How have different music-making community groups responded to the pandemic?
2020 has been a year for change for many, and as a member of different music-making community groups, I could see that change taking place in a variety of ways.
Switching to remote teaching
Following government guidelines, teachers all across the country had to get acquainted with remote teaching. That was not easy, especially for teachers who have little to no experience with technology. Thankfully, community groups and their members were available to help teachers get confident with using technology every day in their work.
As the months went by and more and more teachers tried different video calling setups to provide the best quality teaching experience to their students, recommendations were essential so that everyone could learn what type of programs, microphones, and webcams seemed to be the most suitable for music teaching.
Since no lessons or conferences could take place in person, everything moved online. Having those events and courses still happen, even if remotely, was an excellent opportunity to stay inspired and also progress with teaching students despite everything.
When it came to exams, it was crucial that we kept up to date with the latest news from the UK’s exam boards, and everyone made sure to share useful information on how they are responding to the pandemic and government guidelines. That meant that we could all keep our students informed on how the exams would work for 2020 and advise them accordingly.
Support during difficult times
The support coming from these communities wasn’t just limited to work advice, we were lucky to have people regularly organising online socials for the good of the mental wellbeing of all members. This was welcome especially by the teachers who had to shield and self-isolate and as such had even fewer chances to socialise outside of the groups.
Financially, this was also a tough time for many, especially as self-employed teachers were not eligible for the furlough scheme. Our music-making community groups ensured to keep everyone informed on the latest news regarding self-employment Coronavirus grants and any changes to the government guidelines as they varied across the UK. Not only that, members were also sharing information regarding any subscription payment holidays and bursaries available for those financially affected by the pandemic.
Not everyone was eligible for the above financial support or would receive enough to support themselves with it, and as such many resources and ideas for alternative ways to make money during these times, outside of teaching, were shared around these groups. Additionally, one of the community groups I’m a member of, hosted an inspiring event on different ways to boost your income during the pandemic.
Planning for the future
We can’t predict what the future holds but we’re lucky to be part of a community that keeps up with any of the latest news in music teaching and government guidelines. To ensure that everyone is informed, members of these groups have been hosting webinars and conducting surveys to let teachers know what the future of piano teaching and music-making might look like.
To best prepare for the return of music teaching in person, these groups also helped us with Risk Assessment so that we can ensure the safety of our students and ourselves.
Things are constantly changing as the government introduces new guidelines and the pandemic poses new challenges, but being a member of these community groups helped me and other teachers power through and find support whenever needed.
