Your Guide to Staying Safe When Returning to In-Person Lessons by Instrument

Here we are at a little past the one year mark of when all of our lives got turned upside down and we had to adapt to the new normal of living life virtually. While things certainly may still be up in the air and not 100% back to the way they were, it is exciting to be able to see life slowly beginning to look a little more like we were used to before! Now that the places we know and love are beginning to open up many of us are eager to get out of the Zoom rut some of us have found ourselves and our children in, but we now have more to consider  than ever. You may find yourself wondering how safe it is for your kids to come back for their music lessons or to be reunited in person with their beloved voice teacher. Here are our recommendations on best practices for each instrument to help make your life a little easier when considering the transition back to in person music lessons!

Guitar and Other String Instruments:

For instruments such as the guitar that do not require the removal of a mask to play, you can give yourself some additional piece of mind by bringing your own instrument to your lessons. Many string musicians find that playing on their home instrument much easier anyway as it is the one you’ve been practicing on at home! For younger students who may need assistance from their teacher to tune their instruments, we highly advise both the student and teacher to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds before and after handling their instrument. And of course, remember to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between other people.

Piano:

Piano students face a bit more of a challenge when it comes to ensuring the safety of their instrument since you can’t exactly bring your own piano with you to lessons! Here at Opus we have each of our rooms stocked with hand sanitizer as well as disinfecting sprays and wipes and our teachers know to sanitize the pianos in their classrooms after each use; additionally our office staff thoroughly sanitizes each piano at the start and end of each day! We recommend cleaning the piano keys, piano bench, and book stand. 

Drums:

While drummers are in the same boat as pianists as far as not being able to easily bring your own instrument to lessons, the upside is that most drums don’t require the direct hand-to-instrument contact that comes with the piano! It’s a great idea to make sure you have your own drumsticks with you when you return for your lessons in person. Your teacher should also have their own set for them to use when demonstrating which will help eliminate any risk of spreading germs during your lessons! It is still a great idea to sanitize your drumsticks before and after you play which can be done easily using most disinfectant sprays or wipes! Here at Opus we also disinfect the drum throne (seat), drum head surfaces, and cymbals.

Voice:

Singers have been dealt an unfortunately difficult hand when it comes to returning to in person lessons since the COVID-19 virus is spread through respiratory droplets that are produced while singing. This is made even more difficult due to the fact that the average face mask can make it difficult to properly project your voice, breathe properly, and get the right airflow when singing and your teacher won’t be able to see their student’s mouth. Luckily there are some great innovations that have come out over the past year to help make things safer and easier for voice students and their teachers! Plastic shields can be utilized to create a barrier between student and teacher that allows either of them to remove their mask while singing. Another innovative solution for singers has been the creation of many different masks specifically designed for singers which allow the wearer more airflow within the mask to help when singing! 

Woodwind and Brass:

If you or your child plays an instrument in the wind or brass family returning to lessons may seem a bit daunting! Luckily over the past year there has been a lot of research to determine whether or not these instruments have a higher chance of spreading the COVID-19 virus when played and studies show that the range of aerosol droplets that are emitted when playing these instruments is only about 1 foot. This does vary by instrument as some smaller instruments such as the flute may be less likely to spread respiratory droplets over a long distance when compared to a larger instrument such as a trombone. Wind players may wish to stay with virtual lessons a bit longer just to be safe before returning for in person lessons. If you and your teacher are comfortable with returning for in person lessons you can also reduce the likelihood of spreading germs by using a plastic shield and special masks like the ones we mentioned previously when discussing voice lessons safety. 

With each day looking brighter and brighter as far as returning somewhat to normal, we hope that you’re as excited as we are to be able to return to in person lessons soon. While it is all down to your personal comfort level when it comes to deciding to return to your music lessons in person you can feel safe in knowing that our school and many others are prepared with the right equipment and knowledge to keep you and your kiddos safe! And if at any time you feel like in person lessons aren’t working for you, feel free to return to virtual lessons anytime.

For more information about our COVID sanitation standards and in person lesson safety procedures at Opus Music School you can go to www.opusmusicschool.com/safety or reach out to us by email at info@opusmusicschool.com or by phone/text at (626) 961-2625. Our goal is to provide music lessons to our students that are not only fun but most importantly safe! We hope to see you soon as we continue to work towards reopening our school!