RE-OPENING: Musicologie’s Guidelines for In-Person Lessons

Below is a letter I wrote to Musicologie students back in May about our re-opening plans and how we’re working to stay safe as we restart some in-person lessons. Currently we are offering a limited schedule of in-person lessons. As time goes on and guidelines change, this post will be updated.

Current Guidelines for In-Person Lessons

1. The lobby will be closed. Please wait outside until your lesson time. 
2. Teachers will wear face coverings.
3. Teachers will clean their spaces after every student, wiping down instruments, door knobs and other high contact areas. 
4. We strongly recommend students wear a face covering. Remember, face coverings aren’t to protect the wearer, they are to protect everyone else. You can be carrying covid-19 and not know it, so the responsible thing to do is wear a face covering.
5. Students doing in-person lessons must sign a waiver.
   
6. Teachers and students must do a health self assessment. If they have had any covid-19 symptoms, or been exposed to anyone who does, please do not enter the studio.

Letter to Students

Musicologie students,

I wanted to update you with our response to Gov. DeWine’s ResponsibleRestart Ohio guidelines issued last week and our plans moving forward. In accordance with the state’s operating requirements for our business, we are scheduling a very limited number of in-studio lessons beginning on May 12. This is an exciting moment; it feels like we have an opportunity to take one small step back to normalcy, but we have to be careful and responsible, and we need your help to do that. Here’s how it will work:

First of all, in-studio lessons are entirely optional and ALL teachers will also continue offering online lessons. If you don’t want to come back to the studio, don’t. If you are uncomfortable, if you are high risk, if you have recently been sick, if you have any hesitation at all, please continue with virtual lessons.

Second, we are limiting the number of teachers who will be offering in-studio lessons to make sure we can meet distancing and capacity requirements. Your teacher will reach out to you specifically when they begin teaching in-studio. Please plan on continuing online lessons UNLESS your teacher specifically reaches out to you.

Third, even if you and your teacher do decide on in-person lessons, our studios will look a little different for now. Here’s what we’re doing to keep you and our teachers safe:

1. The lobby will be closed. Please wait outside until your lesson time. 
2. Teachers will wear face coverings.
3. Teachers will clean their spaces after every student, wiping down instruments, door knobs and other high contact areas. 
4. We strongly recommend that you also wear a face covering. Remember, face coverings aren’t to protect the wearer, they are to protect everyone else. You can be carrying covid-19 and not know it, so the responsible thing to do is wear a face covering.
5. Students doing in-person lessons will need to sign a waiver.
6. Teachers and students must do a health self assessment. If they have had any covid-19 symptoms, or been exposed to anyone who does, please do not enter the studio.

I know some of you are anxious to get back to in-studio lessons, while others may be very uncomfortable with the idea. We want to strike a balance by following state reopening guidelines and resuming some in-person lessons while also doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of you and our teachers.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me. And remember, only a very limited number of teachers are resuming, so wait to hear from your teacher about whether they will be offering in-studio lessons.

Thanks and stay healthy!

Joseph Barker
Musicologie