While there’s little certainty in any of the answers to these questions, the best we can do is be prepared for any number of outcomes. Here are ideas for maneuvering that process.

1. Recognize Your Resilience

When you first received the news that you needed to become an overnight virtual music teacher, you had your doubts. Though the fear and uncertainty are still very valid, so is your creativity, community, and collective passion for helping your students experience the joy of making music. You’ve made the most of a dire situation, and through the sweat and tears you will carry your students across the finish line. Yes, there were painful sacrifices that had to be made along the way—no end of year concerts, no graduations, no award ceremonies, no goodbyes on the last day of school. The point is you found a way through, so first and foremost, you and your students’ resilience deserves recognition. Consider taking time during a virtual class meeting to acknowledge and celebrate this with your students—you made it, and you are all an inspiration.

2. Reflect, Rest, and Recharge

The school year will come to a symbolic end as you close your laptop, or hit the power button on your computer for the last time. With final grades submitted and students on summer break, it’s time to actually process the events of the last few months. Once you’re on the other side of this initial phase of pandemic life, you’ll have a lot of thoughts and feelings to sift through. This will be a unique summer break, and now more than ever, it will be important to focus on your physical and mental health. Unplug—literally and figuratively—and focus on you. 

As you process and reflect, in the background of your mind, consider what worked and what didn’t work regarding your remote instruction experience. What did students respond well to? Understand that you finally have somewhat of an advantage—you know you can survive a virtual school semester on extremely short notice, and now you have time to actually plan ahead with that experience under your belt.

3. Rerouting the Roadmap

At this point, we still don’t know exactly how the next few months and years will play out. But in this step of the preparation process, having a few plans ready-to-go at a moment’s notice will help ease the burden of the unknown.

Route #1: Planning for a Normal Semester

Chances are, you’re used to planning in-person lessons, rehearsals, and classes for any given semester. So, this outline should be relatively easy compared to the semester you just completed and didn’t plan for. In the event that school resumes normally in the fall, this should be a cinch!

Route #2: Planning for Another Remote Semester

Here’s where you get to really evaluate the wins and losses of the virtual teaching experiment we just finished and build the framework for a virtual semester that will go as planned. What online services, websites, and platforms did you use? Will you need a Zoom subscription? What about SmartMusic? Google Classroom? What repertoire and lessons would work well for an online space? Would you assemble a virtual ensemble performance or recital? If so, what equipment or knowledge do you need to acquire? Now is the time to research, talk to colleagues, and map out your ideal virtual semester.

Remember—music has always been a fantastic tool for teaching self-discipline. Perhaps another remote semester could really be about teaching the importance of practice, the art of self-evaluation, and individual musicianship. Think of all the lessons that music teaches us that extend far beyond the notes on a page. How can those be incorporated?

Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from students who just experienced your class remotely. They are the ideal focus group!

Route #3: Planning for a Rotating Schedule

In the event that your state, district, or school takes the route of a rotating schedule, consider the best of both worlds. How can you be most effective in both physical and virtual spaces? Try to plan for a smooth transition back and forth. How can students’ time at home both supplement and prepare them for what you’ll accomplish in person? Naturally, you may want to focus on playing in person, and assign listening and theory exercises at home. This is an opportunity for you to get creative.

Another approach may be to consider your end goal first, then work backwards from there. Schedule out the semester strategically, leaving as much room as possible for flexibility. As we’ve all learned, things can change at a moment’s notice.

4. Remember What’s Really Important

Chances are there will still be bumps in the road to come and we may not realistically be able to prepare for each and every scenario. Yet as musicians, as much as we live and breathe preparation through routine practice and rehearsals, we’re also masterful improvisers. We’re encouraged to spontaneously compose—we literally make up melodies on the spot. We’re taught to keep smiling on stage when the performance falls apart. We’re still successful if we just keep playing. When students first learn how to improvise, they’re often encouraged to play freely and are told, “There are no wrong notes.” Educational anecdotes like this can remind all of us that as long as we try—as long as we’re making music—there is no wrong approach. This same attitude can be applied to your teaching. Of course, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes—and it’s not always easy—but all those years you spent as a music student preparing to lead in a traditional classroom setting also prepared you for this. Just keep playing.    

The post Wrapping Up the Remote School Year: Tips for Turning the Page appeared first on SmartMusic.

The New Horizons Music Program provides entry points to music making for adults, including those with no musical experience at all and also those who were active in school music programs but have been inactive for a long period. While K-12 schools and universities have taken to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, adults and senior citizens who are also under stay-at-home mandates are finding meaningful opportunities to engage in remote rehearsals through Amanda Schlegel’s Congaree New Horizons Program based in Columbia, South Carolina. 

These silent rehearsals are held weekly and are conducted using Zoom web conferencing and SmartMusic. That’s right—silent rehearsals. By now, all music teachers can attest to the reality that online ensemble rehearsals make it nearly impossible for players to hear each other. In essence, these virtual rehearsals are supervised group practice. Each player in attendance is muted, so they are only able to hear their own performance, plus the teacher. Members rely on the SmartMusic accompaniment tracks to hear all parts of the piece the group is working on. One benefit of this setup is that musicians are forced to rely on their own ears and musical intuitions as they relate to accuracy in their playing. Additionally, because players can only hear their own practice, each member can customize the tempo at which they are rehearsing, allowing them to personalize their learning and remain in a social setting.

Because members of other New Horizons programs were faced with the possibility of having no opportunities to play and interact with each other, Amanda invited members of other New Horizons band programs to join the Congaree New Horizons members in these online silent rehearsals. Currently, the members from two other New Horizons band programs—Central Savannah River Area New Horizons Band from Aiken, South Carolina, and the Tucson New Horizons Band from Tucson, Arizona—gather online for concert and jazz band rehearsals on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Though they can’t hear each other play, members report a surprisingly fun and joyful experience from participating.

To learn more about how to attend these silent online rehearsals, visit the Congaree New Horizons Band Facebook page or email Amanda Schlegel at aschlegel@mozart.sc.edu, and watch the video below where Amanda demonstrates how rehearsals are conducted. 

The post Staying Social Through Silent Rehearsals: Opportunities for Adults to Make Music Online appeared first on SmartMusic.

There’s a lot of change taking place throughout the world, all at once. Schools and businesses have closed overnight, and we’re being asked to stay and work from home as much as possible in a global effort to slow the spread of a deadly virus. How did we get here? 

Yet, if we think of instances of change as they relate to our greater evolution, they’re par for the course. As long as humans have existed, we’ve stood resilient in the face of adapting to new circumstances, both good and bad. Yes, change can be very difficult. But change can also be a very good thing. While this crisis has posed innumerable challenges for everyone, there is a lot that we can learn from this experience. And as teachers, we know all too well that facing a challenge head-on is one of the most precious opportunities for personal growth.  

While adjusting to a new pace and a new routine can be very difficult, it’s important to remember that if we take things in incremental steps, we can ease into a new routine and make it feel as normal as possible. 

Working from Home

Perhaps the biggest professional challenge facing music teachers is the mandate to work from home. Aside from the technical issues of having to translate such a social, emotional, and physical activity into an online, virtual learning experience, for those who are also not used to working inside their personal space, the transition to a work from home lifestyle can pose its own unique challenges unrelated to the job you’re trying to conduct.

So, how do we balance that? 

Establish a Routine

That’s right—routine, routine, routine! Resist every urge to replace your morning commute with a little extra sleep. Start work at the exact same time, every day. During the day, try not to be tempted by that overflowing laundry basket, or the sink piling full of dishes. However convenient, these tasks can slowly start to become too distracting. Additionally, don’t treat evenings like you’re on a vacation, staying up too late because (again) you may think you have a little more time to sleep in the next day. 

Maintaining that day-to-day structure is crucial in making this change feel less harsh. Keeping your normal, everyday schedule means one less thing that actually needs to change.

Keep Your Workspace Separate

This may come naturally for some, especially if you already have an office space in your home, but it needs to be said. Setting up a designated workspace is like physically setting up a boundary—when you are in that space, you are working. When you step outside, you are not. Of course there will be some exceptions, and it’s impossible to keep both worlds entirely separated all the time, but having a deliberate workspace that’s not in front of the TV, or in bed, is ideal for your productivity. 

Take Breaks

What do you normally do during recesses? During lunch periods? This may be one area where without supervisory duties, or without students to physically interact with, you may feel a change. But remember, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. 

Social distancing and working from home doesn’t equate to complete isolation indoors. Consider scheduling breaks each day so that you can step outside of your work/home space and get some fresh air. Meditation can be a great mental exercise for stressful times such as these. Or maybe you briefly FaceTime a colleague, family member, mentor, or friend to commiserate over the crisis and feel less alone. It’s important to stay connected, and we’re lucky that technology has evolved in such a way that we’re able to do so from far apart.

Whatever it is that you decide, it’s important to be intentional with that time away from work. Think of it as recharging your batteries at designated times, similar to how you’d plug your phone in to maintain its charge throughout the day. Taking your mind out of your mental workspace momentarily can make all the difference when you step back into it.

Keep “Home” at Home

When you’re not working from home, you’re just at home (see “Keeping Spaces Separate,” above). It can feel weird when you clock out for the day, and then… vualá! You’re home! Just as it can be tempting to do the laundry or dishes during the work day, it’s just as important to try to leave work where it is. Students will certainly have additional needs during this transition, and it is important to be there for them, but balance that as best as you can with your own personal life, and your own need to process what’s happening in the world. Spend time with your family (from a safe distance), and try to make time for exercise and physical health. If you don’t take care of you, you can’t take care of others.

As with facing any challenge, there will be bumps in the road. What advice would you give to a student who was being challenged? Now, more than ever, it’s important to be kind to yourself. We are all learning, and no one has all of the answers, but try to find the comfort in the fact that we’re in this together. Recognize that the value you are creating in the world through music education extends far beyond this moment, and use that as motivation to just keep up the good work… from home.

The post Adapting to Change: Making Work from Home Work for You appeared first on SmartMusic.