Let’s get right to it–there is a LOT of uncertainty right now in regards to what the start of this school year is going to look like. If you have a student who is starting an instrumental music program this year, this uncertainty is even greater–what is their beginning program going to look like? Will they be able to learn a new instrument with virtual instruction? What should I do about getting their instrument? I’m going to tackle these questions and more. And while this blog is dedicated to flute players, please know that this advice can be used for any beginning band or orchestra student.
First and foremost, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is the following: if your student expressed interest in beginning band last spring, move forward with that plan. If you haven’t signed up to rent an instrument from Paige’s Music, go ahead and do so online. You can choose to pick up the instrument in our store, using our contact-free curbside service, or have the instrument delivered to your child’s school. As of today, we still have a scheduled date and time to deliver instruments to beginning school music programs; the date will be listed as you are filling out the agreement and has been scheduled with the director. Rest assured that our directors are working tirelessly to decide the best and safest way to start beginning band programs, and we want your student to be able to participate. Rest assured, if things do not go as planned or your student changes their mind, you are able to return or exchange your student’s instrument to our store or through the school with our district managers, who will visit your school weekly. If your student’s school is meeting virtually for the first part of the year, give us a call to arrange a return or exchange.
If your school is starting the year virtually, or if you are wanting your student to have some extra instruction to ensure that they are getting a strong start with their instrument, I would highly suggest getting them started in private instruction. Most private lesson teachers are meeting virtually, but even so, there is truly no substitute for the one-on-one attention and instruction that comes from private lessons. We have a list of recommended private lesson teachers on our website; flute is about halfway down the page.
Finally, just know that we are all in this together. We know that information is changing by the day, and we here at Paige’s and the Indy Flute Shop are working tirelessly to ensure that your student has the life-changing opportunity to make music, no matter what that looks like this year! Give Erin a call at 317-813-2044 or email her at erin@indyfluteshop.com with any questions or concerns. We look forward to helping your students make music!
