Band Room Covid Compliance
Responses to Covid-19 concerns from parents.
MicraMusic does have a Covid policy for the UP Band, and it is outlined here https://www.micramusic.com/covid-compliance. Currently we are running on Zoom, and we actually started the 2020-21 cohort of students on Zoom - then had Face-to-Face classes, and then back to Zoom (currently now). It's been quite successful. We have found the students in Zoom class have less distractions, and we cover a lot of material using the online resources and have embedded activities like music games and special 'play-along' songs too.
Ideally, it's great to have the F2F teaching to be able to check posture and model good tone, but Zoom works well for the learning the 'mechanics' of the instrument, how music works and seeing curated video for tone and styles of music learning. We have usually 100% attendance in the Zoom class (and we have parties and fun quizzes and games as well).
If the situation remains the same in August, we will commence with Zoom.
We do take masks off, but use social distance and in the classroom a Sterisol Germicide made for musical instruments that is used too. The school cleaning staff clean all the stands and chairs before and after class, and we use a room with a higher recommended air turnover than the HK Government suggests for closed spaces.
When students take off masks, they are hung on the music stand, and no-one is allowed to leave their seat without a mask (and we are socially distanced in class too). On the website is some research about Covid in music lessons too.
All Band Instruments go through a special UltraSonic and Ultra-Violet combination clean. We believe we have the largest Ultrasonic cleaner in HK for this, and the quality of the clean is what is used in surgical instruments and dental surgeries. In addition, we use UltraViolet cleaning for soft materials on the instrument (for the flute and saxophone) and research suggests Ultraviolet cleaning also kills any Covid or Influenza germs too. Mouthpieces have Ultrasonic clean and then a germicide sterilisation and are 'untouched' until the students receive them. For Band Basics classes it usually takes a week to do the change over of instruments, although pending class sizes and rotation, some instruments will be ready for a direct swap.
Because this situation is unprecedented and unpredictable, we have been trying really hard to keep students exploring and learning music, as we feel it's a shame to 'stop life', as such. We also believe that we have done a good job of setting up our Covid Compliance, and have held a successful Summer Camp series last year and classes to help refine our procedures alongside our colleagues in the MS and HS Bands.
(combination of email responses to parents March - June 2021)