Welcome!

Welcome to all our new families as well, joining Team Music for the first time. It is great to have you on board! Welcome back to all our families and musicians returning to lessons in school.

Carrying on with our music, safely, is our priority for so many reasons. Yes, things are a little different, but our core ethos has not changed. Creating lifelong musicians. Music is so much part of the lives of our musicians and the joy of returning to live music in school is here.

We are following all government guidance regarding all aspects of music – guidance that is regularly updated. We have screens in rooms, ventilation, enhanced cleaning, sanitiser everywhere and protocols for every form of musical learning. Lessons continue as normal and will do so, whether in person or if needed online (google meet). Students will need to leave a little longer to get to lessons in the secondary phase, and ensure in primary that instruments are in the music room ready. Some lessons start this week, the majority, including those in the Larch, from 14th.

Our ensembles kick off from Monday 14th September. Safely, with changes to ensure appropriate distancing, facing forward, correct room size and ventilation, seating plans and registers. We are planning and testing at the moment to see how this will work in practice. We have completed extensive risk assessments and had all our plans checked. Emails will come out this week with all details and timings, where to go following the staggered ends of days etc. Things will feel different, but one thing will not have changed – the same amazing musical sound that our students create.

Timetables continue to be online, via the link at the top of this page. Students do need to continue to set alarm reminders for lessons and we will support all musicians to settle in to remembering lessons again. Do check our twitter feed (https://twitter.com/simonballemusic) – you don’t need a twitter account to see posts. We celebrate our music and let you know what is going on via twitter.

What I ask from our families is to stay in touch. If someone is absent from school and has a music lesson, please email us directly so we can plan and teach online in the lesson slot if possible. The more you communicate, the more we can support.

Being part of Team Music is amazing. We are here – safe, and raring to go. If you need any reassurance or have questions, please get in touch.

Mark Taylor, Director of Music