Updated March 29, 2021
Happy World Piano Day and EXTRA SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
I thought this would be an appropriate day to share some exciting news to the entire studio. I am now fully vaccinated, which means I feel comfortable beginning the process of moving back to in person lessons for those who feel comfortable with it.
Before I get into the details of how this will move forward, I would like to take a quick moment to remind all of the parents who are reading this that you are ROCKSTARS. I don’t have to tell you that this has been an insanely difficult year. You are all amazing to me! I hope that piano lessons were able to be a small respite for your families during the past year, and will continue to be in the future.
Moving forward, this is the current plan (as everything this last year, this plan may be modified):
Online Lessons
Online lessons remain an option to those who wish to continue with them. We may need to make modifications to the schedule over the next months, as I teach online lessons from my home (due to internet speed).
In Studio Lessons (Lakewood)
Safety Precautions Being Taken
DO NOT COME TO LESSONS IF YOU OR ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSE IS SICK
I cannot stress this enough.
Masks will be required for the forseeable future.
A typical lesson will look something like this:
Parents of students above the age of 6 will be asked to wait in their cars during the lesson.
Limited Amount of Students Per Class
If you have any questions about how things will move forward, please reach out! I want to work with everyone to the best of my ability. I’m SO looking forward to seeing everyone back in person soon!
Christina
September 1, 2020
And just like that, 6 months have passed. What an unexpected and challenging year this has been!
I’ve been talking to a lot of my piano teacher friends around the world, and one thing that has become apparent across the board is how important music and the arts are to the human experience. How lucky we are that we can continue to make music everyday!
I know many of you are eager to resume lessons in person, and it is my hope to be able to safely do that soon. I am working on a number of upgrades to the studio as well as some creative solutions for group lessons moving forward. Until then, I am also continuing to work towards improving your lesson experience to the best of my ability.
At the beginning of the pandemic, like many other teachers, it was quite the scramble! I was working with existing tech that I already had in my home. It was working very well, but I really wanted to start making the lessons more engaging and “fun.” Therefore, I spent the majority of my summer consulting with teachers who have been teaching online for many years, and upgrading my tech setup. If you’ve peeked in on lessons, you may have noticed that I have a multiple camera setup and also the ability to share various slides and whiteboards. The students have had a great reception to this, but I am not done yet!
A big parent concern has been the issue of screen time. To be honest, this has been a large concern for me as well (For those who do not know, I have a side gig where I spend 6-8 hours on the computer outside of lessons, so I’ve been having way too much screen time, myself!).
I’ve been wracking my brain for creative ideas of how to get your children away from the screen for a few hours and doing something more hands-on. Each student in our studio will be receiving a piano care package, which will include challenges, creative ideas, crafts, worksheets, and games. It is my hope that you will be able to help your child carve some special time in your schedule to not only celebrate being a young musician, but to enjoy some tactile activities!
Check your e-mail boxes soon for more information about all of the great things we have planned!
June 29, 2020
Firstly, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing with lessons during this very unusual time.
The decision of whether or not to to re-open in the middle of the pandemic has been very difficult. I am eager to return to seeing you in person; however, I am not ready at this time to resume teaching in person.
I understand that every family has different feelings and opinions about this virus. Even though many businesses are opening, the data concerning outbreaks where students in our studio live (LA county and OC) is concerning. I believe that it is necessary to continue to take precautions in consideration of the health and safety of everyone in the studio.
Online lessons are not a permanent plan for our studio. I intend to re-open and I have a well-thought out plan in place for when that time arrives.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to educate your children. I am immensely proud of them for progressing during a time when many unexpected changes have happened in a short period of time. It is challenging to live with so many questions about how things will proceed. I am confident our studio will continue to move forward with momentum.
March 15, 2020
Dear Students & Parents,
If you have not received a personal call or text message from me yet, please sit tight – I am working through my entire roster of students by lesson time & day and calling each parent/student individually.
Quick Facts:
A few parents I have already spoken to have asked some very valid questions after the subject of video lessons came up on Friday, so I wanted to provide a little insight and hopefully quell any anxieties you may be experiencing.
Please either watch the video or read below.
If I do not address your question, please feel free to ask. As I tell the students, I’ll never be angry if you ask a question!
1. What tech is required for online lessons?
As your teacher, I need to be able to see the student and hear the student. The student needs to be able to hear me at minimum, but if they can see me, even better!
A phone, tablet, or laptop with a decent camera and microphone will suffice.
If you are on a laptop, it helps if the student wears headphones to limit echo.
Popular services include: Facetime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype. We will use whichever one you are most comfortable with that works with your device.
I am an overly tech savvy person and I will walk you through anything you need help with.
2. Online lessons have the SAME value as in person lessons and I would love for you to try them.
The decision to move to online lessons temporarily was not made lightly, but it was made with a great deal of research and in depth discussion amongst my piano teacher colleagues across the world.
If you try a video lesson this week and you feel it truly will not work for your family, we will work out an alternate solution.
3. Online lessons are the same price as in person lessons.
Virtual music lessons take a significant amount of extra planning and preparation on the teacher’s part. I am willing and prepared to take on that challenge. The cost of this extra time will not be passed onto you.
Payment for April will still be due on the same date (March 25), and tuition will remain the same at this time.
Everyone’s situations are different and there is a possibility that some families may soon be experiencing financial difficulty in the coming weeks. Please reach out if this becomes the case and we will work together on a solution.
4. Online lessons are a TEMPORARY solution.
Your lessons will NOT be moving online permanently. This is a temporary situation. We will go back to in-person lessons as soon as it is reasonable to do so.
Friday March 13, 2020
As of this morning, LBUSD and LAUSD announced they are going to be closing schools. Monday March 17, 2020, our studio will be temporarily switching to online/video lessons.
1. Each student will gain FREE access to an app called Tonara (www.tonara.com)
Parents will be receiving a username and password for each student in the next few days by text message and e-mail.
2. Facetime, Skype, Google Hangout, or Zoom lessons will be temporarily replacing in-person lessons.
3. I will be also providing additional pre-recorded video lessons as well as downloadable worksheets for music theory, listening, and composition.
4. If you want any extra lessons (at no extra charge) during this time to help combat cabin fever or get a break for yourself for a few minutes, I will be offering some extra spots on a calendar which will be provided for you soon.
I appreciate each and every one of you, and thank you so much for your patience. I hope we all stay healthy and this blows over soon!
Miss Christina
March 10, 2020
Dear Students & Parents,
At this time (March 10, 2020), there are NO confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our music studio;however Orange County has 5 cases and Los Angeles county has 20, so it is slowly certainly something for us to keep an eye on.
It is important for us to not panic in this situation, to consider scientific evidence, and to take reasonable precautions.
This particular virus affects people with compromised immune systems and the elderly more seriously.
Please continue to consider the health of everyone in our studio, which does include babies, immunocompromised people (your teacher included), and the elderly.
How COVID-19 Spreads
Symptoms of COVID-19
There has never been and will be NO exceptions to this policy.
Please do not be offended when I ask your child to wash their hands. I ask and will continue to ask every student to do so before they step foot into the classroom.
We realize that children are still learning hygiene, and will support that by reminding your child not to touch their face, mouth, etc. If your child touches their face, they will be asked to re-wash their hands or get a pump of hand sanitizer. If you do not want your child using hand sanitizer, or have a special request for type of soap in our bathroom due to skin sensitivities, please let us know.
We are not changing any of our policies regarding illness.Students and parents/guardians that are coughing, sneezing, have a runny nose, or who have had a fever in the last 48 hours are REQUIRED to cancel lessons for the day.
I will be more lenient about makeup lessons during this time.
If you have a lingering cough, please wear a mask (we have a FEW of them left for students inside the classroom).
All surfaces that hands touch are frequently disinfected with bleach or equivalent. This includes the pianos, keyboards, tables, couch, door handles, and the waiting area.
Piano lessons will continue because we have a plan!
I am continuously monitoring press releases from public health officials both locally and nationwide and have developed a plan for continuity in piano lessons should we need to implement it.
If any of the school districts that students in our studio attend close down or the health department provides suggestions to more seriously limit interaction and engage in social distancing, piano lessons will continue for students of ALL ages.
Our contingency plan is to:
Your payment will still be due at the same time. Students will still be expected to continue practicing and demonstrating progress.
If you have an underlying health concern or family member who has one that you believe puts you in a high-risk group and you would like to take steps ahead of time to mitigate your exposure, please let me know and I will setup online lessons for you.
If you or any of your family members that you come into close contact with have traveled to areas with a high volume of confirmed or self-positive COVID-19 cases, I request a temporary switch to online lessons.