Why no in-person classes? 

You may have seen other children's programs, including camps, gymnastics, and others opening up for in-person classes. So, why isn’t Tiny Voices Little Songs doing the same?

After lots of consideration and reviewing research done by me and my colleagues looking at the CDC guidelines and considering the logistics of our regular classes, I have determined that in-person classes of any type would not be right for my center at this time.  Outdoor and Indoor in-person classes present many challenges which I'm unable to accommodate right now.

Here are the reasons why:

•  In-person classes would require at least a 50% reduced class size, which would necessitate an increase in tuition to cover our costs. 
• All people over 2.5, including Miss Lisa and any other teachers, would have to wear face coverings that would prevent the visual observation of facial expressions and mouth shapes that are important to modeling singing to young children. Wearing masks may create an added layer of anxiety for children and parents.
• Group singing may be a super-spreader activity, and dancing would also increase the aerosolization of moisture droplets from the breath. (ie. droplets get smaller and may travel farther.) 
• Safe indoor locations require doors that shut (preventing a toddler from leaving the room as they naturally are seen to do!), reducing the amount of ventilation necessary to limit the possible amount of virus in the surrounding air. 
• Social distancing requirements would require wandering children to be physically held in place throughout the class. That would be in opposition to our "learn through play" philosophy, and children cannot learn while they are struggling against restraint. 
• Certain props, like stretchy bands, balls, the parachute, would not be usable. Free choice of instruments for the play-along would not be possible. 
• Temperature checks would be required, which while possible, feels a bit intrusive to me, and which would frankly prove to be a futile precautionary measure for folks who may be asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19. 
• Outdoor classes are subject to problems of weather, space availability, bathroom accessibility, competing noise, and again, the inability to allow children freedom of movement without fencing to keep them safe. 

For all of these reasons, as well as my own personal concern for the safety and health of all of our families and my own, I would prefer to take a wait-and-see approach to restart in-person classes. I believe that the Music Together^® Online format and all the things we are offering in our online package which I developed at my center is a worthy -temporary - replacement for our traditional in-person classes. Considering the glowing reviews and overwhelmingly positive feedback I can tell you that our online families agree.

We’ve learned a lot from pivoting to the online format over the past year. Why not give our Music Together® Online package a try to see if what we are offering is right for you and your family? It’s better than many could have imagined. We are offering a variety of formats, including short, twenty-minute classes that meet twice weekly, as well as our longer format classes which meet once per week for 40-45 minutes. It’s still the best brain activity for your child while being fun, enriching, and providing some structure and something to do for the little ones!

ONLINE CLASS SCHEDULE:

The class schedule is posted in our Family Portal. Classes take place Monday through Saturday this semester. To see the Online class schedule click here.

WAIT, MORE SCREEN TIME?

We know screen time isn’t generally recommended for this age group, but here’s the difference: YOU! When children stare at a screen and passively receive information, they don’t TAKE IT IN in the same way, nor do they learn in the same way as when they have the active participation of a caregiver or parent. SO, just like in our classes, you’re still the most important part. Your teacher will be on the screen, they might see their classmates on the screen, but it is truly the interaction of the parent/caregiver with the child that is going to continue their music development! We will also give you lots of fun activities and ideas to do at home while we’re all looking for more activities to do this Fall when the weather does not cooperate with your outdoor activities!

Lastly, please let me encourage you to think of this offering as a way to connect with your child, your teacher and with others.

We need music and we need each other during this time. Because classes are online, and because we're offering a variety of class lengths plus 10 minute pre-recorded videos - there's a lot of flexibility.  Take us with you and participate (grownups) wherever you are, using a tablet with built-in wifi, or on a phone. Even though we can’t be together in person, we can still be silly, interactive, and playful “together” online. We hope you’ll choose to join us! We can't wait to see your faces!

Please reach out to me or Kelli with any questions or ideas.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. We love you!