. I think they have a screen up too.

Ours is not comfortable moving off zoom yet either. Am trying not to get annoyed about it as everyone has the right to manage their own fears, but she isn’t even willing to consider it this side of summer holidays.

OP your son probably needs something to practice for. A diploma, one of the ABRSM practical musicianship exams or a public performance.

Playing with other people would hopefully inspire him too.

DS had his first in-person lesson with his brass instrument teacher this week. He has done surprisingly well over Zoom but it really gave him a boost to play some duets. Teacher comes to our home. She also teaches in schools and has been doing regular LFTs for that.

Just a quick update. Thanks for all your replies.

My son's music teacher has now started coming back to the house and he definitely seems to be keener to practise.