Students, teachers getting together to make music again

Piano, violin, fiddle, guitar and even voice lessons have been moving off Facetime and Zoom over the summer for students with the P.E.I. Registered Music Teachers Association.

Association president Andrea Ellis said an operational plan was approved by the Chief Public Health Office and she is already teaching some students in person, and will be seeing more soon.

"It was great to start seeing students in person again," said Ellis.

"Some of the students that I'm welcoming back, I haven't seen them since March in person. I've seen them on a screen. So it'll be really exciting to see them again."

Under the operational plan, students and teachers will practise physical distancing, wear masks, and be diligent about hand hygiene, particularly for shared instruments such as pianos.

Some students and teachers are choosing to stick with online lessons. She said most of her students are returning to in person.

Ellis said while she is excited to have students back in her studio, she was pleased with how well the online teaching went, saying she could still see the progress of her students in the spring after in-person sessions were shut down in the pandemic, but she is glad to open her studio again.

"It can't fully replace that in-person opportunity where you can really hear and see everything that's going on," said Ellis.

"Being with other people and making music is what it's all about."

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